It had been 2 years since our last dealer seminars in the home of Sky in Frydlant nad Ostravici, Czech Republic. We love to meet with our dealers from all over the world, so 2 years was a long time coming.
The main aim of this years event was to convey our mission statement for the years ahead whilst introducing the new structure of the glider portfolio, educating about our designs and materials and introducing a few new products. But most of all we wanted to listen to our customers and create an exchange of information.
For us at Sky, it’s not just about making paragliding equipment. It is about much more than that. Thinking differently, making a difference into the future with new ideas and technologies, generating happy emotions and wonderful experiences for the pilots and our extended Sky family is what makes us tick.
We had dealers from France, Switzerland, Brasil, Uk, Russia, Spain and many other places and I would like to publicly say a big thank you to all of you who came to see us.
Martin Nemec, CEO of Sky and a real visionary and creator, kicked off the seminars with a passionate speech about where we had come from, where we were now and where we were heading. Really summing up the big picture of what Sky philosophy means. The inspirational vibes were electrifying in the meeting room.
We had a detailed run down of the new Lines project. Gliders will be categorized by their design into one of three categories; Sport Line, Comfort Line or Light Line. The whole concept is to make it very clear to the customer to what choices they should make to match the correct wing to their skills and requirements.
Our design and development team then took the limelight as we introduced each of their skills and explained their vital roles within the team. A truly multinational team from Slovakia, Czech Rep, Switzerland, Finland and Argentina.
The concept of our new, fresh and functional website was unveiled by our graphic designer Mikko Leino. Due to go live for the new season, I am sure you are all keenly awaiting it’s debut.
Alexandre Paux gave an in depth view into paraglider fabrics and the reasons behind why we are creating our very own weaving factory.
A run down on the features of APOLLO, the new top end EN B Sport Line wing, were covered. Features such as Triple 3D cut, LEO nose, line configuration and 5.45 aspect ratio were explored and discussed. A wing for the real tech minded pilot who craves top end performance in class.
We introduced our forthcoming paramotor wing range; Cima Pwr, Flux and SL 60. Paco Guerra from Volem and Parabatix fame gave his take on the range and what is required within the paramotoring market. The Sky Power series engine project kicked off with two samples of engines present. 100 and 200cc 2 stroke units. The 100 is in working development stage and will be fitted to Sky’s Composite chassis to create a truly lightweight motor glider unit which will be sub 20kgs. The chassis is constructed using a blend of carbon, titanium and alloy.
Question and answer sessions were made at the end of each topic feedback was taken on board.
After a very constructive first day, it was time to socialize a little so we moved to the bar and restaurant for our evening dinner.
The next day the Beskydy mountain sun shone on us and after a welcome breakfast we kicked off with an in depth look at the world of EN test house, Air Turquoise. Alain Zoller presented the talk along with very impressive videos including that of Apollo.
It was now time for our guests to stretch their legs a little so we rounded off the two days with a welcome tour of the two factories. Frydlant factory is the HQ of Sky with all the administrative and development offices which sit above the glider fabrication. The second, and newer factory, houses more laser cutters, some of the very latests air and vapour cooled sewing machines, printing facilities and harness manufacturing. In addition there is the new carbon fibre section too. Seat boards and foot plates already could be seen in production. Across the back yard it was possible to see the emerging new weaving factory which was still taking shape.
To sum up, the vibe was one of great enthusiasm and inspiration for all.
We get so much energy from you, our customers and it really is a pleasure to create and innovate for you all in this world of flight and to see the emotions, fulfill the dreams and adventures of so many people around the world.
We would like to publicly thank each and every one of you who has travelled on this journey with us and we look forward to sharing our dreams and realities with many many more generations of the Sky family in the future.
Tim King