Speed flying and speed riding
Speed Flying (Speedflying) and Speed Riding (Speedriding) are two modified disciplines of paragliding that are practiced on the mountain ( downhill ). Both are defined by a low altitude (sometimes less than a meter from the ground) and are therefore considered extreme sports . While skis sometimes make contact with the ground with speed riding , this should be avoided with skiless speed flying. Be used gliders having a very small surface and correspondingly greater speed. Most gliders have an area of 8-13 square meters and reach speeds of 60-100 km / h in straight flight and speed peaks of 150+ km / h in nosedive maneuvers.
operation area
Due to the weight of almost 2 kg resulting from the small area, Speedwings (Speedflying & Speedriding umbrellas) are also often used for so-called hike and fly , in which the flight equipment is carried up a mountain by muscle power and then flown down. For speed flying and speed riding pilots, the hike and fly is often a necessity in order to get to the start and flyable mountains.
The Speedwings have u. a. Due to their small size, they have a high take-off speed, which is why a foot launch is particularly dangerous (among other things, beginners with larger paragliders should learn to take off, fly and land) Many manufacturers produce dedicated speed flying or speed riding wings in order to meet the requirements of the respective discipline.
Depending on the pilot's preference, the flight is carried out in small hops to the next flat section of the terrain or in steep terrain with a correspondingly small ground clearance. For the first variant, a corresponding "chassis" for rapid movement on the ground is indispensable. Optimal this are skiing , which is why this variant is mainly applied in winter. If the wind is stronger (approx. 35 km / h or more), soaring can also be used with speed riding and, above all, speed flying gliders .
Due to the types of gliders used, their flight performance and the proximity to mountains and slopes, speed flying can also be understood as a modern resurgence of mountain flying in the 1980s.
education
Although speed flying is not an air sport at first glance , it is necessary to master the speed wing. The legal situation in Germany is still completely unregulated. In Austria, a paragliding license is required for legal exercise. In Switzerland, the paragliding certification plus a speedflying extension has been necessary for legal exercise since January 1st, 2008. For the speedflying extension, additional training and an examination with a speedflying instructor must be completed. Since March 2009, the Swiss Accident Insurance Fund (Suva) has classified speed flying as an absolute risk, which means that the cash benefits are reduced by 50% in the event of an accident.