Mental: Bio-Hacking for Pilots

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Photo: Markus ründhammer

MENTAL

MENTAL

A pilot’s mental training is a key element, both for winning the World Cup and for clocking up the kilometres in an XC, or for leisure flying.

There are lots of ways of making your mind work before and during a flight, from now on, we’ll frequently return to this subject.

In this edition, we’ll be putting the spotlight on WHM, a method of ‘bio-hacking,’ working in depth with how we function, which can be very efficient.

One pilot who has a very strong mental attitude: Markus Gründhammer, owner of Skyman.

Translation by Ruth Jessop

CONTENTS

AD NIVIUK GIN BONANZA 2 AD SWING NEWS ADVANCE EASINESS 3: TRANSFORMER CAPTURS PINPOINTS YOUR LOCATION AD BGD NEW APP:RELIEF MAPS AD ADVANCE NEWSOZONE SPARK ET MAGMAX 2 AD INDEPENDENCE SKYWALK X-ALPS4 COUPE ICARE SKYWALK MODULAR HARNESS AD PARATROC AD APCO SYRIDE INSTRUMENTS100% FRENCH! AD MAC PARA PWCA SUPERFINAL 2018 MARCH 2019 AD OZONE VIDEO PWCA SUPERFINAL 2018 AD DUDEK ADV ITV AD WINDSRIDER VIDEO: NEVER COME DOWN II AD SYRIDE PARAFEST ADV SKYTRAXX TEST NIVIUK HOOK 5

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3 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 13 15 16 16 17 18 20 21 22 28 28 29 30 31 31

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AD XCONTEST AD PARAFEST AD NAVITER HIGH-LIGHT: MAKE FLYING SITES, NOT WAR TEST 777- QUEEN 2 MS AD FLYMASTER STRENGTHEN YOUR MENTAL ATTITUDE BY USING THE COLD AND YOUR BREATHING? AD NEO AD SKYWALK AD NOVA AD GIN VIDEO: PROGRAMME WHM/SÉBASTIEN PAYET AD PHI VIDEO: BREATHING TRAINING AD PEGUET AD NEO FLYING XC AND SKIMMING THE GROUND IN STUNNING EUROPEAN COUNTRYSIDE AD CAMELEON ADV BIDALOT AD ADVENTURE AD KANGOOK CROSSING NEW ZEALAND ADV HIGHADVENTURE AD ICARO AD EPC AERO

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35 35 36 37 39 43 45 46 51 59 61 62 63 64 65 67 68 70 72 74 75 76 78 79 81

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MENTAL

GIN BONANZA 2

T

he Bonanza 2 has already made its mark during amazing long distance flights and flying away with the trophies in national competitions. This new high performance EN C wing has recently gained EN certification in sizes XXS, XS and XL, thus covering all the sizes from 60 to 130 kg.

https://www.gingliders.com/en/paragliders/bonanza-2/

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ADVANCE EASINESS 3: TRANSFORMER Thanks to a modular system, the Easiness brand of reversible harnesses is suitable for a wide variety of uses, well beyond hike&fly.

Advance’s objective was to massively reduce the volume on your back, once the wing is folded up inside. Altogether it is very light and compact: starting at 1.75 kg, including the karabiners and backpack, the harness weighs 500g more with its airbag and integrated reserve container. The airbag is easy to attach and detach with the help of ‘bullet toggles’ and zips. The first models of the Easiness 3 in three sizes, S, M and L, will be ready for delivery from June onwards.

For more information: https://www.advance.ch/de/lightness/

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NEWS

CAPTURS PINPOINTS YOUR LOCATION

C

apturs, a Toulouse start-up designs and manufactures GPS tracking devices with very long battery life, based on technology using the low bandwidth network, Sigfox. These beacons let us follow athletes and have a battery life of up to a month without needing to be recharged. As with other beacons, it allows you to follow an athlete’s route live, to be alerted if there is a problem, to record their performance and to share the routes they have taken. Made in France, the technology used by Capturs’ beacon allows it to be both smaller and less onerous than satellite systems and a lot more long lived than smartphones. Compact and light, it slides easily into a pocket and works without a SIM card. Unique feature: it transmits the altitude specifically for aerial usage.

New: Capturs now have new applications to operate the beacon from your iOS or Android smartphone. The applications allow you to consult the position of other Captur beacons and also, on a GSM network, do the job of the beacon by transmitting a position every 10 seconds.

At Free.aero, our initial tests with a trial version were fairly conclusive, and we are going to continue with a new version over the following weeks. The SIGFOX network is constantly expanding (see map opposite). High up on the mountains, we have already noticed that there is coverage despite the ‘pessimism’ of the map, but in the bottom of the valleys, it is obviously easier to lose the connection.

https://www.capturs.com/en/produits_en/

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The tracklog of a flight in different 3D cartographic layers.

NEW APP:RELIEF MAPS

A particularly detailed 3D view of a couloir.

A new app for iOS and Android which will, no doubt, be very useful for hike&fly pilots.

B

atiste Vonderweidt, an independent developer from Annecy in France, and paraglider pilot, skier and walker, has designed a cartographic app which gives a very fluid visualisation of OpenstreetMaps and/or IGN topographic maps in 3D. It is very quick and easy to turn/tilt/zoom the map on the screen, and to visualise your position in this virtual countryside which is very close to reality. For the 3D maps, the app is based on a model with a 25m resolution in Europe and 30m elsewhere. The basic application and its use are free with the basic OpenStreetMap cartography and certain satellite imagery, which is already

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sufficient. To use IGN maps, as well as preloading maps for use outwith the GSM network, you have to pay between 8.50 â‚Ź and 29.99 â‚Ź per year depending on your needs.

Even in its free version, the app offers navigation of walking itineraries which can take into account footpaths, displaying the distance to travel as well as the total height difference. On the other hand, this function uses internet servers and therefore only works if there is a GSM or Wifi network.

The app also allows you to load and visualise GPX and IGC tracks. The recording of

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actual tracks is done in GPX and an IGC version isn’t anticipated in the immediate future. As with all apps which have been put on line recently, you can still encounter little bugs (we had a small problem with the GPS authorisation which was quickly fixed), but our first trials were, overall, amazing in particular the fluidity of the 3D visualisation, which is obtained by a specific treatment of the data on the developer’s server, as well as a 3D driver which comes from video games. This rapid visualisation, starting with all the useful angles, allows you to perfectly identify your position in the topography. With this function, combined with route navigation, we got the impression that a new era of walking maps has arrived.

The developer will be adding other functions soon, such as live tracking or sharing of tracklogs and photos, as well as information about the current conditions.

Website: https://reliefmaps.io

The app lets you work out your itinerary in a straight line or by taking into account the walking routes contained in the Open Street Map database. A working internet connection is necessary.

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MENTAL

Spark 2

NEWS OZONE

SPARKS 2 AND MAGMAX2 Spark 2 is a paramotor wing designed specifically for schools and beginner pilots.

Ozone say: "It is incredibly forgiving yet also enjoyable to fly, ideal for student training, from the first solo flights to short cross country and beyond.

With an intelligent use of materials chosen for their specific function, the Spark 2 is designed with longevity and cost effectiveness in mind. It offers all of the ingredients for students to learn safely and make quick progress, while providing schools with a dependable and long-lasting platform for their fleet of gliders."

The Spark 2 is EN A and DGAC certified, comes in three sizes with broad weight ranges up to 140 kg and special paramotor risers with trimmers covering all configurations.

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SPARK2

TECHNICAL DATA MANUFACTURER: OZONE www.flyozone.com/paramotor/products/gliders/spark-2 DATE SIZE

25

27

CELLS

34

34

34

24.3

26.3

29.9

FLAT WINGSPAN [m2]

10.5

10.93

11.64

FLAT ASPECT RATIO

4.54

4.54

4.54

ALL UP WEIGHT [kg]

65-90

75-105

95-125

WEIGHT OF THE WING [kg]

95-140

FLAT SURFACE AREA [m2]

30

65-110

75-125

FREE FLIGHT CERTIFICATION

4.51

4.79

5.29

FF CERTIFICATION LAB

EN A

EN A

EN A

PPG CERTIFICATION

DGAC

DGAC

DGAC

PRICE [€] Testé en vol selon la norme EN 926-2 uniquement avec trims en position lente

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GleitschirmausrĂźstung seit 1990

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!"#$%&"''(( )*+,&-(.

GLEITSCHIRME

GURTZEUGE

RETTUNGSSYSTEME

ZUBEHĂ–R

The MagMax 2 is derived from the freeflight tandem Magnum 3 and has been specifically adapted for foot launch paramotor and lightweight trike use. It includes special paramotor risers with tip steering and larger trimmer range.

Certified DGAC and EN B in both 38 and 41 sizes, the MagMax 2 is suitable for experienced qualified tandem pilots. www.flyozone.com

The MagMax 2

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NEWS

SKYWALK X-ALPS4

I

n 2017, Skywalk flew away with four out of the top first five places with their X-Alps 3. This year the X-Alps 4 is based on a totally new design. On the route which covers more than 1,000 km from Salzburg to Monaco, the athletes needed a paraglider which they can count on 100%, even in the most difficult conditions. Apart from the improvement in performance, ease of use was an absolute priority in the specifications. This is why Skywalk is once again pushing a three-line concept and using the lightest fabric. The new risers and the new lines are even better, and taking off will be even easier, even in the most difficult terrain.

X-ALPS4

MANUFACTURER DATA MANUFACTURER: SKYWALK Web: https://skywalk.info/

YEAR

2019

2019

SIZE

XS

S

M

CELLS

82

82

82

2019

FLATSURFACE [M²]

20.70

21.70

22.80

FLATWINGSPAN [M]

12.04

12.32

12.63

FLAT ASPECT RATIO

6.99

6.99

6.99

ALL UP WEIGHT [KG]

70-85

70-95

85-105

WEIGHT OF THE WING [KG] CERTIFICATION

3.5

3.7

3.9

EN D

EN D

EN D

With its aspect ratio of 6.99 and its 82 cells, this wing offers more comfortable steering via the brakes, and is also more comfortable and efficient via the Cs at high speed and in turbulence. The wing is already available from Skywalk https://skywalk.info

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www.coupe-icare.org

Illustration de ValĂŠrie DUMAS

NEWS

SKYWALK MODULAR HARNESS

T

his lightweight harness, with protection and under-seat container, drops from 2 to 1 kg when you take away the removable part. For safety, for the first time Skywalk have integrated PermAir technology, which was developed for the Red Bull X-Alps. A permanent cushion of air gives maximum shock absorption! The little video above clearly shows the details of this 2 in 1 harness. https://skywalk.info/project/breeze/

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MENTAL

NEWS

XCTRACER FLARM AHRS FLARM AND AHRS IN THE COCKPIT The hi-tech XCTracer vario now exists in a FLARM version, so it can be detected by aeroplanes thus equipped. This is the case for almost all gliders, and there are numerous other civil and institutional aircraft which have it on board, notably rescue helicopters in Germany and Switzerland.

Moreover, the number of aircraft equipped significantly increased because the EASA (European air traffic control) has just authorised the routine installation of FLARM appliances aboard helicopters for example.

In the past they had to use a mobile version or otherwise ask for individual authorisation.

The unique feature of the XC-Tracer FLARM compared with other instruments (Flytec, Skytraxx…): It is the only one which displays the FLARM signals of other paragliders/hanggliders (but not planes/helicopters), if the XCSoar app is connected to the vario. On other instruments such as the Skytraxx, you have to go via the internet or the FANET network.

FLARM XC Tracer

MODEL

You can also download the FLARM ‘Obstacles’ database by paying (35€ per year) on the FLARM website. It is really only fairly complete in the Alps.

SIZE

57.5 x 57.5 x 18mm, 33 mm aerial.

WEIGHT

70 g

FLARM TX/RX BEACON transmits FLARM’s universal signals and receives FLARM’s ‘paraglider and hangglider’ signal

Obviously, the instrument offers all the other functions which are available in the other XCTracers, notably AHRS technology which gives a very rapid response to climbs.

We are testing it at the moment and will give our report in the near future. In the meantime, you can reread the articles on FLARM and AHRS (links on the next page).

An initial observation: taking into account its functions and the cost of the FLARM licences, the tariff seems reasonable.

FLARM OBSTACLE ALERT DATABASE

Optional (35€/year from FLARM)

AHRS AND SENSORS

Instant audio feedback of the variations in altitude, based on algorithms Accelerometer/compass/gyroscope/GPS

OTHER FUNCTIONS

Estimation of wind (displayed on the App)

TRANSMISSION OF DATA

Tablets/Bluetooth BLE 4.2 readers and/or USB

RECORDING OF TRACKLOGS

IGC and KML in parallel

COMPATIBILITY

Android/iOs (e.g. XCSoar) applications

AUDIO SETTINGS BATTERY LIFE UPDATE

https://www.xctracer.com/en/techspecs/83/?oid=1909&lang=en

Personalisable webapp on line Infinite in the sun, otherwise a minimum of 25 hours of flying without requiring to be recharged (without sun light).

The firmware is easy to download via USB/drag-and-drop

PRICE

419 €

The ‘Obstacles’ database has already been put through its paces according to feedback on the Germanic forums. The 35€ a year goes directly to the FLARM company https://flarm.com/product-category/obstacle-databases/

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FLARM and FANET: all you need to know: http://www.free.aero/contents/EN/ instruments2018/index.html#issue/ 35

Varios with AHRS: our 2016 article explains everything in detail http://en.free.aero/contentsHTM L/instruments-e/?page=1

The latest news on XCTracer: http://www.free.aero/contents/EN /instruments2018/index.html#issu e/40

On the FLARM website, you can consult the models and existing FLARM instruments, because the manufacturers have to pay FLARM for the licences. https://flarm.com/products/powerflarm /product-selector/

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NEWS SYRIDE INSTRUMENTS100% FRENCH! MADE IN CHINA? CERTAINLY NOT! Syride needs no introduction, as they are already very well known by all paraglider pilots.

All their instruments are designed and assembled in France. The raw materials also come from France.

In return, the manufacturers can be more reactive, improving reliability and giving better quality instruments Have a look at their site to find out more about the latest upgrades for your instruments. https://www.syride.com/

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MENTAL

PWCA SUPERFINAL 2018 MARCH 2019 The 10th Super Final was a truly amazing event set in the Sugar Loaf landscape of Baixo Guandu, Brazil.

By Ruth and Ulric Jessop Photos: PWCA

F

or the first time in many years there was a real variety of gliders, with pilots flying wings from five top manufacturers, all CCC certified: Flow, Gin, Niviuk, Ozone and UP.

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After two slow task days, a cancelled day and a rest day, there were then seven absolutely excellent days, making it one of the best and most exciting competitions ever.

This landscape of water streaked monolithic black granite domes with cacti and other lush vegetation growing out of their harsh, sombre rock faces makes for one of the best aerial race tracks in the World. It’s a very reliable area for flying, in last year’s world cup we had five out of seven days flying here.

Task 2 saw the making of World Cup history, with, for the first time ever, a female pilot, none other than the legendary Petra SLIVOVA, flying for Gin Gliders, winning the 57km task, closely followed by one of the competition’s other leading ladies, Wooyoung JANG. The highlight of the competition was task 6, an 85 km day out to Pancas, flying over the most amazing granite domes. A landscape which has to be seen to be believed, it looks as if a giant has literally thrown boulders into the terrain and taken a sledge hammer to some of the rock massifs. All bar three pilots made goal.

Task 10, a 99km final task, was nail biting.

Only seven points separated the competition’s overall leaders, World Champion Pierre Rémy and Julien Wirtz, one of only six pilots who have competed in all the Super Finals since Super Final time began in 2009. Julien crossed end of speed 34 seconds ahead of Pierre but it wasn’t enough to change the podium places.

Pierre Remy is the only person ever to have been both Super Final and World Champion at the same time. Charles CAZAUX, who came 6th overall in this event has been both Super Final and World Champion but not at the same time.

Méryl Delferrière was once again unbeatable. She came 7th overall (compared to 10th last year) and flew away with the ladies’ title. She won the ladies’ title three times in 2018: Bright, Australia; Baixo Guandu, Brazil; Sopot, Bulgaria.

Used to being on podiums: the two winners of the World Cup Super Final: Pierre Rémy (Ozone Enzo 3/Woody Valley X-Rated 7) and Méryl Delfèrrière (Ozone Enzo 3/Ozone Exoceat). Méryl trained at the Pôle Espoir in the French Pyrenees. For more information see our article about the Pre PWC in 2018.

You can see all the results on the World Cup website: http://pwca.org/results/results/

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Once again World Cup TV brought us some stunning aerial footage...

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Taking off at the start of task 4

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MENTAL

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Not only Niviuk is back: The biggest thing this year from a manufacturer point of view was to have CCC wings from five different manufacturers. The line layouts are getting more and more sparse. The fabric is getting much lighter.

As far as harnesses were concerned, there were numerous Woody Valley X-Rated 7s

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MENTAL

Always the champion: the Ozone Enzo 3 dominated the first three places with Pierre Rémy, Julien Wirtz and Russel Ogden in third place. He is part of the Ozone R&D team…

... Next came the Boomerang 11 (in 4th place Aaron Durogati). It has to be said that there were still relatively few pilots flying Boomerangs: 21 Boomerang 11s versus 76 Enzo 3s...

Russel Ogden

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MENTAL

After having won the podiums around the World for years, Niviuk have been almost totally absent from competitions recently. The Icepeak Evox, seems to have heralded their return: six of their wings took part, Juan Carlos Morán Reinoso (Ecuador) was highest placed, coming 16th overall.

NIVIUK ICEPEAK EVOX Tim Rochas, competition pilot/test pilot/designer with Niviuk on the Icepeak Evox: ‘It’s a wing which is incredibly solid and well behaved! When on speed bar you feel safe very quickly, the wing is stable and solid in turbulence even at high speed!

Accelerated at high speed or even sometimes pulley to pulley, I was surprised that I could let go of the controls and play just with the accelerator because I had so much confidence due to the solid nature of the wing!

I have only had one collapse since I started flying this wing (excluding certification testing); it is incredibly sorted! With 50-75% of the wing collapsed, it doesn’t stop flying, and doesn’t really cravat and, above all, it stays virtually on its axis all by itself!

As far as turning is concerned, the controls are firm and precise which allows me to be efficient in the thermals, to clearly feel what is happening and to be able to easily put the wing where I want. It is easy, so you get very good performance in thermals.

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We’ve put a massive amount of work into the wing and the finish of the surface which, today, is virtually faultless. The nose and the upper surface are just like a mirror, no creases, or unnecessary stress.

As far as the cockpit ergonomics are concerned: with the new risers and the new ergonomic B handles, you are always efficient.

The position of this handle is neither too high nor too low, which allows it to be effective without having your hands too high to minimise the drag from your arms.

ICEPEAK EVOX TECHNICAL DATA

MANUFACTURER: NIVIUK Web : http://niviuk.com/en/ccc/icepeakevox

DATE

2018

2018

2018

2018

2018

2018

SIZE

20

22

24

25

26

27

CELLS

99

99

99

99

99

99

FLAT SURFACE AREA [m2]

20

22

23.5

25

26.5

27.5

FLAT WINGSPAN [m2]

2.01

2.11

2.18

2.25

2.32

2.36

ALL UP WEIGHT [kg]

80-95

90-105

100-110

107-117

113-128

125-134

WEIGHT OF THE WING [kg]

88

97-100

106-108

114-116

123-125

132

FREE FLIGHT CERTIFICATION

5.4

5.8

6.1

6.4

6.7

6.9

FF CERTIFICATION LAB

CCC

CCC

CCC

CCC

CCC

CCC

Fabric:Porcher Skytex 9017 E25/70032 E3W, 70000 E3H

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There was another new wing: the Flow Spectra.

Here is what the manufacturer told us about their wing: The Spectra offers easy and precise handling.

We noticed the Spectra is so well balanced and easy to fly that the connection glider/pilot frees

the pilot’s mind to concentrate on the actual conditions and less on flying the glider. A reflection of that is that that machine and pilot work in unison on the Spectra. The solidity is experienced in the entire flying envelope. The reinforced leading edge

translates as increased solidity at top speeds with a better L/D. We observed that the Spectra is one of the fastest gliders around.

The return of UP… Here’s what Michal Šneiberg from UP had to say about their new Guru.

We are happy with the Guru. The Superfinal showed us again that the wing is really competitive,

especially in strong conditions, and has excellent stability on full bar. I can say almost the best compared to the others. Also, we have some ideas now of what to improve. For example, the Guru

requires a bit more handling in weak conditions to climb well, so we know what we should focus on to work on the CCC project. The development of a CCC wing is a never-ending process…

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Another very nice video: Never Come Down II 10th Paragliding World Cup Superfinal by Brett Hazlett

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Photos: 777

MENTAL

NEWS 777 GAMBIT

T

riple Seven have brought out a competition wing, the Gambit.

The Gambit has successfully passed the load and flight tests for CCC certification. With its visibly complex design, the Gambit will obviously be produced in a limited number, ready to be delivered in mid-July, and pilots going to the World Championship in Kruschevo will have priority.

The Gambit will be produced in sizes: XS, S, M and L. https://777gliders.com/

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Photos : Kenneth Smart

PARAFEST

P

arafest is the only event for all foot launched and single-seat trike aviation in the UK. It’s set to take place July 11-14 and returns to the stunning location of Caerwys, North Wales.

Close to the coast for the sea breeze and close to the mountains for the free flyers.

The many flying sites of North Wales are just a short drive away. One is visible from the festival and if conditions allow pilots will be able to land back at the festival airfield.

Powered pilots have a dedicated field to use within the festival Thursday-Sunday and are free to explore North Wales from the air.

Parafest hosts the only trade show in the country and traders will have displays and demo’s.

‘The Fly Inn’ is a fully stocked bar run by the pilots with everyone’s favourite drinks plus Welsh real ales, gins, rums, Pimms, Prosecco and cocktails.!

Arts and crafts markets, a children’s area, live music 1pm to 1am Friday and Saturday...

Tickets are on sale now and cost £65 for pilots (Thursday to Sunday) or £55 for non-flyers.

Under-16s come free. Dogs are welcome. www.parafest.co.uk www.facebook.com/parafestuk 30 | 2019/Mental

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photo: Luc Hentsch

TEST

NIVIUK HOOK 5

The Catalan manufacturer has just brought out the latest version of the Hook. There are new features and significant improvements in this fifth-generation wing.

T

he Hook is placed in the middle of the EN B classification. It has, without fail, always attracted several generations of pilots, thanks to being fun and versatile, combined with a high level of safety, making it appeal to the basic instinct of cross-country pilots as well as those who just fly purely and simply for pleasure. For the fifth version, Niviuk have worked particularly on making the upper surface smooth whilst, at the same time, rethinking the internal architecture.

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SKYTRAXX

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photo: Luc Hentsch

MENTAL

The lines are a clever mix of very fine Liros in the top part, and of sheathed Edelrid Aramid for the lower lines.

They have been able to do this thanks to the digital modelling available on their software, which is becoming increasingly effective for simulating and visualising the structural constraints as a function of speed.

The result: a wing which is simpler still but at the same time, more tensioned and smoother.

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The Hook 5 has a very pronounced SharkNose with two crossed leading-edge rods in Nitinol alloy. This magic rod has shape memory and is indestructible.

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photo: Luc Hentsch

MENTAL

There is a Velcro opening at the wing tip, which allows it to be emptied via the trailing edge. This is done as before; your hand passes very easily, without any obstacles, across the profile to the wing tip.

The Hook 5 uses all the 2019 technology.

SharkNose, 3D shaping, mini ribs with pronounced stitching, thin unsheathed lines in the upper part in a hybrid thinneddown layout.

It now comes in six sizes (previously there were five), for an all up weight of 55 to 135 kg. It has a bit more surface area than the four, losing five cells, and 0.1 of aspect ratio. 36 gr/m2 Dominico N20 is used for the upper and lower surfaces, whilst the ribs are in Porcher.

The thin risers are both fantastic and meticulously made: shaped handles with a magnet and swivel, low friction ring and ball bearing accelerator pulleys. Green and red at the bottom for those who, like me, mix up left and right. Note the A’, a riser to the ears which is even thinner, and connects to the A by means of a magnet. Quality wise, it is at the top of its category!

A good hour playing in the wind revealed a lot about its behaviour. During inflation, the Hook 5 breathes, with a taut leading edge. Facing the wing, with a pull, in a perfectly linear fashion and with no difficult step, the wing came up, easily, soft and without violence. The wing damped itself spontaneously in the pitch. Here, the Hook 5 showed both a docile and fun temperament. It was light to bring up, the controls were precise, it was easy to control and quickly correct on the roll access! Let’s get flying!

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MENTAL

After a few steps in the snow, the Hook is fully inflated. From the first turn, the wing inclines very willingly, docilely and without much effort, right from the beginning of the brake travel and with great precision.

The controls are light but firm and communicative. The Hook 5 flies with hands up at about 38 km/h with a slight feeling of roll. The designer, Olivier Nef, confirmed that this is deliberate, allowing a quicker turn. This is certainly an advantage in thermals, but a bit inconvenient in a transition because the wing, with hands up, can roll a bit. The solution? A bit of accelerator and the wing flies as if on rails!

HOOK 5/HOOK 5P MANUFACTURER DATA

MANUFACTURER: NIVIUK Web:http://niviuk.com/en/

2019 SIZE CELLS

I feel very at ease flying the Hook 5, well damped in pitch, and frankly convivial and precise to turn. No difficulty in getting into the lift thanks to having a good bite! I also note its capacity to slow down and to turn on the wing tip which makes it a very efficient weapon for exploiting thermals calmly, even in a fight! First transition, full accelerator for interest. I push through a very turbulent zone. The Hook 5 goes through turbulence no problem at all and I had a great time!

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20/20

22/22

24/24

26/26

28/28

31

47

47

47

47

47

47

FLAT SURFACE AREA [M²]

20

22

24

26

28

31

FLAT WINGSPAN [M]

2.42

2.54

2.66

2.76

2.87

3.02

FLAT ASPECT RATIO

5.3

5.3

5.3

5.3

5.3

5.3

ALL UP WEIGHT [KG]

55-70

60-80

70-92

82-105

95-120

110-135

Extended all up weight [kg]

70-85

60-95

70-105

82-120 5.2/ 4.15

5.5

WEIGHT OF THE WING [KG] 3.9 / 3.15 HOOK 5 CERTIFICATION (B) under way HOOK 5P CERTIFICATION

4.3 / 3.4 4.6 / 3.65 4.9 / 3.9 B

B

B

(B) under way (B) Under way

(A+) under way

Fabric: Hook 5: Dominico N20 36g/m²/ Hook 5P: Upper surface Skytex 32 g/m² - lower surface Skytex 27 g/m²

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As far as comfort is concerned, it’s the best! The modest aspect ratio and general smoothness of the wing makes it feel comfortable and efficient. Pure pleasure, easy and docile! What else could you want?

In these fairly easy conditions, the Hook 5 goes everywhere, like a luxury 4x4.

Communication is through the finger tips, and by little feather light movements in every thermal. It warns you of turbulence, and only requires a little bit of piloting in pitch to control a dive forward. A quick test of the low speeds. The brake travel before stalling: 70 cm, very physical at the end!

For the ears, with the dedicated riser, they come in easily and are really stable under the wing. Re-opens automatically when released. In a tight spiral, the Hook 5 dives in when asked, and pulls out in the same way, with a nice exit full of energy and easy management of the conversion/dive.

Performances measured by Free Aero Niviuk Hook 5 Size 26 ( 82 kg -105 kg) wingload 92 kg (3,53 kg/m2) Trim speed

38 km/h

Full speed

47 km/h

Sinkrate min.

1,09 m/s @ 37 km/h, 1 kg force

Glide ratio max

9,6

Stall

24 km/h, 5 kg force

@ 38,3 km/h, slightly on speed bar

End of the flight. I land with a big smile, without a step and with a gentle pitch backwards. Flying machines like this is so

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Enabling pilot excellence

simple and also so pleasant, it’s total magic!

In short, I loved this wing! It’s the ideal compromise between simplicity and reactivity, combined with a happy fun side, which is itself, the essence of flying. Its performance is, in addition, more than enough to do everything!

This Hook 5 has turned out to be an amazing success, and attractive enough to easily seduce a whole generation of new pilots. It will also give back the taste of pure pleasure to those who have become stale or frightened by the aspect ratio. In this family of gentle Bs, the competition is intense, but the Hook 5 gives this big dose of fun and freshness, associated with a very

high level of finish. In addition, despite the performance it offers, it is close to being certified EN A. The lightweight version, the Hook 5P was certified EN A! Here, Niviuk have succeeded in making it better, simpler, even sharper and with improved performance. A wing which comes highly recommended for any young pilot who has just finished their training, and also for experienced pilots who simply want to enjoy themselves uninhibited and safely. Careful, we have warned you: you’ll love it; an EN B wing that you absolutely must try!

Hyper Everyday companion Simple Pocket size Hike & Fly mode Exceptional customer support

www.naviter.com

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Photo: Matevz Gradisek

MENTAL

This is clearly an allusion to the famous photo of Joe Rosenthal, who won the Pullitzer prize. On the 23rd of February 1945, the American army retook the Island of 37 | 2019/Mental

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Iwo Jima in the Pacific. After hoisting the flag for the first time under sporadic fire from the last defenders, the soldiers posed a second time for this scene a bit later.

Photo: Phan Lee Mccaskill, USN; Date Shot: 28 Sep 2001

CONSTRUCTIVE A beautiful picture and a nice allusion: Matevz Gradisek from the sitewww.bigopensky.comhas set up a new paragliding club where he lives in Slovenia.

Their first symbolic act was to hoist a wind sock on their site, before taking off for an inaugural flight celebrating their new status.

Photo: Joe Rosenthal

HIGH-LIGHT: MAKE SITES, NOT WAR

Moreover, if it wasn’t for the distance and also the ethical considerations (a 36 day battle took place for this little bit of rock: more than 20,000 Japanese soldiers and 7,000 American soldiers died), Mont Suribachi, a 169m high volcanic hill on an island in the Pacific, would be a very good soaring site on at least two sides.

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MENTAL

TEST

777- QUEEN 2 MS

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Photo: 777gliders

WHO IS IT DESIGNED FOR?

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Photo: 777gliders

MENTAL

By being assertive with the controls, we managed to do some nice wingovers, despite it being more stable than other wings in its category.

We made the most of the lovely autumnal days to try out this wing at St André les Alpes, Annecy and in the Vosges, in different conditions, from excellent to frankly horrendous.

By Pascal Kreyder

W

e tried this wing alongside others in both the same and different classifications. They included, amongst others, a Nova Mentor 5 (EN B+), an Ozone Delta 3 (EN C like the Queen 2), an Ozone Zeno (EN D) and an Ozone Enzo 3 (CCC).

This little informal “mini-testival”, without having any real scientific value, allowed us to properly place this modern EN wing in the current market and to answer the question: ‘Who is this 777 Queen 2 designed for?’

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We really appreciated the manoeuvrability, the turn and the damping in pitch and roll of the Queen 2, even in really turbulent conditions.

The brake controls were very gentle, linear, precise and allowed the turn to be controlled to the millimetre.

Compared to a Mentor 5, as you would expect, we felt that the Queen 2 had better performance, more speed and more bite.

From the second bar onwards, it felt as if you had changed universe compared to one of the best EN B wings.

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MENTAL

Pushing the bar on the Queen 2 during a transition is a delight. The wing dives very little and the pitch is extremely easy to manage. The Cs don’t have handles, but using them is obvious and the system, which pulls 50% on the Bs, is relatively easy and intuitive.

At Annecy the conditions were gentle, with a 2200 m ceiling. The competition was stiff; my companions were flying a Zeno, an Icepeak 6 and an Enzo 3. During a transition from the Roc des Bœuf to the Margeriaz, I had the same sink rate in the glide as the Zeno, but 3 km/h less speed.

In the end, passing through thermals, I arrived 10 m lower than the Zeno and 15 m lower than the Enzo 3.

BREITENBACH Back in my native Vosges, I re-joined Thomas on his Delta 3 MS loaded to maximum at 90 kg.

We did three flights together and swapped wings to remove bias. All the transitions were wing tip to wing tip. The conditions were weak and gentle.

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The Delta 3 floats better, moves about more and seems to glide just as well trimmed as on the first bar. The Queen 2 takes the upper hand only after the second bar, as far as both speed and glide are concerned. The performance of these two wings is therefore very similar. One might have expected that the Queen 2 would have a bigger advantage, given that it is newer and has a better aspect ratio (6.3 for the Queen 2, compared to 6.0 for the Delta 3). Thomas and I found the Queen 2 better damped than the Delta 3 both in pitch and in roll. In calm air it felt as if there was less need to correct the attitude of the wing. Accelerated, the Queen 2 gives a greater feeling of robustness. It’s precisely this robustness which makes it a little bit less fun.

THE TURN. On the Queen 2, the turn isn’t perfect; however it remains excellent because it lets you tighten the turn as much as you want without any parasitic effects. The roll is minor and the release with the outer hand is a pure delight.

The quality of the turn allows it to stay in

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A nice modern EN C, with a fairly high aspect ratio (6.3). There was a small negative point as far as the lines were concerned: the outer C line was not sheathed lower down and risked abrasion by the brake line.

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the core with an optimised climb rate.

When the wind moves the core, the feedback communicated by the wing lets you find it again.

In the end the mix of roll and yaw is perfect because it is very intuitive and doesn’t require time to adapt. The climb rate in weak thermals puts this wing above the average, a reflection of its efficiency in the turn.

Let’s summarise the positive points about the turn.

• Precise execution • Authority over the execution (tightens and releases as required) • force through the controls • performance (flat) On the other hand, the Queen 2 is slightly less fun than other wings due to its stability.

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$

$

%

E

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43 | 2019/Mental

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THE ACCELERATOR The positive points about accelerated flying on the Queen 2. • easy application • precision • good control of pitch with the feet. • stability when accelerated • absence of roll • doesn’t porpoise • easy to take off. • performance, even on the second bar.

D

D

D

D

%

D

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$

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MENTAL

From now on, the Queen 2 is also available in a lightweight version. The QLight weighs almost 1 kg less in size MS (4.3 instead of 5.1) amongst other things, thanks to the use of Skytex 27, except on the leading edge (Dominico D30).

Pilot Marko Hrgetic has chosen it for the Red Bull X-Alps 2019! https://777gliders.com/gliders/q-light/

CONCLUSION The Queen 2 is a very good to excellent wing, as far as both manoeuvrability and performance are concerned. It has the same level of performance as a two-yearold EN D three- liner, especially accelerated.

The Queen 2 will be a good racing machine for a pilot beginning competitions. The gain in performance compared to a new B+ or an older C is really significant, without any of the associated problems. Provided of course, that you know how to manage the energy in the wing, for example in a spiral, in a wingover or after an accelerated collapse.

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QUEEN 2 MS TECHNICAL DATA

MANUFACTURER: TRIPLE SEVEN Web : https://777gliders.com/gliders/queen2/# DATE SIZE

S

MS

ML

L

CELLS

73

73

73

73

FLAT SURFACE AREA [m2]

23.6

25.3

26

27

FLAT WINGSPAN [m]

12.1

12.6

12.8

13

FLAT ASPECT RATIO

6.3

6.3

6.3

6.3

ALL UP WEIGHT [kg]

70-85

79-99

95-108

100-120

4.9

5.1

5.4

5.9

WEIGHT OF THE WING [kg]

FREE FLIGHT CERTIFICATION LTF/EN C LTF/EN C LTF/EN C LTF/EN C FF CERTIFICATION LAB AIR TURQ AIR TURQ AIR TURQ AIR TURQ PPG CERTIFICATION

-

-

-

-

Materials: Leading edge: Dominico 30D MF Upper surface, Bottom : Dominico 20D MF Cells, Diagonals, Mini-Ribs : Porcher Skytex 40 Hard

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MENTAL

Your mental attitude counts throughout the whole flight, and not just in ‘tense’ situations. Photo: Markus Gründhammer/Skyman

STRENGTHEN YOUR MENTAL ATTITUDE

BY USING THE COLD AND YOUR BREATHING?

By Sascha Burkhardt

Mental preparation can improve your physiological and psychological performance in any sport. Dutch man Wim Hof has become known as the ‘Iceman,’ beating astonishing records. To prepare his body and spirit, he has developed a method which should be accessible to everyone, and also usable in everyday life. We tried it…

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Wim Hof: exceptional performances, amongst others, in the mountains, thanks to breathing and exposure to the cold.

F L Y & R I D E

FLY LIGHT CARRY COMPACT

CHILDREN

PARAGLIDING & SPEEDRIDING

TANDEM AND SOLO FLIGHTS

S / M / L - 1.53 to 1.80 kg delivered with Koroyd Propack protection

S (3-6) / M (6-10) / L (10-13) - 0.9 to 1.3 kg pink or blue

ULTRA-LIGHT PARAGLIDING & SPEEDRIDING S / M / L - 320 to 370 g

LIGHT

ULTRA-LIGHT

CROSS COUNTRY

CROSS COUNTRY

XS / S / M / L - 3.8 kg (M) delivered with NEO Koroyd 1.0 protection and carabiners

HIKE LIGHT & FLY WARM

XS / S / M / L - 1.45 kg (M, without protection) delivered with NEO Koroyd 2.0 protection and carabiners

PARAGLIDING

FULLY INTEGRATED HARNESS

SKI AND FLY

SPEEDRIDING

SPEEDRIDING

S / M / L - 875 g (M) fully integrated into a ski suit - delivered with Koroyd EOP 2.0 protection

S / M / L - 980 g (M) delivered with Koroyd EOP 2.0 protection

www.flyneo.com

made in France

S / M / L - 430 g (M) removable pod for the String harness

W

ork with your mind: an essential element which is just as good for the pilot’s safety as for his performance. But often, this remains a rather vague idea, or is reduced, before the flight, to visualising situations that you could encounter. That is excellent practice and good advice, but you can go a lot further…

The Dutchman Wim Hof has become well known for his achievements and fairly surprising records, such as immersion in a tub of ice cubes for nearly two hours, or climbing bare chested and in flip-flops, Kilimanjaro, as well as up to 7,400m on Everest.

He has also run a marathon in the Namibian desert without drinking. And he can inject himself with endotoxins without showing any of the normal symptoms.

Photos: Wim Hof Method

MENTAL

This is generally how Wim Hof has been portrayed by TV reports: a bare chested warrior able to resist the worst climatic conditions. His assertion: ‘you can all do this too’“.

Above all, he claims that this mastery which he has over his mind and body is attainable for everyone who follows his method which is supposed to strengthen equally the mind and the body, with surprising results, in a very short space of time.

The publicity for the method could, however, put people off, as it uses terminology close to that used by all the other umpteen vendors of miracles (such as certain obscure methods without any scientific foundation, which promise to reprogram your body to a quantum level, no less…).

But at the opposite end of the spectrum to this type of charlatanism, the case of Wim Hof has been the object of serious studies, and the scientific evidence concerning the methodology is coherent with other wellfounded studies.

Exposure to the cold, breathing according to specific protocols, as well as mental reinforcement by postures similar to Yoga, form the three main pillars of this methodology. The reassuring part of this approach: the results of this methodology can be observed in serious studies, carried out on Wim, as well as on ‘ordinary’ people trained by him.

WHAT IS THE WIM HOF METHOD? The benefits of the method come from a programme based on three core pillars: • Several breathing routines partially based on Yoga practises such as Pranayama and Toumo.

• Regular exposure to cold, either by immersion in icy water or, otherwise, by taking cold showers regularly.

• Mental preparation and meditation, carried out during every breathing session and each exposure to the cold.

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Photo: Wim Hof Method

MENTAL

The famous study published in 2014 (free link below), showed that the people who were trained

by Wim Hof for ten days were able to, just like the grand master, voluntarily influence their sympathetic nervous system and their immune system, to the point of resisting an injection of dead bacteria, which would cause serious flu type symptoms in untrained people. The researchers noted, amongst other things, during the breathing excercises (voluntary hyperventilation and retention), increased production of anti-inflammatory mediators and the attenuation of the activities of proinflammatory agents, alerted by the intravenous administration of endotoxin bacteria. One of the conclusions:"this study could have important implications for the treatment of a variety of ailments associated with excessive or persistent inflammation".

But the possible benefits apparently go far beyond the treatment of illnesses…

Wim Hof already practiced yoga before developing his own method. One of the motivating factors for this research of his was his wife’s suicide.

SO-CALLED “BRAIN OVER BODY”

O. Muzik et al.

In a second, more recent study (the original had to be paid for): we were able to observe that effectively, with his ‘home made’ breathing technique, Wim Hof was able to keep a constant body temperature (below right: filled in red dots), independent of the cooling (relatively light) that he was subjected to during this study. The curve of red circles corresponds to Wim Hof’s temperature without scientific breathing, a control subject is shown in blue.

NeuroImage 172 (2018) 632–641

continued on next page

In addition, on the brain imaging, the high amount of activity observed in the central part, which plays an important role in pain and behaviour defences, ‘couldsuggest the release of endogenous opiates/cannabinoids which act like mediators to reduce the sensibility to exposure to cold and favour a feeling of euphoria and well-being.’This technique could therefore allow a trained person to obtain a high level of control of the key components of their brain’s autonomous system.

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BEWARE The serious risk of an accident is real if you play with these breathing techniques in situations where you can’t afford to lose consciousness.

So, above all, don’t try it whilst driving a car, sitting on a chairlift, standing on a mountain ridge, at the controls of a paraglider, sitting or lying in water…

As opposed to more gentle breathing techniques, such as cardiac coherence, WHM’s breathing techniques contain phases of hyperventilation and hypoxia with a real risk of loss of consciousness, and are therefore practiced lying down, on a sofa or in bed, or sitting down on the grass on takeoff…

• A hyperventilation phase: thirty very deep breaths, in waves, from the stomach to the top of your chest, each followed by a relaxed breathe out, without force, like a breath of relief, without completely emptying your lungs.

• Then after the thirtieth exhalation, block your breathing, empty your lungs (but not completely, about 10-30% remains). It’s easy to hold your breath like this thanks to the previous hyperventilation which delays the feeling that you need to breath (low level of CO2 in the blood), for 1 to 3 minutes.

• Followed by a deep inhalation, a wonderful retention for about 15 seconds, then you start another two cycles.

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Respiratory ratte (bpm)

hyperventilation

retention

hyperventilation

retention

activity. At baseline (T = −1 h), there was a trend toward lower levels of leptin in the trained group compared with the control group (mean ± SEM: 3.36 ± 0.55 vs. 4.99 ± 0.74 ng/mL, P = 0.09, unpaired Student t test), which remained apparent at all subsequent time points (Fig. S2B). Leptin kinetics showed a biphasic pattern with an initial modest decrease followed by a gradual increase in both groups. However, there were no differences between groups over time.

retention

20

10

0

Correlation Analyses. As depicted in Fig. 5A, there was a strong positive correlation (rs = 0.82, P = 0.001) between epinephrine levels in the trained group at T = 0 h (30 min after commencing the breathing techniques) and the early increase in IL-10 levels at T = 1 h, which was not present in the control group (rs = 0.18, P = 0.571). Furthermore, there were significant inverse correlations between levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 at T = 1 h and peak levels of the proinflammatory mediators TNF-α (at T = 1.5 h), IL-6 (at T = 2 h), and IL-8 (at T = 2 h) in the trained group (Fig. 5 B–D). In the control group, no such inverse correlations between IL-10 and proinflammatory cytokines were observed. In fact, we found significant positive correlations between preceding TNF-α and IL-6 levels on the one hand and IL-10 levels at later time points (TNF-αT = 1 vs. IL-10T = 2: rs = 0.59, P = 0.045 and IL-6T = 1.5 vs. IL-10T = 2: rs = 0.60, P = 0.039).

O2 Saturation (%))

100

80

60

40

C

120 100

80

60

D

150

100

Time (s)

50 0

600

End reten ntion

700

End hyperventilation

500

End reten ntion

400

End hyperventilation

300

End reten ntion

200

End hyperventilation

100

pH

7.40

7.66

7.44

7.67

7.46

7.75

7.50

pC02 (kPa)

4.49

2.11

4.01

2.03

3.76

1.69

pO2 (kPa)

16 5 16.5

22 0 22.0

56 5.6

22 9 22.9

48 4.8

22 6 22.6

34 3.4

HCO3(mmol/l)

20.9

18.0

20.3

17.6

20.2

17.4

20.4

Lactate (mmol/l)

0.69

0.86

0.69

1.03

0.77

1.16

0.91

3.48

Fig. 2. Cardiorespiratory and biochemical changes during cyclic hyperventilation and breath retention in a representative subject of the trained group. (A) The respiratory rate alternately increased to around 20 breaths per minute (bpm) for several minutes, and then dropped to zero during voluntary breath retention. These cyclic changes in respiration resulted in profound changes in (B) oxygen saturation, (C) heart rate, and (D) mean arterial pressure. The data depicted were sampled from the monitor every 10 s. At the end of each hyperventilation phase and breath retention phase, an arterial blood sample was drawn for arterial blood gas analysis, of which the results are listed in the table below D. The cycles of hyper/hypoventilation in this particular subject can be viewed in Movie S2.

(at T = 1 h) and peaked 1 h before the peak observed in the control group. In line with previous reports (11), plasma levels of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β were barely detectable during human endotoxemia. Concentrations were below the detection limit (3.9 pg/mL) in all but four subjects (two in each group, showing very low concentrations (4–6 pg/mL) at one to three time points with no apparent kinetics over time). Concentrations of the anti-inflammatory cytokine TGF-β showed no kinetics after administration of LPS and were not different between groups (Fig. S2A). We also measured plasma concentrations of leptin, an adipokine that exerts proinflammatory Kox et al.

Discussion Herein, we show that a short-term training program and practicing breathing techniques learned during this training program results in release of epinephrine, induction of early antiinflammatory IL-10 production, and consequently attenuation of the proinflammatory innate immune response during experimental human endotoxemia. Also, trained individuals experienced fewer endotoxemia-associated flu-like symptoms, and a more swift normalization of fever and cortisol levels, which are likely the result of the attenuated proinflammatory response.

This study demonstrates that the in vivo innate immune response can be voluntarily influenced in a nonpharmacological

trained

control

A

B

epinephrine p p

nmol/L 3

p p norepinephrine

nmol/L 3

p<0.0001

p=0.01

2

2

1

1

0 -1 0

C nmol/L

1

2 3

4

5

6 7

dopamine

0.3

8

0

-1 0

D μmol/L

2 3

4

5

6

7

8

cortisol p<0.0001 p

0.2

1

01 0.1

0.5

0

1

1.5

p=0.001 p

-1 0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 time (hours post-LPS)

8

0

-1 0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 time (hours post-LPS)

8

Fig. 3. Plasma cathecholamine concentrations and serum cortisol concentrations during experimental endotoxemia in control and trained subjects.

(A) Plasma epinephrine. (B) Plasma norepinephrine. (C) Plasma dopamine.

(D) Serum cortisol. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM of 12 subjects per group. Gray box indicates period in which the trained subjects practiced their learned breathing techniques. P values between groups were calculated using repeated measures two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA, interaction term).

PNAS | May 20, 2014 | vol. 111 | no. 20 | 7381

POSITIVE STRESS

It is correct that the Wim Hof method provokes temporary stress in the body, both by breathing and by immersion in cold water.

During hyperventilation/retention, you can release the same amount of adrenaline as a base jumper before the jump.

But in fact, it is this temporary stress, followed by a deep soothing feeling which resets the clock for a good part of the day.

We all know the feeling of wellbeing, the soothing feeling after an adrenaline rush. In all sports, these moments of temporary stress have been fairly well researched.

The method described allows this cascade of effects linked, amongst others, to adrenalin to be provoked, whilst you are safely on the ground.

Therefore, this is one to practice whilst sitting on take off for example, before flying…!

As anecdotal evidence, we can testify to having flown in a fairly serene and precise fashion after our tests.

It’s chronic stress in everyday life, for which there is no outlet, that provokes certain illnesses in our civilisation. Wim Hof’s method claims to reduce chronic stress by hormesis (it should be stressed that it takes a lot to ‘return to zero.’) Both the studies available and the anecdotal reports suggest that it is effective to a certain extent.

Photo: Kat Jayne Pexels

There are several protocols, the most frequently used involves three breathing cycles. ((Also see the Icemind tutorial):

B

Heart rate (bpm) H

HOW DOES IT WORK? The breathing part is easy to learn, but you have to be careful: no ‘WH’ breathing whilst driving or immersed in water, because there is a real risk of fainting. It isn’t serious if you are lying down on the ground, but it is dangerous at the wheel of a car, at the controls of a paraglider or in a bath or a lake (risk of drowning!)

hyperventilation

A

MAP (mmHg) M

With this training, you therefore learn to control your mind and body better, resist stress better (notably chronic stress), live more peacefully and to be more resistant to pain and inflammation. You also learnhow to combat tiredness and perform better physically. A great programme!

A video filmed whilst volunteers were being trained during the first study.

Below: this study also analyses in detail one of Wim Hof’s breathing cycles (three ‘rounds’: hyperventilation/retention, for a little over ten minutes). It also studied the changes in the levels of adrenaline, noradrenalin, dopamine and cortisol. This breathing technic visibly increased the level of adrenalin (A) to a significant level.

Start

Neither should you practice these techniques without medical advice in case of respiratory or cardiac conditions for example.

Photos: Sascha Burkhardt

During a course with Wim Hof, as shown here for example with Frenchman Jean-François Tual, we noticed and learnt the importance of good diaphragmatic breathing for everyday life, which goes far beyond the protocols in the “Wim Hof Method”! Shown here: ventral/diaphragm breathing against the force of the trainer’s hands.

INITIAL OBSERVATIONS During thirty cycles of hyperventilation, we already felt certain more or less noticeable effects on our mind and body. Often, your mind starts to wander, and your arms and legs tingle to various degrees, due to the lowering of CO2 in the blood, which provokes a vasoconstriction and a temporary hypocalcaemia. There can be little spasms too. The full respiratory cycle also provokes an increase in adrenaline in the body and it even provokes production of endogenous drugs (opiates, cannabinoids, even DMT, a very powerful psychotropic substance).

Next comes holding your breath. Obviously this is the most important part of the protocol. You remain for a lot longer than normal without breathing; it’s a really odd feeling. Towards the end, saturation of O2 in the blood lowers in a dramatic fashion, and can reach levels below 50%. In the casualty department of a hospital, this would make the medical staff panic, because this is the sign of a serious problem. But here it is deliberately provoked, for a very short length of time.

Then you breathe in deeply, and a feeling of well being and a noticeable feeling of relief are felt.

Jean François Tual has added, amongst other things, exercises from the Systema method (a Russian Martial art), to Wim Hof’s method, as shown here, to cope with pain in the thighs: another useful method which requires you to let go.

‘Breathe in, breathe out,’ Jean François Tual with some students. Yoga movements are also part of the official WHM program (in the background: ‘the boat’), but they are used a bit less in Jean François Tual’s classes.

WHAT USE IS THIS? Part of our nervous system works on automatic pilot: our heart beats and the movements of our stomach and intestines, for example. This autonomous nervous system has two main ‘wiring’ systems, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic.

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The sympathetic system is activated particularly when there is stress to prepare the body for an emergency, the famous ‘fight-or-flight’ response, a necessary decision which our ancestors had to face during a sudden encounter with a sabre-toothed tiger.

It’s this system which is also activated when your leading edge hits your head. The heart beats faster, pupils and bronchial tubes dilate, and adrenaline is released. This all serves to prepare the body to be as powerful as possible, to react and to fight, or to flee efficiently. At the same time, functions like digestion are put to one side, and not really used in these situations.

Methods such as certain yoga movements are supposed to reset the pendulum.For example, forms of meditation, which aim to activate the parasympathetic, such as the vibrations transmitted to the vagus nerve by humming ‘om.’

It can also be useful to do sport: pushing yourself to your limit, pushing your body to produce adrenaline, then enjoying the rest.

Stress to make you feel calmer…

❝

The Wim Hof method uses just this technique: by breathing according to the protocol, we push our mind and body with controlled hyperventilation, followed by hypoxia, and we are then able to rest better afterward.

Conversely, use of the parasympathetic system, with the famous vagus nerve at its core, has a relaxing effect: the cave man who fled the tiger successfully, then relaxed for hours, even days. The temporary activation of the sympathetic system, followed by a long period of ‘parasympathy’, is nature’s way of our body functioning.

This is the principal of hormesis: treating an illness with a big dose of the same illness, which provokes, in our physiology, a pendular movement in the correct sense. (Not to be confused with homeopathy, where the doses are so small that in the end, they are inexistent). Another way of explaining hormesis: what doesn’t kill us, will make us stronger.

However, with the stress of daily modern life, it often doesn’t get properly regulated.

We often remain in a state of chronic stress, which can end up with chronic inflammation.

You could also fly every day, no matter what the weather forecast, including when there are storms, and if you survive being massacred by the aerology and the stressful situation it causes, you will then feel great

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for the rest of the time. Except that it is safer and easier to do this by organising a breathing session.

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What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.

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BREATHE! IT’S GOOD TO KNOW… HYPERVENTILATION Wim Hof’s method endeavours to take you to a state of hyperventilation for a short period, but it is to be avoided in all other situations, whether walking or flying, because it prevents a good level of oxygenation in your body.

Explanation: during hyperventilation, the amount of CO2 in the blood drops, whilst the blood and the tissue is enriched a little bit more with O2. Paradoxically, this O2 isn’t delivered very well to the cells: despite being engorged with O2, the haemoglobin needs a high level of CO2 in the blood as a trigger (Bohr effect), to release the oxygen in the cells! However, by hyperventilating, you drastically lower the CO2…

BREATHING: IT’S IN THE BAG. It’s for this reason that when people panic and start to breathe very fast, they can become hypoxic, to the point of fainting.

Paradoxically, by making them breathe into a paper bag, you can bring them back to normal quicker, because they breathe back in their own CO2 and get back to more normal levels, making the oxygen, which has been inhaled, reusable.

Through the mouth or nose? Whether in the air or walking, breathing through the nose is clearly the best way.

The nose warms the air, filters it, and enriches it with nitric oxide.

This highly reactive free radical, first considered only a noxious air pollutant, is produced in mammalian cells by specific enzymes and is believed to play a vital role in many biological events including regulation of blood flow, platelet function, immunity, and neurotransmission. it is a powerful vasodilator which improves the oxygenation to the lungs.

In addition, breathing through the nose alerts you to unwanted hyperventilation, by reducing the flow.

Therefore, it is best to use your nose as long as the flow is sufficient.

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Photo: Sascha Burkhardt

IN ‘HIKE&FLY’: BREATHE BETTER! A test which you can do whilst doing hike&fly: if you arrive at the top out of breath, you can drastically reduce the time to recover, by forcing yourself to breathe in and out through your nose (look at the key above, to see what the ideal norm should be). As this will let you retain a bit more CO2,which will improve the O2 intake into the cells. It’s difficult at the beginning, because you feel as if you don’t have enough oxygen but, with a bit of training, you will get amazing results…

IN THE AIR Totally independent of any method, remember the simple rule: breathe more slowly, take longer to breathe out, without forcing things, in fact, simply breathing out, has a soothing effect which combats being afraid. Concentrating on actively breathing in, on the contrary, has the effect of waking you up and is stressful. Therefore, to put your emotions in order and in the event of feeling frightened in the air, relax your muscles, reduce the frequency with which you breathe and release the air in long soothing exhalations. Their length must, therefore, be longer than those of the inhalations.

Photo: Ana Maria Motoroz Pexels

MENTAL

Photos: Sascha Burkhardt

MENTAL

The other part of the Wim Hof method: exposure to cold, shown here in the springtime in water at 0°C during a course with ‘Icemind’: Jean François Tual.

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THE COLD Wim Hof’s method includes another form of stress: the cold. Confronting cold, by always finishing off with a cold shower, or in fact, immersing yourself in a deep freezer or in rivers in winter, is stressful for the mind and body. But it works, and it has a secondary effect: the body becomes perfectly used to it. After several training sessions, you can slide, no problem at all into water at 0°C and stay there for 3-5 minutes, or even longer. Each time, the body switches on its internal heating system, which conquers your shivering which can even be stopped with a bit of mind over matter. An experience which the editorial team survived! To keep your internal temperature at an acceptable level, the body uses intercostal muscles, increases the metabolism by up to 300% and can also use brown fat which burns white fat transforming it into heat. For a long time, we thought this brown adipose tissue was just found in new-borns and marmots but, finally, we discovered that we all have it, and it just needs to be activated.

Numerous fans of the Wim Hof method have cobbled together a 0°C bath by filling a deep freezer with ice and water and immersing themselves regularly in this ‘inverse sauna.’ This practice can become addictive and, in addition, lets you lose some extra kilos. Added advantage: you recover more quickly after physical exercise. Second effect: once you are used to it, you can cope better with being cold in the air, for example!

Photo: Sascha Burkhardt

MENTAL

The brown adipose tissue is especially found around the collarbone and along the spinal column. It comes into use during exposure to intense cold. Less present in obese people, it is better developed in healthy men.

On the right a diagram (in black) of the work done by the brown fat when it is exposed, and not, to cold, taken from the study (Cold-Activated Brown Adipose Tissue in Healthy Men).

You can get warm in the air too!

Below: exercises to heat yourself up after immersion during a course with the French instructor ‘Icemind.’

But it’s also the psychological side of this immersion which helps you to progress: you learn to overcome and to even confront the cold, which in the past made us flee and made us breathe in an erratic fashion… With this method, you slide into water at 1°C as if it was a heated swimming pool, by following the breathing technique and, in particular, by emphasising prolonged exhalations, which allow you to relax your mind and body.

AIR. Thus, a pilot can learn efficient ways for use in real life stressful situations: OK, the wing almost hits my head, I feel as if I am in a washing machine, but it doesn’t do any good to hyperventilate. Concentrate on breathing out, thus reactivating your parasympathetic system… Fortunately, we don’t lose all sense of being frightened (those who stay sane!), but you relax and are better able to cope with the situation.

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Photo: Sascha Burkhardt

FROM ICY COLD WATER TO IN THE

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‘Breathe (out!) with big breaths.’ That also works without having to train. You can learn it and force yourself to do it without any specific training method, of course.

But training such as ‘immersing yourself in cold water’ puts in place an effective routine for when you are faced with stress. It also works in other life situations, when we find ourselves in unexpected situations.

Before an important meeting, lots of followers of this type of technique breathe deeply following a full cycle, to lower their level of stress before confronting potential problems.

A cycle of breathing at take-off can, in fact, calm things in advance so that you can manage your flight better, including unexpected situations, and therefore perform better when flying. Some pilots use part of this technique when flying too. Chrigel Maurer for example, has said that he sometimes uses this method to warm himself up. But this isn’t advisable, given the risk of fainting.

CHRIGEL MAURER He was trained in the Wim Hof technique by the French instructor Sébastien Payet, on a one-day training course in Interlaken. He is said to have used this technique sometimes in the air (but without holding his breath) to heat himself up and to combat tiredness. ‘It’s like having a coffee,’ he said.

Yet, even without the phase of holding your breath, it isn’t recommended to use this type of breathing technique whilst flying a paraglider.

Another possible use: with an injury and inflammation, you can use the painkilling and anti-inflammatory effects of the Wim Hof method to reduce pain and recover faster. On the other hand, for those who do bodybuilding to increase volume: immediate immersion after training also reduces the muscle gain, so you would be better to wait for an hour.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? The advantage of the Wim Hof method: you can learn it for free by following the advice on the guru of cold’s site, which obviously includes people who want to go One of the exercises in the Wim Hof technique: push ups during the phase of holding your breath after a further, by buying a ten weeklong video cycle of hyperventilation. An astonishing observation: most of the participants were able to immediately course for 250 euros. But this isn’t really do 25% to 50% more push ups compared to their usual performance! necessary, you can refer to free advice pretty much everywhere. On the other hand, you need to be careful: numerous Should you worry about negative effects on your health? videos on Youtube don’t explain the pracAccording to a full metatice very well.

It’s best to use Wim Hof’s free ‘teasers’ (www.wimhofmethod.com), and the tutorials put online by one of the French instructors using the method, Jean François Tual. On his site, he is particularly generous with his free, detailed advice. Obviously, he also relies on those who will then take things further and sign up for a full course, which isn’t ‘free’ but where you learn an enormous amount of detailed information and other techniques that Jean François Tual has added to the basic Wim Hof method.

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analysis, For low level or temporary hypoxias, the body makes the most of the positive effects.

Serious hypoxias on the other hand, we suspect, have negative effects.

But by practicing the Wim Hof method, you can stay easily in the blue zone…

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Photo: Jérôme Maupoint/GIN

You can prepare yourself in advance to manage apprehension and stress. Once in the air, particularly by doing deep, long exhalations, you can keep a cool head in any situation and therefore fly more efficiently and precisely.

Being watched by skiers: looking for freezing cold water for a winter bath…

CONCLUSION Stress the mind and body to calm them makes them perform better; this seems to work particularly well with the Wim Hof method, a simple protocol which is available for free. In addition, this activity allows you to be more aware of the way we function, and encourages you to train your breathing, an essential activity, but one which we often neglect.

Photo: Sascha Burkhardt

Breathing is one of the rare activities which can be done equally well by the autonomic nervous system or by our own voluntary actions. It may seem intuitive to manage your own breathing; this means opening doors towards a certain management of your subconscious. Yogi masters have known this for thousands of years.

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MENTAL

Looking for a refreshing beach to go for a swim during an Icemind course in the mountains.

The Wim Hof method is one of many, but it seems more justified than a lot of the others. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true that the scientific endorsement given by researchers who testify that Wim Hof and his followers (trained in just ten days), have the capacity to voluntarily influence the sympathetic nervous system and the immune system to the point of being able to cope with, almost without symptoms, an injection of endotoxins, is something dreams are made of. Yes, you can use this in daily life, and yes, the response to stressful situations is then visibly better. And yes, you can imagine that the numerous anecdotal reports of an improvement in general health and an attenuation of inflammatory illnesses isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just due to the placebo effect, because they correspond to the mechanisms observed during the studies.

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Photo: Sascha Burkhardt

Immersion in 0°C water naturally brings on a contemplative state.

Photos: Sascha Burkhardt

Taï-Chi makes use of mental preparation which has been known of for thousands of years. In Wim Hof’s technique you sometimes come across the same elements.

Immersion with Icemind’s Jean-François Tual, then warming up. The horseman posture (below) is associated here with another breathing technique by Wim Hof (power breathe, hyperventilation 5-10 breaths, then hold your breath with your lungs full, then progressive contraction of the muscles from your feet to your neck). This allows you to warm up very fast, but carries a big risk of loss of consciousness, as well as a serious risk for those vulnerable to having a stroke.

PRUDENCE AND HOPE But we must remain very prudent: when When Wim Hof talks enthusiastically ‘of a better life full of happiness, far from pharmacies,’ he’s definitely getting carried away a little. However, this is not necessarily purely for financial reasons. Those who are close to him believe, despite everything, that there is a certain amount of altruism on his part, which encourages him to promote his method, which basically doesn’t cost the participant anything if they follow the free advice.

PROFOUND CHANGES Amongst the editorial team, we felt that the research into the method, the knowledge and the physiological training which went with it, opened doors which were amazing and efficient, both in everyday life as well as in mountaineering and paragliding.

Of course, there is no such thing as a miracle and it also won’t be thanks to the WHM method that tomorrow you’ll be able to enter the next World Championships, nor will you be able to go and fly in a cu-nim with your hands in your pockets. But fortunately, this isn’t the goal…

We would like to take a closer look at the research and the experiments, together with our readers, to see how useful it is for pilots. At the latest, at the Coupe Icare, we intend to organise a group training course at cost price for a few hours with a French instructor in the method. If, in principal, you’re interested, please let us know and we’ll keep you informed… (contact@voler.info).

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Obviously, Wim Hof’s ‘mission’ has a business side to it. Shown here, a training course with the Dutch master himself.

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ROLF DUDA’S OPINION

INSTRUCTOR WIM HOF METHOD LEVEL 1 STUDENT PARAGLIDER PILOT https://www.wimhofmethod.com/instructors/rolfduda

I spend a lot of time on mountain roads, especially in winter, often at -20 degrees and I am outside for several hours at a time. The WHM method helped me to regulate my body temperature in an independent fashion.

When I am cold, I can start my heating system (the brown fat) myself.

As a management consultant responsible for two businesses, I am also exposed to a lot of stress. Since I started the WHM method, my whole life has changed dramatically. As soon as I come across a situation where I would have got stressed in the past, I do several breathing exercises. I have become a lot more aware of my own emotions and every day I learn how to actively control them more.

stress or fear, can give way to active reflection and more constructive behaviour to find a solution.

The method therefore helps me to take off with the right attitude, and with a good frame of mind. I still haven’t tested it actively in the air but, in any case, I would advise against using the method whilst flying. The risks are too high. The key is to use the technique on the ground to prepare yourself for flying.

For paragliding (although I am still a beginner), continuous training in the method improves your conscient control of your own body in an extraordinary way. You learn to challenge your internal ‘automatic pilot,’ which sometimes acts in a harmful way, and therefore you can intervene earlier. Thus, emotions, like

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MENTAL

CLAIRE MERCURIOT

FRENCH ACRO CHAMPION AND WINNER OF THE WORLD ACRO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2018.

OCCASIONAL USER OF THE WHM METHOD

“I did a WHM course with Sébastien Payet. I didn’t really anticipate using the techniques when flying, but once, when I found myself doing a long-distance flight with an acro harness, I got very cold. I remembered how the ‘power breathing’ really heated me up during a course with Seb, so I tried it. It involves hyperventilation then retention with your lungs full for a short length of time, whilst contracting the abdos to push from your chest towards your head (it’s a bit difficult to explain…)

“Don’t try it if you are near the terrain nor without having tried it on the ground first, as it can make you dizzy! Since then, I’ve used it several times when flying XC to heat myself up during a transition, but in a ‘light’ version because you mustn’t lose consciousness in the air!

“Outwith transitions, the breathing protocols seem difficult to apply when flying. During a series of acro manœuvres it’s impossible use it from time to time whilst mentally preparing for future flights. And from time to time, not thinking about paragliding, but just because it makes me feel good.

And then the cold bath: This also teaches your body to manage stress, which is bound to help you stay calm and concentrate in a stressful situation in the air.“

LYDIE-ANNE LAVILLE INSTRUCTOR WITH WHM LEVEL 1

Lydie-Anne Laville has recently been promoted to a level 1 WHM instructor. She works in the Drome with her Swedish partner, who is also a WHM instructor. She organises courses in France including individual training, at very reasonable prices.

Free.aero is organising a ‘pilot’ specific course with Lydie for our readers. At the latest, it will be at Coupe Icare. Please let us know if you are interested:contact@voler.info

www.wimhofmethod.com/instructors/lydie-annelaville#

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Today, the Explorer is considered the reference. As a result, we decided to refresh the design in line with that of our current new wings.

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SÉBASTIEN PAYET INSTRUCTOR WHM LEVEL 2

Sébastien Payet is a paraglider pilot and speedflyer. He does small XC flights of less than 100km and he flies acro at an intermediate level including Helis, Mctwists and rhythmic SATs, he told us.

He was the first WHM instructor in France and the first level 2, therefore the only one able to teach all the training levels, from beginner to advanced.

Sébastien trained Chrigel Maurer (photo) and Claire Mercuriot, along with numerous top-level sportsmen and women, including base jumpers.

He works in Paris, Annecy, Bordeaux and the Himalayas. www.wimhofmethod.com/instructors/sebastienpayet#

A twenty-minute programme (in French) about the Wim Hof method, with information about the Dutchman, as well as Sébastien Payet as instructor, teaching top level sportsmen and women.

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MATHIEU SCHLACHET INSTRUCTOR WHM LEVEL 1 Mathieu Schlachet combines the Wim Hof method with the Systema method from the Russian Army.

An interesting mix which has inspired othersâ&#x20AC;Ś

www.wimhofmethod.com/instructors/mathi euschlachet#

PLAYING AT BEING SCIENTISTS

When working with our breathing following the Wim Hof method, we are encouraged to learn in more detail about our own physiology. Follow the saturation curve to 02 when the protocol, above all, gives the answers to our curiosity which has inevitably been aroused.

."&4530 )JHI # UIF DPNFCBDL

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1)* "*3 $0.

Here with oximeters attached to our fingers (less than 20 â&#x201A;Ź from Amazon).

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JEAN-FRANĂ&#x2021;OIS TUAL INSTRUCTOR VHM LEVEL 1 We did a traing course with Icemind. He added several other elements to the Wim Hof method, such as the Systema method. www.icemind.fr

On the right a Wim Hof training session on breathing which is easy to follow, even if it is in French.

His page on the Wim Hof website: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/instructors/jeanfrancoistual

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THE ORIGINAL

peguet.fr Made in France

COPING WITH COLD For those who are used to mountains, which will be the majority of us, the ‘coping with cold’ side, which is an inherent part in the WHM method, will be very practical. You will cope a lot more easily with low temperatures, and it is possible, by working with your breathing, to ski bare chested and without gloves, even when the north wind blows making a chairlift ride in the shade a little bit harder, but surmountable all the same.

Photo: Arthur Burkhardt

We can bear witness to cases where people who were suffering from the Reynaud syndrome, the famous white fingers as soon as it gets cold, managed to ski without gloves, by getting the blood back into their fingers thanks to breathing techniques like Power-Breathe

by Wim Hof.

THE SPECIALISTS During our research for this article, we got in contact with numerous people who were interested in the WHM technique. Some got carried away too quickly and got the discussion onto more of a pseudoscientific level. Including, sometimes, Wim Hof himself…

Conversely, Hannes Zedel, a young researcher, who is also an administrator on a Facebook group looking into the science around the Wim Hof method, has been studying the WHM method for three years. He really helped us to keep a cool head so that we could differentiate between scientific facts and fiction. dashannes@gmail.com

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MENTAL

Jean-François Tual organises workshops of a few hours or several days. Sometimes, the day starts off in freezing cold water and finishes in a jacuzzi at 38 degreesâ&#x20AC;Ś

TWO SIGNIFICANT BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT. Wim Hof, Koen de Jong The Way of The Iceman: How The Wim Hof Method Creates Radiant Longterm Health--Using The Science and Secrets of Breath Control, Cold-Training and Commitment A book co-written by Wim Hof himself. Numerous physiological explanations, some of which are controversial. On the other hand, we were hoping for a practical part with more written by Wim Hof: he explained a lot, but he could have given more details over and above that contained in his courses.

Scott Carney What Doesn't Kill Us: How Freezing Water, Extreme Altitude, and Environmental Conditioning Will Renew Our Lost Evolutionary Strength An American investigative journalist recounted how he tried to expose Wim Hof as a charlatan and instead, became a follower of his method. A surprising story, with very interesting details and explanations about the techniques.

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PIZZA, PASTA, PARAMOTORâ&#x20AC;¦

FLYING XC AND SKIMMING THE GROUND IN STUNNING EUROPEAN COUNTRYSIDE Text: Stephan Wolkiak Photos: Dan Burton

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Skimming flights and easy distances above dreamy countryside… Three paramotor pilots explored northern Italy and flew over stunning countryside…

By Stephan Walkowiak, photos Dan Burton

I

n March 2019, with two other pilots, we crossed northern Italy with our paramotors and a campervan as an ‘aircraft carrier.’ I already knew the Meduno region from my days as a free flyer. I still had good memories of the area. The big fluvial areas of the Meduna and the Tagliamento were the first stop on our trip.

After a short night in our campervan, we took off to explore the Southern Alpine chain.

A feature of the local air space is the military restricted zone, which covers almost all of this area. In the northern part, pilots are restricted, up until 12:00 on Friday, to flying above the mountains around Meduno. From noon on Friday the restriction is lifted and you can fly no problem all weekend.

After taking off, we flew over the Meduna riverbed, which covers numerous rivers in the Southern Alps and ends up in a wide gravel riverbed in the unique countryside of the Venetian plain. We decided to fly sufficiently high on the hilly ridges in an easterly direction until we reached the river Tagliamento.

This is one of the biggest unspoilt rivers in Europe, 170km long in total, which hasn’t been touched by human activities. The view over the vast riverbed was breath taking. In Italy, flying at low altitude on a paramotor is authorised, maximising the beauty and pleasure.

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Flying skimming the ground is authorised in Italy…

Footdrags in the crystal-clear blue water, then a game of chase between pilots along the winding river above the gravel. Always watching out for power lines and informing each other over the radio, we followed our route along ‘Flightlevel Zero,’ until the thermals became stronger.

Evening flying turned out to be just as pleasant, and to crown it all, we floated in the sunset and finally glided with our motors switched off to join the free flyers at Monte Valinis.

Time for a well-deserved beer at the campsite.

In the middle of San Daniel Ham and truffle country, Dan, who comes from Exeter in England, ate the biggest and best pizza of his life.

A good red wine speaks of the day’s experiences… dolce vita!

During the following days, we did some cruising flights around Meduno and in the Al Casale triangle. In the morning, we flew through the mountains to a lake above the town of Meduno. The blue water sparkled, and rugged mountains lay at our feet, it was amazing. Other flights along the Meduna led to some magnificent displays of lighting above the motorway and railway bridges.

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Then we headed for the sea, towards Bibione.

The project: fly between Grado and Bibione along the islands at the coastline. A little airport behind Bibione was our departure point for the 80 km flight.

A LONG ROAD. Following the edge of the tourist town of Lignano Sabbiadora and the adjoining port, we explored the islands and the lagoon areas of the Adriatic Sea. The area we flew over was demanding because it was mostly flying over water. Wearing Agama water life savers, and with a healthy respect for the deep water and keeping a constant eye on the nearest landing area, we flew over amazing countryside, with very beautiful navigable routes and lagoons. In places the water was not very deep and tempted us to do a bit of foot draggingâ&#x20AC;Ś The Grado lagoon

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was an amazing colourful sight dominated by the luxurious green vegetation and the blue of the Adriatic sea. During the flight, we all felt as if we were in the Caribbean; we almost forgot that we were only a couple of hours drive from our homes, in Italy. Incredible, this fantastic little world in the middle of such peaceful countryside, where canals and rivers meet.

One of the most popular pilgrim routes in Italy leads to the Virgin Marie church here on the island of Barbana. It is situated at the eastern extremity of the Grado lagoon. Since 1237 every year, on the first Sunday of July, the citizens of Grado take part in a procession on the island of Barbana aboard festively decorated boats to renew the ancient vow to the Virgin, who saved the village from the terrible plague epidemic.

The out and return flight over the islands into

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the sunset, takes an hour and will remain one of our most impressive momories of the whole trip. What a privilege to be a paramotor pilot: such a simple aircraft with which you can comfortably explore the countryside for hundreds of kilometres.

In the last rays of sunshine, we reached the aerodrome where our campervan was waiting for usâ&#x20AC;Ś Our next aerial trip is already organised: we are going to the Outer Hebrides on the extreme west coast of Scotland, where a sailing boat will be our aircraft carrier.

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PARAMOTOR ADVENTURES The author works in collaboration with a motorbike tour operator who regularly offers interesting circuits.

For more information www.paramotoradventures.com https://www.instagram.com/paramotoradventures/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/param otoradventures/

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CROSSING NEW ZEALAND Reader's Story Text and photos by Kilian Hallweger, Michael Malchereck, Nicolas Manthos et Markus Anders

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P

aragliding offers many joys, one of them is how easy it is to get out and experience your adventures by yourself. It can be just a single flight exploring unknown territories or using your glider as a way of transportation to get into remote areas on a multiple day trip, where flying is the one and only option. And that was totally what we – a group of 4 paragliding pilots named Kilian Hallweger, Michael Malchereck, Nicolas Manthos and Markus Anders - were looking for. Going somewhere out into the nature, far away from known tracks, exploring new mountain ranges and valleys, just heading out for our very own, personal adventure.

There is one country, which is known for doing so – New Zealand.

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A big part of the island is dominated by the southern alps – a mountain range going through the whole island, which offers remote areas, untouched nature, stunning mountains with shining glaciers, deep valleys and clear rivers ending up into turquoise lakes.

It came to our mind to go for a vol-biv adventure all along the Southern Alps. Starting near Queenstown and heading north towards Nelson or Blenheim. As there are not many cities around that area, we planned our food-supplies for 10 days with a total of 2200 calories a day, which had to be enough to get at least to a road or a small town just by using your feet. Altogether including food, water, paragliders and all the other stuff we had to carry around 28kg.

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START OF THE ADVENTURE IN THE SOUTH It is the 14th of December, our team is finally complete. The day looks pretty promising for flying so we tried to hurry in getting our stuff ready to go to the Coronet Peak, the next possible launch site near Queenstown. At 4 pm we are finally airborn. The conditions are perfect, strong thermals and calm southerly winds pushing us to our first goal – Wanaka. The whole flight is covered with beautiful mountain scenery – spiky and grass covered hills on the east side - rocky and steep mountains covered with snow to the west. Suddenly, just 10km before Lake Wanaka, the wind direction changes and we find ourselfes caught in strong headwind forcing us to land.

Fully motivated and as the day is still young we straightly continue by foot to reach our first night camp next to Lake Wanaka in the evening. Unfortunately, the forecast isn’t on our side, and the following day starts like the last one has ended. However for the following days there is a little chance of flying more in the eastern part of the island. After a whole day of walking and visiting some friends around Wanaka, we are getting ourselfes into position for a possible flight the next day from Breast

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Hill. After an exhausting 1000 hm hike to our nightcamp, we are rewarded with a beautiful view over Lake Hawea.

Above Lake Ohau we see ourselfes geeting into the valley wind - the glide gets worse and we are already starting to look for landing options. But luckily all four of us manage to enter a really bumpy thermal, pretty low above ground. So we are back in the game, but not for long. Due to the airspace around Mt. Cook we have to fly into the flats to Lake Pukaki hoping to get some progress in the desert using the flatlands towards Tekapo – the goal for today.

The beginning looks promising. We manage to find thermal conditions, but while climbing to cloudbase we get pushed back pretty strong. 30 kph headwinds make even the flight to Lake Pukaki impossible and we bomb out 2km before reaching it.

Nevertheless, we had covered awesome 70km in distance in the air.

Dry, flat and dusty land is in front of us and 50km to walk through the desert with not even thinking about flying. High temperatures and 100kph+ wind for the next day makes the decision easy to hitchhike to Tekapo to get around the airspace, which is a no fly zone. In Tekapo we use our free

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time to refill our food supplies. The rest of the day we decide to hike towards Mt. Dobson, but the heavy bags, strong wind and still dry land makes every meter an exhausting one. At the end we are lucky and get into a confident position for flying for the next day.

The following day looks just fine, at least we thought so. Around midday there are still no clouds and thermal activity is pretty low. Is it to stable now? Well, we have to try and hiking is still an option. Right after takeoff we struggle to get higher, but close to the ridge it is possible to stay on the same level. So we decide to fly farther to the north. It doesn’t take long until weak thermals get us separated - half in valley and half on top of the mountain. It takes us more than 4 hours to get together and airborne again. The west-facing mountain ridge produces rocket like thermals beaming us up through the stable air. At the end of the day, after 50 km of flying, we land in a huge glacial valley near the main ridge.

You feel small sitting out there near those huge glaciers with nobody around you.

As there is another frontal system passing by the next day, we spend the whole day with repairing our gear, regenerating and

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checking out a good takeoff site to continue from the Crawler Hut, a small hunting hut we found.

The last task is ahead of us and it´s a hard one, most of the mountains around are way too steep to climb and there’s no chance to takeoff except a small hill, right in the back of the hut. So all we have to do now is waiting for the rain to stop. Unfortunately, it rains all night, till the next morning and there’s total cloud cover till 10am. But we decide to climb to our takeoff. At midday the cloud base is still below most of the higher peaks. So it's a hard decision whether to wait and fly the more westerly route which leads straight into the higher mountains - or go a little bit more to the east but with a lot of valley crossings where one is bigger than the other.

Right after takeoff we realize it’s too weak and therefore too risky to fly into the glaciers, bombing out in this area would mean days of hiking. Making it to cloud base consumes alot of time and we chose the more easterly route starting with our first big valley crossing right after takeoff.

And behold, it really pays off. We find the perfect XC-conditions in a ~50km wide

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corridor in the middle of the island. Where on the east and west side the sea breeze is coming in like a wave of low clouds with humid air.

100km of flying we find a perfect spot to topland on a mountain range near a beautiful lake right above Arthur’s Pass. And later on a couple of Kea’s join us to enjoy the late evening sun.

Following the corridor up north we get to see an amazing view on the glaciers around Mt. Arrowsmith. It’s even possible to soar up its west face above the cloud base and even fly over the clouds. The conditions are fine so we push further. After more than

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GETTING SEPARATED Day 10 starts relaxed. It takes us around 20 minutes to climb up the ridge to get to a good takeoff on the east face. But reaching the top lowers the expectations of the day. There’s a strong northwesterly headwind blowing over the higher mountains, making our way northwest complicated. Starting in the leeside of Mt. Aicken was… interesting. We struggled centring the narrow and bumpy lee thermals but we manage to cross the valley to the west and continue on the next ridge.

Unfortunately, Markus gets caught in the valley breeze. He climbs the next mountain ridge in the luv side while the others decide to topland behind some rocks.

Both of us do not notice each other... At the end of the day, lack of communication, strong winds and incoming bad weather leads to our separation... It takes 7 days when we finally reunite in Hanmer Springs just in time to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

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XC SOARING AND A LOT OF WALKING On the 1st of January weather gets a little bit better but the overall weather conditions are highly unstable with a high risk of thunderstorms all over the day. As there are some huts for protection on the way we decide to continue by foot on the Rainbow Road track. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a 112km track going all the way up to Saint Arnaud starting with dry and wide tussocklands and screes along the hills, but getting more rough and alpine while moving farther north. On the first day on the track, we make slow progression by just walking. The sea breeze flushes over the smaller hills, which allows only small glides where unpacking the glider is too much effort. But the next day we find a soaring hill standing perfectly in the valley breeze. Luckily the clouds tend to spread out. Big shadows hinder the clouds to get dangerously big. So we decide to give it a try and climb halfway to the top. Soaring works perfect on the scree covered hills. By jumping from hill to hill we are able to progress nearly 10km until we reach the first sun covered mountain. And what to say, the first ther-

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mal catapults us to nearly 2900m.a.sl. But on the same time clouds start to build up pretty fast. To avoid the upcoming thunderstorm, we land next to a sleepout after 30km of flying.

The next morning starts calm again.

There´s clear blue sky with almost no clouds. It doesn’t look too bad even after breakfast. But as the first cumulus build up pretty early we recognize that there’s beside the unstable air way to much wind blowing form northwest. We end up in hiking 40 km and 2000 vertical meter to get into a good position for one last flight as the weather is predicted to be not flyable anymore. The last flight brings us to the final destination of our journey – St. Arnaud, 30 km before the airspace of Nelson.

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After 20 days in the southern alps of New Zealand, our expectations have been completely fulfilled. We were amazed by the diverse mountain scenery, rivers winding through deep and wild valleys ending in natural blue lakes. It was the most exciting adventure for us so far and we totally enjoyed every second of it. Flying in new zealand is tough and very windy most of the time, but once you are into it, it's just awesome and definitely worth it. In total we covered 15km and 1000 meters of vertical by walking each day and had an average flying distance of 36km per day.

Total distance covered: 260 km walking, 600 km flying, 17000 vertical metres hiking...

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