The following is a translation of the article “Brontes: ca Gronde dans les Thermiques!” published in Vol Libre no. 316, November 2002. The sections on Sky company history and the performance data have been omitted.
A good introduction
We have been testing Sky Paragliders systematically for several years and with good reason. We have loved their gliders ever since the discovery of the Divine, with the slight disappointment of the Flirt – but then we can’t always be perfect.
Sky, while subcontracting for many other companies, is on its way to leading the paragliding market. The Paux family’s collaboration with MCC Aviation is moving them in the right direction – Alex is always on hand to give advice, explain his decisions, providing gliders. The Brontes is the latest glider to come out of this relationship. The thunder sounds at the first meeting – it’s name shared with a Greek god…..
The unpacking….
The bag is a good one. A good size, adjustable by the lateral compression straps. Its good weight distribution makes it easy to carry and a big top pocket, tightened with an elastic bungy, has two internal plastic hooks give space to store helmet, suit etc. Two pockets on the front and the top improve the design further. Once folded up it takes up surprisingly little space in the harness. Once the compression strap and internal bag are taken off I can see an orange and white wing with a great bird-shaped logo…..
And we’re off!Easy to untangle – a few lines got slightly caught up but nothing horrendous. The inflation is so easy the wing takes care of itself. The wing inflates smoothly with light tension of the front risers. The slight tendency to overfly and the resulting slight hesitation/stall, gives me enough time to control this fantastic wing. A light head wind means the wing inflates itself through the last 30°. The lift generated is remarkable, leaving the pilot to increase his speed easily. A take off at moderate speed is possible due to the tendency of the wing to generate a surprising amount of lift at low speeds. At the Grand Ratz take off (committed cliff), the confidence this paraglider inspires allows you to face a take off with a fairly strong wind that is well off to the left, with no qualms.
It inflates in one smooth motion, with no marked tendency to pull, and the very slight over-flying, essential in these conditions, translates into a reassuring amount of lift while still forgiving of pilot error. This type of machine is perfect for the teacher in a hurry to take off so he can guide his students in on the landing! That’s not the only good thing about it…to sum up… a problem-less inflation, take off, sweet handling in flight, and last but not least a real pleasure to ground handle – too easy for words.
yahoo!!
My 95kg gave a good 36 kmh with no brake applied. I used the speed bar often throughout the flight. In head wind on a different wing declaring the same speed with no brake, Didier Ricque, happy owner of a Brontes, frequently left me behind………
The wing
I tried to work out the reason for the wings success. Its performance, ease of handling and manoeuvrability all contribute to it. This is a glider that will turn on a sixpence yet remains easily controlled. Wing-overs are very easy with good control throughout and, not surprisingly, this wing is fantastic to put into a thermal.
All good things come to an end and again, in the landing, the Brontes shows how well-designed it is, in scorching temperatures and no wind on the Saint-Hilaire landing field. The Brontes is a gem in the intermediate category, manageable by even the slightly experienced pilot who will master it very quickly. According to Sky, the Brontes is within the limits of the AFNOR standard category. They go on to say that ‘we developed a DHV2 wing whose passive safety flirts with the DHV1–2 category, as the testers themselves noticed. “It gives the opportunity for pilots to sometimes fly above their real level”.
In a comparison by Vol Libre, The Brontes is without doubt a good choice compared to the Astral 3, Hornet, Sigma 5 etc, for a pilot looking for easy flying combined with incredible performance. This is the sexy side of the intermediary category without