A total distance of 1224.1 km on Swing gliders!
On Mistral 6, Astral 6 and Stratus

Daytime victory for Swing :-)
Daniel Tyrkas flies 184,5 km FAI

Daniel on the way to recovery

Kurt Eder (Italy) flies 242,84 km
and feels great with the new Stratus Core

Didi Siglbauer flies a 214,5km FAI triangle on the Astral 6

211 km FAI triangle on the Mistral 6

Shorter delivery times for the Mistral 6 – this season’s big seller

Portrait of Daniel Tyrkas
Thermik Magazine 08.2010 (German)

Swing video clips now all available on online TV
New Videochannel online

Cross-country fever at Swing
DHV XC

Report - Mistralmania

Mistral 6 - all 5 sizes passed the LTF tests

TWIN 4 - Swing’s tandem glider

Good results for Swing in New Zealand

MISTRALMANIA from 20-28 March
Bassano - Italy

Mistral 6 - ready for more?

Success for Ewa Wisnierska on the Mistral 6 Proto
11th Paragliding Open Championship 2010 in Nepal

Astral 6 in the Vol Libre magazin - glide ratio 9,45

New gloves!
Warm gloves against cold hands...

Brave 2 – new speed flying harness

Connect Reverse – now available for left-handed pilots

Alfredo Studer in 1st place in the XContest flying a Stratus WRC
1421 km in just 6 flights

Swing Pilots celebrate their success

ASTRAL 6.26 and 28 – DHV tests passed

CIVL World Ranking – Torsten Siegel in 4th place

Top placings for our Swing pilots

Spitfire - the new speed rider from Swing

ASTRAL 6 - Testival in Bassano
from 31 October 2009 – 7 November 2009

XC Open in Araxá in Brazil
Richard Pethigall wins on a Stratus WRC

Daniel Tyrkas is German XC Champion for 2009
on the Stratus WRC

Free Flight Tegelberg 2009

World Cup Super Final
Swing Team in third place

SWING pilots successful in the 2009 DHV-XC
Daniel Tyrkas wins open class with Stratus WRC

Astral 6.24 – aspect ratio of 6.4 with LTF 2 / EN C
A very special event

36. Coupe Icare in France

163 km on a category 1/1-2 glider
Roger Bruhin with an Arcus 6

Swiss Open – 2nd place in the Swiss Open and runner-up in the Swiss champs

World Cup Kroatien – Marion Slunka finishes in 2nd place
Success in the World Cup in Croatia for our Swing pilots

Swiss Championships: task victory and podium place for Swing team pilots
Torsten and Petsch succeed...

Connect Reverse – sold out till late September!
Manufacturing capacity doubled.

New! ... The Arcus 6 Compact
A compact version of our proven top performer

Arcus 6.32 Compact (120 to 150kg)
Flying enjoyment for "larger" pilots too

Caroll Licini wins the BaWü Open
on the Stratus WRC

World Cup Turkey - Peter Neuenschwander in 1st place with the “Spälti” team
The European World Cup season gets underway with places on the winners’

Alex Happacher flies a 227km FAI triangle on the Stratus WRC
On 20 May, Alex Happacher from the Swing Racing Team flying a Stratus WRC,

Swing Competition Team strengthened by Peter Neuenschwander (CH)

211 km on the Stratus 7 – furthest flight ever by a pilot from Ticino!
At 11.26 on 20 May 2009, Swing XC team pilot Claudio Vosti,

150 km with the Arcus 6
Roger Bruhin tops his last performance

Ewa Wisnierska is Bavarian Women’s Champ

“Ladies only” XC-Camp with Ewa Wisnierska

Arcus 6 – the first FAI triangle over 100km
On 7 May, Roger Bruhin flew a fantastic 112km FAI triangle in Switzerland

DULV-certified motors for Mistral 5

Alex Schalber wins the Staufen Cup
As was the case the previous week at the Zillertal Open

Podium for Stratus WRC at the Zillertal Open

Connect Reverse - convertible harness/backpack

Caroll Licini finishes in 2nd place on the Stratus WRC in the Bassano Open

Richard Pethigall is 2nd in the Brazilian Championship on a Stratus WRC

Explorer XL backpack
Your wish is our command ;0)

Paweł Faron wins the XC Open in Australia

Designer Torsten Siegel moves to Swing
Team enhancement in 2009

The Arcus 6 is ready!
LTF 1 / 1-2

Swing's new Sky-Wear Collection

Great audience response for the cinema film Reise zum Horizont (“Journey to the Horizon”)
a film by Thomas Latzel with Ewa Wisnierska and Dörte Schwarz

Eva Wisnierska tops the women's rankings at the PWC in Brazil

Richard once again on the podium

German Championships in Piedrahita
Only one task...

2-Yearly-Check and Special designs
on SWING website

Distribution network
on SWING website

A total distance of 1224.1 km on Swing gliders!

We are very pleased that a number of pilots have recently flown their furthest distances ever. We would like to mention just a few of them here.

Alex Meyer (Switzerland) with a 196.9 km FAI, flying a Stratus (not the latest model)... Great flight Alex!
Flight on 5 June 2010>>
Pictures of the flight>>

Our ace cross-country pilots have also flown some good distances...

Roger Bruhin, 211km FAI in Fiesch, Switzerland (Mistral 6):Info>>
Read his full report>>

Manuel Croci, 183,4km FAI in Fiesch (Mistral 6): Info>>

Eberhard Linckh, 196,9 km FAI in Fiesch (Astral 6): Info>>

Patrick Ruber, 220,9km FAI in Fiesch (Stratus WRC): Info>>

Daniel Tyrkas, 215km FAI from Mt Wank, Bavaria (Core Proto) Info>>

So many great flights....
And many other Swing pilots have had great flights which are not online.
Congratulations to you all!

Daytime victory for Swing :-)

His comment: "Flies pretty well my Stratus Core ;-)" More info about his flight you will find here>>

Respect Daniel!

Daniel on the way to recovery

Our sales expert Daniel Schmidt is on the way to recovery following a car accident. He was in intensive care for 12 days and is now in a rehab ward in the Schwabing clinic in Munich. Daniel is already in good form again and aware that the accident could have turned out much worse.
The standard of hospital care is first-rate and Daniel is already able to explore the clinic by wheelchair. He is improving but will still need a while before he has fully recovered. So we would also like to take this opportunity to apologise for any delays you may encounter. We will do our best to cover for Daniel and minimise any delays as much as possible.

Kurt Eder (Italy) flies 242,84 km

On 5 June, Kurt Eder flew an FAI triangle of 242.84 km on the Stratus Core. An amazing performance! The key details are remarkable in themselves. 8h 48m at an average speed of 27.58 km/h.

Impressive!

Keep it up!

Check out his flight here >

Didi Siglbauer flies a 214,5km FAI triangle on the Astral 6

Sunday evening, the great weather forecasted unfortunately didn’t eventuate. Torsten, Stefan and I study the weather forecasts for Monday and discuss whether we should stay around or go elsewhere. It is supposed to be more stable with the wind becoming unpleasantly strong in the afternoon. But do we really want to fly in such windy conditions again? The last two days were really exhausting and no-one’s very keen to have a repeat. But drier air with a higher cloudbase gives us some hope, so we decide we’ll stay and give it a go.

Monday: same old same old. We take ourselves up to the Grente Alm for the third time with our large packs, and then it’s off on the now familiar route into the neighbouring Defereggen Valley. The thermals are still moderate and still not lifting above the mountain tops, but the Defereggen Valley offers an enclosed mountain range as far as Matrei in East Tyrol and I make good progress. A westerly becomes apparent after the turnpoint, which calls for more use of the speed bar. It’s a good thing that the ASTRAL picks up so directly and glides so well into the wind without becoming jittery. The increasing westerly now becomes very noticeable passing the Ahrn Valley and conditions become increasingly more turbulent. Headwind, turbulent air - this isn’t going to be much fun. But I go from one ridge to the next and, with a good cloudbase now, the crossing into Sterzing across the Brenner is still a possibility. And now comes the reward for so much effort. With a tailwind, it’s now easy to get to Lüsen. Here another small patch of lift, hard to centre in, from well underneath the tree line, and the Fanes group is within reach. Following a thermal on these mighty Dolomite faces is always an amazing experience. Unsure about how far I still have to fly now to come within the FAI sector, after some initial hesitation, I then fly a couple more km after all. The thermals are still good, so it should easily be enough for the return and, besides that, the next peak already has a nice cumulus on top.

But it was bound to happen...there I am above the peak and the cumulus and its thermal have disappeared. With just a little gain in altitude at the Falzarego Pass and now a headwind of 20, I try to reach the vertical faces of the Fanes. Salvation comes in the form of a nice thermal with the day’s maximum of over 4,100m. What a magnificent view and a relief. The Antholzer Valley comes within reach and, there on the western slopes, the dynamic ridge lift brings me back to my departure point with 0/0 lift/sink and I land, happily, right beside my friends.

Whenever an adventure ends like this, I am reminded once again that paragliding is the best sport in the world.

Super Didi! We look forward to hearing more reports from you.

Check out the flight here>>

211 km FAI triangle on the Mistral 6

"I am totally delighted with the Mistral 6!! This glider flies so well: turning, climbing and gliding...everything is perfect!". That is what Roger wrote to us even before his flight. He has now proved convincingly that what he said was right. In June, Roger Bruhin achieved his first 200km FAI triangle. He has written enthusiastically about his flight.

Rogers Flight report>>

Roger is not the only pilot who is pleased with his Mistral 6. Manuel Croci, who has alternated with Swiss Air in commercial aviation, is also currently flying some good distances on his Mistral 6. He has submitted a 183.4 km FAI triangle to the DHV XC.

Congratulations on this great result.

Manuels Flight>>

click here for more information -->

Shorter delivery times for the Mistral 6 – this season’s big seller

We were overwhelmed somewhat by the number of orders for the Mistral 6, but we now have good news. We have more than doubled production numbers in recent months! This is the only way we will be able to cope with the many orders!

Currently, delivery times of 4-5 weeks should still be expected. It is anticipated that the Mistral 6 will be available ex stock from the end of August.
We are very pleased that the Mistral 6 has been so popular with you.

click here for more information -->

Portrait of Daniel Tyrkas

Thermik magazine has devoted a seven-page article to this very personable cross-country champion and winner of the open class in 2009.

Torsten Hahne, who is himself not an unknown name in paragliding, has written a favourable piece about the 34 year old pilot from Miesbach (Bavaria) and gives an insight into the life of the exceptional pilot.
Two experts together...

The article can be read in the August edition, which should be available at newsagents soon.

Swing video clips now all available on online TV

You can now view online all of the video clips about Swing products. Even your own video can be linked provided that it meets the general conditions.

Just out is footage of the photo shoot for the Mistral 6. Take a look at Swing's online TV channel at www.swing-tv.de

click here for more information -->

Cross-country fever at Swing

After the first good cross-country days in April, the Astral 6’s great popularity among the top XC pilots is now being seen in the DHV-XC as well.
Some pilots are already nearing the 1000 point mark, which is evidence of the extremely high standard among pilots in the sport class. Our new members in the SWING XC-team are showing excellent performances.
In the German PG Sport rankings, Torsten Hahne (Astral 6) is currently in 1st place. Not far behind him are Didi Siglbauer (Astral 6) and Stefan Glosauer (Astral 6) in 3rd and 4th places. SWING pilots have currently put the Astral 6 in six of the top ten places.
Special mention should also go to Monika Mack, who is currently in 7th place with over 700 points, also giving her a clear lead in the Women’s PG ahead of Angela Dachs (on a Stratus 7).
http://xc.dhv.de/xc/modules/leonardo/index.php?name=leonardo&op=comp&rank=1&subrank=1

In the PG Open, Daniel Tyrkas (Stratus Core), Patrick Ruber (Stratus WRC) and Bernhard Mittner (Stratus 7) are currently holding 1st, 2nd and 3rd places between them. Patrick Ruber has flown the longest distance to date with a 209.4 km FAI-triangle in Fanas (CH) on 28 April.
http://xc.dhv.de/xc/modules/leonardo/index.php?name=leonardo&op=comp&rank=1&subrank=2

The 1st and 2nd positions in the Junior PG are also currently held by SWING pilots, with Patrick Ruber (Stratus WRC) ahead of Manuel Nübel (Stratus Core).
http://xc.dhv.de/xc/modules/leonardo/index.php?name=leonardo&op=comp&rank=1&subrank=6

The table will of course alter a number of times over the course of the season. However, we would like at this stage to offer our thanks to these pilots for putting the spotlight on our products with their great flights.

We wish you many more safe and successful flights,
the SWING-Team

Report - Mistralmania

We may be a little late, but we would like to take the opportunity to give a report on the Mistralmania event held in Northern Italy from 20 – 28 March 2010. To be honest, we would have to say that the weather did not always favour us so, unfortunately, not many pilots were there on the first weekend ...

click here for more information -->

Mistral 6 - all 5 sizes passed the LTF tests

The sizes 22 and 30 also passed all DHV tests. Its homologation is in progress and sould be published in the DHV website soon. Orders can be placed at any time at your Swing dealer. More information about this very impressing new intermediate glider you will find ...

click here for more information -->

TWIN 4 - Swing’s tandem glider

We had a new tandem glider ready for series production some time ago. But it wasn’t until our development team with its high standards had spent a year fine-tuning and testing it with a group of professional tandem pilots from Austria, South Africa and Turkey, that they were satisfied with the result. The conclusion from the pilots: “There is nothing more left to improve!

click here for more information -->

Good results for Swing in New Zealand

from left:
Nick Stead - winner of the Sports class (LTF 2) - Swing Astral 6.26
Jeff Ripley - NZ Champion (GIN)
Eva Walton - NZ Women\'s Champion - Swing Astral 6.24
Lisa Tobler - 1st LTF 1-2 - Swing Arcus 5
Ananad Krisnan - 2nd LFT 1-2 - Swing Mistral 5.26

Congratulations to you!!!

MISTRALMANIA from 20-28 March

We would like you to join us in giving the brand new Mistral 6 a taste of the Italian spring thermals. There will be a total of 40 brand new Mistral 6 gliders in sizes 24 (65-90kg), 26 (80-105kg) and 28 (90-115kg) in Bassano from 20 to 28 March, just waiting to be flown!
You have almost certainly never flown a glider in category EN B (1-2) with an aspect ratio of 5.9. We promise you a cross country and fun glider with a sensational performance potential for this category. The Mistral 6 development concept draws very strongly on that of the Astral 6, which has positioned itself as the world’s top category 2 glider. We will of course have a couple of demo Astral 6 gliders there as well.
To make your test flight an unforgettable experience, you will also be able to fly cross-country as a "Mistral 6-Tester" on one of the two weekends (21-22 or 27–28 March) with XC champions Torsten Hahne and Daniel Tyrkas (provided that the weather cooperates)!

click here for more information -->

Mistral 6 - ready for more?

The moment has arrived...We are pleased to be able to announce the brand new Mistral 6. Sizes 24, 26 and 28 successfully completed in one go all of the necessary tests for certification. All aspects of the Mistral 6 show great promise. It follows in the footsteps of its 'big' brother, the Astral 6, which has emerged as a global sensation among category 2 gliders. A glide ratio of 9+ is very realistic for the Mistral 6 and an absolute sensation for an LTF B (1-2) glider....but we'll leave that for the others to discover. :-))
We will keep you up to date. Ewa has already had her first successful flights on the glider. We will of course provide more information online soon. So wait just a bit longer...or get your first impressions here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbdLf5CNZxk

click here for more information -->

Success for Ewa Wisnierska on the Mistral 6 Proto

Ewa took out all three tasks on a Mistral 6.22 proto from Swing, giving her a decisive win in the Sport Class.
Ninety pilots from around the world enjoyed first-rate flying conditions from 18-20 February in Pokhara, Nepal's flying mecca. In particular, the 40 or so local pilots from Nepal's still very new and small paragliding scene appeared very strong on all three days.
Jamie Messanger (England) won the Open Class, ahead of Ajay Kumar (India) and Claudio Moto (Venezuela). Ewa will certainly retain good memories of the relaxed and very friendly atmosphere, not to mention the impresive scenery of the great Annapurna massif.
"I decided to take part at short notice after receiving an invitation from the organisers. What a great thing I did! I have never taken part in such a relaxed competition. I was definitely able to benefit from the experience I gained during the previous 6 weeks flying in Nepal. But the new Mistral 6 was the icing on the cake which gave me such a clear lead."

Well done Ewa! We are of course also very pleased that we will be able to release the Mistral 6 very soon...

Astral 6 in the Vol Libre magazin - glide ratio 9,45

We promised when we introduced the Astral 6 that its performance would come very close to that of the Stratus 7 (glide ratio = 9.6) So we are even more pleased that this now also has independent confirmation. The test pilots for the French magazine "Vol Libre" recorded a full 9.45 at 39 km/h!

This puts the Astral 6 right at the top of current gliders tested so far in the LTF 2/EN-C class when it comes to glide ratio!
They were convinced by more than the outstanding glide ratio - it was also praised for its handling and properties in thermal flying!
You can read in the February edition, no. 403, how the Astral 6 stood out from the other gliders tested at the same time - the Cayenne 3, Torck (LTF 2-3) and Aspen 3. The only criticism, i.e. the glider's white top surface, can be resolved if you wish by ordering a custom colour ... ;-)

If we receive permission from Vol Libre magazine, we will have some or all of the test report translated and make it available online.

If you are able to read French, then simply order a copy of Vol Libre magazine.

http://vollibre.retine.fr/index.asp.

New gloves!

Just arrived – our new 4-in-1 gloves, developed for paragliding in cooperation with Zanier, the well-known Austrian glove manufacturer.
Fine kidskin is used for the palm section, which gives the wearer a good sense of feeling even when taking photos and sorting out lines. The glove set consists of a pair of liner gloves, a pair of outer gloves and a pair of warming packs. The liner gloves have a small fabric pouch on the upper side into which the powder warming packs can be inserted. The warming packs generate heat when they come into contact with the air.

The various parts of the glove set can be combined in various ways depending on your requirements:

1) fleece liner gloves on their own
2) outer gloves on their own
3) liner gloves + outer gloves
4) liner gloves with warming packs + outer gloves

The gloves are available in sizes S, M, L and XL

Other features:
a) Outer shell: 4-way stretch, kidskin palm
b) Liner gloves: wind-proof fleece, palm reinforced with leather
c) The wind-proof ZA BLOCKER membrane helps counter the wind-chill effect and offers protection against the wind.
d) ZA FLEX is used. This is a 4-way stretch material guaranteeing optimum fit and comfort. Gloves with ZA FLEX are particularly soft and pleasant to wear.
e) Colour: black

The warming pads (in pairs) are also available separately. We recommend that you place your orders now. The 4-in1 gloves will of course be available through our dealers.

Brave 2 – new speed flying harness

Now available - the new Brave 2 speed flying harness! This harness is based on Gin’s Freerider harness, offering a whole new concept. It is smaller and lighter, and perfectly attuned to speed flying or speed riding. The combination of the Spitfire + Brave 2 has everything to make it THE highlight of this speed riding season.

click here for more information -->

Connect Reverse – now available for left-handed pilots

The Connect Reverse has probably been the most successful harness in 2009 and, following many enquiries, it has now been adapted to suit left-handed pilots. In this left-handed version, the reserve container located underneath the seat has its opening on the left rather than on the right. This change has already received type-certification and orders can now be placed for the left-handed version in all 3 sizes.

Our waiting list is slowly becoming shorter, but the left-handed version will unfortunately not be delivered before mid-January. It is certainly possible that Swing will later carry the left-handed version as a stock item if there is sufficient demand for it. When placing an order with your dealer for the left-handed version, please be certain to note "LEFT" (e.g. Connect Reverse Large - LEFT). We are working very hard on further reducing the waiting time for the Connect Reverse.

At the moment, there are no plans to produce a left-handed version of our Connect Light 2 and Connect 2.

click here for more information -->

Alfredo Studer in 1st place in the XContest flying a Stratus WRC

Our Swing team pilot Alfredo Studer, three-time winner of the international OLC, has just had his first trip to the cross-country paradise of Quixada in North Brazil, spending two weeks there with a dozen other Swiss pilots.

He flew a Swiss record on 4.11, and he also had two flights over 150km, two over 200km and two over 300km, flying a Stratus WRC, which gave him the lead in the international XContest-rankings. He also had a flight of 158km on an Astral 6, but unfortunately the conditions on that day were not ideal.
You can read further details about his flights here http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/ranking-pg-open/

Congratulations to Alfredo for his excellent performance...this will certainly not be his last trip to Brazil.

Swing Pilots celebrate their success

Swing celebrated several German cross-country championship titles at this year’s DHV cross-country awards event.

In the premier league, the title of German champion went to Daniel Tyrkas, a new member of the Swing team. Flying a Stratus WRC, he finished ahead of his well-known competitors after an exciting finish in the open class, and secured for himself a major title for the first time in his young flying career. Among the women, Monika Mack, flying an Astral 5, again became German women’s cross-country champion, celebrating the fifth time (!) she has won this title.

In the German cup, our top flat-land pilots, Angela Dachs and Erwin Auer, made their mark and flew to victory in the German rankings.

Günther Wörl, head of Swing, was delighted about his strong team, and took the opportunity to offer his personal congratulations to the champions. All of the members of the Swing team would like to add their congratulations.

We wish to thank you very much for the great commitment which you have shown in 2009 and, of course, all the best for next season.
Keep up the good flying!

pic: from left Angela Dachs, Daniel Tyrkas, Monika Mack, Günther Wörl and Erwin Auer.

ASTRAL 6.26 and 28 – DHV tests passed

We are delighted to be able to tell you that the brand-new top category 2 glider, the Astral 6, has now also successfully completed the DHV test flights in sizes 26 (85-110kg) and 28 (105-130kg). The smallest size (22) will follow shortly.

The documents for the type certification of sizes 24, 26 and 28 are being processed by the DHV and will be published in the next few weeks. Orders for gliders (including custom colours) can now be placed. We will keep the availability status of the various sizes updated and it can be checked any time on the Astral 6 page of our website.

Contact your Swing dealer to arrange a test flight. See also the item below on the "Astral 6 Testival in Bassano" which is on now, for another chance to test fly the glider.

click here for more information -->

CIVL World Ranking – Torsten Siegel in 4th place

Our constructor, test and team pilot Torsten Siegel also shot up in the current CIVL world rankings after his last two top ten results in the World Cup in Croatia and the World Cup Super Final: Torsten is currently in 4th place and will stay there for some time to come – there are no more major competitions in 2009.

Congratulations on these achievements (and to other pilots we have not mentioned here).. we are very proud of you!

Your Swing Team

Top placings for our Swing pilots

The 2009 season is coming to an end and we are able to look back with pride at some excellent results by our pilots.

Our Stratus pilots were very successful in the cross-country competitions in particular. Special mention goes to Daniel Tyrkas, who took out the title of German Cross-Country Champion and Alex Happacher, who won the Italian Championship. Christian Amon took part again in the Dolomite Man competition, with his team finishing in 1st place.

Success too at the World Cup Final for our Swing Team: Maurizio Bottegal, Manuel Nübel, Jens Kierdorf and Torsten Siegel demonstrated top performance for two weeks and finished in third place in the team results. Torsten just missed out on a place on the winners’ podium in the individual results, finishing in fifth place.

As well as third place in the team results, Jens, Manuel and Torsten were also on the podium for the nation results. Our three German team pilots finished in second place, admitting defeat only to the Italians.

Another top placing for Swing came from our Polish pilot Pawel Faron in the WXC contest (World XC online contest). The cross-country competition sponsored by the FAI/CIVL ranks a pilot’s six best flights worldwide. Pawel got started in February, treated himself to a holiday in Australia and flew 255 km and 205 km from Mt. Borah. The remaining four flights submitted by our WRC pilot were in the Alps, with him tackling three flights in quick succession on 18, 19 and 20 August. He wouldn’t reveal whether he spent the night out at the disco in between :-)

http://wxc.fai.org/module.php?id=22&date=20090930&gliderclass=pgo&civlid=1

Spitfire - the new speed rider from Swing

Speedriding is becoming more and more popular around the world and Swing started developing the first speed riders in 2006. Our speedflying development team led by Manuel Croci and Daniel Kalberer, together with the Swing Speedflying Team pilots Daniel Kofler, Andreas Schreilechner and Beni Kaelin, worked on this new project in the Alps during 2009. The result is a perfect wing for this very exciting and breathtaking sport

Spitfire - ride the Swing side of life.

click here for more information -->

ASTRAL 6 - Testival in Bassano

Everyone has been talking about the Astral 6 and, from this weekend, everyone will want to fly it too.
We will be in Bassano for the whole week with a large number of demo Astral 6 gliders in sizes 24, 26 and 28.

You will find us at the SWING tent at the Garden Relais (hang-glider landing area) or the official landing area. Swing reps Andi and Philip will provide you with a demo glider and be on hand to give you any information you require. Don’t miss this opportunity, and the thermic conditions, to get the full picture of the Astral 6.

There’s no time to delay! After a great flight you can also enjoy a taste of the local beer at the Swing tent in "bella Italia". The Astral 6 will keep a cheerful mood in the air ...guaranteed!!

See you there...

XC Open in Araxá in Brazil

The third and final XC Open event of 2009 took place in Araxá, Brasil. Araxá is known for it\'s great cross country flying with normal October conditions making over 150kms flights the norm. Unfortunately the conditions this year were not to easy with big formations interrupting some tasks and making other tasks very shadowy on route. The second task was best day with Washington Peruchi and Richard Pethigal (Swing WRC) winning the task with the longest flight of the competition: 107 kms.
Only 3 tasks were validated during the competition with other days being stopped or cancelled because of thunder clouds. Richard Pethigal was able to hold onto his lead through the 3rd task and take the overall winners spot on the podium.

Another great victory for Swing and the Stratus WRC.

click here for more information -->

Daniel Tyrkas is German XC Champion for 2009

A successful XC-season for SWING team pilot Daniel Tyrkas: an exciting cross-country season got underway for Daniel back in April. Two good FAI triangles of approx. 120km each from the Brauneck (Bavaria) on his Stratus 7 put Daniel in 1st position in the rankings from the outset. Things are looking good, so he sets himself the goal for this season of finishing in the top 10. He then tests a SWING Stratus WRC so that he has the most competitive glider available, and is so enthusiastic about it that he does not want to give it back. The weather gods finally play their part in late July and allow a couple of "big days". On 26 and 29 July, Daniel flies two large triangles from the Speikboden of 186km and 203km on his SWING Stratus WRC (see under News ...).

Daniel is very pleased about his first 200km FAI and suddenly finds himself right at the top of the rankings again. His new goal for the season is to finish in the top 3. In August there is a real showdown. Good weather, the top pilots are submitting big flights, and the rankings change with every good day. He needs an FAI of at least 145 km to get himself into 1st place. The result of his final flight is a 151.5km FAI! Yes! Daniel is able to hold 1st place till the end of the season and is thrilled about winning the hard-fought title of German Cross-Country Champion.

Daniel, great result!! ...you joined the Swing Competition Team just recently and you’ve already got the title...
Many congratulations!

Free Flight Tegelberg 2009

Many thanks for visiting our stand at the Free Flight trade show. We were able to present a really great product here, namely the brand-new Astral 6 (LTF 2 with aspect ratio of 6.4) .

The E-Motor Silent-X also caused a real sensation. During the demonstrations, spectators were able to see for themselves its performance and properties. This has gone into series production in cooperation with Geiger Engineering and Fresh Breeze and is now ready for delivery through Swing. Amazingly quiet circuits near ground level were convincing for spectators at the landing field, and they were able to see and listen to the two E-motors in combination with the new Astral 6. At the same time, there was also an impressive demo flight by our Speedriding ProTeam of our new speed rider, the "Spitfire" . These new products are sure to create a real stir in their respective categories.

Thanks to everyone who visited us – we enjoyed talking to you and your suggestions are always welcome. We look forward to seeing you again next year.

Until then, our Swing-dealers are of course pleased to help you if you need any advice. Your wishes are behind what we do....

Swing-air Team

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World Cup Super Final

Successful World Cup Final for our Swing Team: Maurizio Bottegal, Manuel Nübel, Jens Kierdorf and Torsten Siegel demonstrated top performance for two weeks and finished in third place in the team results. Torsten just missed out on a place on the winners’ podium in the individual results, finishing in fifth place.

The Italian village of Poggio Bustone was taken over by the World Cup Super Finals from 2-12 September. The World Cup Title was battled out in a twelve-day long final, similar to the World or European Champs, following the introduction of a new format. This resulted in a top-class field, which included former champions such as Luca Donini and Bruce Goldsmith. The Swing Team was represented by eight pilots, with Torsten, Jens and Maurizio making up the team and Manuel flying as reserve. Our team pilots were still working busily on the new models during the training days, as Torsten related: “We had three prototypes on launch, which we readjusted a little in trim, making them right for the windy conditions. Petsch, for example, was flying with a very high speed which at the end of the day proved unsuccessful . It mostly caught the leaders or pilots who were flying ahead of the main field, and Petsch was always up there.” Things went better for Jens, who flew up on the field from behind during a high-speed task in Norma and finished in the third-fastest time. “The new Stratus-Proto was ideally adjusted for those kind of conditions and “bulletproof” in the bumpy air”, Jens told us with a smile. He accelerated the glider up to 70 km/h and flew right at the head of the field after a bad start.

The decision came down to the last task: a large area of shade came over the flying area from the south. “We were always flying behind the area of shadow, but eventually we ended up in it”, Torsten reported. “Only six pilots in our group were able to reach the mountains again from the flat land, whereas Jens took a tactical approach, avoided the shaded flat land and took the next turn in a large arc over the mountains. This left us both very-well positioned and we flew to goal for a place on the podium.” As well as third place in the team results, Jens, Manuel and Torsten were also on the podium for the nation results. Our three German team pilots finished in second place, admitting defeat only to the Italians.

Congratulations from the Swing Team to our pilots and the World Cup champions Charles Cazaux and Keiko Hiraki.

SWING pilots successful in the 2009 DHV-XC

Our Swing team pilots finished in top positions in the DHV-XC again this year, with some spectacular flights:

Daniel Tyrkas / Stratus WRC
- 1st place PG Open national
Monika Mack / Astral 5
- 1st place PG women's national
Eberhard Linckh / Astral 5
- 5th place PG Sport national

The SWING team congratulates these and all other pilots on their success and their great flights!

http://xc.dhv.de/xc/modules/leonardo/index.php?name=leonardo&season=2009&year=0&month=0&day=0

Astral 6.24 – aspect ratio of 6.4 with LTF 2 / EN C

We have received the first series gliders in the final design right in time for the Coupe Icare and trade fair in St. Hilaire. Here at Swing, we are treating the Astral 6 as a milestone in our history and we are all genuinely very excited about it. The prototypes have already shown that the Swing development team led by Michael Hartmann has again blazed a new trail. Several pilots have already had the opportunity to log quite a few hours of thermalling and have been enthusiastic about its fresh handling, improved performance, high level of safety and innovative details. We can claim (and not without a touch of pride) that the design, including the new colours, emphasises this glider’s true class.

Our team has now taken 3 series gliders in the new colours and the final design to the Icarus Cup, and we hope to be able to take some good photos in the next few days. To give you an idea, here are 3 photos of the glider in the new colours (Petrol-green - Lilac - Aubergine) taken during practice inflations.

The gliders will be released at the Free Flight trade fair at Tegelberg in Füssen (Bavaria) in early October with other new products. More information soon.

We look forward to seeing you!

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36. Coupe Icare in France

The next COUPE ICARE (Icarus Cup) will be held September 17th - 20th, 2009 on the combined sites of St Hilaire du Touvet - Lumbin.

On the programme for this year's edition are the traditional events : Film Festival, Icare Expo, aerial demos, Costumed Flight Competition, street shows, the Kids Corner for the younger set... not to mention a menu of new features !!

Visit our stand with new info's about Astral 6!

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163 km on a category 1/1-2 glider

Category 1 gliders – competition and cross-country pilots normally snigger at them. Most pilots think they are suitable only for training and, when claims are made in advertising material that they can be used for cross-country flying, this is merely marketing hype. That’s why the 163km triangle which Roger Bruhin flew on an Arcus 6 deserves particular attention. It is an impressive demonstration of the potential of our new category 1 glider and successfully challenges the usual prejudices:

Sunday 16 August - last day of the holidays and finally great flying conditions. Roger Bruhin launched at 10.40am in Fiesch (Switzerland) on his Arcus 6 for a long cross-country flight. He had already thermalled to 3,800m in the Goms valley and he set his first turnpoint above the Grimsel Pass.

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Swiss Open – 2nd place in the Swiss Open and runner-up in the Swiss champs

Things worked out second time around: the first Swiss Open in Flims did not reach the required minimum points for a valid Swiss Championships, so the competitors met for a second time in Fiesch from 20-23 August and flew three successful tasks. Our Swing team pilot Peter “Petsch” Neuenschwander was right up with the leaders from the start and secured both 2nd place in the Swiss Open and also the title of runner-up in the Swiss Champs.

The first task of 103 km was the highlight. “Stefan Wyss and I managed to leave the field behind halfway through the task. The conditions were really good and Stefan then made his final approach quite tight. I didn’t want to do the same and flew the last stretch a little more safely,“ Petsch reported. He finished in second place behind Wyss with an average of nearly 32 km. He also finished in second place the following day in a short race over 28km. There was no flying the next day because of the weather, and then the final task of 56km held on Sunday decided the Swiss Open. The task was limited because of the strong south-easterly which came in in the east over the Nufenen Pass and in the west over the Simplon. Martin Scheel therefore set the task over Riederfurka-Chäserstatt-Münster-Chäserstatt-Bettmeralp-Bellwald-Fiesch. As the lower air layer was still stable in the morning, the route over the Chäserstatt was expected to call for some tactical flying – however, as it turned out, conditions were very good in the morning, so that Andy Aebi pulled away and reached goal after 1h34m. Peter Neuenschwander and Stefan Wyss flew tactically and were able to keep their overall placings with 2nd place and 6th place.

Petsch flew our latest Stratus prototype during the Swiss Open, which he put through its paces against tough competition. He is also using it at the Super Final. We wish him luck, and hope he comes home with a similar result.

Congratulations from the Swing Team!

Photos by Martin Scheel.
A well-earned drink. Place-getters in the Swiss Open: Peter Neuenschwander, Stefan Wyss and Michael Sigel

World Cup Kroatien – Marion Slunka finishes in 2nd place

Marion Slunka keeps on getting better. Our WRC-pilot had already caused a stir at the pre-European Championships in Abtenau (Austria) where she finished in 2nd place, and she has now performed very well in Croatia. Marion laid the foundation for her success in the fifth task of 61km, in which she was the only female to make goal. She even reached an outstanding 15th place in the overall rankings (i.e. against the men as well). After six successful tasks, Marion had to admit defeat in the end, finishing in 2nd place just 42 points behind the Czech pilot Renata Kuhnova, but still ahead of the European champion Elisa Houdry.
Along with the Top 5 female pilots, the Top 10 male pilots were also honoured for their success in Buzet. Torsten Siegel was on the podium in 9th place, receiving a bottle of fine red wine as did the other competitors. The Swing test pilot had three very good tasks, in which he finished in 2nd, 5th and 6th place, which secured his top 10 placing.

So both pilots have qualified for the World Cup SuperFinal in Italy, and we will keep our fingers crossed for them...there’s not far to go before they’re right at the top :-))

Swiss Championships: task victory and podium place for Swing team pilots

Our Swing team pilots keep on getting better. Torsten Siegel was on the winners’ podium as third place-getter in the Swiss Championships, and Peter Neuenschwander notched up a win in the final task. Both pilots were flying new WRC prototypes, so that the performance of the wings could be tested against tough competition. And this went very well for the two pilots!

“The first task was fairly challenging in the brisk north wind and was nearly called off. Nevertheless, we persevered and this allowed us to test thoroughly the stability of the WRC protos in turbulent conditions”, Torsten told us. He was particularly pleased that the new proto which Petsch was flying demonstrated very good features. “The glider is really very stable”, Petsch also confirmed, and he flew to victory in the last task. “The conditions were very weak and the task was only short. Despite this, it was evident that the proto I was flying with the new profile has excellent climb characteristics”, Petsch reported to us. While Torsten was alongside Alex Hofer and Stefan Morgenthaler on the podium at the award ceremony, Petsch received a “healthy” check for his task victory. Our two Swing team pilots were pleased most of all about the fact that clear progress is evident in the development of the new competition gliders. We are eager to see further results. The required score of 800 points for a valid Swiss Championships was not reached in Flims, so the competition will enter its second round in Fiesch in 4 weeks.

Our congratulations to Torsten and Petsch!!!

Connect Reverse – sold out till late September!

The unique and very well conceived Connect Reverse has generated unprecedented demand. We must therefore inform all of our customers that orders placed after 22.06.09 (+-) can probably only be filled from late September. We are in the course of doubling production, but this in itself requires some time, as we are also dependent on Deuter for this product.
It is definitely well worth your while to be patient. There is good reason why there is such great demand.
We would like to thank you in advance for your understanding, and hope that you enjoy great flying in the 2009 season.

Your Swing Team

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New! ... The Arcus 6 Compact

The Arcus 6 has very quickly established itself in its class because of its convincing flight characteristics and unequalled performance statistics, and Swing is now offering this popular glider in a compact version as well. The Arcus 6 Compact used with the Connect Reverse (our convertible harness - extremely comfortable to carry) form the ideal combination for any pilot who is looking for compact and lightweight equipment to use on paragliding trips and/or where there will be a lengthy walk.

The lightweight fabric of 4-6g/m² on average gives the Arcus 6 Compact a weight saving of approx. 700g, resulting in a much smaller pack size. A conscious decision was made not to use unsheathed lines, thinner risers or extremely lightweight fabric, so as not to compromise the Compact version’s suitability for everyday use by the Arcus 6 target group. This also ensures that its flight behaviour is nearly identical to the standard version.

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Arcus 6.32 Compact (120 to 150kg)

And there’s more, as we present new performance possibilities for a group of pilots which is all too often neglected: we have added a sixth size of glider to the popular Arcus 6 range, so it now includes the 120 – 150kg weight group.

The Compact 6.32 nevertheless continues to be a LTF1/1-2 glider. The larger surface area is compensated by the lighter material combination in the Compact version, so it offers a pleasant pack size which is comfortable to carry. This size will therefore be available only in the Compact version.

Still looking for more?...It keeps getting better: the Arcus 6.32 Compact can be converted into a small tandem glider. This is a unique selling point which should not be underestimated when it comes to resale!
It is ideally suited for lighter pilots and social pilots who would like to take their children or friends flying. The 32 Compact converts into a very appealing and agile tandem by simply changing the risers. Then, in just a few quick steps, the small tandem changes back to the "outsized" solo glider.

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Caroll Licini wins the BaWü Open

One fixture which I highlight on the calendar every year is the Baden-Württenberg-Open in Oppenau in the Black Forest. The “Ba-Wü-Open” has now grown into Germany’s largest flight show and, in my view, is also one of the most well-organised paragliding events. It is very evident that the organisers have years of experience behind them. As well as the efficient organisation of the flying aspects (retrieves, task-setting, schedule, pilot information etc.), they also think of the smallest details and, above all, of the spectators: excellent catering services with Black Forest specialities (Spätzle!!), B.A.S.E. jumpers, wing-suit flying, world-record attempt, bouncy castle, crèche facility and model plane-making, and a crane where spectators could hang on a hang-glider to be “flown” over the show-grounds to the Dominik Büchele concert! It was all simply fantastic and the organisers certainly deserve our compliments!

The north-facing launch site is at an altitude of approx. 600m and the valley floor is at approx. 300m. The calculation isn’t hard: an alpine pilot will be wondering how it’s possible to fly here. But it certainly is! On the Friday, a task of 58.8km was set. A lot of wind with a good temp and high cloud-base made the task fairly sporty in some parts. But mostly I was trying to deal with my ice-cold fingers! More than 40 pilots reached goal from the 110 who launched. There was no task on the Saturday because of the strong wind, but that meant we were finally able to explore Baden-Baden. On the Sunday, the task-setters worked out a tricky task of 46.6km.However, only 9 pilots made it to goal this time because there was a strong wind once again. On the Monday, the task was cancelled because a pilot had been injured on landing and it looked at first as if a helicopter rescue would be needed but, fortunately, that was not the case. So there were two valid tasks during the four days. Davide Licini (ITA) won, followed by Greg Baboush (USA) and Peter Jung (GER). In the women’s rankings, I came first, followed by Ewa Gorneliuk-Guzzi (GER) and Yvonne Dathe (GER). Now I need to mark the dates for the next Ba-Wü-Open! ;-)

Caroll ....great performance!!!! ..congratulations!!!
PS: and perhaps Davide will also come back to the Swing Team soon .-))

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World Cup Turkey - Peter Neuenschwander in 1st place with the “Spälti” team

The European World Cup season gets underway with places on the winners’ rostrum for our Stratus WRC pilots: Peter Neuenschwander took out 1st place with Switzerland’s “Spälti” team, and Martina Centa finished in 2nd place with the “Cornizzolo Eventi” team.

The Swiss company Spälti, which specialises in switching systems, has been sponsoring a powerful World Cup Team for years, and has been very successfully involved in competition. Peter Neuenschwander, our new team member from Switzerland, was team captain during the World Cup in Turkey of the three-man “Spälti-Troop” which, after four tasks, was the convincing winner in the team rankings. “”With Stefan Morgentahler and Joel Debon, we had an extremely strong team on launch and the victory in the team rankings is of course a very good start”, reported Petsch. In the individual rankings, however, he had a tough struggle. “Unfortunately, I landed just short of goal in the third task after 110km. The winner for the day came down to a battle at the end, and I made my final glide a little too early. Many pilots risked an awful lot and the risk had to be taken – it was a real shame.” Petsch was flying a new Stratus WRC Proto in Turkey. In the end, he could at least celebrate the team’s success. “First place for the team is naturally very important for our sponsor and our motivation and we will make every possible effort to repeat the success in the Super Final.” As well as Peter Neuenschwander, our Italian Swing pilot Martina Centa was also on the winners’ rostrum. She and her teammates were second in the team rankings. Shortly after, like all the prize winners, she found herself cooling down in the pool: the celebrations continued poolside until late in the night and, in the end, no-one stayed dry.

Congratulations to our two Stratus WRC pilots, and we keep our fingers crossed for them.

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Alex Happacher flies a 227km FAI triangle on the Stratus WRC

On 20 May, Alex Happacher from the Swing Racing Team flying a Stratus WRC, launched from the Grente (Antholz im Pustertal/South Tyrol) over the Staller Sattel into the Defreggen valley, where he set his first turn-point SW of Matrei. The first leg stretched about 100km from the Defreggen valley over Bruneck, Gitschberg by Brixen into the Ridnaun Valley near Sterzing. From there, he flew with Eder Kurt to the third turn-point towards Falzarego Pass at the end of the Gader Valley. He crossed the Puster Valley after Rodeneck over the Lüsener Alm to the Kromplatz and from there towards the turn-point at the Falzarego Pass, where he lost about 10km from the FAI triangle because he set the third turn-point too far east and, as a result, the second turn-point in the Ridnaun Valley was shortened or truncated. (Alex has had to send his normal GPS in for repairs, and the GPS he has on loan has only a small display, so his calculations were out by a few km). From the Falzarego, he flew back towards Kronplatz, where he managed to reach cloud base again, and so he was able to reach his intended landing spot in the Antholzer Valley. He landed there after 9.5 hours flying and a scoring distance of 227km.
Alex...great flight...
Many congratulations!!
more information here:


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Swing Competition Team strengthened by Peter Neuenschwander (CH)

We are pleased to be able to welcome Peter “Petsch” Neuenschwander to the Swing Competition Team. Peter, 29 years old, is switching to the Swing Team with immediate effect and will work in the high performance and competition area and in test flying tandem gliders. “Petsch” is an all-round pilot, who has recorded many successful flights and flies in Switzerland’s “Selection A”. He was successful in acro-flying for many years, together with Chrigel Maurer, and he is now concentrating mainly on the World Cup Events. In other respects, Peter has committed himself 100% to flying. As a professional tandem pilot and flying instructor, he works in the “tandem mecca’” of Interlaken and, if he has any spare time, he also enjoys hang-gliding or allows himself to be thrown out of planes: another of his great passions is skydiving. And if he ever isn’t in the air, his other pursuits include football, snowboarding and travel. Our new team member has many years of experience as a test and competition pilot and in development, which he will in future contribute to Swing.
Petsch will also look after competition pilots in his native country of Switzerland. This expands our network of contact people, and he can be contacted at the address below with any questions about competition flying:
peter.neuenschwander@swing.de

A brief profile of “Petsch”:
Date of birth: 19.09.1979
Swiss-Team: SELECTION A
Sponsors: SPAELTI-AG, Mormaii sunglasses
Job: Tandem pilot, flying instructor
Education: Electrician
Hobbies: Snowboarding, flying
Flying since: 1997
Comps since: 1998
Reason for flying: Because it’s just great fun!


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211 km on the Stratus 7 – furthest flight ever by a pilot from Ticino!

At 11.26 on 20 May 2009, Swing XC team pilot Claudio Vosti, from the Swiss canton of Ticino, began a cross-country flight from Motto Bartola. The weather forecast predicted an average westerly but, once in the air, Claudio noticed very quickly that it was stronger than the forecast. He decided to fly an “open distance” flight towards Austria. He crossed the Alps from south to north at a height of about 3300 m, and reached the crest above Sedrun.
Vosti encountered some difficulties above Chur, where he had to fight hard to work his way up again. Twenty years of flying experience helped him get out of the difficult situation and to thermal up to 3734m near Trimmis. He landed at Landeck in Austria after 7 ½ hours in the air. At the landing site, he met Paul Tomassi and Reynald
Mumentahler who had launched from Fiesch, so the three were all able to report on their flights.
Vosti was able to exploit the potential of his Stratus 7 to the full - his flight was 211 km with an average speed of 28.52 km/h.
This is the furthest flight ever by a pilot from Ticino. Vosti is now in 2nd place in the XContest Schweiz and 11th in the XC world rankings. A total of 38 pilots in Switzerland flew further than 100km on the same day, and Vosti’s flight was the 3rd longest.

Super …congratulations Claudio…great flight!

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150 km with the Arcus 6

On 20 May, Roger Bruhin flew a flat triangle of 150km on the Arcus 6, just two weeks after his great 112km FAI triangle!

As with his earlier flight, Roger began his second one on the Arcus 6 in Fanas (Switzerland). “Given the wind conditions in Prättigau, I decided at the first turnpoint to fly a flat triangle in the direction of Lake Walen.” On the way, Roger made a detour to the Schesaplana mountain, a route which is not altogether usual, but which has spectacular scenery.After the impressive crossing over the Rhine Valley, he connected straight away, and made good progress to Leistchamm. “I couldn’t resist the temptation, so I flew over Amden, which is fairly flat, as far as the Federispitz.”
His plan succeeded, and Roger was able to continue his flight several kilometres further to the west. The downside to this was that he was now a little late for the return. The evening thermals were only bubbling off the Gonzen at 2500m, not exactly comfortable for the 10km crossing ahead. Way below Falknis he kept hoping in vain for another half hour for some redemption or some valley wind.
“In those conditions, it would almost have been a miracle if I had come up again – but I had to give it a try!” He adds with a smile: “I had probably played all my Jokers already during the flight…”

Roger landed his Arcus 6 in Malans after 8 hours 40 minutes with a satisfied smile…

Great performance Roger!…if you keep this up, you’ll soon be flying 200km 

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Ewa Wisnierska is Bavarian Women’s Champ

The International Bavarian Championships took place in Lenggries from 14 – 17 May 2009. There were 95 entrants competing for the title. The weather was not at its best at the start of the competition in Tölzer Land (Upper Bavaria), but it was possible to hold two valid tasks. Cloud base was at 3300m on Sunday, and excellent visibility allowed unique impressions of the landscape.

Ewa Wisnierska, who has for two years been living near Swing’s base in Landsberied, competed for the first time for the title of Bavarian Women’s Champion, and won it convincingly on her Stratus WRC. In keeping with the title and the occasion, she wore traditional Bavarian costume to receive her cup. Manuel Nübel, our talented Swing Team pilot, earned a spot on the Bavarian winners’ podium, finishing in third place.

Congratulations to you both !!!

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“Ladies only” XC-Camp with Ewa Wisnierska

Cross-country flying for female pilots with the reigning European Women’s Champion: the focus of this special cross-country camp is the joy of cross-country flying, with advice “from one woman to another” on how to further develop your skills and overcome your own weaknesses and obstacles. The special aspect to this camp is that it builds on each individual’s flying ability, in the small groups which are intentionally kept to a maximum of 7 participants. All pilots, from XC beginners to experienced and ambitious pilots, will benefit at the XC-Camp from Ewa’s unique know-how and her great wealth of experience. Dates: 31 May (Sun) – 6 June (Sat), Place: Greifenburg (Austria).

Pilots will of course have the opportunity during the XC Camp to test fly the various Swing gliders.
Please let us know beforehand if you will be interested in doing this, so that we can make sure we have gliders available. < ewa@swing.de >

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Arcus 6 – the first FAI triangle over 100km

7 May, Roger Bruhin flew a fantastic 112km FAI triangle in Switzerland with the new Arcus 6! The first leg took him from Prättigau to Klosters. After the first turn-point, he did not follow the Koster route as most of the others did that day, but flew together with Swing XC Team pilot André Bussmann towards the south-west. Just before Savognin, Roger caught the blue thermal and was able to glide at a comfortable height to the Lenzerhorn. (Unfortunately André Bussmann was not quite so lucky and had to give up after the crossing). After that, it was a quick flight over Chur to Landquart. At the Vilan, just a few km away from where he launched, the stable layer became apparent and so Roger had to give up on the third turn-point he had originally planned. Nevertheless, after about 7 hours flying, he had done enough for a fantastic 112 km FAI triangle…

A great flight and a great start to the season Roger! …Many congratulations!

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DULV-certified motors for Mistral 5

The foundation was laid for using the Mistral 5 for motorised flight in 2008 with type certification by the DULV (German Ultralight Association) of the higher take-off weights in connection with trimmer risers. The necessary compatibility tests have now been successfully completed with many current motors.
In Germany, it is only possible to submit completely motor-powered aircraft for final type certification (i.e. glider + motor, not separate components). In other words, a test flight is required by a pilot specially trained by the DULV to determine whether the desired combination of paraglider and motor satisfies the safety requirements. This pilot flies a precisely defined test-flight programme with a particular combination.
The following Mistral 5- combinations were successfully certified:

• Mistral 5.24 /.26 /.28 with FB Snap Sportix
• Mistral 5.24 /.26 /.28 with FB Simo Jettison
• Mistral 5.24 /.26 /.28 with FB Simo Sportix
• Mistral 5.26 /.28 with FB Flyke Monster
• Mistral 5.26 /.28 with FB Bullix Monster

Here are the weight ranges for motorised flight
• Mistral 5.24 (75-130kg)
• Mistral 5.26 (85-155kg)
• Mistral 5.28 (95-170kg)>br> The compatibility tests will be included in the DULV databank shortly at
http://www.dulv.de/fmi/xsl/motorschirm/findrecords.xsl?-view

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Alex Schalber wins the Staufen Cup

As was the case the previous week at the Zillertal Open, the decision to proceed with the Staufen Cup in Andelsbuch (Vorarlberg) was not an easy one. The developing Foehn wind created real worries for the organisers. But, just like in Zillertal, it was possible to rely on a top pilot who, in addition to his flying ability, also demonstrates sound meteorological knowledge: Christian Tamegger. Christian expected the southerly to drop off considerably in the afternoon. And, as it happened, at about noon, a dozen pilots were floating about above launch. So there was nothing more standing in the way of a valid flight for points.
A short, fast flight would produce a result. It was a very quick flight to goal at Andelsbuch with good ascent rates over two somewhat unusual flat country markers.
In the turbulent final glide, Alex Schalber was able to break away from the leading group thanks to the stability of his Stratus WRC and win the day’s task. Armin Eder (Tyrol) and Werner Jäger (Vorarlberg) reached goal not far behind.
It wasn’t possible to hold a task on the Sunday, so the first task settled the overall rankings in the 2009 Staufen Cup.

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Podium for Stratus WRC at the Zillertal Open

Anyone who wishes to hold a competition in Central Europe in mid-April needs an advisor well-versed in meteorology. Former World Champion, Stephan Stieglair from Zillertal, has already shown on several occasions that he has the local weather under control. So, despite a miserable weather forecast, a large part of the Austrian League took up the invitation by the organiser, the “Golden Eagles Zillertal”.
The pilots who travelled there were rewarded with two excellent tasks. Swing pilots Alex Schalber and Thomas Brandlehner performed well once again. Alex won the first task and was second in the overall rankings, just one point ahead of his team-mate Thomas in 3rd place.
Victory went to the young pilot from Zillertal, Hannes Huber, who gave convincing proof of his knowledge of the area.
Photo: Winners at the Zillertal Open: Brandlehner, Huber, Schalber (l. to r.)

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Connect Reverse - convertible harness/backpack

For the start of the 2009 season, Swing is releasing the Connect Reverse, a very innovative convertible harness/backpack. It is the perfect addition to the Connect range, and will impress you with its high level of comfort and the large number of very well thought-out details. With this harness, Swing is targeting all paraglider pilots who place a lot of importance on a small pack size, light weight, and high level of functionality yet, at the same time, it is suitable for everyday use.

The seat geometry of the successful Connect Light 2 was used for this harness. Swing has broken new ground when it comes to carrying comfort, and has integrated the "Alpin Back System"System back support system from the well-known backpack manufacturer Deuter. Anyone who is familiar with Deuter backpacks will know that they distribute weight perfectly on the back and hips for lengthy hikes. The perceived weight is therefore considerably less than the actual weight, a great advantage of this unique carrying system. For this reason it is worth looking again more closely at the Connect Reverse for “lightweight fans”.

The backpack offers enough room for even large gliders and full helmets. The Connect Reverse L weighs 4Kg (excl. carabiners, cover and hip belt). However, note that the reserve is integrated under the seat, thus saving about 400g for an additional front container. This point should not be overlooked when comparing its weight with other products which do not have an integrated reserve system.

The first harnesses are on stock and are being delivered.

Get up to speed ...it’s worth it....

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Caroll Licini finishes in 2nd place on the Stratus WRC in the Bassano Open

The International Bassano Open takes place at Easter each year to mark the start of the season. This year, 140 pilots from more than eight countries battled against one another from 9 -13 April for points and a winning spot. The weather at Easter is notoriously changeable. Caroll Licini from the Swing Racing Team even took her golf gear with her this year to deal with the potential problem of "para-waiting" in the event of bad weather but, luckily, it stayed in her car. This year, tasks of between 59 and 113km were flown on 4 of 5 possible flying days. The longest flight of 113km took pilots as far away as Feltre. So everyone was really able to celebrate a wonderful festival of flying. There was also a large turnout of pilots at the exhibition.

Ulrich Prinz (DEU) was the winner, followed by Jimmy Pacher (ITA) and Alberto Vitale (ITA). In the women’s rankings, the world champion Helisa Houdry (FRA) finished in number one place, followed by Caroll Licini (ITA) and Rosanna Scannagata (ITA).

Richard Pethigall is 2nd in the Brazilian Championship on a Stratus WRC

This year, with the 1st PWC of 2009 coming to Governador Valadares, many top European and U.S. pilots took advantage of the GV Open the week before to compete and get some trainning in before the big event. The Brazilian Nationals were also put together with the GV - Open which made for a very high end competition. The weather made for some mixed tasks during the event. Tasks 1, 4 and 6 were very racy days while the other tasks were very slow with weak conditions. One task was cancelled halfway during the race because of overdevelopement.

Swing (with the WRC) made an impressive showing during the event with a total of 155 participants. Alfio Sargento (BRA) and Maurynho Kotoco (BRA) were holding their positions in the top 10 during the beginning of the event. Alfio fell out after the 4th task and Koto held onto 4th place until the last task where he ended up in 9th overall and 6th in the Brazilian Nationals.

Richard Pethigal from the Swing Racing Team (BRA) battled his way from 44th after task 2 to finish in 5th place overall and 2nd in the Brazilian Nationals. Martina Centa (ITA) with her WRC finished in 2nd place for the women to complete a great showing for Team Swing.

Our congratulations to these Pilots

Explorer XL backpack

The Explorer backpack is now available in the XL version as well. It has a volume of approx. 200 litres (compared to the standard Explorer at approx. 130 litres), which gives it ample room for even the bulkiest harness, such as a competition harness.

In future, this backpack will be delivered with all gliders in sizes 28 and 30.

Please state specifically when placing an order if this is not what you want.

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Paweł Faron wins the XC Open in Australia

Swing Team pilot Paweł Faron from Poland finished in first place in the first stage of the XC Open World Series 2009, which was held in Manilla, Australia from 14-21 February. There were 106 pilots from around the world battling to fly the furthest.

Our congratulations Paweł!

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photos

Designer Torsten Siegel moves to Swing

We have scored a surprising coup, with designer Torsten Siegel moving to Swing from competitor UP International. From the coming season, Torsten will work with chief designer Michael Hartmann on paraglider development for Swing. Torsten is an outstanding gain for our team and will be involved in a number of areas for Swing. We are certain that his extensive know-how in the sport of paragliding will be a significant gain for us.

Torsten Siegel, 39 years old, is known as an experienced and successful designer, test pilot and competition pilot. Having completed his studies in engineering, he has been developing and testing paragliders for 12 years for UP International. Swing’s contact with Torsten began in October 2008, and has intensified since. Torsten’s main motivation for a change was the new challenge of working with a large and experienced team.

At Swing, we are very aware that, to retain market leadership, we should not rely on previous success. We have therefore stepped up our efforts to achieve perfection in all aspects of the sport of paragliding.

We are again emphasising this ambition by entering into a working relationship with Torsten. For this reason, he is the ideal person to expand our development team led by chief designer Michael Hartmann and test pilots Christian Amon and Benny Hörburger. Torsten will demonstrate his strengths to the full in competition flying too, and be fully committed to taking care of Swing’s competition team. Germany’s number one ranked pilot has been one of the world’s top pilots for years, and will bring all his know-how as a designer and test pilot to the team and to future products.

He is currently completing his contractual obligations with UP International and will start working with Swing from 15 February 2009.

Torsten ..welcome to the team!!!... we look forward to working with you!

The Arcus 6 is ready!

Get ready for the brand new Arcus 6, the latest model in the most successful paraglider range of all time.

find more about the new glider...

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Swing's new Sky-Wear Collection

We are pleased to be able to bring you our new Sky-Wear collection.

Our aim with this range was to offer clothing which does much more than simply keep you warm. We have joined forces with Völkl (www.voelkl.com), the ideal partner for us to be able to bring you top quality clothing.

Völkl is one of the world's largest and best-known ski manufacturers, and has extensive experience in top-quality outdoor and performance clothing. We have selected the items of clothing from the Völkl collection which are best-suited to our sport and are now able to market them with our own label.

Sportiness, practicality and an appealing design were the most important considerations in designing each item of clothing. Our Sky-Wear is manufactured from the highest-quality technical fabrics and ranks alongside the best available on the market when it comes to workmanship and practicality. The shape and cut will allow the freedom needed whatever the activity chosen.

For sales, contact one of the dealers in your country

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Great audience response for the cinema film Reise zum Horizont (“Journey to the Horizon”)

The documentary film Reise zum Horizont was met with enthusiastic audience acclaim at the 30th Biberacher Independent Film Festival and at its premiere in Munich’s Arri cinema. It tells the moving and eventful story of Ewa Wisnierska, reigning European women’s champion and multiple winner of the World Cup, and Dörte Schwarz, the 69 year old Ewa was teaching to paraglide during the course of filming. Thomas Latzel, film-maker and paraglider pilot, spent eighteen months with the pair, during a time which was very important for Ewa and Dörte.
In 105 enjoyable, exciting and entertaining minutes, the film succeeds in giving a very honest and intensive look at two extraordinary personalities and behind the scenes of competition paragliding. Reise zum Horizont shows a unique and very personal view of paragliding which has not seen before, in both breath-taking images and in quiet, very intimate moments with the two leads.

A wonderful film about limitations and how to overcome them, about a fascinating passion and on the question of what is really important in life. Recommended even for those who are not paraglider pilots! Swing is pleased to have been able to make an important contribution towards making this unconventional film project a reality.

Opening in cinemas on 13 November.

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Eva Wisnierska tops the women's rankings at the PWC in Brazil

Eva Wisnierska, the reigning European women's champion, demonstrated once again in Brazil how competitive she is.

Flying a Stratus WRC, she finished first in the women's rankings in three of the seven tasks and, with 3900 points, she clearly held her own against most of the men in the competition as well (31st place). In the 2008 World Cup rankings, she has 11675 points, putting her just 127 points behind first-place holder Anja Kroll.

Congratulations Ewa! The world championships in Mexico are certainly going to be exciting.

The Swing team.

Richard once again on the podium

The IV Andradas International Cup was held in Brazil between 7-13 September. Only 3 tasks were flown as there were strong winds on some days. Conditions were varied but some nice tasks were flown including one of 101kms with more than 50 pilots just 10kms short of goal.

With 180 pilots flying in the competition and a 450m high launch area, the beginning of the tasks were very interesting (or should we say very crowded). It was interesting to see so many different wings flying in Brazil and even more interesting to see the only Swing pilot in the comp make it to the podium (third place) .

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German Championships in Piedrahita

From September 7th until September 13th the German Championship was held in Piedrahita / Spain. Due to a tragically accident on the first day as well as bad weather conditions on the following days, only one valid run was possible. Therefore, no official rankings could be flown to determine a new champion and so Ewa Wisnierska remains the current German Champion. Once again Manuel Nübel proved his strong form and qualified for the PWC with a 3rd position in the overall ranking.

Moreover, our Stratus 7 pilot Angela Dachs, achieved a breakthrough with an inofficial first position in the ladies ranking of the German Championship. She is now the definitive winner of the 2008 league.

Swing grieves for the departed pilot Peter Gröger and feels with his family and friends.

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2-Yearly-Check and Special designs

As result of our survey on our website with international pilots, we now created two new domains on our website: You can find helpful information about possibilities to design a personal glider including costs of special designs on our homepage www.swing.de under service and specialdesign. Details and interesting facts concerning the 2-years-check are available at:

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Distribution network

SWING is working with 140 distributors in more than 40 countries. In order to inform you about our worldwide dealer network, we added the domain Sales on our website. There, our importers are listed by country with all necessary contact information. In case you have any questions about our products please don´t hesitate to contact our importers.

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