AvaSport Eiger lightweight harness (notice of a serious tear during a high G flight)

As published on the PGforum a forum member experienced a potentially serious incident when using a lightweight Eiger harness.

This model's design and purpose is to offer an ultra lightweight and simplified harness for comfortable mountain descents when using a paraglider. It is not known how old the harness in question is, or in fact how many times the pilot has performed these types of dynamic actions; but he does state doing wingovers is a lot of fun. So we are deducing that this type of action has probably been performed using this model more than a few times.

This model of harness was never designed with the intention that users perform high G and dynamic manoeuvres with it and as such we strongly recommend that pilots with this and other types of minimalist harnesses refrain from performing such manoeuvres which take the harness design outside of its intended use.

 

We strongly recommend conducting regular checks on all your flying equipment (including your harness) paying particular attention to stitching and main structural attachment points.

Preview of the all new Digifly - Air -

Digifly AIR - The new integrated instrument with high resolution display. Its shape is optimised to the maximum strength; the display offers the best visibility also in bright-light conditions and has four big operative keys ensures the best accessibility even when wearing big gloves.

The Digifly AIR will be  sold as a single full function version, with  two optional choices:

1) hang gliding pilots can ask for the installation of the optional pitot tube

2) whoever, can ask for the installation of the optional GSM-GPRS module needed for the internal Live Tracking, although this is not essential, as the Digifly AIR is equipped with a 4th generation Bluetooth processor able to communicate with every current mobile device, e.g. a smartphone on which you can install, for free, the Live Tracking app: XC Soar.

 The AIR is entirely designed, engineered and manufactured in Italy; it uses state of the art processors and sensors, including: a 99-channel anti jam GPS unit updated 10 times per second. The Air features a new inertial platform that provides an even more accurate evaluation of the wind’s direction, improves the sensitivity of the variometer, acts as a G meter for acro pilots and allows to get more precise information from the magnetic compass even at high bank angles of the wing.

The AIR has a high-visibility display grayscale, with a new design that facilitates visualisation and management of tasks in 5D.  The “5D” (Digifly trade mark), is based on an ingenious graphic design and comes from the merger of 2D and 3D visualisations, allowing the pilot to check at a glance the needed glide ratio and best ‘goto’ glide during the task; but, this new graphic design will also help the non-competitors to have an immediate idea of needed glide ratio to reach the nearest safe landing.

The display layout is fully customizable also thru PC-Mac simply 'drag and dropping' the preferred functions, or even transferring them from a micro SD card or via Bluetooth from AIR to AIR.

The fast, efficient and full optional AIR’s software, comes from the Digifly’s know-how gained during years of competition’s support. It is designed in distinct blocks that facilitates to set the instrument, entering waypoints and setting task.

The high resolution display, the wide internal memory space and the surplus of computing capability, will allow to listen and to put into practice all the tips that will come from its users, and as like as for all the Digifly’s instruments, every one of the future firmware updates will provide to the AIR’s pilots a totally “for free” perfectly tuned “AIR-tool”.

 

Golden4 from Gradient ready for production

The all new Golden4 is the latest Gradient creation. The wing is a natural follow-up model  to the most successful Gradient model series ever, the Golden series. The result is pure style, with an aerodynamic design and an incomparable variety of uses, the Golden4 has the ingredients and design innovation to meet the demands of all kinds of pilots.

 

The agility, lift, performance and speed of the Golden4 are backed up by strong passive safety characteristics. Combined with Gradient’s typical sensitive handling and immediate feedback, means pilots fly relaxed and quickly harmonise with the wing, enabling them to fly to their potential.

 

It makes the Golden4 a truly reliable partner. Flying becomes intuitive, leaving your mind free to concentrate on making good decisions about your flight.

 

Flying the Golden4 starts with the typical, easy take-off characteristics Gradient pilots all over the world appreciate.  Continuing with the well proved DDsystem allows the development team to prepare  a very safe and stable glider with very interesting performance potential.

 

The Golden4 thermals with a flat turn, even when flying small circles. The wing reacts immediately to weight shifting and has precise brakes for sporty handling. It's well-balanced wing dynamics and a defined stall point gives this intermediate glider freestyle qualities. The glider also behaves in a calm and predictable way in extreme situations, leaving you confident of your safety while you regain normal flight – no matter if it was you or turbulence that caused the trouble. 

The Golden4 utilises the special double-coated skytex cloth EVERLAST which was developed in partnership with Porcher Sort and Gradient. The target was to develop a very durable paragliding cloth that keeps its shape and stability in all directions, including radial and diagonal strength. Gradient intensively tested EVERLAST on the Nevada and Golden4 prototypes for eight months. These gliders were used by expeditions in very difficult weather and flying conditions with excellent results. We are now extremely proud to be able to bring this material exclusively to Gradient customers. The new Golden4 is the first glider to use EVERLAST along the leading edge, after which EVERLAST will be used in the development of all new Gradient gliders.

 

 

 

 

We are expecting delivering of the first models into the UK by the end of this month and we are offering a special discount on any advanced sales. We are confident that the Golden4 is another pilots classic.

Gradient Golden 4 - A sneaky preview

 We have just recieved a couple of photos of the  new Golden 4 from Gradient -

More information to follow:-

Gradient Nevada Light

Gradient's new Intermediate Nevada (EN B) is now available as a light version. With a special combination of carefully selected materials the glider weight has been reduced by 1 kg down to 4700 grams (size 28). The Nevada Light will be available in sizes 22, 24, 26 and 28.

Another advantage of this glider is the packing volume, which is reduced substantially. With the new Nevada Light Gradient offers a wing for pilots who don't want to compromise  EN B performance, speed and climb, but additionally need lowest packing volume and lowest possible glider weight. This combination makes the Nevada light a wing for hikers, mountaineers and travellers who'd like to top their adventures with thermaling and XC flying.

Due to the special light material with Gradient exclusive double coating ( 32g/m2 EVERLAST) for leading edge Nevada light will be available in one RED colour combination exclusively, as per the photo.

Offering an Artik2 Size 25 for sale. It has only 32hrs since new ( bought Sept 2011) In excellent clean condition no repairs or rough treatment at all. Colour Sunset (or orange in non Niviuk speak).

This wing comes to me, as an very good condition trade in glider. It has been well looked after and has not be flown a great deal at all.

Priced to sell £975

Ava Sport

Ava Sport have recently overhauled their website and  it looks and works a lot better now. They have also improved their back office systems so we are all go with Ava this year after some difficulties during 2012.

Here is a quick look at some new models for this year

The New RACER

This new, light and very comfortable intermediate harness is the successor to the very popular sprinter model.

 The RACER sports a newly designed seat board which incorporats into  a back former to maintain its sleek aerodynamic shape; An elevated position of the reserve handle and new reserve container for even  easier use of operation should you ever need.

 

The RACER is also available in two options with and without  leg cover and we are very impressed with its reported weight – about 3.9 kg for L size without legcover or 4,9 kg for same size with cover.

weight is without karabiners and rescue parachute

 Colour options

 

  

The TANTO RACE

Although this was available in 2012 we thought with the new proposals for CIVL competitions wanting to make it mandatory to have two reserves  that this Harness, the Tanto Race would interest performance-oriented pilots requiring a harness with the security of a twin reserve  system.

Like the older Katana model the neoprene skin of this harness covers the entire upperbody and back ensuring a cosy snug fit for perfect aerodynamics with optimised trailing edge.
The Tanto Race has 2 rescue containers (left & right), and is now certified. The size Large is about 6,5 kg which is fantastic considering all the extra material used to seal the gaps between pilot and harness.


What ever your harness needs  we are confident that amongst the AvaSport range is a harness which fits your needs perfectly.