Speed flying

Speed flying (also known as speed riding) is the air sport of flying a small, fast fabric wing, usually in close proximity to a steep slope. Speed flying and speed riding are very similar sports; speed flying is when the speed wing is foot-launched, while speed riding (or ski gliding) is a winter sport done on skis. Sustained flight with a speed glider is possible over a ridge in strong winds.

Speed flying is a hybrid sport that has combined elements of paragliding, parachuting, and even skiing to create a new sport. Like paragliding, speed flying is done by launching from a slope with the wing overhead, already inflated by the incoming air. The main difference between speed flying and paragliding, is that speed flying is meant to create a fast, thrilling ride close to the slope, while the point of paragliding is usually to maintain a longer, gentler flight. The fast landing technique for speed wings is similar to that used in parachuting. However, parachuting or skydiving is done from a plane or fixed object (BASE jumping), and the wing is designed to arrest the free fall. Newer designs of hybrid-wings (also called mini-wings) are now being produced to allow a high speed "hike and fly" from mountainous areas. They can be soared in strong laminar winds and thermalled similar to paragliders, and may also be trimmed for a more traditional speed flying descent.

In the late 1970s, French mountaineers began launching parachutes from steep mountains on foot (ground launching) and with skis. Modifications to these parachutes evolved into larger, easier to launch wings now called paragliders, and parachute ground launching remained largely forgotten. However, advances in material and parachute swooping events inspired a new generation of pilots in France and America about 20 years later. Foot-launched parachute slalom course competitions known as Blade Running (or Runner) competitions started in the Western United States in 1996 and continue with the Blade Raid since 2005. An American team of stunt parachutists expanded the sport, making stunt videos skimming mountain slopes in the Alps from 2001 to 2002. One team member opened the first 'Ground Launching School' for foot-launched parachutes in 2004 in California, USA.

Later, in 2005, a group of French pilots began experimenting with modified parachute and parafoil kite designs. One of these, Francois Bon, a paraglider test pilot, unsatisfied with foot-launched parachute performance helped perfect the first speed wing design, the Gin Nano. This evolved into other commercial wings (between 9 and 14 square metres) designed for speed, portability, and a lower glide ratio. Today speed gliders are produced by over 30 manufacturers worldwide. France hosted the first yearly speed riding competition, "Speed Flying Pro Les Arcs", in January 2007, which continued to be dominated by pioneer speed flyer Antoine Montant until his death in 2011.

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Wikipedia