Advance paragliders in the West Country

I took delivery of a customer’s new I3 last week and got around to rigging up some hangpoints when a friend came round yesterday to look at it (with the purchaser’s permission of course!), and I must say it’s a lovely piece of kit. Of course the first thing you notice is the weight, or lack of it. Compared to my Impress 2+ it’s a featherweight! I realise that my I2 has a reserve in it, but even so it’s so much less bulky because of the lack of a seatplate and the foam nose cone.

The next thing you notice is the usual Advance build quality and attention to detail – from the innovative reserve zip release to the new safety system which means you can’t take off without a least one leg strap done up. It really is beautifully made…

Obviously I haven’t flown it, but it does feel very comfortable and the default strap settings seemed perfect for me (I’m 6’4″). You get the impression that it’s more aerodynamic with its boxy shape deflecting the wind up and over the pilot more than other pod harnesses.

Sadly it’s a bit too expensive to expect Santa to leave me one under the tree so I guess it’s time to start saving 🙂