Cross country issue 156 plus paramotor preview

November - December 2014 International Free Flying Magazine

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PRE

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FOLLOW THE NATURALS

The lessons we can learn from the world's most efficient soarers

BASE

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CROSS COUNTRY 141 BASE

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FEELING PECKISH Griffon vulture looks close.

Photo: Soldt/iStock

NOV - DEC 2014

CONTENTS

Birds of a Feather “There’s no reason they should outclimb you.” Andy Pag clips in and follows the birds.

Speeding Points “It’s super easy. Too easy!” Arnaud Baumy explains how to get into speedriding safely.

Red Hot Loreto Hurtado introduces Chile – from endless days in Iquique in the north to thermalling in Santiago.

Checkmate Marcus King jumps on the EN A bandwagon and flies a classic route in the south of France.

NEED FOR SPEED Winter in the Alps.

Photo: Jérôme Maupoint

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Zero Degrees Andy Busslinger and Werner Bosch head into the hills for a winter hike-and-fly with a difference.

Rush Hour Traffic “Class crushing performance” is the promise – Bob Drury takes delivery of the new Ozone Rush 4, EN B.

Horizontal Shift “The wing surges forward, jumps up and we’re off.” We test the Vista III, the latest EN B from Apco Aviation.

‘Breathing was a bit hard’ Babak Kouhi and friends get a ride to space in the Zagros Mountains of Iran.

LAUNCH - Editorial 8 - Gallery 10-15 - In The Core 16 - BASE - News and New Products 18-30 - Naked Pilot 32 - My Line 34 - What’s On 36 - IQ - Insight 38 Bruce Goldsmith’s Icaristics 40 - Meteorology 42 - Heavyweight Issues 44 - Jon Chambers 46 - XC Files 48 - Destination 86 - REVIEWS - Neo String Pack 96 CONTENTS CROSS COUNTRY 156

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LAUNCH In the core since 1988 Editor: Ed Ewing Associate editor, designer: Marcus King Subeditor: Charlie King Columnists: Bruce Goldsmith, Honza Rejmanek and Jon Chambers Advertising: Verity Sowden Subscriptions: Verity Sowden & Céline Rodriguez Accounts: Carol Harrison Publisher: Hugh Miller Cross Country International Ltd Tollgate, Beddingham Lewes BN8 6JZ, UK

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ome of our best moments are when we fly with birds. “It’s like swimming with dolphins, but in the air,” is how I explain it to non-flying friends. Having a bird on the wingtip, or following one to a thermal, leaves an indelible memory that lasts far longer than the feeling of satisfaction (or otherwise) of the flight.

I think about flights where I have encountered birds. We used to fly with a kestrel on a soaring site near where I grew up. We’d approach from behind, level, and watch its wings beat as it hovered, watching the ground for movement, seemingly oblivious to us. We weren’t a threat.

In Australia I was scratching in zeroes, drifting nowhere, a few hundred feet above a dusty paddock. A family of wedge tailed eagles showed me the lift and, switching off the vario, I flew with them to near base. In Brazil the urubus, black vultures, didn’t even seem to circle, they just went up, flying zig-zags, in the mellow air. Circling I sank, but switching to follow their lazy beats I maintained, drifting with their gaggle like smoke.

Soaring the coast in South India, the fresh Indian Ocean wind keeping our toes clean of sand, there were so many birds of prey and vultures it felt like flying inside a bird-filled snowdome. A young eagle bounced into my

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 LAUNCH

VULTURES IN AGER During the GIN Wide Open in September.

Photo: Jérôme Maupoint

lines and started to slide down before flying through. And of course in the north of that country there are the biggest of them all – the Himalayan griffon vultures that hitch a ride on your leading edge as you glide.

Watching them as their wingtip feathers feel the wind, like a ghost playing a piano, you realise how effortless it all is for them, how much you can learn from them.

Closer to home it’s Red Kites and Buzzards in England. Effortless evening soaring inches above the grass or hitching in close as they climb rowdily, feathers flying, in a spring thermal. Further north it’s always a glimpse from afar: a black speck, could be an eagle or an osprey. Probably an eagle, you reckon.

Vultures now dot the European skies.

European griffons in the Pyrenees climb in flocks of scores. And in the Alps I sat in the fog on Annecy one early spring as something almost prehistoric soared silently past, coming through the gloom like an ancient pterodactyl. A Lammergeier, Europe’s biggest raptor at 2.8m wingspan, was down below the snowline looking for carrion. Moments like that stay with you for a long time.

Happy flying – and enjoy the issue.

Ed Ewing editor@xcmag.com

Tel: +44 (0) 1273 256 090 Fax: +44 (0) 1273 784 976 Editorial: editor@xcmag.com News: news@xcmag.com Advertising: advertising@xcmag.com Customer Service: office@xcmedia.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Cross Country relies on contributions from pilots around the world. Please send us your news, story ideas and photographs to editor@xcmag.com.

We’d love to see them.

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Visit www.xcmag.com for details.

ONLINE

Search ‘XCmag’ to find us online

THE LAW

Cross Country (ISSN No: 03.1080, USPS No: 024-612) is published bi-monthly by Cross Country International and distributed in the USA by by SPP, 17B S Middlesex Ave, Monroe NJ 08831. Periodicals postage paid at New Brunswick, NJ. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Cross Country, 17B S Middlesex Ave, Monroe NJ 08831. Global copyright laws apply.

The opinions in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Cross Country.

PRINT AND PAPER

Cross Country is printed on paper sourced from sustainable forests managed to strict environmental, social and economic standards (ISO14001). We use ISO compliant vegetable-based soya inks which are better for the environment and make the paper easier to recycle. Printed by Williams Press, UK.

Original Reloaded

weight from 2,8 kg integrated reserve certified protector

www.advance.ch/lightness

JAGGED TEETH

Flying down from the Tête de Bossetan in the Haute Savoie, on the border of France and Switzerland, during a hike-and-fly. The 2,405m peak is close to the ski resort of Morzine.

Photo: Jérôme Maupoint

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 GALLERY

GALLERY CROSS COUNTRY 156

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IN THE CORE

XContest 2014: Movers and shakers

Honorin Hamard (FR, Niviuk Icepeak 6) won the World XContest 2014 (paragliding) when the season closed at the end of September. He racked up six amazing flights, all in Quixadá, Brazil in November last year: 438.42km, 424.77km, 369.1km, 344.7km, 341.87km, 327.15km. That put him at the top of the leaderboard early in the season, and he stayed there.

Bernhard Pessl (AT, Nova Mentor 3) was second, and showcased the other way to score well in the contest, completing six big triangles (five FAI, one flat) in the Italian and Austrian Alps. That included his mega 300.65km FAI triangle. Seb Benz (CH, Nova Factor 2) was in third place – he’s been chipping away chasing the 400km mark in Australia for a few seasons now, and last year nearly made it with a 375.26km flight from Deniliquin. All up he made five 300km+ flights.

The same three topped the Open Class and the Serial Class. In the Sport Class, Bernie and Seb were first and second, with Christoph Bessei (DE, Mentor 3) in third. In the Standard Class, it was Bernie, Christoph Bessei and Stefan Lauth (DE, Nova Mentor 3 Light).

In the Women’s Class, Brigitte Kurbel (DE, UP Trango X-Light 2) topped the table, mainly flying alpine triangle, including one at 211.41km. Kari Roberson (AU, Mentor 3) and Nicole McLearn (CA,

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 IN THE CORE

TOP OF THE CLASS Honorin Hamard at the Superfinal in Turkey.

Photo: Honorin Hamard

Niviuk Peak 3) were second and third in the class of 374 pilots. In total, there were 6,615 paraglider pilots in the contest.

In hang gliding, Tom Weissenberger (AT, Litespeed RS 3.5) came out top. He spent a season in Chile and came home with four 300km flat triangles (364.95km, 361.8km, 352km, 347km), which pinned him to first for the whole year. Markus Ebenfeld (DE, Icaro Laminar Z9) was second, flying six 200km+ triangles in the German Alps, while Beat Sagesser (CH, Aeros) was third, racking up the big triangles in the Swiss Alps. There are 455 pilots in the HG XContest.

On Class 5 rigids, Mark Haycraft (FR, Atos VR 11) won the class – flying six 200km triangles from Chabre in France. His biggest was 291.26km. Patrick Ruber (DE, Atos VRS) and Capelle Bruno (FR, Atos VR) were second and third. Eighty pilots in the class.

In the niche world that is Class 2 rigid wing flying, Jacques Bott (FR, Swift Light) won the class. He flew two huge triangles – 476km and 361km – in Namibia, and four monsters from his home site of Aspres, France, too: 380km, 408km, 318km and 308km. Roger Ruppert (CH, Archaeopteryx) and Ernst Ruppert (CH, Archaeoptryx) were second and third. Twentythree pilots make up the class. www.xcontest.org

MENTOR 4 – gets you further More technology, more know-how, more performance: The MENTOR 4 is the next milestone in the XC intermediate class. As well as improving its performance across the whole polar curve, the MENTOR 4 also offers refined handling in thermals, balanced roll damping and even better climb characteristics. And thanks to its compact sail, the wing has gained efficiency and is also faster.

Better glide. Better climb. Better handling. MENTOR 4 (EN B) – the XC machine.

www.nova-wings.com

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IN BRIEF

ADVANCE’S LIGHTNESS 2 Advance unveiled their new Lightness 2 pod harness at the Coupe Icare, with the first production models expected mid-November.

Despite weighing just 2.8kg-3.05kg (depending on size), Advance say it is a full-on cross country harness, with an integrated reserve and certified back protector. It comes with its own dedicated rucksack, the Lightpack 2, which uses a lightweight inner to ensure a tidy, compact package that is comfortable to carry. Available in three sizes. www.advance.ch

Orange Cross

Swing’s Orange Cross is a ‘cross’ design reserve: a pull-down apex with outlet ports on the corners which offers good pendulum stability, even in strong or unfavourable wind conditions. Fast opening is combined with a low sink rate and thanks to modern materials and a simplified packing method it packs small and is nice and light, say Swing. www.swing.de

Mini Beamer

High Adventure have made a small Beamer 3 steerable rescue parachute, certified to 90kg and with an extended weight limit of 100kg for experienced Rogallo users.. The Beamer 3 small is available in standard and lightweight versions and weighs 1.23kg. www.highadventure.ch

Coupe Icare online

We were out and about with cameras asking questions at the Coupe Icare. Check our YouTube page for gear interviews with Neo, Flytec, Advance, Ozone, Sup’Air (pictured), ASI and Oudie. www.youtube.com/xcmag

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 BASE

GIN’S GENIE X-ALPS

Also on show at the Coupe Icare was GIN’s Genie X-Alps harness, an ultra-light (2kg in size M) cocoon harness aimed at hike-and-fly and XC adventure pilots. It’s based on the harness used by GIN athletes in the 2013 X-Alps, and is constructed from highstrength lightweight Dyneema. It has a 14cm mousse airbag, and is available in six sizes, which ensures a tailored fit. www.gingliders.com

MACPARA’S HAVEN

Meanwhile, the Haven is MacPara’s new cocoon harness, offering “excellent glider feedback and comfort for long flights”. The pod is made of a stretchy material that keeps its sleek shape, and the harness adjusters and riser attachments are covered up for a smooth finish. The back fabric is breathable, it has an underseat reserve container and lightweight buckles and a carbon seatplate. The harness weighs 5.45kg including 23cm foam back protection and karabiners, and is available in three sizes. www.macpara.com

SUP’AIR’S DELIGHT 2

Sup’Air’s Delight 2 was also on show at the Coupe Icare. A hammock-style lightweight pod harness for experienced XC pilots, it has a removable mini seatplate and an integrated cockpit with removable instrument plate. The speed bag is also removable, with a carbon footrest. The seating position is ‘3/4 reclined’ and the two-step speedbar uses Harken pulleys. EN/LTF certified it has a 15cm Bumpair back protector and a dorsal reserve pocket; handle on the right. Available in three sizes, it weighs 3.66kg. www.supair.com

OZONE’S F*LITE

Pinned to a drawing board at the Coupe Icare was Ozone’s new 99g hike-and-fly harness, the F*Lite. The structural integrity is all in the Dyneema thread, which has been stitched onto the tissue-paper-thin cloth according to load requirements. Carbon compression bars give it extra structure in the legs. The brief slip of a harness has passed EN load tests at 15G for100kg – and apparently the designer, Fred Pieri (pictured, smiling), has flown it. Available next year. www.flyozone.com

IQ

BRUCE GOLDSMITH ICARISTICS

BRAKES AND EFFICIENCY

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 IQ

IQ

HONZA REJMANEK METEOROLOGY

COLD AIR ADVECTION LOWER LEVEL Cold air advection below, eg sea breeze blowing in, stabilises the environmental lapse rate and kills thermals. MID/UPPER LEVEL Cold air advection in the upper levels of the convective boundary layer increases the frequency of thermals.

Illustrations: Charlie King

certainly qualifies as cold air advection.

However, we know that this low level cold air that blows in, acts to stabilise the lower atmosphere where we fly and it kills thermals. In order to truly understand when cold air advection is beneficial to thermals we have to have information regarding the exact level of the atmosphere that is experiencing the greatest amount of cold air advection.

Spotting cold air advection

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s a recreational soaring pilot you probably do not have the luxury of flying any day you fancy. Life has a way of loading on countless obligations and responsibilities. What is quite frustrating is that someone is always trying to get you to go flying. The soaring forecast is essential in making the, “All else can wait, I’m going flying!” decision. Such a decision can have difficult consequences at home or at work, so the flying better be worth it. Recently you have come across the term “Cold Air Advection” in a forecast discussion. You might not understand exactly what cold air advection means but you have heard that it is good for thermals. You can’t help but wonder why.

Better thermals

First of all, advection is just a fancy way of saying horizontal transport, by the wind, of some variable from one region

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to another. For example we can have advection of temperature, humidity, and even stability. Cold air advection occurs when wind blows from a region of colder air to a region of warmer air. The opposite would be called warm air advection. On a weather map we can look at isotherms, lines of equal temperature. As long as the wind blows parallel to the isotherms we have no advection. This makes sense. If we disregard any radiative heating or cooling then we do not expect a change in temperature if the wind is blowing from a region that has the exact same temperature.

How does it help thermals?

Why should cold air advection help create better thermals? To answer this we need more information regarding the level in the atmosphere at which the advection is happening. The arrival of a sea breeze

CROSS COUNTRY 156 METEOROLOGY

To destabilise the atmosphere we can either heat from the bottom, cool from the top, or both. Too much destabilisation is not always desired because it can lead to the overturning of the whole troposphere by means of deep convection. This is achieved through deep cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms.

We want just the right amount of destabilisation so we can create abundant thermals without overdevelopment.

The layer in which we fly is called the convective boundary layer. In order for cold air advection to be most beneficial for thermals we want the advection to occur in the mid to upper levels of the convective boundary layer. The average top of the convective boundary layer varies quite a bit from flying site to flying site. It can be influenced by the elevation of the underlying terrain, the dryness of that terrain, and by the time of year. For many low lying vegetated regions it is not uncommon to be approaching the top of the boundary layer near the 1,500m above sea level mark.

This is near the height that we reach the

IQ

JON CHAMBERS MOUNTAINS

TRAINING FOR THE RED BULL X-ALPS

H HANGING IN THERE Jon Chambers and supporter Tom Payne wait for the cloud to clear on the top of the Zugspitze, 2,962m, during the Red Bull X-Alps 2013. It never did and Jon walked down. Photo: Ed Ewing

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 IQ

opefully by the time you read this, the participants in the X-Alps will have been announced. I won’t be among them. Having had an amazing time in the last two editions of this epic race it is now time for me to focus on other priorities.

Besides, how could I beat my experience in 2013 of nine days of incredible flying, and finishing on the raft in Monaco?

So for this issue I thought I would give some perspective of what the next nine months or so hold for the X-Alps athletes and give my take on what is required to prepare for this race. Hopefully this is of interest to anyone wanting to enjoy hike and fly in the Alps at any level.

Let’s start with fitness. For the X-Alps athletes will need stamina and endurance.

Going out for regular runs won’t help them as much as long periods of low intensity training. Walking for a few hours every day combined with some focussed training on core strength (required to prevent injury) and interval training is the best combination.

Everyone on the list of hopefuls is, I am sure, a great pilot already. But there are many aspects of flying that are very different in this kind of race. X-Alps hopefuls will need to become completely familiar with flying in conditions they wouldn’t normally fly in.

I’m not talking about ‘pushing the limits’ here, rather just flying at times we wouldn’t

IQ

XC FILES

7 COMMON MISTAKES... ...and how to avoid them

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Be prepared and do your homework

STRESS FREE Planning, preparation and practise make it all come together.

Photo: Jérôme Maupoint

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 XC FILES

One day last summer a friend took off into a good climb, but had to land to put his jacket on. It was the only thermic cycle of the day – he missed out big time. The week before another friend had to land after 20km because she wasn’t sure of the airspace.

Preparing for cross country flying should take a good two or three hours, including checking forecasts and likely route, and getting your kit sorted. Don’t kick yourself for not doing your homework!

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Know how to join a thermal

When you’re joining a climb, flying etiquette states that the pilots established in the climb have priority. You have to fit in with them. Don’t fly straight into the middle of the climb. You’ll have a closing speed of over 50km/h if you fly head-tohead with another pilot and it’ll make for a disconcerting experience. Join the climb as you would a roundabout on a road: wait for your moment and slot in. If you’re joining a right hand circle, ideally the pilot you’re

Feather BIRDS OF A ‘Follow the birds’ is age-old advice for pilots. Andy Pag finds out what our feathered friends are thinking

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 BIRDS

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There’s no reason anyone else should outclimb you,” claimed an XC clinic instructor I was listening-in to. “Not even the vultures.”

It’s ambitious advice, and few manage to hold their position in a climb with vultures for long.

Connecting above raptors in the thermal they’ll eventually climb up past paragliders and on light days they float up while pilots float down.

Smaller birds like finches, use bounding flight – a few flaps followed by a freefall arc – to manoeuvre in and out of trees and bushes. Mid-sized birds flap consistently to stay airborne, but birds of prey rarely flap their wings. To find food they need to be able to stay airborne efficiently while they scout for the next meal. Over several thousand years they’ve evolved to be masters of gliding, so what lessons can free flyers learn from them?

Motivation

“We have these romantic notions about how beautiful it is to fly, but raptors don’t see it that way,” says Scott Mason, the wellknown falconer and paraglider pilot who runs The Parahawking Project, a unique tandem business where passengers can interact and feed trained rescue vultures in the skies over Pokhara, Nepal. “Aside from migration, they generally only fly for food, or for mating displays. It’s a bit like the tandem pilots round here, they’re either trying to earn a crust or show off to the girls.”

Most pilots spend time looking at the weather before deciding if it’s worth driving to their local site, and vultures have to make a similar judgment call. Before launching they calculate if the conditions will support a flight long and high enough to allow them to find more calories than they’ll expend while flying. Weak thermals mean too much flapping to make it worthwhile, so they wait, sometimes for days.

The higher the thermals take them, the larger the area they can survey, and the better chance they have of finding some carrion for dinner. A good sign that the day is switching on, and your parawait is almost over, is the sight of a raptor soaring over launch.

But if vultures aren’t hungry they won’t fly, even on a good unstable day. And when they do find a carcass, they’ll eat as much as they can, around two kilograms – almost a quarter of their body weight – sometimes becoming so heavy they can’t take off again until they’ve digested part of their meal. In a year a vulture will consume about 250kg of meat.

BIRDS CROSS COUNTRY 156

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 SPEEDRIDING

SPEEDING POINTS It’s winter and it’s time to try speedriding.

Arnaud Baumy from Les Arcs Speed Riding explains how to learn safely. By Ed Ewing

SPEEDRIDING CROSS COUNTRY 156

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Red Hot Red Hot Almost 4,000km long and snaking between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean, Chile is a pilot’s paradise. Loreto Hurtado introduces us

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 CHILE

CHILE CROSS COUNTRY 156

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 FRANCE

FIRST MOVE Above Col de Bleine in southern France.

Photo: Brian Steele ON BOARD Testing the air on take-off at Gourdon.

Photo: Charlie King

CHECKMATE Marcus King jumps on the new EN A bandwagon and flies a classic route in the southern French Alps

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walked on to launch on Col de Bleine in the southern French Alps to find it covered in the latest super-slim hotships. It turned out there was a round of the national Sports Class league taking place, and this being France even the league below Elite level all fly hot wings. I sauntered off to the far side of launch to unroll my less excitinglooking EN A wing, getting a few quizzical looks from the pilots on launch that know me.

It’s my colleague Hugh’s fault really. He got all fired-up last year about flying 100km on an EN A, and despite less than ideal conditions came close. This year he got all fired up again flying the Swing Discus and I found myself caught up in his enthusiasm. Speaking to Matjaz Klemencic at 777 while reviewing their EN C Queen I mentioned the idea of doing some cross country flights on an EN A wing and he offered me their Pawn. He was keen to showcase what these wings are capable of and I’m always keen to discover new wings.

While the comp-heads were all getting their briefing I took advantage of the quiet window to sneak off into the sky. A firm pull on the wing brought it steadily overhead where it sat comfortably while I watched a glider working some weak lift to the left of launch. Some of the early launchers had floated to the bottom and I wanted to make sure I was going to stay up. As the pilot climbed I released the brakes a little and accelerated off the hill, turning quickly in search of the same lift.

Ridge-running

I soon felt the surge as I entered the lift. As the glider pitched forward I pulled the brake and around we went. The wing settled in straight away and left me FRANCE CROSS COUNTRY 156

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 HIKE AND FLY

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DEGREES Skiing up and building your own igloo takes hike-and-fly to a whole new level, says igloo fan Werner Bรถsch.

Photographs: Andy Busslinger

HIKE AND FLY CROSS COUNTRY 156

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REVIEWS

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CROSS COUNTRY 156 OZONE RUSH 4

RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC

Ozone claim ‘class-crushing’ performance from their latest Sport Intermediate, the Rush 4. Bob Drury tightens the screw

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imes have changed fast in the world of paraglider design and in many ways there is no more noticeable and measurable area of design improvement than in the intermediate paraglider market. More people fly in Class B than any other nowadays, so for the vast majority of us it’s what’s going on in intermediate paraglider design that really matters.

Here we have Ozone, undisputable benchmarksetters in the upper echelons of the market in recent years, pushing away at the boundaries of what’s possible, now claiming “class-crushing” performance in the accessible-to-all Class B. If ever a glider warranted closer scrutiny it was the Rush 4.

The package

Unrolling the Rush 4 you are immediately assured that this baby has all the technology Ozone could pack in it: the infamous Shark Nose leading edge; plastic wire reinforcing; trailing edge mini ribs; thin risers and just the bare smattering of lines in a three-line configuration.

A quick browse of Ozone’s very comprehensive website reveals that the sharknose technology, first introduced on the most-definitely ‘classcrushing’ R10 competition wing of four years ago, increases stability at high speeds and decreases the likelihood of spins and stalls at low speeds – two of the greatest causes of accidents in this sport. A

substantial 25% reduction in lines means less drag and better glide. A ramping up from 51 to 57 cells has smoothed the sail out even more to reduce profile drag and increase performance. Ozone have even managed to up the aspect ratio slightly to 5.55, delivering theoretically even more of that lovely performance we all crave.

The Rush 4 is only just out the bag and already I’m rubbing my hands with glee at the fun this wing promises.

Launch

Gliders in this range should, and generally do, have impeccable launch characteristics, so I was unsurprised to find that the Rush 4 behaves immaculately during both forward and reverse launches.

Split A-risers made from 10mm nylon tape make control on launch easy. The risers are easy to identify, even though Ozone haven’t gone for brightly colouring the A-risers as many other brands do. Instead they have used a slightly lighter grey sleeve on the A-riser webbing than on the B- and C-risers; a subtle and eye-pleasing choice in my opinion.

I launched both forward and reverse using just the centre A-risers and had clean, uniform launches every time. The wing was also easy to manipulate on the ground with the brakes and centre-As. These easy groundhandling

THIN AIR Felix Woelk enjoys wingovers on the beach in Brazil. Photo: FW SHADES OF GREY The 10mm risers use different greys to show you the A-riser Leading edge Sharknose technology Neat tailoring on the risers. Poppers, not magnets on the brakes Photos: Charlie King

OZONE RUSH 4 CROSS COUNTRY 156

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REVIEWS

HORIZONTAL SHIFT Marcus King flies the Vista III, the latest EN B from Apco Aviation

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pDOWN LOW “Easy and simple to fly with extremely high passive safety,” is how Apco bill the wing.

All photos: Charlie King

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’m scratching down low, it’s pretty stable down here and others around me are sinking down to the landing. Pilots up high show there are some escape routes to the clouds so it’s just a case of finding that elusive express lift.

As I cross over a small ridgeline the wing surges forward then jumps up and we are off. Wow this is a screamer; I bury the brake and hold on tightly to the core. The scenery spins and falls away. With stable air all around the edges are hard and I have to be careful not to miss the turn but my wing is sitting above my head without too much pitching.

The clouds and airspace are arriving quickly. Time to leave the elevator – hold on, over the falls, and we are off… gliding with much less fuss than I expected.

I’m flying Apco’s latest EN B wing and the new

CROSS COUNTRY 156 APCO VISTA III

Vista III, billed as a wing that is “easy and simple to fly with extremely high passive safety that continues the Vista legacy.” I had reviewed its predecessor in issue 140 and was interested to see what new technology had brought to the mix.

New technology

When unrolling the wing on take-off it is obvious this isn’t a minor evolution of the previous model, but instead introduces many new ideas. The previous Vista sported Apco’s HIT valves on the leading edge just above cell entries. These were designed to let air into the cells when the angle of attack is low, that is, in accelerated flight. In the new wing an Automatic Pressurised Profile, known to you and me as sharknose technology, has replaced these. The intakes are set further

back and angled more against the airflow on the undersurface in the same way as the scoop on some cars. This is designed to give increased internal pressure regardless of the angle of attack.

At the leading edge you will find nylon wires that Apco pioneered using back in 2001 on the Keara. The rods are quite soft, meaning you don’t have to be quite so careful packing the wing. Apco however supplied our test wing with their new concertina-packing bag, and that works a treat.

There is no sign of any 3D shaping at the leading edge with no extra seam. At the trailing edge the Vista III now includes mini-ribs, technology that Apco have been using for 20 years since it was introduced on the Bagheera, but up until now reserved for their higher end wings.

Fewer lines

The Vista II saw a large reduction in lines from its predecessor. The III continues the trend and sees the wing becoming a true three-liner with the removal of the D tabs. There are now nylon reinforcements around the C tabs to spread the load. Apco have used a slightly different take on their drag-reducing line attachments on the Vista III. Rather than sewing the top lines directly into the seams they are using ‘microtabs’ made from line rather than tape. The lines themselves are unsheathed with only the main brake lines sheathed.

Apco have used their bullet risers on this wing.

The idea is to reduce the drag created by the risers without reducing the strength by using thin webbing as many manufacturers do. What

Apco have done is folded 25mm webbing in half to create an aerofoil shape and sewn this so it sits correctly in the airflow. This means the drag is much less than traditional risers and also less than the skinny risers seen on current generation wings.

The Vista III brake pulley extenders are elasticated and I asked designer Adam Wenschler what the idea behind them was. He told me they allow for more precise control: “Pulling in increases the roll while pushing out produces a flatter more efficient turn.

“It also means you are less likely to unintentionally pull down the C riser with the brake, which can hurt performance and handling.

It also allows the brake attachment to move up under acceleration.” The handles are attached to the risers by material-covered magnets. I have to say I found them a little weak so they fell off a bit too easily for my liking, Apco say this is something they will improve.

No scaling

A quick looks at the specs will show you that Apco have used their method of adding or removing cells rather than simply scaling the wing to create the different sizes. Some say that this creates a wing with different handling across the sizes but Apco have always argued that the small reduction in aspect ratio of the smaller sizes makes the wings retain the same level of dynamics and safety. They say: “Our experience proves that even though traditional scaling (zooming) seems to be logical and easy to understand – it does not automatically produce the best results when changing the size of the wing.

DETAILS Lines are sewn in using microtabs, made from line rather than tape.

Speedbar pulleys Sharknose technology at the front.

APCO VISTA III CROSS COUNTRY 156

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IGNITION Jeff Goin

Regulations: The good, bad and ugly THE GOOD Ant Green respecting the locals in Sardinia. Photograph: Massimiliano Maddanu, www.maxmad.it

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ou’re probably a free spirit – most of us are, at least to some degree. More than many pursuits paramotoring seems to attract those who enjoy their freedom and bristle at regulation, sometimes pursuing that passion with an abandon that may verge on reckless.

Make no mistake, perspective is important. One person’s version of “That’s nuts!” is another person’s evening launch into a lazy, calm sky – the epitome of safety, at least in their mind.

But the paramotor pilot, even while following recommended safety practices, can easily lose sight of just how crazy this seems to Joe Public. After all, we’re strapping on 15 horses of belching fire over a gallon of gas a flesh-eating arm chopper and hurtling hundreds of feet in the air. No wonder our friends think we’re nuts.

Are laws all bad?

So are regulations all bad? Of course not. For example, sharing the exact same piece of sky with a 737 won’t go well for you, the 737, or the sport. It’s actually rather remarkable how much freedom we’ve

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PARAMOTOR MAGAZINE 45 IGNITION

been entrusted with by a generally fearful public. We must keep earning that trust if we’re to continue.

Like so many things, we need balance.

Laws mostly define the boundaries of people’s rights. For example, Mr Mellow’s right to a peaceful walk along the beach probably conflicts with Biker Bob’s right to tear up the sand in endless donuts. Your neighbour’s right to play chainsaw mountain man at 3am might not mesh with your right to a peaceful night’s sleep. His reply of, “Hey, there’s no law against it – I’m just trying to get ahead of the heat” would probably not win you over. Thus the prevalence of noise laws.

Airline passengers have the right to expect a collision-free flight path more than you have a right to frolic about in airliner-filled airspace. Thankfully, though, they’re not down low for very long so air laws can be structured to let us fly below airliner flight paths. And they are. B airspace usually only keeps us from launching within a few miles of the main airport. Stay down low and you can legally buzz about with aplomb 7km away (check your country’s regulations, of course!)

IGNITION Dean Eldridge Toolbox

Paramotoring Your Essential Guide

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PARAMOTOR MAGAZINE 45 TOOLBOX

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PARAMOTOR MAGAZINE 45 NAZCA

Flight Nazcas of the

Matthieu Colin, Bernard Biemans and Jean-Pierre Navarro explore the ancient and arid landscape of southern Peru and northern Chile.

Words and photos by Matthieu Colin

NAZCA PARAMOTOR MAGAZINE 45

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PARAMOTOR MAGAZINE 45 KOREA

Champagne Supernova The flying is so good in South Korea that Glenn Tupper implodes, is born again, and shines like a star in heaven

KOREA PARAMOTOR MAGAZINE 45

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Flatline Free-flight pilot Nick Greece experiences a conversion on the Bonneville Salt Flats, USA. Words and photos: Nick Greece

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PARAMOTOR MAGAZINE 45 SALT FLATS

SALT FLATS PARAMOTOR MAGAZINE 45

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Fred the Shred Marcus King talks to Frédéric Mallard about flying, kite buggies and winning the trike world championship this year

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fter breaking his back in a kite-buggy accident two years ago Frédéric Mallard started flying in paramotoring competitions. This August he took the gold medal in the trike category at the World Championship in Hungary. We chatted to him about his route to the win and his equipment.

How long have you been flying?

I started back in 1992. Before that I was into kiting.

I started with stunt kites then I made some fourline kites myself and got into power-kiting. I was in the French kite-buggy team for two years. The obvious progression was to go onto paragliding but where I live in Nantes although it is possible to fly it is very hard to learn. While I was looking at paragliding I found it was possible to fly with a motor, more importantly I found that the Atlantic Paramoteur school was only half an hour from where I lived so I decided to give it a go. I never looked back.

Did you start with trikes?

No, for the first six years I flew footlaunch. I started flying trikes for tandem flying. With a trike you can take anyone tandem – not only the young, beautiful and light girls that so many tandem pilots only take! With a trike it doesn’t matter if they are heavy, old or have problems walking. I’ve even taken my grandmother flying on her 92nd birthday.

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PARAMOTOR MAGAZINE 45 PROFILE

PROFILE PARAMOTOR MAGAZINE 45

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