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What are the differences between a LIGHTNESS and an IMPRESS?

The LIGHTNESS is just as comfortable as an IMPRESS, otherwise Chrigel Maurer couldn’t have made his ten hour flights during the X-Alps and the preparation for it. The biggest difference is the weight. A LIGHTNESS M harness weighs 2.3 kg, an IMPRESS 2 M a little over 7 Kg. The LIGHTNESS pilot pays for the 5 kg difference, however, with somewhat less user-friendliness, less protection and a shorter lifespan:

 

• Less user-friendly, because most of the adjustments cannot be made in the air, and the reserve can only be carried in a front container.

• Less protection and safety, because the LIGHTNESS harness has only a thin and small comfort foam.

• Shorter lifespan, because of the lighter materials used. They do indeed show very good robustness for their weight, but when it comes to long life, resistance to wear and UV they will not come close to the value of normal materials.

How does the LIGHTNESS manage without a seatboard?

The LIGHTNESS works like a hammock, which fits the body perfectly. The remarkable compromise of low weight and high comfort was mainly achieved by using this concept. Chrigel Maurer flew countless kilometers with flights of up to ten hours duration during the preparation phase of the X-Alps project. This hammock principle also gives the pilot even better feedback from the wing.

Why are the LIGHTNESS items so especially light?

The components of the LIGHTNESS were designed and built with the focus on minimum weight, down to the last detail. The development target was to use as little material as possible and seriously question the inclusion of every gram. Often a bewilderingly simple solution emerges when the debate is over – like, for example, the hammock principle for the seat surface of the harness, with no seatboard. On the other side of the equation uncompromisingly light materials were used. The speedbag for example is made from high quality, elastic and abrasion-resistant fabric, normally used for practical outdoor clothing - mainly trousers.

Why can’t the LIGHTNESS be bought without the rucksack?

The harness and the rucksack go well together and make a compact unit. The full potential of these products can only be realised when they are used together. The interplay of harness and rucksack paid off perfectly at the X-Alps. Firstly the shape of the rucksack is matched to the harness so that the equipment can be packed very compactly, and the weight lies close to the hiker’s back. Secondly the back pocket of the harness is exactly tailored to the rucksack for a perfect fit. A normal bigger and stiffer rucksack would be a nuisance for the pilot in flight, and leave less room for clothes, supplies, sticks etc. in the back pocket. Compared with a reversible harness however, where rucksack and harness are combined, the LIGHTNESS System has the advantage of much more versatility.

Why is there only one rucksack size?

The compactness and geometry of the rucksack allows the one size to be carried equally comfortably by short or tall pilots. This is confirmed by the experience of the X-Alps - all three ADVANCE participants had identical rucksacks (Chrigel 183 cm, Heli 168 cm and Ramon 163 cm), even though they used different sized gliders and harnesses. Correct shoulder strap setting (adjustable for pilot height), hip strap adjustment and packing technique are important for carrying comfort.

 

Maximum comfort is only achieved when the rucksack is full and under light internal tension. This tension effectively takes on the function of the supporting frame of a conventional mountain rucksack (usually aluminium) without additional weight. The space inside the rucksack is mostly taken up by a suitably folded glider. The fine tuning at the end is automatically done by the comfort foam, which compresses when packed and expands in the rucksack to perfectly fill the space available. So the rucksack comes without compression belts, saving more weight.

Why can’t the harness be flown without the speedbag?

Foot support in the form of a stirrup is essential because there is no seatboard. The speedbag therefore forms an integral part of the harness because the stirrup is built in to the speedbag for weight reasons.

Why was a reserve stowage not built in to the harness?

The LIGHTNESS is a production version of the X-Alps harness used by the ADVANCE team pilots, in which every single gram was regarded as critical. A built-in reserve system would need extra parts, causing extra weight.