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.