From SWI: "The Study Group Mathematics with Industry (SWI) is a combined industrial–academic week-long workshop sponsored by NWO. Roughly seventy mathematicians work in groups on problems submitted by companies. Companies present a selection of problems on Monday. The participants devote the entire week to studying these problems in smaller groups and present their results on Friday."

BMedia was responsible for writing the popular proceedings.
(Beeld: ADC Consulting)

The reflex profile is as old as the earliest aircraft. A century ago, designers started using an airfoil with the trailing edge curved up to increase the safety and stability of early aircraft. When the first paragliders came along in the late seventies and eighties, a reflex profile wasn't the obvious choice because it meant increased sink over other airfoil shapes. Early pilots just wanted to stay airborne.

The way our harnesses are tested for strength and safety is getting an update. By the end of the year, a group of harness experts including Alexandre Jofresa from Air Turquoise will propose a new EN standard. Alexandre explains: "We want to include a new impact pad test for harness back protection which drops the harness at a 75 degree angle. This simulates you are falling almost flat on your back."
(Photo: Air Turquoise/Harley Chesnel).

Met onder andere: Down Under deel 2 | Parakiting.nl | Slepen met een drone | Interview: Yan Disselhorst | Vliegen in de Balkan | Via ferrata & fly bij de Dachstein | De veiligheidscultuur bij paragliding

Ze wegen nog geen 100 gram – de twee karabiners die ons, via het harnas, met de vleugel verbinden. Maar ze zijn cruciaal. Als er één in de lucht bezwijkt, volgt onvermijdelijk een rit aan je reserve. Bijzonder eigenlijk dat de karabiner het enige onderdeel van onze uitrusting is waarvoor géén officiële norm geldt. Tijd voor wat extra aandacht voor de karabiner.
Foto: neo-paragliders.fr

"I'm telling that you don't need more than an EN-A wing in all your flying career!" Hannes Papesh, founder of Phi paragliders, is clearly a fan. In their range, Phi have eight different EN-A gliders.
Traditionally, the EN-B class got the biggest slice of the market. But this is changing, confirms designer Philipp Medicus from Nova: "EN-A has grown to be similar to B."

Met onder andere: Down Under deel 1 | Hut&Fly | Serie harnassen deel 5: karabiners | Interview: Robbin van Herwaarden, Skymonkey paramotors | SIV nieuwe stijl | Vliegstekkengids Turkije | Recensie: Wanderbird Strategy van Paul Guschlbauer | Deltavliegen in Denemarken en Kroatië | Interview: Josh en Kanan van Escape paragliding.