There
were many new things to see at the fair in St. Hilaire,
so many that we hardly had time to see all the new paragliders
and accessories brought by the manufacturers to ‘debut’.
Most of them will be ready to hit the market by the end
of the year or for the Stubai Cup in January of 2005, including
a variety of light paragliders and mountain harnesses, new
colour schemes, some new brand and awaited replacements
for ‘classic’ models.
Here, some of what there was to see!
Text and Photos © Ojovolador 2004
Posted: October 10th, 2004
|
| ITV,
diversifying |
Heniu
Dyduch, with the guys of Matterclothing – aces of
base jumping. |
The
big stand of the French manufacturer was not only
destined to promote their new gliders, like the tandem
model Thanka or the Tomahawk
2, but also their adventure with "Matterclothing",
a special clothing line for base jumping designed
to offer better glide during the free fall, that already
boasts a great prestige among the fans of this extreme
style of parachuting. The leader of ITV, Heniu Dyduch,
was also pleased with the 20% growth in the company’s
sales during the last year, linked to the success
of their glider Tomahawk in paramotoring. For that
reason, ITV paid special attention to improve the
behaviour of the new Tomahawk 2, which offers easier
inflation, better sink rate and a flatter turn. Its
outer design is similar to the new Thanka’s,
and comes with trimmers. Size 25 is already certified
CEN (Afnor) Standard and the 28 will follow soon.
www.itv.fr
|
| SOL,
aiming at "longevity": |
Sol's
stand with Brazilian vibes – they even had Caipirinhas
and samba! |
This word encloses the key of the Brazilian brand’s
philosophy: To make paragliders to be flown for a
long time, offering joy and safety to the pilot. They’ve
just introduced their new intermediate Ellus
(DHV 1-2) and the tandem glider Kangaroo 2
(DHV 2), holder of the world distance record
in tandem paraglider (2003). The news for the season
to come is their new intermediate Synergie
2, a model to be certified in category DHV
2 and that will offer good performance keeping passive
security characteristics for experienced pilots. They
expect to introduce it officially at the Stubai Cup.
Regarding harnesses, Sol has the Slider
range with or without airbag, with a detachable airbag
system for when the pilot wants to fly less "bulky".
They have also improved the "racing" harness,
CX, adding the anti-forget leg loops
that we missed when we tested it. All the harnesses
are made by zoom, maintaining the aspect ratio for
each size so that each varies proportionally in the
3 dimensions, offering a "perfect" fit to
each pilot.
www.solsports.com.br
|
|
Aerodyne, African inspiration |
Aerodyne
too have a cared aesthetics that can be appreciated both
in their T-shirts and on their gliders, eye-catching visual
designs well liked by French pilots and magazines. |
Satisfied with the feedback got from their intermediate
model Dune, recently certified DHV
2 and with a special XS size for Acro, the guys of
Aerodyne work on the last details of their new tandem
glider Tam-Tam, with a new design
in which they wanted to keep the spirit of the Be-Beep
from the disappeared Flying Planet (precursor of Aerodyne),
very easy to use and with an aspect ratio of 5.2 points.
By the end of the year they also expect to release
a new competition model, the Massai,
with a precise handling and high performance without
being difficult, to keep a good access level for competition
pilots. François Bon, also member of the Acro-Base
team, told us that they will soon upload several videos
in Aerodyne’s website.
www.aerodyne.fr
|
| Advance,
everything for the pilot |
The
new Sigma 6 - DHV 2 (coming soon!) |
 |
|
At El Yelmo’s Festival (Spain, July 2004- see
Flying
World archive) they already told us about their
new products, but now we could see the work of the experienced
Swiss company to satisfy the needs of the pilots, with
special flight suits for the winter, jackets, caps,
sweat-shirts, travel briefcases, rucksacks and accessories
-all of outstanding quality. To St. Hilaire they brought
the proto of the Sigma 6 that could
be the one to become serial if it fulfils all of Advance’s
expectations. In that case, the new Sigma 6 might be
ready by November and certified DHV 2, although Advance’s
boss Valery Chapuis, assures that the glider must satisfy
what the factory intends to offer to the pilots, "not
to the DHV".
www.advance.ch
|
| Ozone,
paragliding and image |
 |
|
From their beginnings, the Anglo-French company have
shown a style of their own, casual, modern and laid-back.
Now they surprise us with a clothing range probably
inspired by the like of their team by nightlife and
party... T-shirts in two colors, stars, glow and plenty
of black, grey and red, to take the fashion look
to the takeoffs or by night. Ozone gave another surprise
with their visual designs for the glider’s range
2005, all in 3 colours combinations. The brand brought
three new models that will probably be ready for January.
One is the Geo, a lightweight paraglider
based on the Mojo (DHV1) although with some more performance
so that advanced pilots can take advantage from the
conditions they find in the mountain, with good handling
and improved turning behaviour. The other two new gliders
are both for the intermediate category DHV 1-2: The
Buzz will be a safer 1-2 for more inexperienced
pilots, while the Rush will have more
characteristics of the Vulcan, their current DHV2 glider.
www.flyozone.com
|
 |
|
UP,
new Trango |
|
After 3 satisfactory years for the brand with their
perfo model Trango (DHV 2-3), which had good results
in competitions in Serial class, the time to replace
it has come. At this moment, Torsten Siegel, Stephan
Stieglair and Georg Maier are giving the final touches
to the Trango II (in the picture) that
they expect to release by the beginning of 2005. According
to UP, the prototypes are promising, with "a substantial"
improvement both in glide and speed, and glide at speed
-the most important performance figure in this market
segment, they say. |
The
UP boys are confident that they'll attain the DHV 2-3
certification. The company has recently released a beginner’s
model, the Kuna, a very easy and safe glider, certified
DHV 1.
www.up-europe.com
|
| Freex,
heirs of Firebird
|
 |
|
At the beginning of this year, these two companies went
bankrupt and were taken over by new owners, which caused
the migration of Firebird’s designer Dani Loritz
and manager Kevin Payne to the new Freex (whose owners
also own UP, although both factories "are totally
independent" according to the administration).
This complicated story explains that the new Freex paragliders
have so much of the last Firebirds, because Loritz brought
with him some models he was working on at the moment
of the bankruptcy. Freex have introduced a distinctive
appearance to their gliders, with ‘techno’
colour schemes. The current range includes the school
glider X-One (Acpul Standard), the
Frame, heiress of the Firebird Grid
in DHV 1-2, and the new Arcane in DHV
2. They also brought to Freex the Acro glider F-16
(former F-18 or Hornet Acro) and the Trainer,
a mix of kite and paraglider designed exclusively for
practising ground handling, as it has a very fast response
and it virtually does not fly (so it can be used even
in strong winds). The new Freex wants to introduce this
own visual style without paying much attention to the
extra cost but maintaining "an exceptional"
quality in all their products. They will soon release
a clothing range.
www.freex.com |
| Airwave
and their Mustang |
|
The
Mustang offers a speed range up to
55 k/h and will be available in 3 sizes, with a visual
design not too different from the Sport’s. www.airwave-gliders.com
|
The
house designer Bruce Goldsmith could not introduce
his last creation, the Mustang, personally
in St. Hilaire, as he was disputing the last British
Open in Castejon de Sos, where he became national
champion 2004. The new and much expected intermediate
model from Airwave, to be certified in category DHV
2 soon, is a glider aimed at pilots who enjoy distance
flights, offering a good compromise in security.
|
| Paramania
revolutions |
|
www.flyparamania.com
|
The brand founded by designer Mike Campbell-Jones
has become well-known by its original paraglider design
based on the ‘reflex' profile and successfully
used in the Action, a glider specially developed for
paramotoring and produced together with the Polish
manufacturer Dudek. The 'reflex technology' created
by Campbell-Jones makes the glider highly self-stable,
resistant to collapses and very fast, qualities that
make it a favourite among PPG competition pilots (they
swear that if the glider collapses it recovers on
its own –hands up!). Now, the company has introduced
this technology in a glider intended for those who
take their first steps in powered paragliding, called
Revolution, that will offer the security
of a DHV1, with a very easy takeoff and a system of
trimmers that will come sewed so that the student
does not touch it during the course, but that he will
be able to un-sew once the course is finished, to
use it in flight . The brand is working silently in
other "revolutionary" ideas, but we will
have to wait to know them...
|
| U-Turn,
'Secure'? |
Exclusive
photo of the new school glider oriented to maximum self-stability |
This
is one of the possible names for the new school glider
that the German manufacturer has developed together
with one of the biggest paragliding schools in the
world, "Rhöner” that has around 50.000
students a year! According to U-Turn’s boss
Tomas Vosseler, the most special feature of this model
is its AFC (“active flap control”) system
that makes the glider extremely self-stable and very
forgiving to the student’s mistakes -so much,
that even if the pilot does not do anything the glider
lands softly on its own (so they say!). The Secure
(?) features some distinctive big-ears risers that
the students will never mistake, and a B’s puller.
The design belongs to Ernst Strobl who’s also
behind the G-Force, an Acro model
that’s causing good impressions among the professionals
of this modality, according to Vosseler. Richard Gallon,
PWC champion and acrobat has recently joined U-Turn
to fly it, and they also have in the team one of the
very few women who compete in acro, the Japanese Seiko
Fukuoka, who has done a good season in the international
top-level competitions. The brand also prepares a
paramotoring version of the Infinity
(DHV 1-2), and works on the last proto of their intermediate
Apex, for category DHV 2.
www.u-turn.de
|
| Gradient,
new perfo |
|
The Czech manufacturer works on the Bliss replacement
(DHV 2-3), with performance characteristics that can
put it on the top of its class and at the same time
offer a good security level so that many pilots compete
with it. They expect to release it in January 2005.
They are also releasing a paramotor version
of the Golden (DHV 1-2) that will come
with special risers and reinforcements, and certified
DULV for PPG use, in 2 sizes. Gradient have obtained
good results in competitions with the Avax RS, both
in cross country and in Acro (French pilot Antoine Montant
has taken the 3rd place in the Acro world ranking with
his special Avax RS 22) so they plan to continue selling
this model until May of 2005, but they will introduce
a new prototype for the Worlds in Brazil.
www.gradient-wings.com
In
the pic, the new star of the Acro scene, Antoine Montant,
displaying his skills over the deco-sud in St. Hilaire.
|
|
| ACT
launches |
 |
It’s
a new paraglider’s brand created by Xavier Escaler,
owner of one of the biggest Spanish wholesalers of
flight equipment (Airex) and at St Hilaire’s
they introduced their beginner’s model, the
Atraction, an Acro model called Reaction,
and also a competition proto. In the glider’s
design there’s the hand of Jose Rodriguez (SP)
and in the trimming and tuning, a team of high level
pilots. The production will be made by Gin Gliders
factory in Korea and they expect to have the Attraction
certified DHV 1 before the end of the year, ready
to hit the international market.
|
|
Bi-Bionic
2
|
|
One of the first persons we met on our arrival at St
Hilaire was Olivier Caldara, the creator of the Bionic
paraglider, who told us about the release of his new
tandem glider based on the Bionic 2,
with the same wing’s shape similar to bird’s
wings (Bi-Bionic2?). The next time we saw him he was
dressed in a funny way and was taking off with a friend
aboard the Bionic tandem (in the photo) from the disguises
'deco'…
www.bio-air-technologies.com
|
|
| Wintech
- Tempest |
 |
The
Spanish manufacturer have already certified the 4 sizes
of their beginner’s glider Tempus
(photo) in category DHV 1 and assure that it is being
well received in the international market. At the moment
the brand is in the prototypes phase to obtain a new intermediate
glider, possibly DHV 2, that will be called Tempest
and will replace both the Quark2 and the Syncro, in the
2005 range. www.windtech.es |
|
Sky
Paragliders
|
|
This Czech factory recently released the tandem glider
Metis, but their newest product is
the harness Excite (in the photo),
directed to competition pilots or those looking for
maximum performance. With aerodynamic form, it has side
pockets and inner breathable padding on the back for
maximum comfort; it is available in 3 sizes, with one
more in preparation. Sky’s detailed website is
available in 4 languages (Spanish just added).
www.skyparagliders.cz
|
|
| Gin's
secrets… |
|
|
We
could not get any news from Gin Seok, who was wearing
a t-shirt with the legend "at 70 k/h I have
no friends". Anyway, he was with their French
importer with all their current gliders, including
the new 'Zoom Racing' featuring a
new type of thin lines (very resistant) for better
performance, and without losing its DHV 2 certification!
The company recently appeared in a Korean TV program
about the most successful companies of that country,
with Gin himself starring an inner photo in one of
the most important Korean fashion magazines... What
other surprises will he give us?
www.gingliders.com
|
| Skywalk |
 |
The
German manufacturer works on the final details of
a new tandem glider and they expect
to introduce it officially at the Stubai Cup. They
also dedicate part of their efforts to study the prototypes
of a new perfo glider (DHV 2-3),
checking the differences and advantages offered by
the use of their patented Jet-Flaps technology (in
the picture, and used in the Mescal and the Tequila),
which they probably include in the design. This new
glider will share the visual style used by the brand
in other models but with a range of colours of its
own. At Skywalk they are still thinking of the best
names for these new models...
www.skywalk.info
|
| NOVA |
|
The Austrian company brought their new beginner’s
glider Primax, recently certiified
DHV 1 in all its sizes including a XXS of 19 square
meters for very small / light pilots.
The design was based on the intermediate Syntax (DHV
1-2), with a higher security level, more dampened and
forgiving.
www.nova-wings.com |
|
|
Kortel
design |
|
|
The
company of Dennis Cortella, who recently became French
Champion (for the 3rd time), showed their complete
range of harnesses finely finished, with aerodynamic
shapes and suggestive names like “Kamasutra”
or “Kanibal”. They also have a wide range
of accessories for free-flight, from cockpits or backpacks
to flying suits and garments. Everything’s made
by the factory in France.
www.korteldesign.com
|
| Supair,
choice of harnesses |
|
|
The
current range of harnesses of Pierre Bouilloux’s
brand comprises more than 10 models, from the ‘normal’
ones for solo flights to harnesses for carrying kids
in a tandem or the light and mountain models, like
the Everest that weights only 390
grams and you put it on you like shorts, or the ‘X-Alps’
that offers a compromise between low weight and protection
in 3,3 kg. Both can use a pair of thin dyneema loops
instead of carabiners, which weight nothing and have
been load tested up to 2,9 tons! The factory produces
more than 8.000 harnesses a year (some for other brands)
and also some new flying suits that can be used as
trousers and jacket separately, rucksacks, parachutes
and T-shirts.
www.supair.com
& www.supair-usa.com
|
| XC
MAG - Stolen moments |
|
In
the stand of Cross Country International magazine we
found the photographer and pilot Jerome Maupoint promoting
his first book “Stolen Moments”.
It’s a beautiful collection of 180 extraordinary
photographs selected from Jerome’s 800 favourites
of his career, and they convey all the magic and the
spirit of free flight and travelling that have so captivated
the author since he discovered paragliding in Annecy,
France. A high quality book that deserves the best place
on your coffee table, and in which you’ll find
some short stories for each chapter to know more about
Jerome’s friends and some memorable moments he
stole with his camera… Well worth its price! (35
euros, at www.xcshop.com
and PG stores)
Also new is the magazine’s Calendar
2005 ‘Fly Forever’ with inspiring images
for the whole year shot by some of the best free flight
photographers they could find: Jerome, Christian Pondella,
John Heiney and Jimmy Hall. Part of the sales profits
will go to 'Flyability'
a Bristish charity that helps disabled people to fly.
www.xcmag.com
|
Jerome
Maupoint shows one of the double-page images contained
in his book, a jewel for those who love free flight,
nature and travelling.
|
| Compe-GPS
to take in flight |
|
The guys who make the popular software for flights visualization
'Compe-GPS' have just released the 'Pocket Air'
version to be used like a flight instrument in a PDA
device (system Pocket PC 2002 or superior) connected
to a GPS and a vario (optional). The most interesting
point about using Compe-GPS in a pocket PC it is that
we obtain useful data in real time to use it in flight
in a big, full-coloured screen, easy to read, with functions
like LD to goal or waypoint, height over landing or
a tool to center thermals, and a memory for 100,000
track points. It’s compatible with Compe-GPS Air.
www.compegps.com |
|
| HE
- The Spanish Ziklon |
|
|
This paramotor manufacturer has recently started to
export paramotor models with their own engine “Ziklon”
to France.
The
paramotors also include new carbon propellers in 115
and 125 cm. The guys of H-E were very happy to sell
one of their motors to the world champion Patrick
Berod, who had a stand very near them.
www.paramotores-he.com
|
|
Airfer
grows
|
| 
|
Another Spanish PPG brand, Airfer, is now expanding
its production capacity thanks to the union with a
new manufacturer who will now produce Airfer paramotors
in the south of Spain. This way, Airfer will be able
to shorten delivery times and count with a bigger
infrastructure to produce their paramotors.
www.airfer.com
|
|
Backbone |
|
|
This French manufacturer has been producing paramotors
for 10 years, using light engines developed by the
Italian brand Ros Motor (former RDM) specially for
powered paragliding. Their interesting proposals include
a tandem gear weighting only 20,5 kg and offering
29 HP! (manufacturer’s data).
Backbone’s boss, Thierry Simonet, assures they
are highly trustable motors, powerful and lightweight,
successfully used in XC expeditions like the recent
journey from Toulousse to Casablanca (Morocco; 1500km)
done by two French pilots in 10 days.
http://backbone.free.fr
|
|
Walkerjet |
|
|
It’s the only paramotor manufacturer from the
Czech Republic and offers a range of 4 models, all
with carbon fiber propellers and attractive finishes
in anodized aluminum. They also offer a special school
model, more resistant to use and abuse…
www.walkerjet.com
|
|
NAC
Intercom |
| The
Spanish communication company was promoting a range
of special helmets and communication systems for ultralight
and paramotor flight, all with efficient noise reduction
filters for the pilot’s comfort and for the best
possible communication with his/her flying mates..
www.nac-inter.com
|
|
|
Second
Hand Market – The biggest in the World! |
|
Hundreds of ads to sell paragliders, hangliders, harnesses
or paramotors. The price is 10 euros for posting your
ad plus a 10% of the final price if the article is sold.
Maybe not a “bargain” (for the seller) but
this is possibly the place where more people search for
second hand gear and, certainly, where the highest number
of them are bought and sold in 3 days. |
|
|
|
Fashion
time in the Paragliding world!
It was about time that paragliding clothes also
made you look cool! Now the industry looks for the coolest
and trendy colours and designs for their clothing collections
related to flying. Garments to wear at take-offs, in
the city or by night, with original designs to seduce
both PG lovers and non-flyers.
|
Wagga-wagga
This is a new T-shirts and clothing brand that
offers fresh designs inspired in flying, with a young
style. The creators are five French guys and girls,
all of them PG pilots, and they do all by themselves.
They sell in Internet at their site www.waggapeople.com
  
MAD
 
Chris Hac is a pilot and designer who started
doing T-shirts for his friends and sometimes for events,
like the Wagas Festival, and soon had a group of pilots
(specially of Acro) wanting to make MAD their clothing
brand. That’s how the company was born. Designs
include tribals and surfing style and they sell through
schools like Soaring (French Pyrenees) and Aeroes in
Spain (soon).
+
6
“The spirit of free flying”
This is the slogan of this new company dedicated to
produce all kind of shirts featuring big images of flight
printed on the cloth, similar to motocross shirts. The
images are photos taken by Jerome Maupoint.
Info:
www.plus6.fr
 
Never
Say Die
The oldest manufacturer of paragliding T-shirts
has never disappeared although we didn’t hear
much about them for a while, mainly because their leader
John Pendry has been dedicated full time to kitesurfing.
This year they are back with renewed energies and with
attractive and modern designs to face the competition
in the market. They are also paying more attention to
marketing strategies, now in the hands of the man in
the picture, Johan.
The brand sells their models through the French dealer
Alixa
and they will soon have a website to show what they
have to offer in PG-inspired clothes. Besides their
well known t-shirts, Never Say Die also produce flight
suits and harnesses. In their stand we could see the
new light harness Bacao,
for mountain flights or “pilots who don’t
fall from the sky”, according to the designer
Mattieu de Quillacq. It’s a harness with no protections,
but it can carry one or two emergency parachutes for
those who practice Acro. They are developing some new
lightweight protections to fit in the Bacao that will
make it weight less than 3 kg in total.
LEEXFLY
 
Vivid
colors and designs based on pictures featuring Mike
Kung (with the glider in strange positions) are included
in this German brand’s models.
 
Ozone deserves a special mention in the clothing
section, with their new clothing range bringing sexy
girl’s tops and men’s tees in two colors,
with some ‘retro’ designs in which no gliders
shapes are included…
Gradient France
Aerodyne
Blueye
This Austrian brand brought
the whole range of sunglasses specially developed for
outdoor sports like paragliding or kitesurfing. Special
features include ventilation systems and special attachments
for extreme movements.
New “CUT” versión
of the 4Fight helmet by Icaro2000
 
The
newest article from Skyline: “Cosy”
gloves for paragliding, warm and sensitive, in 4 sizes
and different colors. Made in a 3-layers fabric that
blocks the wind offering high heat insulation in a low
weight, and good sensitivity on your fingers. Skyline
also had their full range of harnesses and accessories:
www.skyline-flightgear.de
Parachute deployment simulator:
a good way to check if your chute was well packed and
if you could actually throw it!
Nomadair,
traveling...
www.nomadair.com
Timarai, Paragliding and adventures
in Costa Rica.
The
Festival of El Yelmo (Spain), the little
brother of the Coupe Icare, promoting the event and
their flying site (Sierra de Segura, Jaen)
PAP
Paramotors : Pierre Aubert and David Bretones,
no stand but their paramotor models could be seen with
several dealers
Dressed
in Advance...
A
special tent for bivouac expeditions: weights only 800
grams
The
Xplorer range: the new windmeters developed by Skywatch.
The most advanced one is the Xplorer 4, with altimeter
and electronic compass
 
Fine finishes on the Fly Castelluccio
paramotors. Their stand was always full...
Toys
and souvenirs, all related to flight
Richard
Gallon (right), at home in St. Hilaire. He is one of
the most famous local pilots.
|
|
Also
READ our full report about the Coupe Icare. GO!
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