Bassano is always a good idea - that’s what 16 pilots from the surrounding area thought. Among the gear we brought along were the latest models: TORRE and K2 5.
Why Bassano del Grappa, Italy? Bassano is located on the Brenta River at an elevation of 129 meters above sea level, right on the southern edge of the Alps at the entrance to the Suganertal valley, and is about a 4-hour drive from the UP headquarters in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Crossing from the north to the south side of the Alps rewards you with generally warmer temperatures and the chance for thermals early in the year. The town is accessible by train, offers several launch sites, and a shuttle service. Accommodations and restaurants are right next to the landing site - paragliders are welcome guests here.
Already on the day of arrival, Friday, March 20, the early arrivals met up for a first hike & fly. By Saturday morning, everyone was present and ready to take to the air at the same time. The highlight: swapping gliders after every flight. This allowed all participants to directly compare the various UP models. Flying conditions were challenging, with strong winds - which didn’t always come from the front at the launch site - and powerful thermals. We climbed at rates of up to 8 meters per second. But this was no problem for our team pilots. On the contrary: it was the perfect opportunity to put their wings of choice - RIMO 2, LHOTSE X, KANGRI X, TRANGO X, TORRE and K2 5 - through their paces.
The brand-new tandem K2 5 was flown by UP Sales Manager David Jung, who also serves as team captain and organizer of the event, and team pilot Theresa Schmidt. They soared over Monte Grappa, whose summit was still covered in snow. The landing in the valley afterward was super smooth. We look forward to detailed feedback on the wing from Theresa, which we will quote in full shortly. Here’s a little preview: “Very relaxed behavior during launch, which gives you plenty of time to control the glider. Even in challenging spring conditions, the tandem is a joy to handle and inspires confidence with its calm flight characteristics. The pressure on the brake lines is comfortable, and even as a petite woman, it’s easy to steer without much effort - yet not too soft, so you maintain good control of the glider. Thermal circling, rolling, and spiraling are a ton of fun thanks to precise control!”
Several participants tried out the TORRE. Their feedback on the wing can be summarized as follows: At launch, it needs to be guided up well due to its complex construction and the corresponding weight of the canopy. This is noticeable in direct comparison to lightweight wings, such as our KANGRI X and LHOTSE X. But it works well, and once in the air, the TORRE, as a true two-liner, really only knows full throttle. We’re thrilled that the team pilots had so much fun with our new EN/LTF-C and are hoping for plenty of long XC flights this season.
On Saturday evening, everyone got together for dinner. A presentation by our development team - Frantisek “Franta” Pavlousek and Jaromir “Jarda” Masek - had actually been planned, but Franta unfortunately had to cancel due to illness. Get well soon! Jarda took over, but realized that the general noise level in the pub made the presentation impossible. So we focused on eating, drinking, and celebrating the successful day, and the presentation was postponed until Sunday. A stroke of luck, as the next day brought rain instead of flying weather. Topic of the presentation: the new models - with a focus on TORRE - its development and special features. Example: winglets, which this model currently has as the only one at UP. The reason is that this allows for better control when exiting a spiral.
On Sunday afternoon, the first team pilots set off on their journey home. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who was there! We are definitely planning to repeat the event next year - perhaps at another paragliding hotspot that is easily accessible by car, bus, train, and plane. Depending on the location, we plan to invite more of our international team pilots to join us as well. In the meantime, we wish everyone safe flying, lots of fun with the new UP paragliders, and see you soon!