Ziad Bassil : Finest Paragliding Reviews & Superpower of Changing Wings as A Human

My: So I test fly gliders because, I always say this, birds cannot exchange wings, but we humans can do. And that... Do we actually start sacrificing it after a certain class or a certain limit in some wings?

Aninder: This is the best question ever. Because the balance between... Both harness are streamlined. The difference is negligible. It's really

My: negligible. Over maybe five kilometers or 10 kilometers, I don't see it. All the good brands are really good. All the small brands deliver really nice gliders. I will just tell you this, success is not about, the glider cannot inherit everything. Today, When you go out and publish

Aninder: your views, has it happened that some manufacturers are not happy and they push back on your views? Or do you manage to please everyone in this seemingly impossible world? No. Thank you very much for having me on your show. It was a pleasure. One final word for every pilot.

Flying is a gift, usually reserved for avians. Or, in simpler words, you'll call them birds. Yet somehow we as humans have devised a way to take to the skies in one of the simplest and purest forms of aviation known to mankind, which we call as paragliding. But to fly, there's no rocket science that you need a wing. And while the birds are born with theirs, We as humans either have to buy them or borrow them, or if we are lucky enough, we end up getting sponsored with one. And then, just like an animal kingdom where every creature has its wing suited to its lifestyle, we as pilots choose the wings that match with our flying style. And as we grow and evolve in the sport, our wings become a part of

us. They carry us through unforgettable moments, turning flights into stories and pilots into storytellers. But no matter how attached we may get to a wing, an average pilot usually will end up going through, let's say, four or five wings, or maybe even 10, depending upon their flying style throughout their lifetime. And while a lot of us love to experiment out there, but there's no denying the fact that quite a few of us also like sticking to one brand, where the brand loyalty takes the route. But today's guest is no stranger to new wings, and he hasn't just changed wings a few times. In fact, he has turned this art form into a superpower and has ended up flying more wings than probably any other

test pilot out there will ever do so. And I'm talking about none other than Ziad Bessel, the most trustworthy reviewer in paragliding industry. So with that being said, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls and everyone along with them, welcome back to your weekly dose of awesomeness here at Paragliding Atlas. My apologies, it took way longer than expected to get this going again. But as I told you guys in the last episode, life has been an absolute blessing while chasing adventures in one of the most exotic and beautiful locations that our planet Earth has to offer when it comes to practicing the art of flight. And that was the cradle of humanity where it all began

millions of years ago in the continental Africa. which of course came with very limited internet and connectivity to the outside world. And a whole lot of that awesomeness is already visible on my Instagram page, the link to which you can check out in the show notes below, and also a bigger long-form content video is coming out on YouTube channel very soon, the link to which is also mentioned in every single show notes of the episodes that we publish out here. So stay tuned for that. But meanwhile, here's another episode of Planet Landing Atlas. featuring a guest that adds more value to our flying than any user manual of a paraglider published by any other brand has done so far. So tune in, and I

hope you like it.

Zayed Besil, what an absolute honor to have you on the show, sir. Welcome to Paragliding Atlas. Thank you, Einander. The pleasure is mine. Zaid, I see that you are from a very exotic country of Lebanon. Can you please tell us a little bit about how flying goes on in that side of the world, and what are the possibilities that your country offers for exploring the world from above? Lebanon is a small country in the Middle East. Due to

My: the political situation, we have restricted areas, but we are able to fly around 60 km by 50 km. The good thing is that it's flyable practically every day. We have good flying weather and can fly around 300 hours a year. We have beautiful sights with high mountains, very close to the sea level. It's a really nice place to fly. Fair enough, Zaid. And I believe you are one of the senior most pilots there because just before

Aninder: we pressed recording, we were talking about you being in the game for almost three decades. So you have seen the certifications evolve and technologies come in and consumers have their own preferences evolve over the period of time. Just take us back in time. How did Dust of Universe of today become as we know it? And what is the essence behind the word Dust of Universe? And why do you do that you do in such an amazing manner? At first, the name Dust of Universe, back at the time, I was trying to write some kind of book about life. But then I thought you just

My: be words on a piece of paper. So I decided to live those words rather than to write them. Dust of the Universe was intended to be the name of that book. Was it about paragliding as well? Of course. If you see us in the air, you are like Dust of the Universe. It has some resemblance. Makes

Aninder: sense. But take us back to the early days of your own paragliding, Zaid. Because back in the day, it was a very different sport. So... How did your first wing look and how did you choose it? Today, a lot of pilots, including me, go to your website where we have such a trustworthy system of reviews that is being offered for us by all the hard work you put in. But I believe three decades ago, there was not so much information available. So what was your own first wing and how did you make the decision while picking it up? Yeah, I understand. Of course, in the very

My: early 90s, a French group came to my country and and flew to a nearby mountain. At that time, I saw those colors, and my passion for flying was already there because I was a young boy dreaming of flying. But I knew nothing of that sport, just saw something flying in the air. No information, nothing, no internet, only just like books, and books about paragliding wasn't available. So a French guy stayed in Lebanon for two months, and I learned from him. My first European glider was a first school glider. I was a bit overweight on that glider. I just remember we walked on the mountain and how he managed to teach me everything. And it began like this. I didn't choose the glider. I was a

pilot. I was a student without any knowledge at all. I had maybe two videos for Flamingo Dunes. And that's it. Later on, two months later, I just purchased two books. French guy, Gérald Delors, and I still have them. Beautiful books written with cartoons. They are really nice. I read them all. Since the French guy left, I was alone to experience everything. But I worked a lot on myself. I kited the glider every day for hours to understand how it flies, when it stalls, how it turns, everything he told me. I remember everything about the thermals. It was a self-teaching process for over two or three years. And of course, I didn't flew immediately at 12 o'clock or 1 o'clock. I flew in the morning

at first and late at night, at late afternoon. And little by little, I began to understand better with those books. There's no internet, so it was a difficult task for me. I discovered something because I had this video of Flamingo Dune. I discovered the sorting at the time. Yeah, I was alone. The wind is coming from the cliff. I want to see how it... Yeah. And yeah, I've been blown back two, three times.

But it was okay. What's Flamingo Dunes, if you can tell us, tell our listeners all about it, and what is the video that you're talking about? Yeah, it's a VHS video from a French guy, Charles Gallon, the late Charles Gallon, and some of his friends, soaring in the sand dunes Soaring, there's gliders. It was maybe UP gliders. It was a movie back in the early 90s. Really beautiful. That's inspired me a lot because soaring is a dance. If you love to dance, it's like this. So when you soar and you have a good wing that flies fast, you're dancing. And this is the beauty of it. This is what got me more passionate about it. got it man fair enough thank you for sharing it so transparently but zyde first

Aninder: question that comes to my mind is why get into testing the gliders what's the purpose behind it why do you switch from your own flying to testing the equipment for everybody in the industry

My: Okay, so I test fly gliders because, I always say this, birds cannot exchange wings, but we humans can do. And that will give us a better understanding of the movements of the air and the feeling we get when we change a glider. Imagine that you can fly a speed wing. and fly the rondelles en francais, in French. And you can fly a competition glider and soar like an eagle. In between them both, all the feeling you can get from exchanging gliders. For a newcomer in the sport, it's difficult to understand probably what I'm talking about. When I write something in my test, they will tell me, we don't understand yes of course and i respect you because you have to learn to fly and to understand what's the

feeling behind every glider and the different characteristics and that's why i like to exchange gliders and this is a passion for me the main goal is that to exchange gliders that's for me is a unique field and that's keep me going if i don't if i don't fly gliders and exchange gliders in a very small country in Lebanon, flying every day for almost 30 years in the same spots, probably I should find something else. Of course, I do lots of other sports, but for the paragliding, if I'm flying the wing, imagine what the possibilities are to feel every movement in there when you change the glider, especially now for the two liners, three liners, immense feeling. I love it the way you explained that

Aninder: birds cannot exchange wings, but we as humans who are not even supposed to fly by nature can do that. That's fascinating, man. Never heard that perspective before. Yeah, of course we are not supposed to fly. That's human nature. We always have to explore our possibilities. I quickly want to touch upon the topic of the factors that you look for reviewing a wing when you pick up one. Tell us a little bit, what do you look for when you eventually start testing them? Of course. I just told you it was a passion for me to exchange gliders. And when I exchanged gliders, I

My: wrote them on a piece of paper. And later on, I put them on the net. And some pilots say, oh, thank you. Nice that you're reviewing that glider. And later it got much more complicated. The key factor for your viewing going that every class of gliders from the A class, low B, mid B, high B, the C class, three-liner concept, two-liner C, and the D class, and of course the CCC, has completely different behavior and feel under them. So I tried to fly the gliders in different conditions, but the best conditions for the test are not the strongest conditions. We cannot understand anything. The best tests are when it's turbulent in the air mass, when you are low and have to get forward trying to turn that glider.

Sometimes the glider doesn't turn. If it's a high aspect ratio and you have turbulent conditions, you cannot turn it on a dime quickly. And the difference between gliders is, yeah, it's feedable. And also in thermodynamic windy days when you need an efficient glider to get you moving forward, I fly next to my usual friends and I know their skills well. That way I can see and understand when things are different. We can switch gliders afterward. Getting on our local XC slide will show me more precisely if there is any weakness or strong points in a glider A or B. Finally, to be completely sure, I also listened to my friend's feedback afterward, and we all analyzed the process. the information.

Afterward, I can write my report. But please, it's very important that pilots will say that, okay, I wrote that this glider in M size behaves the way Ziad said. But the problem is that every size behaves differently. The smaller size behaves differently than the bigger size. And also, you load them or you don't load them. I see so many pilots don't load their gliders and they behave like trucks. And I know that that glider is very agile, but you should load it at the optimum weight. There is always an optimum weight, but the manufacturer cannot put an optimum weight, cannot sell the gliders if you put an optimum weight on a medium. Example, 75 to 95. Example, 75 to 95. Not one glider can be flown at 75 and

you understand what's going on. If you fly at 75, okay, it's possible. On the soaring side, close the CC, and then you fly like a tandem. But if you want to really extract those performances of a glider, you should fly it near the optimum weight. That's why some manufacturers state the optimum weight, plus or minus two, three kilos, I understand. And that's totally acceptable and good because this is the way you should fly the glider. Talking about weight range, Zaid, if you can help us understand, does it ever become dangerous to underload or overload the

Aninder: glider? Overload the glider, two, three kilos. Sometimes a bit more. It's not a problem, but I think it's much better to stick with the

My: certification because the certification is there for a reason. And also, underload it if you really underload it in strong conditions. You cannot turn it. It collapses more. You cannot enter the air mass. It's useless. If you fly a glider at the bottom of the weight range, I flew lots of gliders in the bottom of the weight range, and I think that it's not the glider I know. Just out of curiosity, our wings are load tested to 600,

Aninder: 700 kilograms, if I'm not wrong? Look, I can tell you that the certification process is done with lots of professionals, and we

My: should trust the certification. And I'm only testing the glider's possibilities, how to fly and to field. I don't know about the certification procedures. My question was from the curiosity that if you fly a solo wing as a tandem wing, it's not going to break for sure. Is it

Aninder: going to be just very heavily loaded and is it going to move just quicker through the air mass or is it a dangerous machine to be a part of? I think it

My: would be very fast. And I think it could possibly, if you want to land on the landing hill and you got sinked, Also, that would be dangerous, of course. Coming back to the topic, have you ever experienced any surprises with respect to the data that is being published to the

Aninder: real-world conditions of the glider that you have reviewed?

My: Actually, no glide number could be put on paper. That's impossible. because the air is always moving. Even in the morning, it's always moving. If you have a vario and you fly on the vario, you will see that even in the still air, there's always fluctuation. So it's impossible to make a glide. Anyway, even sometimes the speed number, every size also differs a lot from the other ones. Let's say glider X from SL XL size. So of course the XL size fly much better than the S. So what's the logical of putting one glide number? That's the logical part between one. So also in a moving airmass, we all fly in a moving airmass. We don't fly in still air. So the capabilities of certain glider to move forward and climb,

that's the efficiency that is to be measured. That's not possible, but it's noticeable. Today, nearly all the gliders in one category are very close. But sometimes a certain glider behaves differently in some important flight characteristic, maybe negatively, maybe positively. But I think the real lookout here is for glider that can move through the air miles, not bumps, not stay behind. It's not a glide, it's the efficiency. What I'm wondering is when pilots go out and look for a glider in the market, everybody wants to fly the best glider in their

Aninder: category, right? If it's an ENB, everybody wants the best performing, best with the safety ratings. And same goes for D and triple Cs. So does the best glider really even exist or is it just facade that people are having there in their minds and wanting to be a part of?

My: One second. So it's completely understandable that we humans strive to make the most of our limited time on Earth. We seek the best experience and the best equipment. However, true fulfillment lies within ourselves. What may be the best for you might not be the best for your friend. Each pilot must determine what suits their capabilities and goals on their journey. Gliders also vary in performance based on different air masses. Sometimes Glider A may perform better in meek climbs while other times Glider B excels in strong climbs and so on. So obviously there is no best glider rather than best features for a certain specific pilot capabilities. I just quickly want to ask you,

Aninder: have you seen any specific trend while reviewing the two- liner wings? Because two-liner C category is quite a new one and it was a revolutionary one when it came out. Because until quite a long time, C category was just another three-liner, and now the look and feel of a C category has changed. So what is your take on two-liner C gliders that are being very popular in the market these days? So I will begin by saying

My: that maybe 15 or 20 years ago, the first two-line concept, demonstrated high performance in a prototype during competition. Since then, every manufacturer has attempted to incorporate a two-line design to reduce drag into their competition gliders and so on. But D-Class adopted this two-line technology. While some of these gliders showcased excellent performance, they also exhibited varying flight behaviors. three line concept was removed many pilots who transitioned from flying high gliders expressed interest in a hybrid maybe two three line or three line design for the c class in response most manufacturers developed such options discussions about introducing a collapsed line later on in this category significantly altered the structure of the classification so we have today for the b class which includes low, mid,

high B. So we have three classes in one category. It's very wide. Now the two-line concept has also introduced in the C class. The two liners are very different from the three liners in terms of field. And the skills required from the pilot, they are not the same at all. Flying a three-liner the same way you would fly a two-liner is not the right approach for maximizing performance. Today I was flying, just before coming here, I was flying a three-liner, a two-three line, hybrid line. And before I was flying for a month the two-liners in the C category. This two-three line concept. Of course, it flew very well, but it's completely different. The way you have to fly the two-liner is not the

same as flying the two-three line concept. While you can efficiently control the two-liner using the B riser, attempting to do the same with a three-liner without using your brakes sometimes, sometimes when the condition is really turbulent, could get you a front collapse. So each design has its own concept and performance level. I'm not suggesting that one type is better than the other. I'm just simply highlighting that they behave differently, especially after experiencing collapses in real moving air. The two-line concept collapses are much more energetic and demand an other approach, of course, from the pilot. I want to talk a little bit about the balance between performance and

Aninder: safety and accessibility between different classes. Do you see any pattern being followed by the brands or by the classes in certification where the balance between safety and performance is similar or do we actually start sacrificing it after a certain class or a certain limit in some wings? This is the best question ever. Because the balance between performance and accessibility is maybe the nirvana for

My: paragliding. Yeah, because this is the way to go. The extremes will not work. We have to find the balance. So the most important goal for any R&D team is to achieve significant advancement, which often takes more than two to four years. Implementing a two-year cycle for releasing a new glider seems highly impractical, as we have reached a point where only minor adjustments and incremental improvements can be made to enhance the glider versions currently available. Each glider provides a unique feel, comfort level, and efficiency within its class, catering to a variety of preferences. Every pilot has a different ideal balance. Some prioritize speed over handling, while others value an efficient climb rate over agility and turning capabilities. Additionally, some pilots prefer a glider with direct

brake control, like myself. I like agile gliders. Superior agility, yes, I really favor those gliders. So there are no single best glider for all pilots. maybe the best features will vary for each individual currently performance across different glider classes is quite similar if you take class b for example unless we are racing or competing any glider within a particular class can keep us close to our friends who are flying the same class the same similar skills i want to talk about certifications because in 2025

Aninder: Majority of the manufacturers are repeatedly coming out with ENB class gliders. Are there any limitations to certifications that we are seeing which are having the market focus a bit more on one class, or is it just that is where majority of the sales lie? What is your take on that?

My: That's indeed all the money is. The B category is the most category that sells. And also, as I said, we have reached a point where the close... are practically the same, maybe Porsche and Domenico. And the lines are also using Dyneema and Kevlar, so practically all the same materials. It is the limit to achieve a big step in performance. And unless the certification box is not changed, I don't see high changes in the D category. Let's talk a little bit about B category, because I think this is the most widely stretched category. Are there any differences in

Aninder: performance? And if so, what are the usual ones that you see from your experiences? Actually, in those two years, there is not real

My: difference in performance between all the B gliders. But the difference comes more from the pilot, of course. That should be said. But, of course, there are some gliders, there are some profiles that fly a little bit better, that it is noticeable that they can slide through the air better, that they can get all the lift. And those are tiny and small steps. that we see sometimes when flying both B gliders. There are always some small steps for one class. The speed is all the same. All have the same speed. You can find some gliders more agile than others or a bit more handful than others. But as for performance and climb rates, Sometimes we find that glider X flies slightly better and can cope with

the lifting air mass much better, climb black stairs. And also that depends also on the size. Okay. If that glider I'm talking about, glider X from the M size is flying really nice. I don't know if the S size for certification purposes is good. down trim the bed or maybe alter the bed and the flying characteristic will change that's I only speak for the size I fly and the same load Fair enough. Zia, I quickly want to touch upon

Aninder: the topic that what advice would you give to people out there who are looking to select their wings, be it beginners, be it advanced? What is your go-to factors that they should be looking for when they want to upgrade or spend their money on a brand new wing? For beginners, it's

My: logical that an A-class glider, of today A-class glider, flies at 10 years ago, competition glider. Or maybe 15 years ago, competition glider. They fly really nice. So for beginners, A class glider is the best choice. And then they can explore the possibilities and their own experience. And later on, the instructor will recommend which B class would be suitable for each of them. That's the best possible advice I can tell them. I made a small B comparison and the C comparison chart. And that chart for the B category, for example, will show every pilot what you would find in X glider. For example, you have an X glider that I want agility, good agility. You can find from 20 different other gliders

next to each other that this one is most agile with that specific load. So I state always the load on that specific glider and he can look about maybe 20 or 50 or 30 gliders that I tested and you see that glider is most agile. If he wants the most comfortable, maybe he will find the most comfortable one so maybe that's it for pilots who already flown maybe more than 100 hours to 100 hours and have experience they can decide by themselves brings me to a question you have probably flown more wings than any other person in the sport do you have any personal favorites personal favorites it depends i don't fly one glider all the time. But when I fall in love with one glider, it stays with me for a month or two

because I have to test other gliders. So maybe I keep that glider with me for my cross-country, for the field I fly. I like the most agile gliders. They have a good authority on the brakes. And that's the bladder I keep for myself. So a question about personal favorites. I don't have a personal favorite. I have lots of favorites that come by each month or two months, and I keep one or two for later. If you tell me now what's the favorite for now, I can tell you. What's favorite for next year, I can tell you. If you ask me what's my favorite for the B class, I can tell you.

But you have to be specific.

Aninder: What is the most exciting wing? What is the most fun wing that you've ever flown until today? It has been 370 wings. Lots of fun wings. Sometimes

My: when you fly, maybe. Yeah, dynamic wing. I like lots of dynamic wings. Maybe now I'm flying. I'm test flying today. I'm test flying the Skywalk glider. It's called the Sage. And it's a light Fraterio. It's a light sister of the Mint. And I love the handling. I couldn't separate myself from that glider. I like the handling of that glider. So that's the glider that I can keep for now to fly until next one comes. Since you

Aninder: mentioned feelings, Zayed, I have seen lighter fabric has a very different feeling than regular fabric. Do you have any preference? Because for me, when I fly a lighter fabric, it might fly better or it might talk to you better in the air. But with the amount of money that goes into investing... into buying a wing, I want it to last a bit longer. So that's why I end up going towards heavier and more durable fabrics. But if money is not a problem and you're just looking for performance, and I'm not saying X helps people, like they fly gliders, which are probably built to last two weeks or a few months at max. What is your take on lightweight fabrics, lightweight designs versus regular weight

designs and which one feels better? In the last five years, Light fabric has been enhanced a lot. And there is new technology in getting those

My: light clothes. I remember having Mantra 6 at the time. After 300 or 400 hours, the porosity test had over 270 seconds. And that was a light version. The Mantra 6 light, not the normal. The light materials have evolved a lot. And manufacturers are using them because also I think they are matching more the collapsing behavior. I think they are smoother. They are easier to fly. You don't have the inertia and they are not heavy. When you have a high pitch, they are smoother than regular clothes. And of course, they launch better and pack better. I like them a lot. So I think, yes, I think light fabric, if someone want to keep a glider with the light fabric, it depends on how light it is today. You

don't have hard Mormon fabric and you don't have a light fabric. You have maybe two kind of three light, three kind of light fabric. You have maybe 20 grand and you have 40 grand and you have, I don't know. Yeah. In the middle is okay, but to be on a glider that weights around four kilos today is fair enough. What's your take on lines? Because lines are sheeted, unsheated, quite a lot of technology in lines, and there's a lot of

Aninder: endless combinations of lines. So what are your thoughts about lines? Yeah, paragliding lines, you have Kevlar lines and then Dyneema lines.

My: Both of them can be used with a mixture in one glider because one gets shrinked and the other one gets damaged. But the lines don't change. They are the same. All the gliders are using the same lines, the same line, the same specifications. But the pilots must know that even a high B glider or a B glider or a C glider, of course, D glider, will change after 20 or 30 hours. So if I get a new glider today, I test fly it, after 20 hours or 30 hours, the trim will change. And yeah, sometimes it will change and maybe change to a better glider or maybe slower glider because all the

manufacturers are using the same line lengths also. They're very similar. If I get Ten gliders now in the B class, you put the lines next to each other, there's no difference other than the colors. I see the Reflex profile coming into paragliders as well. I think BGD launched

Aninder: Reflex in Diva. Does that help with trimming or less of trimming requirement? Or how does Reflex impact paragliders? No, but there is no

My: relation, I think, I don't know, no relation between Reflex and trimming. Reflex makes a profile less collapsible. Of course, you need specific lines to collapse it. And the trimming is related to the line. It's not a reflex. I was thinking maybe paramotor gliders don't require

Aninder: trimming every 30, 40 hours. So that's why my curiosity stemmed from that fact. Yeah, I think paramotor wings have all sheeted lines, big

My: sheeted lines. And you have trimmers also. So this helps if you get maybe after 50 or 60 or 100 hours, you can release the trimmers and maybe 50% will solve the problem. But in gliders like the Diva, they use thin lines like the Zeno 2. They use thin lines and really small lines. And those lines require trimming after 20 or 30 hours.

Aninder: Can it be dangerous if you don't trim your glider for 100 or 200 hours? If you never trim it, can it become a risky glider to fly? I think it depends

My: on the class. I mean, I have seen low B gliders never being trimmed for 500 hours and still fly as well. Maybe a little bit slower, but it depends also on the manufacturer. It depends on the lines. but they they will be slower sometimes they will maybe would be difficult to launch difficult to fly but that's why you should train them all the time or maybe two times or three times per lifetime Fair enough. I see you have

Aninder: started reviewing harnesses as well off lately in your blog spot. Harnesses come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and it also sticks to personal preference. But usually when you come across harnesses, what are some things that define a harness which make them better than the other ones that people can look out to? Yeah, the problem is that harnesses are a different world. Harnesses are very difficult to

My: describe and to test because each and every one of us has different body configuration. Some have longer torso and maybe larger bellies, I don't know, the larger shoulders. So this is very difficult to assess testing for one harness. I personally find that harnesses are very different from they used to be because at the time there were harnesses with cross-bracing and long ago there were harnesses with nothing. No IBS, no cross-bracing, low attachment points, very weight- shifty. And the evolution of those harnesses came along to make that balance between harnesses weight shifting, and stability. A bit more stable, I think. Yeah, I think I found Harris today a bit more stable than that used

to be. But also, if manufacturers want to sell gliders to lots of pilots, they have to find solution for the majority. And the majority I like glider that is easy, stable, so I have to make a stable harness and have to make stable gliders. And the harnesses of today are very different from the gliders and the harnesses of yesterday. It's totally different, like you're flying in one wheel cycle and now you're flying with four wheel cycle. I personally prefer a seat board harness. because seat board harness can put your pressure on your hips to weight shift precisely into the turn. That's the best way to do it. Seatless harnesses probably are comfortable, but seatless harnesses are a bit

difficult to assess the weight shift on your hips. You won't have a pressure point. You feel lost. If I get a big collapse on a seatless harness, I find that my torso is just facing down quickly. You don't have a point. or you have to hold on the risers, and that's not good. That's about harnesses. Do you have any thoughts about the fairings? Because some manufacturers come out with no fairing, then some have pretty long

Aninder: ones, and then now we are, of course, seeing the cocoon ones. The fairing, of course, is nice to have. It looks good for competitions.

My: Like the submarine version, they offer streamlined drag, less drag harness. And that is when you use it with your competition glider and you're pushing the speed bar over kilometers, probably you will get a much better glide angle, free of drag at least a little bit. But when we are flying in the cross country, just for pleasure, we're not really competing. We're not pushing the bar. We don't see... big difference between a fairing harness and a harness without sharing that's my experience a bit about it if you're failing hands up on a on a c or a d glider hands up all the time if both harness are streamlined the difference is negligible it's really negligible over maybe five kilometers or ten

kilometers i don't see it if someone gets a little bit of lift he will get the advantage Fair enough, Zaid. I think we have touched upon quite a few

Aninder: points now. And before I wrap up, I just want to ask your personal preference, because 370 wings, almost three decades in the game. And how many hours do you have? Of airtime? Oh my God, I stopped counting just because, I don't know, a lot. A thousand? Fair enough. So 370 wings and three decades in the game. Over the period of time, have you seen some healthy habits of some brands which make them more successful over the other brands? The reason why I'm asking this question is that when consumers go out and find products some product to spend their money on. What do they look for a brand that gives them the best bang for buck value for money when they spend it on their wings? Are you talking about

My: performance only? I'm talking about characteristics of a brand that brings out a certain type of wings which makes them more successful. Or

Aninder: this brand has these habits in their design and in their characteristic that allows them to make their wings more successful than the other brands who only come out with fewer wings or are less successful in the market. Yes, I understand. But let's take an example. It's much better.

My: Lots of manufacturers are successful. All the good brands are really good. All the small brands deliver really nice gliders. I will just tell you this. Success is not about the glider cannot inherit everything. Today, for example, in the C-class, we can see the photon from ozone delivering very high performance. and it's it's winning some competitions alongside with also other two liner seas but we can see that this glider is really nice it's really good really successful but the handling of that glider is not as direct as it should be some pilots would like that glider and they are absolutely right it's a very nice glider but of course some would not like the handling But you cannot say

it's not successful. It's one of the most successful gliders today. But there are lots of successful manufacturers out there. It depends on the pilots. It always depends on the pilots. There are no unsuccessful gliders. All the gliders are really nice. So the windsurfing in the early days was very popular, but it was difficult to learn. That's similar to paragliding because when the kitesurfing came, it really took everything so every young man go to kite surfing it's easier it's you can jump so the windsurfing manufacturer made a very big teaching board it was wide and very wide because to learn better. And now, if you want to learn windsurf, you can learn in one week because it's very

stable board, very big, very large, and you cannot fall. So you fall on the board, you cannot fall in the water. It's very large. And that makes the windsurfing go again. So this is the same coming from manufacturer. They are making things stable, more stable, more on one box, to get people not getting away from that sport. The problem is that I personally think that the politics of the paragliding communities are going to change the B class. If they are going to change the B class, that's a big problem for all of us because we only have the B class to fly, to enjoy. The C class is very good, but it's not for everybody. They split it into two boxes. I quickly want to ask one final question before we wrap

Aninder: up. Your reviewing wings is quite a task between pleasing people and making sure you write out the reality. So when you go out and publish your views, has it happened that some manufacturers are not happy and they push back on your views? Or do you manage to please everyone in this seemingly impossible world? Absolutely. No, of course I cannot please everyone because I'm just doing that for passion. It's my hobby. Lots of

My: manufacturers sometimes get upset when I write this and write that. And they didn't, yeah, why did you write this? You shouldn't write it. I said, okay, this is my personal view and a personal experience. I'm really sorry. That's what I found. After the last five years, I thought about it. I said, okay, if I want to write everything like it is, couldn't be nice for everyone. So now, to be honest to you, if I find a glider that is below 5 to 10, for my personal notes, I don't really publish, to be honest, because I'm here to help pilots fly. I'm not here to make problems with anyone. If I write something really bad, maybe it's my own experience, and maybe I'm wrong. But The guy that made that glider, who

is two years or three years, will have a problem selling it and why and should do it. For me, I don't write it. If I'm not here and nobody's reading it, it's okay. But if sometimes I find something about the glider that is not convenient to myself, I write it and say it. I didn't enjoy it at all. It collapses often. It doesn't really fly well. I don't want to publish it. Go ahead. Peace with you. That's a very kind way of

Aninder: putting out, making sure nobody gets hurt when it comes to their bread and butter. But Zaid, how do you manage to review so many wings? Do they get sent to you or do you get them for free? What's the secret behind 370 wings over all these years? Yeah, but it didn't happen that way because I

My: managed to make a little bit of money aside. That money is like a bank of maybe around 7,000, 10,000 euros. It's my bank. That's it. So I buy the gliders, pay for them, and sell them. If I cannot sell them, I cannot supply new gliders. Sometimes I sell them. At the same cost, I purchase them because I want to fly. But I have to sell them because I must buy new ones. But this is my bank at the end of the year. Maybe I lose a bit. Maybe I gain a bit. But that's it. It stays around. That's better. Jeez, man. That's such a cool way of giving back to the community. If I fly and I land

and I'm smiling, why not everyone else smiles? Indeed. Zayed,

Aninder: one last question that we ask our guests to share always on the show. That is, one single flight that has stuck with you that can stand out from all of your aviation flights until now. If you can share that, what would it be? Yeah, I remember that flight. I always remember that flight. We have

My: our spot in the Cedars. It's a high-range mountain in the north. It's a mountain that's 3,090 meters. One day I took off late at 6 p.m. It was a magical moment. And this mountain had the color of brown. It's a brown color, orange. And the sun was setting and the colors were amazing. And I stayed at 3,000 meters, soaring the mountain, maybe until the sunset. This was a beautiful experience for me. wasn't just alone peaceful 3000

Aninder: meters and above and sitting those kind of small experiences yeah i like them and i think with that we have come to the end of the show so any final thoughts before we wrap up although you have shared all your wisdom in the most unfiltered and honest manner so i think it's a massive thanks from every one of us here at paragliding atlas the ball is in your court now thank you very much for having me on your show It was a pleasure. One

My: final word for every pilot. We are flying to have pleasure. Don't push yourself getting higher rated gliders just to prove. You don't have nothing to prove. You just want to smile. That's enough for everyone and for yourself. golden words i hope everybody adheres to it including me

Aninder: and you on that note thank you so much keep up the work keep bringing the awesomeness as you do we need more people like you and more power to you stay awesome thank you very much thank you bye