Paraglider Control: Big Ears or B3? (Gin Carrera)

This is a really interesting new idea for increasing your decent thanks to the guys at Flybubble.com

Gin Carrera Paraglider Test Results - EN B

http://www.para-test.com/images/Test_Report/Para_flight/English/2013/2013-11-18_carrera_s_en.pdf

looking pretty darn awesome for performance and safety!  great to see paraglider design moving in this direction!

and here is a C wing that I like the Ozone Delta 2 for comparison
http://www.para-test.com/images/Test_Report/Para_flight/English/2013/2013-04-24_delta2_s_en.pdf

Lauren Martins: A thought about the problem of low wingloading and...

Lauren Martins: A thought about the problem of low wingloading and...: Paragliding ladies and light pilots you may want to take notice on this..... You most probably are flying a wing that is far larger than wha...

Global visual aid to the earths wind patterns

http://earth.nullschool.net/#2013/12/16/1500Z/wind/isobaric/1000hPa/orthographic=-94.10,43.59,1208

Ozone Delta 2 vs Gin Carrera

This is such a beautiful launch and great demonstration against two of the top wings on the market today!  I'm really hoping to be here at some point and do some austrian flying perhaps on a carrera too!

Colapsos em voo duplo. Efeito cascata! Collapses in tandem flight. Rippl...

Paraglider Crash: How to Avoid the Rotor (+playlist) Every paraglider must watch this!

Grampa Ninja B&B Paragliding destination Costa Rica

This looks like a cool vacation destination and getaway for those of use in the northern climates that are getting pretty cold about now.

http://www.paraglidecostarica.com/index.html

REAR-RISER CONTROL AND HOW TO USE IT

This is a great tip from master paraglider pilot Bruce Goldsmith on using rear risers while on speedbar and how to prevent collapses while doing so.  http://www.xcmag.com/2013/11/rear-riser-control-and-how-to-use-it/  his book is a must read for all paragliding pilots.

An oldie but a goodie, recent test flight of an Advance Sigma 6 paraglider

This wing is sitting in my friends garage for quite a good price and taken very well care of.  So why not off the flight park to test another wing.

I have always resisted the Advance wings because I think the fins look "dorky" ha ha.  So I was surprised by how much I liked this wing.

First thing I noticed is it is fast or least felt fast to me.  Many of the cells are closed or partially closed this would seem to produce better penetration and also maybe re-open slower?

It is a 4 liner and with a lot of lines as you can expect from just about any wing from a few years ago.  That is one thing I love about the new wings, the super clean and few lines of new wings.  But anyways so what it has a lot more lines let's see how she flys.

I was able to take off in almost no wind and thermal up the mountain when no one else did this late in the day and I give credit to myself and also this wing!

It gives good feedback but not too much I felt that the wing stays overhead pretty easily and I didn't feel knocked around even tho it was a thermal day.  Speed bar felt very smooth not requiring too much pressure and brake pressure felt just about right as well.

Spirals and wing over feel solid without too much enthusiasm.

Overall I like this wing a lot even tho it has a few years on it and it seems like it has good cross country potential.  Have not been able to find any good data on how it performs in turbulence or any good siv videos of it in major collapses which is a very key indicator in how comfortable I am on a wing.

here is a link to some specs and photos http://www.para2000.org/wings/data/advance-sigma6_uk_01_01.htm

North Side, Point of the Mountain, Utah, America's busiest paragliding flight park

Gin Atlas Small Paraglider Review 2013

Finally got my hands on a new crispy Gin Atlas size Small from our local shop SuperFly Inc.

This paraglider is a joy to fly and definitely cutting edge design in the easy B paraglider choices.  It inspires confidence with its tight direct feeling above you.  It does not rock around too much and feels solid going in and out of thermals.  The Gin Atlas, I would say, is a must buy purchase for the paraglider seeking a second wing after school.

Highlights

• Great color schemes and build quality Gin is known for.
• Very few lines!!  Super easy to clear and lay out your lines.  They are sheathed too, so this wing can go anywhere including your local rocky hike and fly.
• Felt rather light weight compared to other wings I've flown recently.
• Can do a flat turn on a dime.
• Roll and pitch feel dampened which for me is a much more fun and relaxing flight when in rough air.
• Brake pressure felt high, took a lot of pressure to put into a spiral which starts out slow but then after a few rotations hold on as it will go into turbo spirals.
• Performs really nice wing overs.
• Climbs soooo easily, this wing will get you up to the top of the pack as well as any wing any level.
• Glide performance is amazing, I almost completely missed my landing field first time landing this great wing, it just keeps gliding and gliding.
• The low friction loops are awesome, say good by to that squeaking brake pully!
• Front openings are nearly impossible to close thanks to the creative design of the front wires which naturally keep the vents open.  This also makes inflation off the ground very easy.
• I did not feel any difficulty in launching or overshooting tho I'm in the habit of moving towards my wing on launch.  

Challenges

• Folding the wing with both front and rear plastic wires can be a challenge if you want to pack your wing up small.
• Brake pressure is a bit high for a really long flight or if you like to fly dynamically.
• Speed bar pressure felt heavy as well and my legs got a bit tired holding it for more than a short time.

Conclusion:

I like this wing a lot.  It provides amazing performance and feels very secure.  One of the biggest problems in paragliding is pilots getting in over their head with performance which lowers how much fun they have and sometimes scares them out of the sport or leads to injury.  This wing provides both performance and a real feeling of security.

credits to the awesome: Gin Paragliders, SuperFly Inc and Rob Chrisholm.

More tips for the paragliding bum, ditching working for the man and living in a van!

http://www.vice.com/read/talking-surfing-and-vans-with-Foster-huntington?utm_source=vicefbus

Paraglider Control: Finding Your Stall Point

Flybubble Paragliding has been producing some fantastic, possibly the best, paragliding reviews and tutorials on the web right now.  I especially like this one to really get to know your wing and it's stall point and flying characteristics.

Aaron Durogati kiting his Gin Carrera

This is a beautiful looking wing with fantastic performance!  Looks pretty stable in kiting for such a high performance wing and I expect it to feel pretty good in the air but that remains to be seen...  Waiting impatiently for the demo to come into to SuperFly Paragliding shop in Utah.

Gin Seok Song talks about the new GIN Carrera

To me Gin Seok Song is the BOSS of paragliding.  The godfather.  I love his philosophy and devotion to the sport of paragliding.

His latest wings the Gin Atlas and the Gin Carrera are wings I am very very excited about.  The mix of performance and safety is exactly what I'm looking for.  Gin paragliders are beautifully constructed, with excellent craftsmanship in the sewing and a beautiful design.

Hoping to have some reviews of these new wings soon.



1

Paraglider Review - Zephyr size small - Initial thoughts at the local training hill

Pilot Weight all up: around 90kg.

Harness: Gin Genie Lite without pod attachment. 

Location: South Side, Point of the Mountain, Utah.

Wind speed: around 12-15 mph nearly straight in 9:30 AM.

Construction: The fabric feels solid and the sewing well done. Plastic ribs in front only. 3 thin risers with a snap/button clip for brake lines, I prefer magnets. Feels well manufactured.

Design: Ok nothing special.

Weight: a bit lighter than other wings.

Launching: very easy to launch, wing tips stayed folded in for longer than I would like but came out with a quick pump of the breaks. Does not hang back or overshoot even in relatively strong winds. 

Soaring: Soars well and communicates the lift. I was able to stay above most other pilots on the training hill although to their credit many of them are relatively new pilots. Windtech web site says this "The trim speed is the highest among all the wings and the glide ratio is clearly above 9 as it is proved and tested by the best magazines wordlwide." and that is impressive.

Turning: I was not able to get high enough and far enough away from other pilots to put this wing through some hard spirals but was able to pull the brakes down pretty hard. It felt rather slow to react, with heavy brake pressure required and a tendency to level out. Perfect for newer pilots, think I'm just getting used to EN C or 2 rated wings and smaller wings.

Landing: Wing is able to retain a lot of energy and I was even able to soar the bottom of the hill for a while before landing which is unusual, meaning this wing may give you some low saves and has quite a good glide ratio. When I did set up my landing it almost set me down then lifted up again then settled down and gave me a sweet two step landing. I would say that this wing is very easy to land for any intermediate pilot with over 15+ hours.

In conclusion: Not really enough time to thoroughly test but I think I can make some accurate impressions of this wing. It is constructed well and will not deteriorate quickly which is very important value when making a paraglider purchase decision. I would recommend it to the advancing newer pilot with solid skills. It does talk to you and can take a beginner off course but with good training and active piloting skills easy to manage. Takeoff and launching are very easy. Feels pitch and roll stable while still doing a good job of communicating where the lift is. It does not feel as directly connected to me and solid as the Gin Sprint Evo which is still my top choice of the paragliders I have so far reviewed and use a benchmark. By solid I mean the wing will cut through turbulence and retain its shape vs soft where the wing may flutter and/or slightly change shape temporarily as it hits different wind elements. Overall I would say this is a really nice intermediate wing with easy take-off and landings and a surprising ability to stay up in marginal conditions. Not quite as sporty as I would like but that really can be a good thing for the intermediate pilot and a safer? more comfortable experience in flight.

http://www.windtech.es/en/products/zephyr/index.html



Special thanks to The BirdMan Acadamy for letting me demo this wing, they primarily teach hang gliding but also import WindTech paragliders.

Tandem paragliding Grandeur in Salt Lake City, Utah.

tandem paragliding with david boures from Flying Drifter - Paragliding on Vimeo.

Paraglider full horseshoe captured on helmet reflection

Full screen and hd this video to see the ides of march surprise me with a major full frontal paragling experience!

Employees Wanted - Paragliding Start-up - Industry Secrets

Employees wanted:

Get in on the ground floor of this fast growing company.  Be an original partner with all the rewards and glory.

Monetizer to monetize this web site, set up google affiliate, find partners, publish on itunes and other channels.  I will continue to create paragliding related content outsourcing what is necessary.

Logo designer to help me with a beautiful paragliding silk screen design and help in manufacturing.

Copy editor to bring out my ideas in a polished form.

Video editor for advice and fine tuning videos.

Pay is a percentage of income from this brand in the makings.

first flight impressions triple 7 rook paraglider, north side point of the mountain

summary: climbs like a boss, original attractive design, turns feel very stiff, cool owners...

what a day! i worked 2 jobs and was able to bench up at the north side utah at 7:30PM! sometimes its hard to tell if it is my skill or the wing but i thermaled above the pack most of the time. the triple 7 rook turns very flat is able to gain altitude in the smallest of thermals which would be good for flat land xc I would think. turning felt way to tight i had to pull down with a lot of force to turn the glider and it did not want to spiral, it fights your desire to spiral and wants to stay level which perhaps builds in a lot of passive safety features for newer pilots that do not want their wing diving or spiraling in their early years of piloting.  forward penetration felt much less than my gin zoom(s) and i landed short of the landing field with a cross easterly wind blowing around 15mph.  i pulled half speed bar, first extension and the glider does start to pick up speed. for my tastes i think a delta or gin sprint evo both get great climbs and seem to be a lot sportier which is my preference and of course is unique to each pilots needs or style of flying. maybe i would not be the best xc pilot because i like to goof off a lot with my wing.
Triple 7 Rook paraglider first flight and review from Flying Drifter - Paragliding on Vimeo.

collapses are scary

remix, jumping from space, boards of canada and lester levenson

The Flying Drifter Mission Statemet

The purpose of Flying Drifter Paragliding Lifestyle podcast/blog is to educate and teach pilots about latest concepts, innovations, adventures, interviews, travel, destinations, paragliding concepts.  Get people excited about a really awesome sport !!paragliding!!

We are going to be a resource for paraglider pilots and people who think they might be interested in paragliding and hopefully introduce them to the best products that we have discovered, make sales of these products, entertain and educate the flying public.

This is a rough draft and I am moving forward with determination.  April 18, 2013.

Sent from my iPod

Paraglider Review: Triple 7 Rook size small, first impressions day 1 kiting

Having a wing that not everyone else has on the hill is cool in itself and this wing is quite beautiful as well.  I don't know a lot about the Triple 7 company other than they seem to be some cool guys from Slovania that resonate with me on some level.

I have been looking hard for the ultimate XC freestyle paraglider.  This wing may fall short in the freestyle abilities but for XC it looks very promising on paper.  It has a shark nose and ribs in both the nose and tail for a very efficient wing.

Lines:  3 risers with mostly untreated lines which I have not seen before which would be lighter but also not last as long.

Design:  Sweet, great colors and design this is a real looker and there are not 10 other pilots flying similar versions, in fact I was the only pilot lucky enough to have this wing at our local park for now.

Weather: was rowdy thermals and watching pilots get tossed about, pilots with a lot of skill I respect, informed me today was a great day to really get to know this wing on the ground.  I have learned to be more humble in choosing when I fly as I have come to realize I can hurt myself or die by making bad decisions in this sport.

Kiting:  The wing kites rather easily.  Not as easily as the XXS Gin Sprint Evo but easy non the less.  It comes up predictably almost slowly unlike a Delta 1 which will rush over your head if you are not on it.  Seems to fairly pitch stable although if it gets to far to one side it is hard to bring back overhead.  It also seem to want to park/balance a little past overhead which is a bit strange compared to other gliders I have kited.

Love the looks of this wing.  It is light and has a lot of the best performance ideas in it's design like set back air intakes, sharp nose, and trailing edge ribs.  Sewing feels good but not as rigid as I have found on Gin gliders and I don't expect quite the longivity on this wing as you would get from a Gin.

november south side high winds fall 2021

me and former room mate taylor feeling the strong wind of late falls day south side 2012.  i'm thinking this is how base jumping began feeling the wing in your jacket and with enough air flow hmm.  also notice how the utah people don't really give a damn about the natural environment in the background.  they are hard working practical people yet the fact remains you can't easily re-grow a mountain.




it's nov 9th from Flying Drifter - Paragliding on Vimeo.

Proper and Sketchy Paraglider Spin Landing

Location: North Side, Point of the Mountain, Utah.

Date: March 2013

Winds: 10-15mph estimate, light, barely enough to scratch and stay above the ridgeline.

Wing:  Gin Zoom XS over the weight range, this is sort of my mini wing.

Watch this video to see a proper and not so proper spin landing. I sadly performed the not so proper spin landing and quite thankful my wing and the airflow forgave me for such a bad landing setup. Contributing factors to this poor landing was a very tight right shoulder that I could barely lift my right arm. That would stop a sensible person but when it is flyable I am hard to deter. Usually with plenty of height a "J" hook landing works like a dream. When I went over the edge I was traveling fast downwind (should have been crabbing my way to landing) and as soon as I flew over the lip the lift completely stopped and I dropped like a rock. I thought about wipping it around back into the wind but smartly realized I would be into the ground before making a full round out. So I basically pulled heavy break, nearly to the point of stall and willing to stall the wing, at the last second let up on the right brake and let the right side of my wing spin back into the wind. I did land on my feet and this I am very thankful for. I'm sharing you this with you not to be criticized as in reality I have 100's of near perfect landings but to show you a few bad decisions, complacency, good luck, tiredness, body injury, etc can put you in serious danger and to always keep these in mind.

Happy flying friends!


Flying Drifter Sketchy Paraglider Spin Landing from Flying Drifter - Paragliding on Vimeo.

Paraglider Review - Gin Sprint Evo XXS 2013

Many thanks to Super Fly Inc., for lending me the GIN SPRINT EVO XXS wing to demo.

Pilot: Me, age 39, weight 145lbs (90 kg all up), 5'10, 3 years of paragliding experience 200+ hours

Conditions:  Northern front pushing through, low clouds, 15-20mph winds with a lot of sun and cloud shadows on the ground.

The weight range for the XXS is 55-73kg.  I am definitely well over the weight range as Gin would recommend a size Small for my weight, 2 sizes up.  I like flying wings on the upper end as they fly faster and feel tighter in the handling.  On this day with strong winds and gusts flying a smaller wing was advantageous.

    

Gin has one of the better "looks" and I was flying the lime green model.

The wing feels a bit heavy in it's bag for an XXS (actual weight 5kg/11lbs) That is not bothersome because it is well constructed and able to provide a long life that many super light wings may not be able to.  The fabric feels strong and the craftsmanship of the sewing and cuts are very well done.

The wing is rated as EN B and I think it would make a perfect first wing after finishing a thorough training at a pro school like Super Fly or Cloud 9 Paragliding for the confident student.

The wing has 4 risers typical of a EN B wing.  Lines are kevlar with unsheathed upper lines, there is no noticeable reduction in lines like you see on some of the newer high performance wings but this is probably normal for EN B.  The riser lines seem quite short and keep the wing rather close to you which really made controlling the wing very easy.

This description is taken from GIN's website:

• New leading edge panel design produces more lift at lower speeds. The wing inflates with only the gentlest of pulls and climbs better in thermals.
• Introducing the "Rigifoil-T". Flexible plastic re-enforcements inside the trailing edge prevent upward buckling of the profile when the brakes are applied. "Half-ribs" on the trailing edge also improve aerodynamic efficiency.
• Advanced gathering system on the brake lines across the whole trailing edge improves both handling and stability in turbulence.

Kiting: This is probably the easiest wing to date that I have kited.  One of the interesting things I noticed on this wing is that the lines are pretty short bringing the wing closer to me and making it feel like a natural part of me.

Launching:  The wing comes up slowly and evenly.  There is no overshooting tendency.

In flight characteristics:  The air was choppy, gusty and thermic on this day and I never even once felt unsure on the Gin Sprint Evo XXS.  I enjoyed how it  charged and bit through turbulence.  The wing is  very pitch and roll stable only requiring minor adjustment from me as I navigated the winter textured air.

The wing holds it's shape beautifully.  I did not see any tendency to bend or for the tips to fold in.  I had a total feeling of security that I might not have had on this day with a higher performance wing.

Turning felt gentle and I really wanted to do some hard spirals but was not able to get enough altitude due to the copious amount of sink that accompanied the winter thermals.  Interesting to note, is that even though I was well over the recommended weight on this wing I never sunk below the ridge and was able to climb quite well when I was in a thermal.

Landing:  The landing was simple as pie, a little faster than a total beginner wing but she let me down gently and kept inflated on touch down.

Day 2:  I am very impressed with how this little wing can stay up as I watched other pilots sink out and was still able to top land.  Was able to test a little more the spiral and this wing is very able to produce some good G's quite quickly.  So it can go from very stable to horizontal easily should the pilot wish to feel more speed and excitement.

Interesting Feature:  To me it feels like the xxs will dive in a similar fashion to speed wings yet still have the high performance climb ability.  The acceleration is quick, comes on strong and yet still feels stable with a rigid wing above you.

Conclusion:  This would be a great wing for an ambitious pilot with solid skills looking to upgrade from their school wing or the recreational pilot who wants to be able to fly in any condition and still feel safe.  The Gin Sprint Evo is capable of getting you to new places and expanding your maneuvers skills.  This wing feels very natural and an extension of your body.  It communicates well the air around you without feeling too loose or wild.  The build quality is excellent as you can expect from Gin and this wing will last many seasons.  Finally if you can afford it and already have an XC wing this would make a fantastic mini wing for days it's just too windy for a larger wing.  I prefer to own at least 2 wings to handle the various conditions weather throws at us.

Video podcast link here  https://vimeo.com/63374201
Flying Drifter Paragliding Podcast Episode 2 - Review of the Gin Sprint Evo XXS from Flying Drifter - Paragliding on Vimeo.

Survey of your favorite Paragliding Manufacturer and Model

The lifestyle choice - How to fly a lot

Paraglidingforum.com has a great discussion about the need to fly more often and have a flexible schedule.  Many write how they became entrepreneurs so that they could take control of their schedule.  For me I moved within 15 minutes of a year round flying site Point of the Mountain in Utah and found a job that allows me to work from home via telecommuting and were I can mostly choose my own schedule.  For more discussion follow this link http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=46917

My business coach and mentor Dan and Ian at http://www.lifestylebusinesspodcast.com/ listen and learn from their podcasts.

Winter paragliding tips

North Side 1-13-2013 - HD 720p Winter Paragliding, Utah from Flying Drifter on Vimeo.
Winter paragliding can be just as rewarding as flying in the summer!  Your flying season can be year round with the right gear and mindset.  The snow can be quite spectacular visually and give your old flying site a completely new look.

Clothing:

Number 1 - GLOVES!!!
It is very easy to protect most of your body but your hands are very exposed to wind chill as they are out holding your break handles.  Fleece gloves or summer gloves are a no go.  Gloves must have a wind break material like leather or wind stoping nylon surface.  It can be quite painful if your fingers freeze.  You will also need to have solid kiting experience with heavy gloves which are much more difficult to grab lines with.

Number 2 - Boots and wool socks.

Number 3 - thermal underwear and many layers.  I wear 2 shirts, 2 sweaters, scarf that can be pulled over my face, ski goggles, beanie under my helmet, "ski pants" that have a great wind break material, and a heavy "snowboarding" jacket.

Optional - Hand warmers, make sure to activate about 20 mins before flight.  They don't go down the fingers so have marginal help but useful in a pinch.

Weather considerations:

Obvious considerations are of course concerning the WEATHER.  Know the predictions for the day and always keep an eye on any fronts coming your way with a plan to land asap if anything heavy approaches within a few miles.  The winds right after a snow storm can be quite nice and smooth.

Never fly alone!  If you have an issue you will freeze to death if you are immobile.

On launch be aware that the surface you stand on can be slippery and if you are caught off balance you can fall and get pulled across the ground by your wing.  In this case be ready to quickly start pulling in any line you can grab to disable the wing.  This is another reason to wear boots with heavy traction on the bottoms.