If you’re waiting for delivery of your Sport 4, it should be with you soon!
Airwave have had to increase production rates to keep up with demand for this, their new intermediate wing, but large numbers of gliders are now arriving twice a week and delivery times are coming down!
Antoine Girard begins his Himalayan adventure on June 14th.
He aims to climb three 8000m peaks around the Baltoro glacier in the Pakistan Himalaya, without sherpas or oxygen, and fly off them on his Airwave Himalaya adventure wing. The peaks he intends to summit, neighbours of K2, are Broad Peak (8 047m), G2 (8 035m) and G1 (8 068m). His will be the first known descents by paraglider of Broad Peak and G1.
The Himalaya was designed for just such adventures, tipping the scales at under 2kg yet with a sail area of over 20m2, trim speed of around 40km/h and glide ratio of over 7:1. It is said to have a very efficient brake deflection to aid launches in the difficult conditions of thin, high altitude air.
Airwave are proud to unveil the new Magic 5.
The M and L sizes have just passed EN certification, class D but with very few Ds (and notably with a C in accelerated assymetric deflation - unusual in such a fast wing). It has also passed LTF 2-3. the S size will be certified soon.
The Magic 5 has an amazing speed range of 30km/hr, and during testing a top speed of 58km/h was recorded on the large. Stall speed is very low, at 26km/h. But Airwave say that its real beauty is not in its speed range or its stability at speed, but the pure pleasure of handling, especially in thermals.
Less than a month to go until the start of the Transdromoise race, from Saint Martin in the Vercors, to Mont Brun, and there are still places left.
Running from the 25th to 31st May, the competition is a fly/hike/bivouac race in the vein of the red Bull X-Alps, across the Drome region of France. Julien Wirtz, France’s representative in the X-Alps, will be on hand before the start and throughout the race, giving advice and encouragement.
If you haven’t signed up because you have no support person, the organisation will endeavour to fix you up with one, so no excuses, register here!
The “Association L’Arcene” are organising an open air concert for the prizegiving, to take place near the finish line.
For more info, www.transdromoise.fr
Kay Tauscher, instructor with Peak to Peak paragliding school (Boulder, Colorado) and NOVA team pilot, will be running an XC flying camp in Greifenburg, Austria from May 11 - 18. World class NOVA team pilots will be supporting her, to help participants make the most of the amazing XC potential of the area.
Pilots interested in the XC Camp should visit www.peaktopeakparagliding.com. There are still places available.
In addition to the Peak to Peak Paragliding Camp, the NOVA Team Pilots will be available on these dates to pass on their expertise to ALL interested XC pilots, regardless of brand of wing flown. Every morning Steve Nash, Wolfgang Bernhard, Mik Broschart, or Johannes Kronberger will do a briefing concerning weather conditions and possible XC routes – FREE OF CHARGE. Meeting point: At 8 o’clock on the camping ground in front of the tent with the NOVA beach flags.
It is not a must to register for this free service of the NOVA Pilots Team, but please drop Wolfgang a non-binding email if you are interested: wolfgang.bernhard@atb.at
NOVA team pilots: Wolfgang Bernhard (Austria), Kay Tauscher (USA), and Steve Nash (UK)
Charly speed pedals are designed to keep the speed bar resting against the harness and out of the way when launching. But in the air, the super light-weight and robust tube is easy to get hold of with the foot thanks to the engagement aid, a plastic-coated, high quality steel cable curved in the direction of flight.
Made from high strength aircraft aluminium alloy, the speed pedal is very robust and weighs in at only 74 g complete (one-stepped) or 147 g (two-stepped).
Length is easily adjusted by a three hole system on the foot stirup.
Price for the Charly Speed-pedal complete, including rope with sewn-in brummel hooks, is € 28,90; the double Speed Pedal complete is € 39,50
Finsterwalder-Charly have made improvements to the quick-out 1998 karabiner, updating the security sleeves to make operation easier when wearing gloves.
The quick-outs were designed to allow separation of the paraglider from the system when the risers are still tight, and possible uses include strong-wind or water landings, or to allow the use of a steerable reserve, unencumbered by the paraglider. (more…)
The Sparavel paragliding school have joined forces with Nova, to run the Dondena Mountain festival 2008. It takes place on June 14th & 15th in the Champorcher area of Italy, just South of Mt Blanc, guests staying in the magnificent surroundings of Dondena Mountain hut (2186m).
The event is an open weekend dedicated to mountain sports and outdoor activities, with a focus on paragliding. Guests can run, bike, boulder, climb, paddle, and of course, fly with free trials and demonstrations. Paraglider pilots from beginners to experts are catered for, with taster sessions available, hike & fly excursions and Nova demo wings to borrow. The event offers a wide range of activities and is suitable for the entire family.
The meeting point for the event is at 9am on the Saturday morning, at the Quincinetto exit of the A5. Take your own car to the village of Champorcher, from where a 4×4 shuttle service will take you to the refuge.
The cost is 35 € / day for half-board accommodation in the refuge (a reduction on the usual price), and all activities are free. Book at www.laportadellavallee.com
For further info (in English), email ginofranc@gmail.com
FLYMASTER is scheduled to launch its all new FLYMASTER B1 VARIO, a high precision and ultra sensitive variometer, with an amazing high resolution display.
Taking advantage of the technology developed for the top competition Flymaster F1 navigator, the FLYMASTER B1 VARIO benefits from the rapid and ultra sensitive response of the exclusive UltraSense pressure sensor.
It has a configurable display with a high resolution of 320×240 pixels, and a built-in high capacity rechargeable battery for extended flight time. It features 3 digital altimeters and a graphic altimeter display with a real time altitude plot; analogue and digital vario, real time, flight time and temperature indicators and a high capacity lithium ion battery, rechargeable by a standard USB port. It has a wireless interface for multiple probe connection (eg. wind-speed and temperature) and a USB PC connection for flight data download and easy firmware upgrade.
FLYMASTER say their B1 VARIO will be launched this summer at an outrageous competitive price.
You won’t miss a thermal!
ESPORTERS LTD launches the beta version of its sports community site www.e-sporters.com, which links active people involved in sports.
The site is targeted at sporters, teams/clubs, fans, sponsors, associations and product and service providers in the sports industry, for all sports and roles, from beginners to professionals. (more…)
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