“AHHHHH! There’s nothing like the smell of printed paper!”
The latest issue of Cross Country magazine was fresh off the press at the recent Stubai Cup in Austria. Handing it to Chrigel Maurer and Pal Takats at the same time both pilots immediately did the same thing: opened the pages, bent back the spine and inhaled!
It’s the finish you know: proper gloss paper, made from sustainable wood pulp paper (ISO14001 environmental standard) and printed using vegetable-based soya inks (so it’s straightforward to recycle). The result is shiny, glossy and inspirational, with the classic printer’s “Ahhh!” thrown in for free.
But you don’t want to know that. You want to know What’s In This Issue.
As usual, it’s packed, including:
ON THE COVER
Felix Woelk took this stunning shot of flying in the Kerio Valley in Kenya in January. Greg Knudson was out there chasing speed records, hence the cover line: “You gotta go there to come back”.
COL-BUSTERS
After 45 pages of news, views and reportage straight from the heart and soul of the free-flying world, we get to our first big feature: Col Busting with alpine expert Jon Chambers. It’s an in-depth look at how to fly mountain passes – will you go low and get flushed or fly high and catch a moonbeam? Jon explains how to do it.
MANILLA
One of the world’s favourite and most accessible flatland sites, this brilliant set of photos by Brooke Whatnall is accompanied by some serious retro-musings from the pen of Allen Weynberg. Includes epic skies, golden sunsets, kangaroos and paragliders.
DARE TO DREAM
A couple of years ago Greg Knudson set himself a new task: to fly world records. He explains what you need to do the same thing: meditation, gym sessions, paperwork – and flying. The more you put in, the more you get out. Felix Woelk was there to capture Greg’s latest two week adventure in Kenya’s Kerio Valley.
PROJECT BOOMERANG
OK, Kenya is good, but hey, what about this! Jonny Durand goes cliff soaring along the Nullabor Cliffs and comes home with two new hang gliding records in one perfect day: Speed over 300km out-and-return and Speed over 100km out-and-return. Ripper. Amazing photos by Mark Watson.
KING OF THE SKY
Francisco Javier Reina Lagos reveals what it takes to fly like a champion – and how he knocked his do-or-dare approach on the head to become cool, calm and considered. Olé!
FLYING THE WAINWRIGHTS
Some 214 hills make up England’s beautiful Lake District. Bagging them by foot is a popular pastime for walkers, but no one had ever done them by air – until now. Simon Blake took up the challenge. With amazing photographs by landscape photographer and pilot Stuart Holmes.
SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED
Suddenly miniwings seem to be everywhere. We talk to Little Cloud designer Tom Bordeau to get the exact lowdown on what they’re like to fly and how old-school paraglider pilots can make the transition. Plus we take a ride on the high-performance miniwing the Little Cloud Goose, and go hike-and-fly with the Air Design Susi.
Little Cloud Goose
Air Design Susi
PLUS
Epic Selfies: We jump on the bandwagon and devote our Gallery to selfies in the sky.
News and New Gear: We round up the latest wings and harnesses from the manufacturers.
When Wedgies go Wild: Tex Beck shares his thoughts on how best to stop an attack by a wedge tailed eagle in Australia
Mads’ World: One guess what comphead Mads Syndergaard is chewing over for breakfast. Yep, the Superfinal in Brazil.
Naked Pilot: Glen McFarlane has been flying up the hang gliding ranks and is new Australian Champion. We check out his base bar.
Insight: Ozone’s Mike Cavanagh discusses the Enzo 2.
Icaristics: Bruce Goldsmith’s experienced eye talks us through an amazing collapse sequence caught on camera by Brooke Whatnall in Manilla this season.
Meteoland: Honza Rejmanek explains why spring thermals are notoriously strong, punchy and good.
XC Files: Gunter Porath introduces the wind drifter, a neat idea to help hang glider pilots assess the wind in the landing field.
My Line: Will Palmer talks us through vol-bivouac flying in Tajikistan and explains how it’s not that hard after all – “Turn in beeps and fly on after”.
On the Spot: We test the latest model of the Spot satellite tracker and also check out two other Spot products – the Spot Trace and their brand new satellite phone.
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