GIN GLIDERS have just announced the BOBCAT, their glider for foot-launched speedflying. This is a wing that's actually been a pet project for Gin Seok Song and Francois Bonn for well over a year now. I first flew a prototype near GIN's HQ (Korea) in November last year and after my first brief flights I had an ear to ear grin and I couldn't wait to get my hands on one to take home with me. It was not to be though and I've had to wait until now to try one again.

Here in the Lake District we often get less than perfect days and many's the time I've carried a glider up a hill and carried it down again. Lately I've been going fairly light with a small Yeti and Yeti harness, a combination that weighs 5kg including helmet and instrument. It also packs down so small that I can even take it fell running up our local hills on the off chance that I can fly, and it’s no big deal if I don't. This combo has increased the number of flights I’ve had and I love the fact that I can go on a whim, in any spare hour, without the worry of weight.

And this is where the BOBCAT comes in... With a trim speed significantly higher than a paraglider and a reduced glide, my range of flyable days has increased significantly. In the week I've had the Bobcat, I've been out on 3 different occasions that were conventionally "un-flyable” but that didn’t stop me having fun in the air! The Bobcat does what it says in the ads. It’s a great speedwing for descending mountains with as much fun as possible, it’s a stronger wind soaring wing, it’s a fun wing on the ground, running it, inflated, up slopes and swooping down again. Most importantly, whatever style of flying you do, it puts a huge grin on your face

The Bobcat is made from standard materials with normal sheathed lines and webbing risers, it’s not built “lightweight” although it doesn’t weigh much because of it’s small size, and it packs down small.

The Bobcat harness is more rugged than the Yeti harnesses, is very comfortable when ground handling, running the wing about inflated above you or flying. It also comes with an integral foam protector in the back; it doesn’t convert to a rucksack.

GIN state that you must fly with the Bobcat harness, you should NOT use a harness with a seat plate and also some other split seat mountain type harnesses have different geometry to the GIN harness which can make these small gliders more Spiral Stable amongst other less desirable characteristics.

A word of warning though, the Bobcat isn’t for everyone. You have to be switched on and spatially aware, you have to be a good pilot, and most importantly, you have to be very careful. Things happen fast with a Speedflying wing and if you get it wrong the consequences will be bad.

Gin doesn’t publish performance figures but as a rough guide the Bobcat will have a glide of between 4 and 5.5, a trim speed of 45-50+ (depending on weight) and a top speed of 60-65+ (depending on weight).

More details about the Bobcat including video from GIN GLIDERS website.

More details about the Speedriding and Speedflying from GIN GLIDERS website.

More details about purchasing the Bobcat in the UK.