Marcus King getting ready to test fly Sup’Air’s new tandem at the Stubai Cup 2014. Photo: Ed Ewing
The Stubai Cup 2014 saw perfect weather over the weekend of 7-9 March, allowing hundreds of pilots to test fly new wings in the Stubai Valley, Austria.
The Testival attracted 18 manufacturers and 692 registered pilots over three days.
Hosted by local paragliding school Parafly the site is a perfect spot for testing gliders. A launch site at the top of the fast Elferbahn gondola lift gives an 800m top-to-bottom back down to the big landing field in the village of Neustift.
Pal Takats flies in. Photo: Ed Ewing
Most of the manufacturers had new wings available for pilots to demo. Attracting attention were Sup’Air’s first glider, the tandem Sora, and their prototype EN-A glider which was SAT’ed and Helico’ed down to the landing field by acromeister Raul Rodriguez.
Manufacturers were keenest to promote their newest EN-B gliders, which make up by far the largest part of the market. Several noted that in general recent gains in performance mean many pilots have ‘stepped down’ a level, with most manufacturers now offering at least two if not three EN-B gliders, and some even offering two EN-A gliders.
Chrigel talks to a packed hall in Neustift. Photo: Ed Ewing
Display acro by Pal Takats and Team Freestyle kept spectators on the ground happy – although most pilots had come to fly and the perfect conditions allowed them to do just that. Evening entertainment was provided by Chrigel Maurer who spoke to a packed and rapt room about the Red Bull X-Alps 2013.
The Fun Cup, which is part of the annual event, raised over €400 for a Clinic Clowns hospital charity in nearby Innsbruck.
The Stubai Valley. Photo: Ed Ewing
The landing field was closed for a short while on Sunday afternoon following a low-level, low speed mid-air collision which resulted in one pilot being bruised but unbroken. He was taken to hospital by helicopter and was expected to be discharged early in the week with no bones broken.
It was the only incident in a remarkably laid-back, well organised and hassle-free event.
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