Thomas Jeanniot is dwarfed by the flanks of Mont Blanc on the cover of Cross Country 226 (Dec 2021 / Jan 2022). As clouds wrap around the mountain his bright orange glider cuts through against the rock and ice. It’s an amazing image, shot by Chamonix-based tandem pilot and pro photographer Olivier Laugero.
There’s more Mont Blanc inside, as Jake Holland describes one incredible day at the end of summer when he first climbed the mountain and then flew from the summit, before completing the legendary Tour du Mont Blanc by air that same afternoon. “With clodubase over 4,000m we took rowdy 6m/s climbs past iconic climbing ridges that can take days to navigate on foot.”
Also navigating new terrain is Idris Birch. The Welsh professional test pilot tells us how he got into the sport, what life was like working with Gin Gliders for seven years in South Korea, and how he won this year’s UK XC League with some stunning 200k flights.
In October we headed to Oludeniz for the Air Games. If you haven’t been for a while, prepare to be surprised. The new cablecar and chairlifts are finally open – all the way to the very top. We get the lowdown.
“Call me old school, but I’m the kind of pilot who flies with her phone in her pocket,” writes Joanna Di Grigoli. That was until she discovered the SeeYou Navigator App and was converted. She’s been longterm testing it all year and now reports back.
Despite the rise of drones, paramotors still provide a unique perspective for photography. Pro aerial photographer Joe Orsi shares his top tips on how to get the perfect shot from your powered paraglider.
“There are not so many active female pilots in the US, but we are here and we fly big air.” Lyndsey Ripa reports from the US Women’s Mountain Fly-In.
The XRedRocks was the USA’s first major hike-and-fly adventure race and had a cool $5,000 first prize. Photographer Ben Horton captured the action.
La Cumbre has been erupting for weeks, affecting flying on the island of La Palma in the Canaries. Local paragliding instructor Roger Frey tells us what it’s like living next to the lava flows – and why pilots must come back when it finally stops.
Ice can be nice, but you have to prep for it. Jeff Goin explains how you can make the most of those cold winter days on your paramotor.
Skywalk’s Chili 5 is a high-end EN B with a moderate aspect ratio of 5.6 with 57 cells. Aimed at intermediate pilots who want performance with security, we take it flying at St Vincent-les-Forts in the southern Alps for the full review treatment.
After a dream year Bicho Carrera is paragliding’s new Acro World Champion. He talks to Bastienne Wentzel about the mental side of the sport, fast air and learning new tricks.
The Insta360 Go2 is billed as the world’s smallest – and simplest – action cams. Laurent Boninfante takes it for a fly and asks if it lives up to the hype.
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