Dave Prentice goes 'Suprone'

Distance world record chaser and Gradient pilot Dave Prentice has designed a supine harness for paragliders. Have a look at his invention here!
and his web site here

Download the Latest Gradient Catalogue

Here!

Gradient, gliders of choice in the '100 Club'

The '100 Club' lists all 100km (straight line) flights flown in the UK

Gradient wings have been used on almost 1 in 4 flights (23%); more popular than any other manufacturer by far.

Click on the following links to have a look!

http://www.cloudbase.me.uk/xcleague/100Club.htm or

http://www.cloudbase.me.uk/xcleague/100Club2.xls if you want to search the database.

Flying with Eagles

Meet Cossack, a 2m wingspan Steppe Eagle, formerly owned by Female paragliding legend Louise Crandal and now by Oxford University.

http://www.archive.org/details/Paragliding_Video-Louise_Crandal-Cossack


I had the pleaseure of flying with Cossack whilst doing a two day tandem assessment with falconers Martin Cray and Joe Binns in SE Wales, culminating in a top to bottom at Pandy where Cossack came in and fed on food suspended from the tandem and landed with us in the bottom landing field.

Martin is planning on running Parahawking courses and Flights with Eagles. If you are interested
phone him on 07970375316.

UK Gradient Pilots, 5 British Records and XC League Results

..
With the end of the 2006/7 UK XC Season just a few weeks away, UK Gradient pilots have had one of their best years ever !!

5 British (Local) Records: http://www.cloudbase.me.uk/xcleague/records.htm

Straight Distance
John Silvester, 194.0km, 29/07/2007, Moel Elio to Chepstow, Gradient Avax

Straight Distance to Declared Goal
Neil Roberts, 134.5 km, 30/07/2007, Long Mynd to Bicester, Gradient Avax SR7
Mark Watts, 116.6 km, 18/04/2007, Combe Gibbet to Lewes, Gradient Avax SR7
John Kennedy, 114.0 km, 21/03/2007, Wrekin to Cirencester, Gradient Aspen 2

Gain of Height (Multiplace)
Richard Westgate / Gary Puhl, 1903m, 08/08/2007, Sarn, Gradient Bi-Golden


British UK XC League http://www.pgcomps.org.uk/

2. Neil Roberts ...Gradient Avax SR7 704.0 km
3. Mark Watts ...Gradient Avax SR7 673.0 km (some flights on Axis Mercury)
5. Burkitt Rudd ..Gradient Avax SR7 568.4 km


British Weekend League

1. Burkitt Rudd .........Gradient Avax SR7 380.8 km
2. Steve Etherington Gradient Avax SR7 309.6 km


British Winter League

2. John Kennedy ....Gradient Aspen 2 171.0 km
3. Dave Thomson ...Gradient Aspen 2 167.8 km
4. Robert Matthews Gradient Aspen 2 143.4 km

Cool video by Antoine Montant, including amazing INFINITIES

http://www.turnpoint.de/Gradient/video/antoine.WMV

Gradient Avax XC2 is here!

The long awaited successor to the Gradient Avax XC has arrived.

It has a formidable aspect ratio 6.38 and a high number of cells (73) to ensure a clean airfoil. The weight has been kept very low: size 28 only weighs 5.8 kg!

Have a look at the Gradient Website:

http://www.gradient.cx/en-gliders-avax_xc2-0-0

and the discussion forum:

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=83678

The wing is being certified as CEN C. The EN standard is replacing DHV in most European countries (more info at

http://www.bhpa.co.uk/pdf/En926-2summary.pdf,

para-test)

Gradient 500km Record Encampment

We are planning to return to South Africa for more record breaking in November / December 2008. Teaming up with South Africa's Gradient Importer, James Braid, the aim of the expedition is to be the first to fly over 500km on paragliders. James has already found some great new take-off sites to the west of out previous launch point at Vosburg.

You don't have to be a Gradient pilot to join the adventure, so if you are interested, let us know!

Petra and beyond

I have just come back from a quick adventure in Jordan. After two days enjoying the comfort of the Marriott Hotel on the Dead Sea, we headed out in the most dented hire car I've ever driven armed with a list of flying sites in the GPS thanks to Paraglidingearth

(http://www.paraglidingearth.com/en-html/index.php?pays=108)

A short drice to Mt Nebo proved unsuccessful, with a shallow take-off and the wind blowing along the slope from the south. We headed south, via the the magnificent Crusader fortress of Kerak to the historic city of Petra.

We almost flew at Dana on the way, a Southwesterly cliff launch overlooking an incredible valley. A moderate valley breaze tempted us to give it a go but we were put off by a strong N'ly upper wind indicated by the clouds just 500ft above. The decision was made when a cloud formed just behind the site and drifted over the bowl to get ripped up in a swirl of rotor.




We finally arrived at Palaces Road take-off above Petra at 15.30 to find perfect conditions. We launched the tandem into a light breeze and managed to climb on the mountain behind to 6000ft before pushing forwards over the historic site. We definitely had the best views of the
fabled Jordanian sunset.

Over Palaces Road

Wadi Rum

Seven Pillars of wisdom at Sunrise