Insight: Sky and the Merlin

Sky Paragliders recently brought in new blood from young company Drift, attracted by their two-line EN-C Merlin. Erwin Voogt and Bastienne Wentzel find out more

During the Stubai Cup in Austria in March 2023, a small Czech glider manufacturer impressed us with their brand new two-line EN-C, the Merlin. The company name was Drift and it had been set up by Standa Klikar and Kryštof Klimpar. 

Together they had designed and launched the Merlin, a new two-line EN-C. It was launched at the same time as half a dozen other (much bigger) brands announced their two-line EN-C gliders, and during a short test flight it felt like an easy-to-fly solid wing and managed to stand out among the flood of other new gliders. We vowed to keep an eye on Drift and watch what they were up to – a chat during the festival revealed they had lots of plans for new gliders. 

Twelve months later, just ahead of the Stubai Cup this year longstanding Czech manufacturer Sky Paragliders announced that Sky and Drift were “merging”. First established in Slovenia, Sky has been around since 1988 in one form or another. After moving east to...