Paraglider Review: Flying the Gin Calypso (EN-B) with hike-and-fly expert Charlie King

“Travel light, fly far” is the motto for this easy intermediate wing. Charlie King takes it cross country as well as hike-and-fly in the southern French Alps. Charlie has been flying paragliders more than 20 years and is an accomplished XC and hike-and-fly pilot. One of the first women to hike-and-fly from the summit of Kilimanjaro, she has also climbed and flown from the top of Mont Blanc, western Europe's highest mountain. She likes to fly comfortable wings that can be used for multiple purposes: hike-and-fly, thermalling and XC. She flew the Gin Calypso for 10+ hours in the south of France and Annecy, paired with an Advance Success 4 and Gin Yeti convertible harnesses. A full review of the Gin Calypso is featured in Cross Country 215 (November 2020), available digitally and in print at https://xcmag.com More journal than magazine, Cross Country aims to keep paraglider, paramotor and hang glider pilots fuelled with inspiration and information. Founded in 1988, and read in over 75 countries, Cross Country is respected as independent and authoritative. Ten issues are published each year alongside an annual Travel or Gear Guide. Cross Country also publishes best-selling technique books. Find out more at http://www.xcmag.com Subscribe digitally or in print at https://tinyurl.com/xcmag-subscribe Browse and learn with all our paragliding books at https://tinyurl.com/paragliding-books Follow us on Facebook at   / xcmag   Find us on Instagram at   / xcmag