Dustdevil lifts two pilots

Two pilots waiting to launch get picked up by a dustdevil... sacry stuff!



Crazy no?

Batman's rival

The first jet-powered flying man in the history of aviation...

Today, Batman can leave behind his cartoon books and movie theatres and fly above the Swiss Alps, this person is Yves Rossy. He has finally achieved Leonardo Da Vinci's greatest fantasy and can fly through the air!

Following a long line of predecessors, this Swiss man, who's lifetime passion is flying, once flew for the Swiss army at the controls of the Mirage III, then went on to fly as captain on Airbuses, and now has not only created and developed wings which allow him to fly, but also built and personally tested them over the past 7 years.

Finally, and this since last Autumn, his dream became reality mainly because of 4 model-engines which were built under his wings. With these, he can fly at over 200km/hr and conquer mountain summits. During the flight, Yves's body becomes the likes of a bird and, other than a gas handle, Yves does not ride his wings but truly flies them, using various light body movements that he has learned to handle with perfection. These body movements are equal to those that birds use to fly...

And like Batman, when he flies alongside airplanes they can only look and admire him when he activates the acceleration button which makes him disappear at an incredible speed through the blue skies.

Watch the crazy video below and enjoy :-D

Hang gliding at Point of the Mountain

Take a break, relax and enjoy this great hang gliding video I've found on YouTube:

Paraglider soars higher than Everest

A German woman paraglider survived a freak thunderstorm in Australia that carried her to a height of 30,000 feet.

Ewa Wisnerska, was practicing near Tamworth, 170 miles northwest of Sydney, for next week's world paragliding championships when the storm struck. She was carried above the height of Mount Everest, which towers 29,035 feet, in just 10 minutes.

She blacked out during the sudden lift. She came to a height of 22,000 feet with her body covered in ice and managed to slowly descend.

Some 200 competitors were practicing when the storm hit. The rough weather caused a crash that killed a 40-year-old member of the Chinese team.

Speedriding On the Rocks

Another crazy speedgliding video...





enjoy...

Wild eagles attack paraglider

Wow!

Today, I came accross this incredible new: eagles attack paraglider:

Reuters:

- Britain's top female paraglider has cheated death after being attacked by a pair of wild eagles while competition flying in Australia.

Nicky Moss, 38, watched terrified as two huge birds began tearing into her parachute canopy, one becoming tangled in her lines and clawing at her head 2,500 meters (8,200ft) in the air.

"I heard screeching behind me and a eagle flew down and attacked me, swooping down and bouncing into the side of my wing with its claws," Moss told Reuters on Friday.

"Then another one appeared and together they launched a sustained attack on my glider, tearing at the wing." ->> full article


I've experienced a similar thing in Switzerland myself, but it was only a buzzard. Please relate your own story if you've experienced the same. Thanks

Al Fresard

Speedriding or speedflying in the US

Speedriding is the new racy combination of skiing and flying created by a few crazy french guys.

Since that time there’s no stop. The first speedrider are experienced or professional acro pilots or skydivers. But once seen speedriding inspires everybody. Pilots, skiers, kiter and alpinists tried it meanwhile and became fans instantly.

Speedflying was born in Europe but now the virus is spreading the US. Watch the video below form Steve Mayer and his team...

...and enjoy!

Archaeopteryx, the super-lightweight glider

A prototype of the newly developed super-lightweight glider Archaeopteryx is successfully in operation and its design is a symbiosis between common hang-gliders and conventional sailplanes. An excellent flight performance was proven during the testing phase. The foot launched glider does not depend upon airfields and is capable of soaring in weakest updrafts, which hardly could be used up to now. The Archaeopteryx provides a remarkable performance for foot launched glider flights, allowing a new, marvellous and unconventional means of gliding / hang-gliding.

Review: Archaeopteryx Demo Verbier:

Click HERE for more infos

Mauler Cup '07 - Zinal Switzerland

The 21st international paragliding meeting is taking place in Zinal, Switzerland on Saturday, 27th and Sunday, 28th of January 2007.

The “Mauler Cup” is a paragliding and skiing contest for beginners and advanced paraglider pilots.

It’s a paragliding gymkhana: The pilots have to make some defined “touch and go” on the ski slope to gain contest points.

This is a very funny contest and the spirit between the pilots is very kindly.

See you in Zinal the next weekend!

Gin Speed Glider "Nano"

Tear up the skies with the new hang gliding sport of speedgliding , also called speedriding or speedflying .

Speedflying or speedriding is a new winter sport created by paraglider pilots and skydivers looking for a new sensation and to create a link between gliding by ski and gliding through the air.

Gin Gliders decided early on to be the first brand to create a wing specially designed for speedflying. That wing is ready, we call it: Nano

Nano is a glider specifically adapted to the practice of this new sport. Simple and easy to use, Nano is available in 4 sizes: 10m2, 12m2, 13m2 and 14m2. Pick your size according to weight and more importantly experience. The smaller the glider the faster you go. The 13m2 and 14m2 are for light or heavy beginners and intermediates. The 12m2 needs to be flown by very experienced pilots with a very good and precise level of control. The 10m2 is dedicated to the best expert pilots only, and is currently only available for the GIN team speedflying pilots.

Watch the video below...

Speed Gliding - Crazy new alpine sport

Speedgliding is a racy mix between skiing and flying.

WARNING! Speedriding is very contagious and accessible for all skiers and paragliders who are seeking after adrenaline! Just try it!

But one thing is evident: Due to the high speed and the proximity of the ground, speedgliding is for the pros who know what they are doing!

Watch this video and enjoy…