‘The best conditions in years’

Every great idea starts with a spark – and sometimes, that spark leads to a 300km flight. Flying isn’t just about covering distance. It’s about stories, moments, memories – and the people you share them with. So come along for a ride through the skies, as we blend a bit of the past with what’s now possible in modern XC paragliding.

Yes – I flew over 300km with a paraglider. To be precise: 321.75km at an average of 34.59km/h on a sleek EN-C two-liner, the Nova Codex. You might be expecting a classic flight report – instead, here’s a throwback and a glimpse into how far our sport has come.

Back in the day

Back in the 1990s, hitting 300km in a glider – especially in something like a single-seater Ka-8 – was a huge deal. That wooden school glider from the 1950s had a glide ratio of around 25 at 80km/h and almost no avionics: just an airspeed indicator, altimeter, and a jittery needle variometer. Communication? One fixed channel. Navigation? Maps.

We recorded flights with cameras and old-school barographs. Weather updates...