Hello everyone,

This week's article will address the delicate topic of choosing a wing. Indeed, you don't pick a paraglider off a shelf at Decathlon; you choose it from specialized stores or online. I'm going to reveal a secret: ALL wings from major brands are good, so much so that it's hard to go wrong when buying your new toy.

Trying several models is nice for personal experience, but you should tell yourself that any wing would be suitable given the same surface area. The most important thing is the choice of wing category and size.

Performance? Just a sales pitch.

In my opinion, the most useless thing is to compare glide ratios, speeds, etc. All these characteristics depend on the wing loading, the pilot's position, and even the air mass itself. Moreover, the difference will be imperceptible to the average person. It's just marketing and competition between brands; performance differs little among wings designed in the same class.

The true criterion for choosing a wing is the enjoyment derived from each flight.

We encounter many pilots flying high-performance wings (EN-C or EN-D certified), or freestyle wings (uncertified) who wouldn't even utilize an alpha 5 to 50% of its potential... so I'm taking this opportunity to encourage pilots not to use equipment beyond their skill level.

An easy-to-fly wing allows you to be serene in lively conditions and enables the same flights as higher categories.

A pilot knows they have chosen their wing well when they are not afraid of losing control in turbulence.

Why do pilots fly more advanced wings?

There are several reasons, not all of them valid.

1- Pride: Because flying an advanced wing brings social recognition... but also brings fear when friends say: "Shall we get airborne?"

2- The pleasure of piloting: After a while, one starts to get bored under a wing, and moves up to the next category. This is an excellent reason, but unfortunately too rare. Few pilots are truly at the level of their wing.

3- Pure performance: Because some wings have a 12 glide ratio, can perform infinity tumbling, or are flown by champions, it can be useful to use them. But before following cross-country champions, you need to learn to complete tasks, and before infinity, you need to have performed 100 stalls, 100 loops, and 100 sats.

The true motivations for choosing a wing should be:

How many hours will I fly this year?

• How many years have I been flying?
• How much do I weigh?
• Do I prefer a lively wing (well-loaded), or a wing that allows more time to react (less loaded: larger)?
• What is my budget?

The power of marketing has added other criteria, such as novelty, identification with champions, or pure performance, but it's important to keep the essentials in mind.

Again, any wing from a major brand is the culmination of several prototypes and the reflection of high-level pilot teams. So to speak, one could fly equally well with any wing suited to their level. (I just bought my wing without even trying it)

A wing selection chart based on skill level and flying style is currently being developed with the advice of top experts: instructors, paragliding school directors, and even some paragliding brands.

I hope I've thoroughly confused you in choosing your wing! Feel free to comment or write to me; I'll be happy to guide you in your choices or your progression.

Happy flights, and remember: the pleasure is in being airborne, not in owning a wing.