by Alistair Andrews
Whether I’m flying from Milk Hill or the Glyders, I keep a little Grab Bag inside the instrument fairing of my harness. Sometimes I tailor it to the extremity of the terrain I might land in, but for normal XC flying it weighs only weighs 670g and fits in a small first aid bag.
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Service information and answers to some frequently asked questions about Nova Paragliders, for example:
Can I shorten the brake lines on a NOVA wing?
How do I hold the brake line correctly?
Does Nova test the materials used?
How should NOVA wings be stored?
What is the performance of my NOVA wing? How fast will it fly?
How should NOVA wings be packed?
When should I send my wing for its first NOVA Trim Tuning (NTT)?
I would like to try a NOVA paraglider. Who should I contact?
Flying cross country in the UK offers many challenges and special experiences.
Carlo Borsattino summarises the action from the most successful XC season in history ... grab a cuppa and enjoy the lengthy report at your leisure.
There's lots to learn from reviewing the days that worked well, and what pilots chose to do.
The Pilots' Tales section offers a unique perspective from some of the leading pilots in the UK.
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Getting the most out of a good XC day often comes down to a simple decision: do you leave the hill as soon as you can (and try to stay up all day) or do you wait till it's good and blaze a trail on speedbar to cover more ground during the strong part of the day?
Carlo Borsattino recounts his decisions and tactics on an epic flight from Selsely common, when his leading position on his Skywalk Cayenne 5 (EN C) was put to the test against the relentless racing of Mark Watts on his Ozone Enzo 2 (CCC).
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Each year Skywings Magazine presents the Wings Over The Cloud award for inspiring writing.
This year Carlo Borsattino has won the award for his articles: Super Sunday and If We're Lucky We'll Make Bexhill.
Read the stories that caught the judge's eye >
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The Ion 4 is Nova's new entry level EN B glider. It's suitable for talented beginners, but most pilots will enjoy its superb performance to safety ratio. With its lightweight concept it should also be a hit with the Hike & Fly market and those who just want a lighter pack. It can be ordered with student risers or with a speedbrake riser (for XC pilots wanting to steer on the rear risers without affecting the camber and spoiling performance). Greg and Simon at Flybubble tested the Ion 4 out. Read their reviews below.
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Nova make some bold claims about their new Progression Class wing, the ION 4.
Flybubble tests the wing in some bouncy spring conditions.
Simon: "In the air the glider is very solid ..."
Greg: "A well-designed evolution in the Nova range."
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The Pi was an astounding design but some aspects kept it limited to being mainly a mountain wing. Advance have learned from the first project. Have they perfected the concept in the Pi 2?
It has some impressive characteristics and surprising performance. Instead of a bomb-proof wing for quick descents, our reviewers found a fully developed paraglider, capable of XC flying.
Greg Hamerton: "I kept looking up and thinking, how is it doing that?"
Phil Clark: "You get the feeling it's put together with precision and finesse."
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Niviuk says “The docile and intuitive character of this new model brings full awareness in flight, handling ease and provides the means to progress in all phases of flight with peace of mind.”
What does this mean, in the real world?
The Progression Class is full of exceptional modern wings designed to appeal to low airtime pilots.
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A compact and stable canopy makes a pilot feel happy, even in demanding conditions.
Numerous performance-enhancing tweaks have found their way into the wing. It was designed as a hybrid 3-liner and has only one line junction level.
The Epsilon 8 is a Progression class wing with good direct handling and performance, very stable, with thin risers, very few lines and light weight.
Test pilot Greg Blondeau commented: "I had lots of fun to test it, I think it's a good evolution for the sport to have an easy glider like this."
Flybubble demo arriving soon, review to follow!
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