does it exist a double surface for a beginner?

I am an average paraglider pilot and have had basic course of hang glider a couple of years ago. (Say 3 100 feet high solo flights and a couple 3500 feet ones..).Now I have started considerin a fresh start with hang glider and lookin for an used one that could be used until proficency. Here in Italy I am mostly advised to look for an Atlas or a Mars, single surface very famous hang glider but I think it should be a better idea to look for an easy double surface, in order not to get too much used to sluggish reacrions of single surface ones. Someone has adise for me or other beginners? Thanks in advance Pietro Cambi

The advice to get a used Atlas or Mars is good advice. Probably unlike the gliders you trained on, they are not at all 'sluggish' in handling, they are merely slow in top speed. Here in the U.S. I often fly a Falcon, a more modern competitor to the Atlas + Mars. I also fly competiton class hangliders, but have never found one that comes very close to the handling of something like an Atlas. The Atlas also has a very good sink rate, and will out-thermal a higher performance glider flown by anyone but a very experienced pilot. I would also mention that the Wills Wing Falcon can be flown using a paragliding harness, and a special spreader bar from Wills. You should be able to fly an Atlas or a Mars the same way (seated, inside the control frame). It will then take you much less time to be able to use your thermalling skills from paragliding, as you won't have to deal with the disorientation of being prone. I was an accomplished sailplane pilot before flying hanggliders, but found the sensations so different laying prone, that it took a long time to get as good thermalling hang gliders as I had been with sailplanes.

Dan Walker

Mars and Atlas Hanggliders are really good gliders for beginners. Of corse there are double surface gliders for beginners, but I do not see any advantage. They are heavier, and it takes more time to get it ready to start and pack it after the flight and after a very short time you will anyway buy a high performance wing. I have started with paragliding too, and have changed to hanggliding after 5 years. After 1 year of Mars i have then changed to a Laminar by Icaro 2000 and it did not seem necessary to have something in between. Of corse I can understand that you do not like the idea to fly a hangglider who has no better performance than your paraglider, but that is what I suggest.

The Offpiste Discovery, made in England has double surface, and is suitable for beginners and club fliers alike.

Email me if you're interested ,and I will find the URL.

- Rod Buck

Consider a Pacific Airwave Mk IV (17 or 19) Double surface, docile, large flare window, and lots of pitch feedback. Should be lots of them around in the $1000 - $1500 range.

I have seen several pilots take there first mt. flights and even finish their training hill practice on Pac Air Pulses. Then go on to fly them for years,and learn to soar well and quickly .

An Airwave Vision Mark IV might be a good one to buy, or a Wills Wing Spectrum. THey are both easy to fly and slow enough to relearn on > They do fly much faster than a single surface glider.. I would still go with a certified instructor. John Saltveit

I learned on a Vision 17 and would highly recommend it to the serious beginner. The wing is easy to launch and land, and on the light days, would easily sky out well above the blade wings.