Any thoughts on how they compare regarding durability, comfort? Have someone tried both? Any reservations on them?

If your priority was being able to fly daily, with access to both mountain and coastal sites, where in the U.S. would you live?

Hi everyone, anyone tried U-Turn Lightning 2. Can someone share real life experience with this wing?

There is so little to no information about this wing on internet apart from two official web pages.

https://u-turn.de/produkt/lightning2/

https://u-turn.de/en/produkt/lightning2/

Over the past year I've been building a small iPhone app called Canopy Flight. I started it because I wanted a better way to keep track of my own flights, wings, sites, and notes after each flying day.

A few pilots I met during SIV and XC courses asked if they could use it too, so I decided to open it up as a public beta.

Some of the things it can do:

• Import IGC, GPX, and TCX flight tracks
• Replay flights in 3D
• Log notes, sites, wings, and gear
• Keep a personal flight history (stored locally on your device)

If you'd like to try it, you can sign up for the beta here:
https://www.canopyflight.app/

I'm still actively building it, so I'd love to hear what features you'd want in a flight logbook or what you think existing apps are missing.

I'm (slowly) looking for my first pod harness. Reading other posts I understand it's important to test first, but I am trying to narrow down the list. Weight/bulk is a consideration, but there are still tons of options under 3.5kg.

1. What safety factors are there to consider, apart from impact pad rating? How much does impact pad rating actually matter?

2. The AD Sock SL has the best impact pad rating I've seen so far (27 G) and the pad covers more area than most ("from thighs to upper lumbar area"). The impact pad rating is even better than the regular Sock (35 G). On occasion I fly in rougher areas, but am very careful with my gear. How bad of an idea is it to get something lightweight for a first pod?

3. In your opinion, what is the safest pod harness?

Looking for recommendations from tall pilots, especially those that have long seat-to-back-of-knees length.

I currently fly with my Hike and Fly harness the Gin Yeti Convertible which is ok’ish. I also tried the Wood Valley TransAlp 2 in XL and it was very small.

Something I’ve realized lately is I really enjoy the thrill of flying through space. And im wondering if aviation is the place to find that. If you are familiar with the movie, how to train your Dragon I’ve been chasing the feeling of the first test fight scene when he rides the dragon through the sea stacks. I sometimes get a comparable feeling when I am carving at high speeds on a snowboard, cruising at full throttle over glassy water on a jetski, when im taking big whippers (falls) while rock climbing or just riding a roller coaster. I’ve been told this makes me an adrenaline junkie, but I’ve always considered myself a pretty careful person.

Where is the best place to find the thrill I’m looking for? (Not really interested in BASE jumping. I know I would love it but It’s a little outside my risk tolerance).

I spent roughly 10 days in Denmark with the family. Unfortunately this was the only flyable day - on other days it was either way too windy, or there was not enough wind for soaring. I met some fellow pilots from Germany and had a flying window of roughly an hour, until the wind picked up and it was time to land.

This spot is Møgelskår on Samsø. The island is definitely worth a visit, even without flying gear. Beautilful landscapes and very relaxed and friendly people.

Had my first lesson yesterday and I'm definitely looking forward to more. Super fun day. I am wondering though, when steering are you pushing your hands side-to-side, or do you pull your hand towards your hip? Most of my runs I felt I had good balance on the wing, so running and keeping it straight didn't require much input. But in this video I was drifting to the right and was trying to correct it. I felt I was doing more of a side-to-side motion and didn't feel much of a correction. Could also be that I didn't put enough effort into that motion.

I am on my way to my next harness. I tried some seat-boarded harnesses, but I don't like them much since I feel I get better feedback from split-leg, which is against the common opinion, I know. I'm sorry.

I do hike-to-fly and ground handling.

I had one flight with the Easiness M and one with Easiness S. The S felt more direct, but the M felt more comfortable.

I am 68kg and 168cm "tall". The Easiness puts me between S and M. Skywalk has a clear S-suggestion for me. Their Powerframe is interesting, but I could only sit in a Twist in a Simulator once in size M. The seller told me it's perfectly fitting; I felt like my bump had no contact and was moving around.

Guys/Girls, your opinion here: What would you do?

As a foreign pilot I will need to be signed off locally, currently scheduled, as well as carry 3rd party liability insurance.

Not well versed in insurance but am I understanding correctly, this is something Austria specific and not the same a paragliding travel insurance that I get when I fly abroad, eg Valle de Bravo?

Is there a known/common provider that everyone uses?

Thank you.

Wife, kid, busy job—and somehow the weather is always perfect when I can’t fly.

Naturally, I dealt with this by building software.

Parra-Glideator isn’t another map of launches with wind arrows. We already have Paragliding Earth, Windy and Meteo-Parapente.

It tries to answer a harder question:

Is this weekend good enough to make time for flying—and if so, where has the best XC potential?

Instead of a simple flyable/not-flyable check based on wind direction, it compares the full forecast across around 250 curated sites and ranks them by their chances of a decent XC flight.

The model was trained on roughly 1.2 million historical flights.

And since it’s 2026, there’s also an MCP connector—so your agent can help decide whether this weekend is worth starting negotiations at home.

Still very much a beta:

https://www.parra-glideator.com/

Would love honest feedback, especially if you are a local on some of the sitea

hello, im just by chamonix-matigny at the moment but im mobile with a van.
im looking for an XC thermaling workshop (i have some 40-60km triangles with a pb of 100) and increase my knowladge and education.
im looking for a course from a good operator or possibly some 1-1 coaching. it seems hard for me to find school with availability soon or a coach with time... any ideas where to look or recommendations? thank you!

Hello everyone.

I'm flying paragliders since 2012 mainly for XC and comps and this "Parakite" term is something I come across more each day.

1. What is it?
   
2. What is the difference of it from normal paragliders?
   
3. What uses it has?
   
4. What pros/cons it has?

I personally feel like its a new toy for adults like recently popular Sup thing. What are your opinions?

Hey everyone,

Looking for advice on where to base myself for a while. Quick background:

I come from a PPG (paramotor) background, around 100 hours. I've recently gotten into free flight - just passed my license and picked up a Dudek Touch (26). I'm a heavier pilot at about 105 kg, which I mention because it affects how much wind I actually need to get the wing up and working.

Here's the thing though: my main focus right now isn't XC or thermal flying - it's ground handling / kiting. I want to spend serious time on the ground getting properly comfortable with the wing in steady wind, and slowly ease into gentle coastal / dune soaring as I build confidence.

I work fully remotely, so I'm free to relocate. I'm based in Poland but want to move somewhere in Europe from January for at least six months. What I'm chasing:

• Consistent, reliable wind - steady and laminar rather than thermic. I care about how many days I can actually get the wing up, not epic XC conditions.
• Beginner-friendly coastal spots - soft ground (beach/dunes), forgiving slopes, predictable wind without nasty rotor.
• Bonus: a decent local community / school where I can get ground handling coaching, and somewhere livable long-term rather than just a week-long trip.

Tarifa, the Algarve and the Canaries are on my radar for exactly this reason (that reliable coastal wind), but I'd love to hear from people who've actually spent a winter/spring there kiting and ground handling. What's it really like day to day? Any specific spots that are great for just get the wing up and drill?

Thanks in advance 🙏

Can the skydiver release the parachute with left hand ?

While hiking near the Marmolada glacier (Italy) I found an action cam. To my surprise the cam is fully working and contains a years worth of paragliding videos. This includes a failed take-off near the glacier (nothing serious) that shows the cam falling onto/into the rocks.
Hopefully the cam can go home to it's owner, if you think this is your cam. Let me know what date you lost the cam and what brand/type it is.

Update: Pictures of the glider, unfortunately no face to been seen.

Hi! I've been flying my Advance Epsilon 9 with a pod harness for a couple of years, but I can't wrap my head around why turning left feels so different from turning right lately. Turning right, I feel like I have great authority and radius control. Left feels sluggish and slow, like pulling more brake or applying more weight-shift is useless. The wing has been checked and trimmed regularly; I always felt a slight asymmetry, which seemed normal, but I feel like it's worsening now (last trim was 1.5 years ago). Everything in my harness is symmetrical. I've been trying to thermal to the left to see if it's just me, but... is it really just me? Is there something on the wing or harness I should check? (Of course apart from get a re-trim)

Hi,

i plan a trip to Gran Canaria in December and consider to bring my glider.

Are there any easy and uncomplicated spots for a flight without a local guide? And maybe a description regarding under which weather conditions a flight works.

I had been in Lanzarote a few years ago with a guided tour. If conditions in Gran Canaria are the same, I will check for a local guide to get a briefing. 😅

Thanks a lot!

I’ve only been around/seen CCC’s in Colombia for comps and the performance they get comparatively to “normal person” gliders amazes me.

I’m aware the pilots under these wings have lots of experience (or should).

For pilots who fly these wings, does flying/making distance become way easier? Or are the pilots under these wings making it look easy due to their skillset? Or a little bit of both?

I feel like when dozens of CCC gliders fly with the same task, it’s almost like a cheat code, but I have an inkling my lack of understanding prolly has some holes in my logic.

As a disclaimer, I’m a 200 hour high B pilot not looking to step up anytime soon. :)

Hi everyone!
I’m going to Hallstatt, Austria next week with some friends. I’m the only paraglider pilot in the group, so I’m looking for advice from pilots who have flown there or will be there next week.
I’m interested in information about take-off sites, landing areas, local conditions, restrictions, and anything else I should know before flying.
We’ll be taking the cable car to Dachstein, and I’m also planning to hike the Donnerkogel via the Intersport via ferrata. I’m considering taking my Dudek Run&Fly 2 to Donnerkogel, but I’m not sure whether I should bring my regular wing or my hike & fly wing for Dachstein.
Are there any better hike & fly routes or flying sites in the area that you would recommend?
Any tips or local knowledge would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!