Crickhowell Paragliding is a paragliding school based in Wales.We teach beginners, provide tandem flights, as well as organise the Dragon Hike and Fly Race, XC and Vol Biv clinics and trips overseas.
We're the UK's FLARE Pro Partner, running training courses, and offering discount codes to purchase these amazing wings.
Crickhowell Paragliding is run by former Royal Navy Search and Rescue Pilot and X-Pyr 2018 competitor, Alistair Andrews. Follow this channel for gear reviews and to see what we're up to through the season
We are proud to be the sole importer for Bogdan Fly as well as importers of BGD, Air Design, Advance and FLOW, and a whole host of other paragliding manufacturers.
Getting there, just passed my cp have done 3 soaring flights with top landings, I reckon I'll be buying one next year 😊, is it possible to demo the different sizes?
Good job on qualifying @freddydad1 we generally run a training session/day for you with whatever sizes suit the wind, site and pilot and teach you how to fly one, then help you to decide which size to buy. Just let us know when you'd like to come over, the ground handling is key!
Hey @freddydad1 typically for a talented beginner, who can ground handle well, we can pretty much take you straight out of the school for conversion. So far we've taught 3 x new pilots straight out of our own school and several pilots between 4 and 25 hours.
@crickhowellparagliding thanks, I'm a bit weak at ground handling probably due to years of flying traction kites (kitesurfing), but I'll definitely be in touch..
@@freddydad1 Come join when you're feeling ready! Wing tip touches, and kiting diagonally up a slope are important skills to be able to launch on a dune.
@@crickhowellparagliding Well mine was a bit worse 😂 Nill wind and off a little bit so had 30 secs of the most fun I have had! I'll give you a message soon mate. Stay safe mate!
Pretty shy on the info, how much, where, what conditions are suitable? You just took it for a flight and said that’s what it’s like in the uk . You could’ve been anywhere?
We'd always suggest they're best flown in smooth conditions, that's where we can have the most fun and enjoy proximity soaring. Light thermals are OK, but the combination of proximity, strong wind, shear, strong thermals and high wing loading is never a good idea on a Moustache, mini wing or paraglider.
Hey @freddydad1 Yes you do need to be a paragliding hill Club Pilot. Takes about 10 days to do the course with us, and then a day or two conversion to Moustache. It's worth it! Unfortunately, due to the nature of the Moustache wings, they have no EN certification, so in the UK, we can't train you from scratch on them.
Appreciate your video and opinions. Here in New Mexico we don't get much laminar flow on our bluffs. Sounds like you were on a size that worked for your weight and the higher wind speed. I DO like the idea of expanding into higher wind speeds. What's your take on their thermic air compatibility? I've heard different opinions, but watched the company video which sounds like smoother air is what they're made for. I'm really looking for a wing that will do well in mountains , skiing, and some bluff playing. (comparing to a Kode p or Advance Pi3, maybe a Bantam 2). Thanks.
Hey, thanks for the comment and question. This is something that we get asked a lot To me it's not so much "Can/should I fly it in thermic air?", but rather "Why would you want to?". Sure, we can fly any wing when we have a little thermal activity and a little wind. Then we go to slightly smaller wings and parakites as the wind increases. The other aspect of parakiting, is the ease of proximity flying. This, of course, is most fun in smooth conditions. I like to think of a Venn diagram including strong wind, thermals and proximity, if we have all three, then we are in the highest risk part of our flight envelope. If we remove one aspect, our safety margin increases. Personally, I'd rather fly a paraglider like a Susi 4 or Loco when it gets strong wind and thermals and keep the Mo flying for laminar conditions, when I can fly super close to the terrain. Air Design Loco is probably the best of the minis at the momentfor a mix of thermalling, windy soaring and is as close to flying a Mo as it gets with a regular and certified mini wing, as the leading edge is incredibly solid, and of course you can fly in on speed bar with the rears because it's a two liner. Other mini wings with good Active C riser control can give a feeling that's close. Cheers, Alistair
Compared to a miniwing is the Mustasch as agile? Im up to buying a small first wing as a complement to my 27 iota and see both pros and cons with a miniwing and a Mustach. One thing is the 1,8x higher price of the mustasch, is it worth it? Ill just fly it when the wind wont work with my PG. A friend of mine have begun to only fly his mustach…this is a hard desicion..
If you go for a Mo of similar wing loading to the mini wing you're considering, then the handling is just as good. If I'm flying a 22 at 75 or 80kg, it's fast, but the turn isn't as playful as a mini wing... I fly a 22m wing for XC too, but wouldn't fly it in 35kph wind on take off! Tricky decision for you but if you want to fly dunes then it's an obvious choice that Mo is the one.
@@crickhowellparaglidingWith 75kg tow, what windspeed could I be starting to fly the 18m on smaller dunes (10-15m) ? I wanna use the Mo for low wind days, when its not enough for kitesurfing. I reckon, the 22m would turn rather slow with my low weight.
Buy the Moustache. Now that I have one, I'm selling my mini-wing. I know this sounds like more hype but the Moustache does everything better, makes everything easier AND is more fun in the air. You won't believe it. A normal paragliding wing now seems crude and obsolete for ridge soaring. When you realize what it means to have the entire speed range in your hands, you'll understand...
@@TheGeordietheWitchandtheWench Glad to hear it. And I'm going to spend more money on the 22m Moustache as soon as I can! I may never fly an old-fashioned "locked" paraglider again for ridge soaring. Be careful of over-confidence: it's a real problem with the Moustache.
Australian pilot hoping to be in the south of England late August/September . Any thoughts on the best areas and weather for flying along the coast. Very happy flying mini wings.
Hey Christopher, We have a fantastic selection of club flying sites along the south coast. Best bet is to contact them just before you arrive to arrange a temporary membership. You're obviously welcome to join us in Wales as well!
nice video. small tip put your hands though the handle loops and use the toggle grips, this sets the intended breaking points when using the toggles. holding onto the loops leaves an extra 5/10cm slack in the steering lines
Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment @Pierrebedwnhorstt. As it happens, we find no need to use the top toggle, unless soaring at the bottom end of the wind (ridge lift) range for that size of glider. If we do, we find that we remove access to the max dive and speed of the wing. This is particularly important when the wind is strong and/or the pilot has short arms (like us). Just like any paraglider, once experienced, hand position should be judged by feel, not by visually checking against the risers, unless in the very early stages of training. We hope you're able to learn your hand positions by feel and stop looking at your risers 😉 Perhaps we can do a video to explain this soon.
@@crickhowellparagliding Yes, it's a "feel" thing and you certainly know what you're doing! I have the 18m Moustache and like to start with hands through the loops so that I have the choice of going to the toggles or not. In longer flights the toggles are more comfortable to grip. Toggles also feel a little more direct. However, my arms are long enough to go full "hands up" for full speed any time. Thanks for the video, I'll recommend it to a paragliding friend who doesn't understand the reflex profile, thinks the whole Flare thing is just hype. He is SO wrong...!
Will Geordie Have His Cat Aboard Today Will -Wind direction and weather Geordie -Glider all laid out properly Have - Helmet all done up His - Harness all done up Cat - Controls in hand ready Abroad - Airspace all clear Today - Turn direction
