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#flight gear 2022 1_2

Details: Published: 18 September 2022

The new developments in 2022, notably those on display or launched since the Stubai Cup in the spring, have been numerous. But a large number of wings which have already been certified have still not been able to be delivered due to the saturation in production.

An interesting trend this summer, for which Swing have created the term ‘Social flying,’ has also appeared: Flying for pleasure, without any performance ambitions, with friends, often on foot and safely.

This is why paragliding is still booming at a time dominated by COVID and the war. In France alone, the number of licences passed has very noticeably increased. 1000 more licences were granted at the end of July 2022 compared to the previous year. Numerous new ‘tolerant’ models have targeted this market segment for safe wings for ‘Social Flying.’ While two years ago, the word we heard the most on each stand was ‘performance,’ this year it is ‘safety’ - a very welcome evolution…

Read the magazine as always for free:

Paragliding World Cup Roldanillo, Colombia, 6th-13th February 2022

Details: Published: 31 January 2022

The World Cup first ventured to Roldanillo in 2011, with pilots from 28 countries competing. It was such a great success that two Super Finals were then held there, in 2013 and 2018. PWC is returning in 2022 with pilots from 33 different countries, and the highest pilot quality we’ve ever seen.
Since those early days Roldanillo has become one of the best competition venues in the World thanks to its reliability, easy logistics, thermal quality, textbook flying conditions and most importantly the people.
The people of Colombia have been welcoming pilots with open arms for over a decade and it’s not uncommon to see pilots flooding into Roldanillo on the back of motorcycles, tractors or even a donkey from time to time!!
The Paragliding World Cup starts in a weeks’ time and many top pilots are already landing here to train for this event.

Roldanillo is a traditional Colombian town sitting in the valley of Valle Del Cauca at 925 m. The launch, Augua Panela, is 869 metres above the town with beautiful views and trees for shade. Pilots can expect to find thermals as strong as 5-6 metres a second, with cloud base reaching 3000 plus metres. All of Valle Del Cauca works wonderfully giving very interesting tasks with lots of different routes for pilots to choose from, taking the valley, which side of the valley, or flying the mountains. The landing zones are huge and everywhere, which makes it possible for pilots to get lower than ever imagined low saves.

Roldanillo has become home from home for many of the top pilots on the World Cup circuit, basing themselves here to run courses, adding glitter to our star-studded selection list. All that needs to be said about the pilot quality: ‘CF’ wasn’t enough to get a place!
In addition, Roldanillo 2022 is going to be a great chance to see what Gin's R&D department have been up to. An updated 2022 version of the Boomerang 12 will be put through its paces during the competition by Torsten Siegel before it goes on sale. Honorin Hamard from Ozone will also be stretching his wings flying the first production model of the Zeno 2. The Niviuk X-One is very much on the up too, with more pilots than ever before flying it.
Keep up with all the fun and frolics on the World Cup website, pwca.org and on the PWCA Live App at https://live.pwca.org (which is now a web app). It includes the live Commentary, the tracking and all the scores. For those who can’t work out one end of a paragliding competition from another, the Commentary gives a thermal-by-thermal explanation.
(Photo by Ulric Jessop)
All the results will be available here: https://live.pwca.org/scores?comp=29

Review Woody Valley GTO Light 2

Details: Published: 24 January 2021

Flashback to our review 2020

When the GTO Light 2 from Woody Valley had just been released, our colleague Stefan Ungemach tested one of the first available models...

Review EN B+ Niviuk Ikuma 2

Details: Published: 24 January 2021

Flashback to our review "EN B+ Niviuk Ikuma 2"

Coming five years after the excellent Ikuma 1, the new version of Niviuk’s high EN B or EN B+, largely keeps its promises!

Review Gin Vantage 3

Details: Published: 24 January 2021

Flashback to our review 2020: According to GIN, the Vantage 3 is a new concept of paramotor wing: light but durable, easy but nice to fly, aimed at beginner to intermediate paramotor pilots and free flying pilots. Marc Coffinet tested this universal wing for free.aero magazine.

PWCA’s 2021/2022 competition season

Details: Published: 22 January 2021

The PWCA Committee and Dimiskovski Goran, PWCA President, are excited to finally present the calendar for PWCA’s 2021/2022 competition season.
All the venues and dates are confirmed.

It goes as follows:
Gemona, Italy: 19th to 26th June
Kopaonik: Serbia: 10th to 17th July
Disentis Switzerland: 8th to 18th August - 11th PWCA Superfinal
Aksaray, Turkey, 4th to 11th September
Gochang, Korea: 26th September - 3rd October
Traslasierra, Argentina: 20th to 27th November
The selective events for the 11th World Cup Superfinal, that will be held in Disentis (Switzerland) from 8th to 18th of August 2021 are the following:
10th Superfinal held in 2019.
5 World Cups held in 2019.
1 World Cup that we had in 2020 - Disentis (because of Covid-travel-restrictions only 3+1 pilots are directly selected)
2021 season’s events that we will be able to run (Gemona and Kopaonik, direct selection will be defined according to Covid-travel-restrictions)
The 2022 season will start in September 2021 and comprise Aksaray - Turkey, Gochang - Korea, and Traslasierra - Argentina.
The season 2022 will continue in the first half of 2022 with 2 or 3 additional events to be ended with a European Superfinal, most likely in late European summer.

PWCA President Dimiskovski Goran says:

"We finally have a workable and very well-balanced calendar. Further information about selection rules, non - devaluation of letters, entry fees, rules changes, and detailed media presentation will follow shortly.

With hope for a successful 2021 competition season"

More Info:
https://pwca.org/

Reminder: complete index issue "Indian Summer 2020"

Details: Published: 20 January 2021

Index Indian Summer 2020
Please remember, as a new feature, you can find every photo and diagram in the actual issues in our new index system:

Indian Summer 2020

Details: Published: 03 October 2020

Indian Summer 2020

Paragliding activities have recovered surprisingly well from the first shock of COVID. Manufacturers, who feared bankruptcy, are selling more than ever before, and during this summer, the skies have been full of pilots happy to have found their freedom again.
Read the magazine as always for free:

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Summary: (For the full index [every photo and item] please click here)

Free Aero Hacked

Details: Published: 02 October 2020

Unfortunately, the Free Aero website was the victim of a hacker attack. We were able to restore the website, but until all content will be available again, we still need about 2-3 days, sorry.

Coupe Icare completely cancelled

Details: Published: 17 August 2020

Due to COVID problems, the Coupe Icare was to be held only for the pilots, without the general public. Unfortunately, the organizers were finally forced to cancel the event completely. In a press release, they explain this decision: "The fear for the health of the participants, our volunteers and the inhabitants of the village, as well as the increasingly heavy sanitary requirements, and the defection of many exhibitors, pushed us to take the decision that seems to us the wisest."
They will meet again from September 12 to 19, 2021...

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