The Phi Viola is a wing that appeals to potentially the widest range of pilots imaginable. The majority of sizes are EN A, and are thought of as lightweight hike and fly wings, and that's correct, as it's a lightweight version of the Sonata. However, it's also a very capable mainstream wing, and a mini wing for alpine flying or high wind soaring. It is able to cater for all these demands with a range of eight sizes, and certification from EN A to EN D, depending on the size chosen, and the use of extended weight ranges.
Miniwings for high wind soaring are one of my personal obsessions and I spare no effort in finding the worlds best. I live in Auckland, New Zealand with large picturesque sea cliff and conditions that are often strong, laminar and superb for high wind soaring/speedflying. This is unusual in the world, so we are lucky and constantly looking for better miniwings to give us more fun in our smooth 20-45km/hr coastal winds.
The Phi MAESTRO is designed for recreational pilots with some experience who want to excel at cross country flying or are looking for a wing with feeling and feedback. It’s what we call a ‘high B’ or B+ for short, which means it passes the standard EN-B certification tests, but requires more piloting skill to fly when compared to something like the Phi Tenor.
I was excited when PHI released a lightweight version of the TENOR. The original wing (also a low B) has impressive performance, nippy handling and great passive safety. How does the new TENOR LIGHT compare to the full fat version? I flew it in the UK winter and then for 30 hours in Colombia in a wide spectrum of flying conditions whilst leading a cross country paragliding tour, which gave me a great opportunity to test the responses and compare it with other current wings. Is it any good? Let’s find out.
The TENOR (EN B) is bigger brother to the SYMPHONIA ('super-high A'), which the Flybubble Crew are extremely impressed with, so we were excited to try out this new Hanesh Papesh design billed as a ‘kick-ass’ wing. Carlo Borsattino tested it in exceptionally summery conditions in the UK.
You’d expect a designer with such a long tradition of excellence in paragliding to have something special up his sleeve when he starts his own brand. Something that not only displays his mastery of design but creates a space within a crowded marketplace. A disruptor. There’s no question that the Symphonia will be a defining wing for PHI.
You’d expect a designer with such a long tradition of excellence in paragliding to have something special up his sleeve when he starts his own brand. Something that not only displays his mastery of design but creates a space within a crowded marketplace. A disruptor. There’s no question that the Symphonia will be a defining wing for PHI.
