HOW SAFE IS YOUR EN-B PARAGLIDING WING ? - THEO DE BLIC

Most of the paragliding accidents happen because pilots tends to overreact to any problems in the sky and they are just doing everything wrong. When I teach SIVs I try to show to pilots that their EN-B wings are actually very safe and that they can rely on it. If they don't understand or are in doubts it is better quite often to just let it fly and do its job.
For this test I have been using the latest ION6 from NOVA Paragliders in XXS. Amazingly safe wing with super safe reactions. I was actually 10kg overweight and still it was impressively safe.
You can visit our flight school for information about our SIVs at : www.riseparagliding.com
Pilot : Théo de Blic
Wing : Nova Paragliders - ION6 XXS

[@luissoco]

Theo makes a perfect match with Nova's sense of humor! I think I'll adopt the "you don't have to do anything at all" philosophy to go easier with my life.

[@christianbrander7892]

Nice Video! Can you make a similar video with an C and D Glider to compare (of course with pilot reaction ;))?

[@obi.wan_canopy]

yes please! comment to the top

[@rustynuts4426]

I subbed! Amazing confidence booster, ai'm scared of heights and scared of falling but I'm still gonna learn to paraglide! God hides fun behind fear

[@kulfonbustardo1588]

Cheers matey this has made me feel more confident already

[@RomeoHotel26PPG]

Very reassuring and good video for boosting confidence in the wing.

[@davidalhoff7190]

And as you can see you don't have to do anything at all... and you are in a helico. Thanks Theo for that overview. To bad I was trying very hard for 50flights to master the heli. And i am still miles away from perfection:) Happy landings!!!

[@DrHavaZoo]

Love your video Theo. Thank you.

[@FlyBabyFlyPPG]

Thank you Theo is great to know that when you are step and step up is great the info, Fly Baby Fly

[@para.k]

Hi Theo de blic :) you are a expert pilot ~ but your message is simple. do not overreact and need to more famillar your glider. thank you for your educational video!

[@MaxStoney]

Hi Theo. I like your videos a lot. Thanks for sharing this for free and let the beginners lern a bit from it. But at the fullstall, i think, you said, you haven't touched the brakes at all while exiting. This might be a dangerous suggestion for a beginner. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but when you don't touch the breakes at all, the glider will overshoot in front of you and you risk to fall in it. I hope you will make more of these videos, that everybody can lern something when there is a rainy day 😉

[@Jmfufghf]

Theo I agree the glider wants to fly. What I'm not sure about is if your simulated collapse in calm air matches in any way what a collapse in dynamic air is like... turbulence + collapse let's see that with no hands ;)

[@SkidzFPV]

I was going to comment the same. Simulating a collapse in smooth air isn’t like the collapse that is caused by strong thermals.

[@markmcgoveran6811]

@@SkidzFPV well if the wind can open up as will.

[@RomeoHotel26PPG]

Re assuring video. Thanks

[@wild2flyparagliding160]

I enjoyed your stall and not having to do "anything". Looked like you did quite a lot to me! 😅👍

[@svetre87]

What did he do?

[@zF15z]

Theo, nice video. what en b wings would you recommend for entry acro whilst still being able to thermal / xc ?

[@Mountain_Manu]

I pulled a side collapse on my ION 5 a few days ago and it didn't even turn..just wanted to keep going straight and fly as normal (well, descending faster of course)..turning in both directions was easy just with weight shifting...these Low-Bs are soo easy to handle

[@G.S.61]

Great video. Your words should burn in the peoples mind. Then we for surely will have less accidents. Thank you for the video. P.S. Low-B Gliders are great!

[@vvarma71]

This is quite reassuring. Would there be a material difference in performance and safety between a glider positioned as Low B (like the Nova Ion) vs. an A+ (like Nova Aonic)?

[@Egly443]

If you want to pick up a second hand wing for a lot of full stalls and helicos, what are some good wing choices to pick up at relatively reasonable cost ? Not all wings are so pitch stable in developed spins etc - I am after a reasonably popular model to be able to actually get it in say 27m2.... Hook 2s are very hard to come by in this size these days ..... Whats your view Theo ?

[@BateDoktore]

Nice video Theo! Congrats! What the wing load in the video?

[@kebra222]

Qué bueno, Theo!!

[@CaedmonMullin]

Nice video, maybe just worth emphasising that even on an EN B stalls can go pretty badly wrong pretty quickly, the "if I release at the right moment" is kind of crucial. Probably best tried for the first time on an SIV 🙂

[@theoflies]

You are right, it needs to be released in the right moment. And this video is not to say go and try that by yourself ! You need to go and do an SIV ;-)

[@weenan]

Also, to me, it did look like you did brake the shoot some after the stall.

[@Meuchlor]

@@weenan i tought the same that he stopped the wing

[@ferelo9538]

Great, really usefull.. Thanks a lot

[@ripmanridin7092]

Awesome stuff!

[@FlyBabyFlyPPG]

Yes sr that motivate you more for the SIV yours was great

[@floriandraxler3868]

dude that video should get displayed on every starter class impressiv i fly a ion5

[@svenmeier7473]

Can you make this with an en-c glider? Will be intressting....

[@kamilhorvat8290]

Well, I've been recently on SIV training and I've found the hard way, that not all EN-B wings are equal. My UP Summit XC4 tends to exit full stall with large cravat. I was not ready for that and my wing started to spin fairly quickly. If I was not training above water, this accident could have been fatal for me.

[@patrickswayze2596]

What end of the scale of the EN/B wing you were flying? Low, mid or high?

[@hinrichfuchs]

Which camera and mount do you use for this shoots?

[@XC_Tom]

Good that you show that overreacting is often the main problem. But as a paraglider instructor I fear that the beginners who see this video will want to buy a en-b as their first wing. Everything is good if you have height, but minimum 50% percent of my fresh licensed pilots would have problems during take offs in thermal conditions. So maybe add one sentence in the description that en-b is still not >everyones< first paraglider.

[@sjgyomrey]

nice one, thank you

[@jeroendekkers5402]

Hey Theo, as you said :"i did not do anything". During front stal and side collapse with full bar you released the speedbar as i could see?

[@christianvonessen1847]

Hey Theo, thanks for the video, it's an interesting demonstration. What do you think about doing the same with a Mentor?

[@theoflies]

Mentor being a B the results should be similar :-)

[@Swampyonboard]

I fly a Mentor 5 and have done SIV on it (& also on an Ion 3). The mentor is a little bit more hands on but still very manageable, big ears stay in until encouraged out, stalls horseshoe til the wingtips clap & B-lines weren't as tidy as the Ion...everything else was similar. I'm 70kg on a small Mentor with an Advance Progress 3 harness. Hope this helps.

[@Wizmoisa]

Hey Theo, first of all thanks a lot for your videos, such good content. Can you please give your point of view about EN-A vs EN-B ? Looking at your video it's almost like a you pilot with initial licence could buy his first wing as an EN-B ? A lot of people says that it should not be done and the first experience HAVE to be done under an EN-A

[@mcbrite]

My first wing middle of school and after School was Ion 4... If you're not totally hamfisted and have good training you should be fine. Also ask your teacher, he knows you best!

[@DiegoTheWolf]

I'd love to see a semi-reflex wing tested the same way. Some of them (like the BDG Luna 2) are rated EN-B. But when speedbar is applied and the wing has a reflex profile the reaction should differ. Can you comment on reflex wings (or even test one?)

[@SoloSouth]

This is exactly what I was wondering

[@johnalexbaker]

I have to admit the ion 6 looked a little more horse-shoey than most Low B's during frontal recovery.

[@wanderflieger]

Learned that at my flying school.

[@tino579]

I would love to see the same with a C and D glider

[@usuariouser224]

Thanks

[@marcosbacasdelamar6373]

Same with rush six? Thanks

[@washingtonfly3833]

Show mulecot vc é fera #TAMOJUNTO

[@WuTangChillaBee]

Are you over the weight limit on XXS? Will this affect how fast a collapse recovers?

[@theoflies]

I was within the weight range :)

[@dwightbernheimer331]

It ain't Rocket Science... It's Aerodynamics... First and Foremost... The glider wants to Fly... So for God's sake, don't panic and let it Fly!!!... Good stuff. Thanks for posting...

[@paramotorparapenteacrobaci7585]

yeah !!!

[@TheBjossi80]

EN-B flies much better than you 😄 conclusion, do not do anything ☑

[@LukeSchneider]

Not even go and fly.

[@TheBjossi80]

@@LukeSchneider of course we fly whenever we can 🕊 and I recommend Iceland for everyone this summer cause we have no restrictions at all !

[@Chanelnrx]

How are the paramotor laws over there? It's damn expensive life n flights ... but it's on my bucket list :)

[@TheBjossi80]

@@Chanelnrx you can fly everywhere and everytime as long as you know where we have controlled airspace, then you need flight radio to inform the tower for that area. The zones are around the capital and keflavík airport. Most other places are for us to fly free like a bird 😎

[@TheBjossi80]

@@mcbrite I was talking about Iceland 😉

[@fullparagliding]

Low B or high B? (i think its not the same...)

[@theoflies]

Hello, I have been a test pilot for many years and I have brought high Bs and low Bs to certifications. During the certification there are no such things as low Bs and high Bs. It is just B either the glider is in B class or it is not. All Bs will react more or less the same to these maneuvers actually. A high B will give you more feedback and react faster to what you do but in term of safety it should be similar. That's what I know from many years actually testing prototypes.

[@crimsonraen]

HA Definitely important to know! :)

[@alejandroyasinacostameza281]

muy simpatico, nada que hacer, en stall ... cuidado, esa parte no esta bien Theo, tu eres de lo mejor del mundo en acro, muchos te creerán

[@user-ev7sp6jk2g]

got it

[@stevecrye]

Not real conditions. If you fly out of the core of a 5m/s thermal in mid day spring air in the desert southwest, you could get a huge blowout , that frontal can cravate, wind up very quickly... even in an EN B.

[@flugschreiber6719]

Hi Theo, please don't show the pilots a perfect stall rejection and write that you don't do anything. 　 You have the stall perfectly until 2:10. How many just try it now without a guide and without a lake? I find it a cheap advertising unit at the expense of security 　 #freeyourmind

[@theoflies]

You are right, the stall was perfect and released at the right moment ;-) But this video is not made to say go and try that by yourself but to make people aware that their wing is a lot safer and knows a lot more than them :) but obviously for the stalls some piloting skills are needed! And I played it a little too much in the video and noticed afterward. It is still not that dangerous if done right.

[@flugschreiber6719]

Theo, please put your answer in front of the youtube Video ;-)

[@quoth_raven]

I think it's pretty clear that he said "if you release at the right moment".

[@meow121.5]

Lol at flugschreiber, seething cause he only has ground handling skills and no flying skill

[@Ins1r]

Can you please repeat this test at 50m height? =))

[@stefan3729]

Cool !!! 😂😂😂

[@golem1373]

En fait, on peut résumer : "En VRAC, il est urgent de ne rien faire !" G. Toucapté.😆

[@user-ev7sp6jk2g]

haha love u bro.

[@jms2005]

Isn't it more dangerous/unsafe to fly underloaded wing?

[@XC_Tom]

Highly loaded is only more stable UNTIL it collapses. Reactions are more dynamic

[@edwinlooy6551]

I fly a Swing Sensis and i had the same question about this wingload, i bought a weightbelt to make sure my weight is in the middle of the 90-110KG range. I was 95KG first and felt it was very unstable which made me scared to fly it, even in pretty calm air. I have yet to find out how it will behave now. It is a Mid-B but tests show it might react violently with certain collapses and turn very dynamic🤔

[@zaphod333]

@@edwinlooy6551 If I were you and 5kg made such a big difference, plus the glider "felt very unstable", I'd seriously doubt I had the right glider for me. A model more "well-behaved" a.k.a. less dynamic/more dampened might be more suitable.

[@SkywalkerPaul]

I would assume an EN-A wing flies even better by itself.

[@whatabunchofjunk]

I love when my glider out flies me... 😄

[@mikekremer9686]

Full accelerated Frontstall...!??? Why you release before the glider is collapsed? That fake's the behavior ..... Would be cool to see the truth

[@philipbuhler8567]

I would also like to know, how it reacts If you stay in Bar? Because my reaction would never be so fast.

[@notsosilentmajority1]

I don't know why you made this video..... you didn't do anything at all. Lol, great video. Thanks for the insight and for the visual.

[@rezen856]

Is that low B isnt that?

[@theoflies]

Hello ! I have been a test pilot for many years and I have brought high Bs and low Bs to certifications. During the certification there are no such things as low Bs and high Bs. It is just B either the glider is in B class or it is not. All Bs will react more or less the same to these maneuvers actually. A high B will give you more feedback and react faster to what you do but in term of safety it should be similar. That's what I know from many years actually testing prototypes.

[@rezen856]

@@theoflies thx for answer :)

[@gripaublaubabau]

@@theoflies Hi Theo!. I am happy to hear that. I noticed a big jump in wing reactions from my low B to my High B wing, so it helps to think it will react much worse to things, but it's good to know your point. Done a siv on the low B, but I guess I'll find out when I do a SIV on the high B (went from airdesign Vita2 to Advance xi). Thanks very much for all this helpful info!

[@davidgeieregger9188]

And now with podharness please

[@Chanelnrx]

You didn't do anything at all with the breaks...ok. but you did a lot with your weight transfers and even stopped a twist.. :) I'm just trying to point out the significance of what you do with your weight shifts matters A LOT.. So yeah...no breaks in hand... but very exact weight shifting. I think after thousands of flights as a pro pilot (becoming an automatic self leveling machine at muscle memory level)... you can't simulate anymore a sack of potatoes beginner behaviour.. :p

[@TheBjossi80]

Most beginners mistakes are worse than potato sacks, they usually weight shift upwards from the harness regardless of the position of the glider. You would be better off being a potato sack in most cases 😄

[@Chanelnrx]

Hahaha yeah you have a point there.... I almost did a backflip in my first stall 😂😂

[@Ripstop_pilot]

You say you do nothing....I see you doing plenty. On bar you pull a collapse BUT you come off bar not after but at the same time. On the stall I see you jab the brakes to stop the surge... So...... You did do stuff!

[@mcbrite]

I agree that coming of the bar would NEVER be that fast in reality, even less for an Ion Pilot... Not sure why he did it like that...

[@eliakimwerner7718]

EN-B seems as safe as EN-A. The wing will do al the work for you

[@PhilippeLarcher]

is it a B with a lot of Bs or 90% As though?

[@eliakimwerner7718]

@@PhilippeLarcher That's something to consider!

[@jenesaispas1]

La même chose en Français ça serai le TOP SVP

[@theoflies]

Bonjour, malheureusement le publique français représente seulement 10% de mon audience.. En faisant des choses en français je ne serais compris que par 1 personne sur 10 contre 9 sur 10 en anglais donc ce sera presque toujours en anglais.. Bonne journée!

[@jean-pierremontuelle5212]

Les organisateurs de SIV ne vont pas être d'accord .... 😅

[@theoflies]

Ils seront d'accord :-) En SIV on t'apprend d'abord à ne rien faire en te prouvant que ta voile sait mieux que toi. Puis quand tu as compris on t'apprend à réagir correctement ;-)

[@Uni1Lab]

Je confirme. Une célèbre école SIV a d'ailleurs un mantra : Mains poulies, mains poulies !

[@SteveWrightNZ]

I call BS. 2:09 if you didn't brake that surge you would have gift wrapped yourself. Its dangerous and irresponsible to tell newbies to do nothing at all, you will get someone killed.

[@lucky-gh5ox]

1st. lol

[@577buttfan]

Less is more.

[@theoflies]

always!