"Welcome to the Harness Files – where science writer Bastienne Wentzel explores what we need to know about paragliding back protection and why. If you’re thinking of changing, going lightweight, or upgrading your harness, then this is eye-opening stuff. Essential reading."

Met in dit nummer: Stubai Cup 2024 | Hike&fly in Stubai | Tenerife | Welk scherm vlieg jij? | Recensie Airdesign Vivo 2 en LiVi | Interview Fatemeh Eftekhari | Zelfbouwcockpit voor paramotortrike

Op de startplek op de Babadağ hoog boven Ölüdeniz in Turkije loop ik Fatemeh tegen het lijf. Alweer, want een paar maanden eerder vertelde ze mij in Oostenrijk al over haar leven als paragliderpiloot in Iran maar toen was ze snel weer verdwenen, op weg naar andere vliegstekken in Europa. Deze keer laat ik haar niet gaan: ik wil meer weten van deze bijzondere dame. Dit is haar verhaal.

We krijgen niet wekelijks de kans om een directe vergelijking te maken tussen de ‘zware’ en de ‘lichte’ variant van hetzelfde scherm. De Vivo 2 en de LiVi van Airdesign die we afgelopen najaar uitgebreid mochten vliegen zijn helemaal identiek ontworpen, behalve dat de LiVi van lichtgewicht materialen is gemaakt. Het zijn beide EN-B schermen en ze hebben dezelfde vorm, afmeting en strekking. Wat merk je daarvan als piloot?

Where there is not even a hillock in sight a winch is the only way for paragliders to get airborne. All that is needed is a long open space roughly in the direction of the current wind. "Towing opens up a completely new range of flying areas," says Michael Gebert, a guide with the Swiss company Fly with Andy organising trips to fly from tow in Uruguay, Argentina, Brasil and the Balkans. "And it's a supersafe kind of flying," he adds.

"I'm Fatemeh Eftekhari, one of the most well-known pilots in Iran. I'm one of the owners of Xagros Clouds air sports club in Iran. I am an active XC and competition pilot. My best flight so far was 241 km on a Skywalk Chili 5 in 2022. But my goal is to bring more ladies to the women's sport community."

As free flyers, we are exempt from quite a number of rules and regulations that apply to larger and motorised aircraft. A lot of our sport is self-regulated which makes it such a beautiful and free sport.
An example of this self-regulation we find in the certification process of paragliders and their maintenance. When you think all the norms, checks, inspections and repairs must comply with laws, rules and regulations, you could be disappointed. But the lack of a legal framework doesn't mean these things aren't important. It just means we can't hide behind a law but have to take responsibility ourselves.
(Foto: Nova)

Met onder andere: Coupe Icare 2023 | Lofoten, Noorwegen | Luke de Weert wereldkampioen acro 2023 | X-Swiss | Hike&fly: Grindelwald | Climb&fly | NK Berg paragliding | WK deltavliegen | Recensie: Gin Evora

This year's acro competition scene was more exciting than ever. There was a change of competition rules for the better, a neck-and-neck battle between the two top pilots of the year: veteran Théo de Blic and upcoming star Luke de Weert and there was a good effort to make it all more accessible to the public. Here's an overview of the year through Luke's eyes.
(...)

This article was published in Cross Country magazine #246, December 2023.

Being a lightweight pilot in paragliding is a disadvantage. It's no myth that the smallest paragliders fly worse than larger ones. Some competitions such as the BGD Weightless even have a separate ranking for light pilots for this reason.
But recreational pilots struggle as well. Reader Angela Bonato ("considered lightweight by most wing manufacturers") emailed us: "I unfortunately only fly with much heavier guys and at almost every flight I have the feeling we flew in a very different air from what they say to me."
Lightweight competition- and ex-test pilot Joanna diGrigoli can fully relate. Among other wings, she flies an XS EN-B glider below mid-weight range. "I feel light against the wind. It has no bite." On a lightly loaded glider it can be harder to enter thermals, Joanna says. "But the main problem is into wind."

This article was published in Cross Country magazine #246, December 2023.

Flying the Airdesign Vivo 2 and its superlight sibling the LiVi at the same time is a great opportunity to make a direct comparison between a regular wing and the exact same one in a lightweight version. Both pitched as easy B gliders, the airfoil design is identical. The differences are mainly in lighter fabric, unsheathed lines and nitinol instead of plastic rods in the nose. What does that mean for the pilot?

"I am Lorenzo, aka Energy Papi, entertainer, content creator and MC for paragliding events. I live in Eindhoven in The Netherlands. This year I traveled through the Alps with my small campervan, flying as much as I can. As a kid we went to the Austrian mountains for holidays. That's where my love for mountains was born."

This interview was published in Cross Country Magazine #245, November 2023.

Hike&fly is hot and with it comes our urge to slim down our equipment. A lighter wing, harness and reserve and yes, also a lighter helmet. Recently we have seen the number of pilots choosing a climbing helmet for hike&fly rise significantly, in competitions and recreational flights alike.

This article was published in Cross Country Magazine #245, November 2023.

Met onder andere: Red Bull X-Alps 2023 - interviews met de winnaars | Aerothlon 2023 | Paragliden op Sicilië | Deltavliegen in Denemarken | Dragonfly | Recensie: Apco F3 en Minimot | NK Delta 2023 | EHBO op het veld

The ‘X’ in Step X stands for ‘cross’ which means at the crossroads between performance and light weight. With a weight of 4kg for the S, it is similar to other semi-lightweight wings such as the Advance Iota DLS. It replaces Supair’s Step 2 and Step Light. Supair’s designer Pierre-Yves Alloix says: “You do not need to choose between light and classic, this new Step is ‘all in one’: almost as light as the Step Light with similar durability of the Step.”

Chrigel, congratulations! You said you didn't quite have the feeling before the race. What did you mean by this?
"Before the race, many things are unclear. This gives me the feeling of not being comfortable. It is always the same. The last experience is so far away, this feeling of insecurity starts to appear and I have to start to get into the next adventure to become comfortable and to focus on the race. And when it feels really good you can start pushing."
(...)

Bastienne Wentzel talked to Chrigel and some of the others who made it in, including Damien Lacaze, Maxime Pinot and the first woman to finish the race, Eli Egger. The final 10-page feature makes for essential reading for X-Alps race-watchers.
Cross Country Magazine #242, August 2023.

Met onder andere: paramotorvliegen in Saoedi-Arabië | Fish&chips en vliegen in het VK | Ellipse deltavliegers | Dolomieten | Hoe plan je een bijzondere overlandvlucht?

The “easy B” class is crowded nowadays. New pilots and those who wish to fly for fun and keep things super simple often look for easy intermediates. Launched at the start of this year the Gin Evora is the latest member of this class. It is designed to be “undemanding for relatively inexperienced pilots, yet at the same time offer more than enough performance for the category” say Gin. To see what it has to offer I flew the Evora for a week in the fresh spring thermals at hotspot Bassano del Grappa in northern Italy.

Met in dit nummer: Sneeuwschoen-hike&fly | Stubai Cup 2023 | Vlieggebied Achensee | Fabrikant: Aeros | Recensie Swing Nyos 2 RS | De reservebridle | Vliegstek Col du Sapenay | Skywings wintermeeting 2023.

Handboek voor iedere paramotorpiloot
Paramotorvliegen is een avontuurlijke sport en volop in ontwikkeling. Met dit unieke boek willen de auteurs nieuwkomers in de sport voorzien van een grondige theoretische basis. Het boek staat ook vol met praktische instructies als aanvulling op de opleiding bij een paramotorvliegschool. Ervaren piloten knnen met dit boek hun kennis opfrissen.
Het boek is geschreven door twee enthousiaste luchtsporters. Peter Blokker is alpinist, paraglider, paramotorinstructeur, wingsuitvlieger en ASE-jumper. Hij is de eigenaar van Pedro Verticalo Adventures. Bastienne Wentzel is paragliderpiloot, de hoofdredacteur van het luchtsportmagazine Lift en wetenschapsjournalist. Ze werkt voor het internationale free flight magazine Cross Country en is de eerste auteur an het Engelstalige paraglidingboek "Paragliding - The Beginner's Guide".

Vanaf februari 2023 is de nieuwe editie van ‘Vrij Vliegen’ leverbaar, het nieuwste Nederlandstalige handboek voor paragliding.

Over de vierde editie
De vierde editie van Vrij Vliegen is compleet vernieuwd! Om te beginnen is het boek veel rijker geïllustreerd. Vrijwel al het beeldmateriaal is vernieuwd. We maakten tientallen nieuwe foto’s, mooiere illustraties en betere grafi eken. De vormgeving is onder handen genomen en gemoderniseerd. De hoofdstukken hebben onderscheidende kleuren en de omslag is een luxe gebonden soft cover.
Het boek is met 216 pagina’s bijna een kwart dikker geworden. De tekst is eveneens flink uitgebreid en geactualiseerd. Het zal zich met deze update kunnen meten met het mooie Engelstalige boek ‘Paragliding - The Beginner’s Guide’ dat op Vrij Vliegen is gebaseerd.

The Nyos 2 RS is an update of Swing's high-end EN-B. With four EN-B's, Swing is a steady contributor to the populair EN-B class. Erwin Voogt investigates how the Nyos 2 RS stands out from the crowd.

Designing a paraglider without a computer is unthinkable nowadays. But for most of us the design software is mainly appreciated for the colorful images it creates. However, new developments in software mean our gliders get much better, much faster. Let's take a closer look.

Met in dit nummer: Vlieggebied Molveno | Kies voor A-kwaliteit | Coupe Icare 2022 | Operatie Market Garden met de paramotor | NK Delta en deltadagen 2022 | Eerste indruk elektrische paramotor

Is minimum sink on a paraglider with brakes at 30% or hands-up? Advances in paraglider design mean things have changed - and that means updating teaching and flying techniques.

In dit nummer: Flare Moustache, een parakite | Ferrata&Fly | X-Alps Academy | Red Bull X-Alps 2023 | Acro World Tour 2022 | Paragliding NK Berg 2022 | Recensie Nova Mentor 7 Light | Microavonturen met de paraglider deel 2

Just announced as the new race director of the Red Bull X-Alps we talk to Ferdinand Vogel. “I’m going to watch and learn in 2023,” he says.

Bastienne Wentzel joined a beginner's XC course organised by Parafly and guided by Ferdinand Vogel. Here is what we learnt.

"Understanding The Sky is the essential weather book for pilots – whatever you fly.
This new edition, published in August 2022, will give you a deep understanding of meteorology, from the micro to the macro – “absolutely essential” according to top paragliding coach Greg Hamerton."

Bastienne Wentzel has contributed in desktop publishing the new design and revised text and illustrations.

Bastienne Wentzel took Skywalk’s new reversible harness for a spin during a week of XC flying in Bassano.

Is it a speed glider, paraglider or kite? It’s a Moustache! Seb Ospina and Luke Nicol flew one of the first production wings. Bastienne Wentzel finds out more. (Photo: Miriam Joanna)

In dit nummer: Vliegen in Zuid-Portugal | Paramotorvliegen met een beperking deel 2 | The Single Skin Squad in Norma | Tien manieren om je paramotorvlucht te verknoeien | 'Safe Start' | Nooit uitgeleerd | Recensie: Skywalk Cruise harnas | Microavonturen met je paraglider deel 1

"I am a former competition pilot from Feltre, Italy. I started flying in 1987 in Feltre on a Brindazur 24K. The K is for kevlar, it was one of the first paragliders with lines of kevlar. I was lucky because it was one of the best gliders at that time. To launch it you had to pull hard with your hands over your head and you had to yell 'Banzai!'"

An acro wing suitable to learn your first tricks and have fun, says Erwin Voogt.

“I pull to the right and instantly know I shouldn’t have. Too late. The lines go slack.” Bastienne Wentzel joins an all-women SIV / Acro course with Rise Paragliding in Oludeniz, Turkey.

"I am the first woman from Qatar to register and own a microlight aircraft. I am a sports coach from Doha, Qatar. Flying is my passion. I fly a weightshift microlight aircraft, a paramotor and a paraglider. I am learning to fly a fixed wing ultralight aircraft and I plan to obtain my gyrocopter licence."

In dit nummer: Kunnen vogels beter vliegen dan wij? | Stubai Cup 2022 | Interview: keurmeester Bart Adriaens | Nieuwe weersite voor piloten |

Women's World Champion Yael Margelisch on chasing records, doing the X-Alps and winning the Worlds,

"I am a retired Airforce fighter pilot from Cologne. You sign up with the Airforce for twenty years and when you turn 41 you stop flying. I did a tour in Afghanistan which was really hard. Four of my friends didn't make it. So it was time to leave."

In dit nummer: Deltavliegen over de Aletsch-gletsjer | Paramotorvliegen in IJsland | The Single Skin Squad | Vliegsimulator wordt volwassen | Historie: Flanders Fields | Recensie: Skywalk Chili 5 | Ölüdeniz Teleferik | NK deltavliegen

Recensie: Skywalk Chili 5. De nieuwe high-end intermediate van Skywalk is een genot om mee te vliegen, zegt Erwin Voogt, die het scherm twee weken meenam naar Zuid-Frankrijk in de late zomer.

Acro World Champion Victor 'Bicho' Carrera about his dreams, the mental game, fast air and new tricks.

In dit nummer: Acro-kampioenschappen | Paramotor slalomvliegen | Hike&fly special | Recensie: Insta 360 one X2

Thermal Flying is the world’s best-selling guide to the art of thermalling and XC flying. Cross Country’s team has been hard at work thoroughly revising and updating the title, line by line, and the design and photography has been refreshed to bring it bang up to date.

Bastienne Wentzel has contributed in desktop publishing the new design and revised text and illustrations.

In dit nummer: Red Bull X-Alps 2021 achter de schermen | De vliegende fotograaf | Paramotorvliegen met een beperking | Delta-soaren in Nederland | Reserves deel 3 | Wat is een reflexprofiel? | App: SafeSky | .... en veel meer.

How much do you know about paragliding? Bastienne Wentzel, Erwin Voogt and Cross Country developed a quiz to find out. There is a quiz for everyone: newbies, beginners and experienced pilots.

Find the quizzes at beginnersguidetoparagliding.com/quiz

The web engine behind the quiz (developed by Erwin Voogt) is fully functional examination software used in schools. Send us an email (info@bmedia.nl) to find out more.

"I grew up in a mountain village in Switzerland, it was paradise. We went hiking, skiing, climbing and motorbiking. But ever since I was young I dreamt of flying. At 17 I started to fly a sailplane, that was my biggest passion. I was on the air field all the time but the summer flying season was short."

When the wind is strong even the lowest dunes offer the potential for some fantastic days out. Bastienne Wentzel heads to the coast to power up the mini wing and finesse her high-wind skills.

In dit nummer: Red Bull X-Alps special | Serie reserves deel 2 | Paramotorvliegen met een singleskin | Reis: Marokko | Deltavliegen seizoen 2020

In dit nummer: Hike&fly Lechtal | Eigertour 2020 | Skymonkey trikes | Serie: Reserves deel 1 | Deltadag 2020 | Paramotor weetjes | Paramotor: Brandstoftank inbouwen | Recensies