UKRAINE: FREE FLIGHT COUNTRY

UKRAINE Ukraine is also a country with a free flying community and several manufacturers produce wings and harnesses there...

This multifaceted country was also a des‐tination for pilots flying distance. Before the annexation of Crimea in 2014, this peninsula was almost even considered a free flying Mecca.

From now on, especially since the invasion by Russian in February 2022, tourism is out of the question.

But there are also manufacturers who have had to take measures to try and protect themselves. Certainly, outsourcing by Swing, for example, had already stopped there a few years ago, but several Ukrain‐ian brands were still very active.

Some of them, such as Bogdan Fly, have relocated to Portugal. Aeros continues to manufacture in Kyiv. Others, like the fa‐mous harness manufacturer, Nearbirds, are on hold and can no longer fulfil their or‐ders…

We hope that they can start again as soon as possible, even if the worries of these men and women are mainly of a more se‐rious nature at the moment.

The Sky Country Scotch, a Ukrainian single skin..

The excellent Nearbirds’ Genesis during our test. Volodimir Perevalov (below) ran his company near Kyiv and had numerous new models in the pipeline. https://harnessesnearbirds.com/

A lorry leaving Aeros in the Ukraine to deliver wings and buggies to Germany…

PScreenshot: Marc Laval Model: "Style", brand "Aeros" http://aerospara.com

Photo: Marc Laval

The manufacturer of innovative harnesses, S.E.A had to flee its premises which were destroyed at Charkiv near the Russian border… and relocate to Hungary. This manufacturer was even present at Kössen (more on this

Photo : Stefan Ungemach