Light and agile, beautiful and safe, desirable and good-looking, stable and high-quality, elegant and sporty!
The title description is too superficial for you? In that case, please read on. We have got to know the new and very light Mid-B from Advance in detail and have tried to describe our in-depth and personal impressions here.
Advance generously gave us a first test glider to take with us on our trip to the Pyrenees. We test flew it in strong and very fine conditions. One thing in advance: there won't be much negative to read here!
Unboxing
Das erste Mal auf Tuchfühlung mit dem neuen Theta!
ULS ist Programm, mehr dazu später.
Alles ist ultraleicht und doch mit sehr guter Haptik konstruiert und verarbeitet.
Die Details begeistern, jede Naht ist präzis und schön genäht.
Ager, the beautiful flying area in the Spanish Pyrenees, offers ideal test conditions. From strong, wind-torn thermals to the gentlest soaring conditions in the evening, the necessary ingredients are there. We have the 27 Theta with us and load it with 107 kilos.
When you unpack it, the first thing you notice is the beautiful workmanship. Every seam, even the smallest details, are made with love. And of course, the wing is ultra-light!
Groundhandling and takeoff
Einfacher geht ein Schirm nicht zum starten. Mit Leichtigkeit kommt er über den Kopf und macht da, was er soll.
Der Start ist stabil, der Schirm schiesst und hängt nicht. Die Kappe fühlt sich stabil und gut an und macht Lust auf den kommenden Flug.
Im starken Wind erscheint der Theta nicht wie ein ultraleichter Adventure - Tourer, sondern eher wie eine verspielter Freestyle Schirm.
On the first day of testing, the wind conditions at the start were moderately strong, at around 15 km/h. Handling the ground was no problem, the light material immediately filled up and then flew over the head. Light braking stopped the canopy, which then remained stable, waiting to fly.
The glider feels familiar straight away. I know how it works from the very first moment and after a few minutes of playing and having fun at the start, I'm off into the air.
In the third dimension, the glider is in its element. The soaring edge in front of the take-off point invites you to do wingovers and stabilo touches and it becomes clear that the name Adventure Tourer could also be replaced by freestyle machine.
Thermalling and XC-flying
In starker Thermik fühlt sich der Theta ebenso wohl wie beim Soaren. Er zieht schön in die Schläuche rein, ohne zu hängen.
Das Gleiten zwischen den Schläuchen ist effizient. Der Schirm stabil und der Beschleuniger nutzbringend. Die B/C Umlenkung funktioniert auch gut.
Der schönste Job der Welt? Auf jeden Fall macht die Testerei viel Spass!
In der schroffen Landschaft mit der turbulenten Thermik steht die Kappe immer schön stabil und fühlt sich gut und sicher an.
Im Steigen und im Trimmspeed, mag der Theta mit den schnellen Schirmen mithalten.
After the first test flights in soaring conditions, we set out to find thermals to find the adventure in touring mode. You don't have to look for them for long in Ager. The first tubes come powerfully from below and take us to the base. Some of the thermals are torn and challenging, while others are strong and beautiful.
The Theta almost automatically wants to get into the center. The canopy pulls forward without hanging and light control impulses bring the wing into a banked position. The handling is fine, precise and enables fatigue-free flights.
The glider glides well between the tubes. In terms of trim, it can keep up with the "big ones" and accelerated and controlled via the B/C straps, the Mid-B also flies well.
Collapses and maneuvers
Seitenklapper steckt die Kappe easy weg. Nach ganz leichtem Abdrehen, fliegt der Schirm dann selbstständig geradeaus.
Beschleunigte Klapper drehen kurz ab, stabilisieren dann selbstständig und der Schirm fliegt wieder geradeaus.
Die Spirale geht ab. Die Einleitung ist sehr einfach, Sinkwerte und G-Kräfte hoch, die Ausleitung muss aktiv erfolgen!
The Theta is designed as an ultra-light MID-B. It is designed to be forgiving and fly safely even in turbulence.
The many simulated collapses confirmed this. The glider hardly turns, stabilizes itself and then flies straight ahead or gently opens again. Even accelerated collapses are harmless.
Big Ears, flown with the outermost A-lines and speed bar, are also simple and efficient.
The spiral definitely needs to be practiced. The Theta goes into the spiral very easily, which is how it should be and is fun. In the spiral it then flies a high descent with surprisingly high G-forces. The spiral was stable in all my attempts and had to be actively exited. So it is an absolute MUST, in general and not just with the Theta, to master the spiral in order to be able to fly safely and fun.
Conclusion and Suitability
Makellos verarbeitet, mit sehr schönem Design und Farben!
Ein schöner Schirm, gemacht für sichere und spielerische Abenteuer.
Uns hat der Theta sehr gut gefallen. Ob für das ultraleichte Fliegen oder aber als allround Spassgerät.
The Theta is flawlessly crafted, every seam is in place and every detail is lovingly made and of high quality. In terms of handling and flight feel, it doesn't seem like an ultra-light special glider. More like a beautiful mid-B that is totally suitable for everyday use, which makes flying a lot of fun and, to top it off, is also ultra-light.
The skills you need to fly the glider are moderate. It's easy to take off, it's easy to control in turbulence and it handles canopy disturbances very safely. The only thing you need to be able to do is fly the spiral regularly and actively recover from it.
We recommend the wing to hike 'n fly pilots who value performance and passive safety on their adventures. Lightweight enthusiasts will get their money's worth with the wing, as will talented and regular flyers in the B range. And of course anyone who wants to fly a safe and very nice mid-B wing from Advance!
The Theta is now available to order and can be test flown with us. Please send reservations by email to .
After the many test flights with the new paraglider, we had a short conversation with Christian Proschek. Christian is the head developer at Advance and answered our questions about the new wing in detail.
