yoink

I'm curious to hear how you explain the magic ability of the canopy to produce lift at zero airspeed? In no wind conditions, I'm pretty sure I've always had to take a few steps, slide on my feet, or even run a bit I don't remember stating that a canopy produces lift at zero airspeed, but then I have been known have an occasional beer, so my memory isn't what it used to be! I said that it's possible to get zero horizontal speed on a nil wind day... try it. Go up, take 6 wraps and bury both toggles. I suspect you'll have no forward speed at the end of it! I can't explain the pysics of it, and I'll just end up looking a tool if I try. I only know that I've occasionally managed to do it. Maybe I've just got really sticky feet?

It is certainly possible to come to a zero horizontal speed under a Sabre 135 on a nil wind day. You might want to get a rigger to check the length of your brake lines, or get some video of your landings - maybe you're not using all your flare?

Have you ever seen a Sabre oscillating like an accordion? Yup. It's nasty, but tucks are worse! Best to be on the ground.

I've used my Sabre1 135 for ground launching for a while in some fairly windy and turbulent conditions. It's generally OK at full drive, but once you start adding even small amounts of brake input it starts tucking very easily and breathes a great deal. It stops being fun at that point... Keep your speed up with the Sabre 1 in turbulence.

Comfortable isn't the same as competent. Keep things simple for the time being...

Better hope you don't need to get out low anytime soon... Might be worth working on your stability out of the door for a few jumps.

For my understanding, If your diagrams are correct shouldn't the smoke in this picture be following the dotted blue line rather than the white one?

Good point! I think you'll be much safer on a new katana at 1.3, than an older Sabre at the same loading... Sorry, wasn't that what you wanted to hear?

One of the PD demo team barrel rolls into a canyon on the video of the Italy trip.... Looks like the attack on the Death Star!

Real line twists... that thing really starts spilling once Brian starts pulling on his toggles at about 1:20...

*Cough* Bandit Jumps *Cough*

The Bullet isn't a paraglider - it's a speedflying wing (or groundlauching as we'd a call it). Deploying these wings from freefall is bad ju-ju. There's a video kicking around somewhere of someone BASEing a Gin Nano speedflyer. He spun until impact.

video of ground launching the Spire in NZ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG-8zFFc7Ho

The Bangles - Walk Like an Egyptian http://youtube.com/watch?v=gYe53YwErGM The Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoeFzjaG7Zs Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1jm4lNOh0U Ah Ha - Take On Me http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xoqbq_take-on-me-a-ha_fun Dead or Alive - You Spin me Round http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMwdAc1Dzfg

If your buddy isn't already a pilot he has no business starting groundlaunching unless he gets some proper instruction. All the videos on the internet make it look easy and safe - it isn't. It uses skills across different flying disciplines to fly close to the ground which hurts when it goes wrong. I keep seeing posts in various forums along the lines of 'this looks like a great way to get cheap canopy experience'... it's worrying. Get good at flying, THEN go ground launching.

Not in the UK it isn't. B license and above for a full face I think.

He's currently taking speedflying lessons in France mate. At least I assume he made it out there unless your moonshine made him go blind!

There's actually more good information on speedflying / groundlaunching Here than there is on CanopyPiloting... Less self promotion too. As a skydiver, it's been really useful to talk to the paraglider pilots on there about turbulence, rotors, thermals, set-up and launch techniques. They know more about that side of it than us at the moment...

Athenestia - a Snow Leopard.

but what do stablisers actually do and how?

Has anyone seen the 2nd PD DVD yet? http://www.performancedesigns.com/store_files/accesorystore2.asp?product=PD%20Factory%20Team%20DVD Any reviews of it? The first one had some really good points, but was a bit of a let down in places. I'm hoping this one is better.

Tony, when are you heading to Le Grand Bo? I'm thinking of doing some speedflying out there.

Kevin Love of Team Extreme now teaches Speed Flying around Lake Tahoe I believe. You can find some posts of his in the Canopy Control forum... They're the ones in ALL CAPS!

Trevor, the trouble is that these speed wings are invariably quite highly loaded and require the same degree of handling skill that you'd want in skydiving for a similar loading. Accidently burying a toggle because you're reaching for the ground unconsiously as many low experience pilots do will dive you very quickly at the ground... Some of the speed wings do this even quicker because of the high amount of roll associated with a toggle input and the resultant loss of lift. When you consider that the majority of your flight time will be in proximity to the ground, obstacles or even other people, it makes it even more important to have the piloting skill under your belt. Accidently hitting a ski lift tower above the padding at 50mph will sting a bit... Additionally, it's worth learning all you can about micrometerology - predicting turbulance and rotors that might form on your planned route down is an invaluable skill to have. A slight concern of the speedflying community is that it's beginning to be marketed at skiiers who have zero flight time as just another facet of skiing, when it's really using high performance wings in proximity to the ground.

Lots of people do! :) The Bullet, Nano, Ski'm and Hellracer are all regularly footlaunched if that's the style of wing you're after. Ozone have just released the Bullet 08 by the way and have also been testing a 8m square parachute design-inspired model in Austria recently. Pic here: http://www.paraglidingforum.com/download.php?id=10125 It looks similar to a Katana to me with less toggle attachment points towards the middle of the wing. Interesting to see a SpeedFly manufacturer take a step towards flatter, more skydive style wings, rather than the parabolic paraglider shaped ones.