#_icare_2018 and #trends part 1/2
- Details
At the 2018 Coupe Icare, the biggest free flying festival in the world, new technology such as the RAST system took pride of place. Hi-tech for flying with total peace of mind. We also noticed that the single skins, whilst diversifying, have gone fully into another, well established trend: lighter and simpler. This return to basics has also happened in cutting edge technology, such as the use of high-tech modern fabric like Skytex 27. It has been tried and tested for more than a decade now. The next step in light weight, Skytex 21, is expected to feature in the 2019 X-Alps. We visited the textile factory in France.
And of course you can also read it on one of our exclusive applications: Free Aero Magazine
Phi Viola
- Details
Stefan Ungemach has done a quick test of one of the first samples of the Viola 18. Here is a condensed version of his first impressions...
Knots
- Details
Horizon Réparations is one of the oldest repair centres for paragliders in the world. Its owner, Nicolas Brenneur, who also has lots of experience as a designer, talked through the latest ‘trends’ in glider faults as well as errors in maintenance committed by pilots...
Phantom, FREE FLYING AND WITH A MOTOR
- Details
The Phantom which came out in 2016 quietly continues its expansion across the market. This extraordinary EN B for free flying, is also certified for with a motor...
Supair: Skypper 2, Delight 3...
- Details
The harness research laboratory team has been strengthened by the addition of Romain Rousset. Despite the expansion of the range of paragliders, harnesses remain important: Supair produce thousands of harnesses per year; the figure could be around 10,000...
GIN Seok SONG, forty years of free flying.
- Details
Forty years of free flying and twenty years of GIN the company, meant that there was plenty to celebrate...
At Porcher Sport: THE FABRIC, the raw material of our FLIGHTS
- Details
Porcher Industries is a big French group with a worldwide presence. They make all types of technical fabric, for airbags amongst other things, but also for commercial aviation. In the sports sector, their fabric is used for balls, spinnakers, parachutes, kites and, of course, for paragliders...
Quick test Ozone Rush 5
- Details
The Ozone Rush 5 is a good example of a modern EN B+, it integrates the most recent technology with aspects of the Enzo 3 and the Zeno. A quick test and a potted version of our first impressions…
XX lite 2 by Ozone
- Details
THE MINIMUM
The XXlite 2 was designed to be pretty much the same weight as the version 1, because ‘if it is heavier, there is no point in having a single skin as we already have the Ultralite 4…,’ the designers explained before it was launched...
SkySports
- Details
This is the oldest paraglider manufacturing factory in Sri Lanka. Wings for Independence, Skyman and MacPara are made here, for example. Interestingly enough, the final control has been pretty ingeniously organised using a typical inflation station before the lines are added, but also using a blower which allows the wing to be checked hanging upside down...