Near the end of training almost every student starts browsing wings. The adverts are full of words like “high B”, “hike-and-fly”, “two-liner” and “aspect ratio 6”, and a friend always has a wing to sell. Buying the wrong first wing is one of the easiest ways to make flying harder and riskier than it needs to be.
This lesson walks you through the kinds of wing you will see, which of them suit a new pilot, how to read the numbers a maker publishes, and how to check a used wing. It builds on Wing certification and sizing, so read that first.
Before you buy
Australia’s federation, for example, advises: don’t buy a wing before you have finished your training, test-fly the model you are interested in, and ask your chief instructor and pilots who own that wing1.
Your instructor has watched you fly. They know whether your ground handling is solid, how you react when the wing moves, and how often you are likely to fly. That is exactly what the right wing depends on.
Instructor's note Buying through your school
Some schools help students buy a wing during the course and finish training on it. That is fine when your instructor chooses it with you. The risk is buying alone, from an advert or a friend.
The kinds of wing
Each
| Kind | Class | Made for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| School and easy intermediate | Students and pilots who fly little or irregularly34 | Still collapses in rough air; size and condition matter56 | |
| Low B | B | All pilots; students only if the maker recommends it7 | Behaves much like an A wing |
| High B | B | Experienced pilots who fly a lot, including in strong thermals8 | Dynamic after collapses; calm-air manners hide it |
| Sport and cross-country, two-liners | C and D | Pilots who know recovery techniques and fly actively and often92 | Demanding; dynamic © to violent (D) reactions |
| Competition | D or |
Competition pilots102 | Never for beginners |
| Lightweight hike-and-fly | A to D: light two-liners are D2 | Pilots who walk up and carry their wing | Lighter cloth wears out faster11 |
| Varies (one popular model is B)12 | Hike-and-fly, travel and mountaineering | One review found almost no retained energy | |
| Usually load-tested only, no A–D class13 | Fast flights close to the terrain, by experienced pilots | Not for students | |
| Its own certification for two people; class varies14 | A rated tandem pilot and a passenger | Needs its own rating |
Two of these deserve a word. A single-skin wing has no lower surface apart from a few cells across the span, which makes it very light: one maker’s 18 m²194 ft² single-skin weighs 2.4 kg5.3 lb, and that maker recommends it only to pilots who already know class B or higher12. A speed wing is small and flown at a high
Never take a passenger on a single-seat wing. Tandem wings are much bigger and certified for far higher weights, and a single-seat wing flown with two people is outside its limits14.
Which class for your first wing
Your first wing is class A or low B. The German federation, the DHV, gives a self-check before anyone moves up a class15. Can you honestly say yes to all of these?
- You keep the wing steady over your head in turbulence, in the air and when ground handling.
- You fly long distances in strong thermals without big collapses, and react precisely when one happens.
- You have several years, several hundred flights and hours, and regular practice without long breaks, at many sites and in many conditions.
If not, the ideal wing is class A or low B. A forgiving wing partly makes up for an active flying style that is not yet solid15. Another DHV rule of thumb says the same thing in one line: choose one class below the highest you think you could just manage4.
High-B wings feel calm and stable in smooth air, which is why they catch pilots out. After a big collapse one can turn 180° back towards the hill quickly, and
Myth vs fact
- Myth
- You outgrow an A wing in your first season, so buy a B to grow into.
- Fact
- Modern A wings fly long cross-country flights, and pilots who fly little or irregularly are best served by one4.
Flying a higher class for prestige adds needless risk, and moving up too fast can quickly end in a bad experience15.
Examples on the market
These are current models in each group a new pilot asks about, with the published numbers for one size around 75–100 kg165–220 lb. They are examples to help you recognise what you see in a shop or an advert, not recommendations: we found no published ranking of which models sell most16, and makers update their wings every few years. The list was checked in November 2026. Your instructor knows which of them suit you and your site.
School and first wings (EN-A). Built for training and for pilots who fly little or irregularly.
| Model and size | Weight range | Flat aspect ratio | Cells | Wing weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advance Alpha 8 2617 | 70–110 kg155–245 lb | 4.8 | 38 | 4.85 kg11 lb |
| Gin Bolero 8 S18 | 65–100 kg145–220 lb | 4.8 | 36 | 4.3 kg9.5 lb |
| Nova Prion 6 S19 | 80–105 kg175–230 lb | 4.9 | 35 | 5.2 kg11 lb |
| Ozone Moxie M20 | 75–105 kg165–230 lb | 4.81 | 38 | 5.05 kg11 lb |
| Skywalk Mescal 7 9521 | 70–95 kg155–210 lb | 4.8 | 40 | 4.9 kg11 lb |
| Niviuk Koyot 6 2622 | 80–105 kg175–230 lb | 4.7 | 38 | 5.14 kg11 lb |
| Supair EONA 4 M22 | 80–105 kg175–230 lb | 4.83 | 38 | 4.9 kg11 lb |
| Sky Aya 2 M22 | 75–95 kg165–210 lb | 4.69 | 37 | 4.55 kg10 lb |
| Dudek Nemo 5 2523 | 70–95 kg155–210 lb | 5.05 | 42 | 4.65 kg10 lb |
| UP Rimo 2 SM23 | 70–105 kg155–230 lb | 4.9 | 42 | 4.9 kg11 lb |
| Phi Sonata 2 2223 | 75–95 kg165–210 lb | 4.72 | 40 | 4.75 kg10 lb |
Light EN-A versions exist for hike-and-fly and travel, such as the Gin Yeti 6, the Advance Alpha DLS and the Niviuk Hook 7 P, at about 2.6–4.2 kg5.7–9.3 lb24.
Low-B wings: often the second wing. Makers pitch these at pilots moving on from a school wing25. Move up only when your instructor agrees.
| Model and size | Weight range | Flat aspect ratio | Cells | Wing weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozone Buzz Z7 MS | 75–95 kg165–210 lb | 5.15 | 48 | 4.9 kg11 lb |
| Advance Epsilon DLS 26 | 79–103 kg175–225 lb | 5.14 | 47 | 4.1 kg9 lb |
| Gin Evora S | 75–95 kg165–210 lb | 5.3 | 51 | 4.7 kg10 lb |
| Nova Ion 7 S | 80–105 kg175–230 lb | 5.17 | 51 | 4.8 kg11 lb |
| Skywalk Tequila 6 95 | 75–95 kg165–210 lb | 5.22 | 49 | 5 kg11 lb |
Light low-B versions include the Ozone Geo 7, Gin Calypso 2 and Nova Ion 7 Light, at about 3.7–3.8 kg8.2–8.4 lb26.
High-B wings: not a first wing. Learn to recognise these names. The Ozone Rush 6, Advance Iota DLS, Nova Mentor 7, Gin Avid and Skywalk Chili 6 are all class B, but have flat aspect ratios of about 5.5 to 6.1 and around 60 cells, and their makers describe them for experienced pilots27. Compare those numbers with the school wings above.
Reading a spec sheet
Every maker publishes a table of numbers for each size of a wing. Most of them tell you less than you think; a few matter a lot.
Figure: One size of a real EN-A school wing. Find the class and the weight range first; the rest describes the wing’s shape and weight.
- Class and weight range come first. Your total flying weight, you dressed plus all your kit, must sit inside the range, ideally near the middle286. The same numbers are on the wing’s label29. Choose the size by the weight range, not the area.
Flat area is the canopy laid out flat.Projected area is smaller, because the wing arches in flight; a magazine feature explains it as roughly the area of the wing’s shadow on the ground30.Aspect ratio says how slender the wing is: span against chord3031. Current EN-A wings have a flat aspect ratio of about 4.7 to 5.2322233; some B wings go above 62. Whatever the class, a higher aspect ratio makes a wing more demanding to handle and to turn in thermals34.Cells : current EN-A school wings have about 35 to 50, most often 36 to 4035. Don’t choose on the count.- Wing weight: EN-A school wings in the common sizes weigh about 3.25–5.4 kg7–12 lb, most 4.5–5 kg10–11 lb; the lightest are lightweight models36.
Trimmers : free-flight school wings normally have none37.- Performance figures (speed, sink, glide) are not comparable between makers, and many publish none38.
Instructor's note Don’t shop by numbers
Students compare glide ratios and aspect ratios as if a higher number were a better wing. For a new pilot it is the other way round: the numbers that matter are the class and where your weight sits in the range. One designer, writing in a magazine, warns against choosing on projected aspect ratio alone, because the wing’s taper and arc matter too30.
Buying second-hand
A used wing can be a good first wing, but only if it is still what its certificate describes. Certification tests are flown on new wings; as lines stretch or shrink and the cloth ages, a wing’s behaviour changes, and regular service checks keep it close to the tested sample1.
Every wing needs a professional inspection at the interval on its label and in its manual39. School wings, a common second-hand buy, need one more often40. Makers such as Gin and Nova say a wing flown past its due date is no longer certified or airworthy41. Care, inspection and packing explains what an inspection covers.
Check a used wing, with your instructor
Find the label and read the model, size, class, weight range and production date.
Cue The label is usually on a rib in the centre cell.
Why No label, or an unreadable one, means you can’t know what the wing is. Don’t fly it until a service centre has identified and checked it29.
Check that your total flying weight fits the range.
Why Outside the range you are outside the certification6.
Ask for the inspection record and the date of the last check.
Why Makers such as Gin and Nova say an overdue wing is no longer certified or airworthy41.
Ask how many hours it has, how it was stored and where it flew. Inland or at the coast? Sand? Left in the sun? Packed wet?
Why Sun, salt, sand, heat and damp all age a wing faster42434440.
Ask for the manuals and the maintenance history.
Why You need the manual’s settings, and the history shows what has been replaced1.
Have the wing checked by the maker or an authorised service centre before you fly it, unless the record shows a recent check by one of them.
Why Line strength and porosity can’t be seen or felt; they have to be measured4546.
Ground-handle it first, then fly it on an easy day with your instructor watching.
Why Test-fly before you commit1.
Common mistake Trusting “new lines” without paperwork
- Symptom
- The seller says the lines were replaced, but there is no service record.
- Cause
- Assuming any line is as good as the original.
- Fix
- Ask who replaced them and see the record, or have the wing checked. In a case reported by the DHV, replacement lines broke at 30–40 kg66–88 lb instead of about 200 kg440 lb. The wing lost most of its main lines after a big collapse, and the pilot threw the reserve47.
Common mistake Buying a friend’s high-B wing as your first
- Symptom
- The wing feels great in calm air, but reacts more than you expected in thermals or after a small collapse.
- Cause
- A cheap, familiar wing chosen above your skill.
- Fix
- Use the DHV self-check honestly, and choose class A or low B until you can say yes to all of it158.
Common mistake Choosing on the brochure numbers
- Symptom
- You pick the wing with the best glide or the highest aspect ratio in the adverts.
- Cause
- Treating performance figures as comparable and higher as better.
- Fix
- Performance figures are not comparable between makers38. Start from the class and your weight in the range, then ask your instructor.
If you buy a harness with your wing, the reserve must be checked with it; see The harness and The reserve parachute48.
Questions students ask
Can I buy a tandem wing and take my partner flying?
Not as a new pilot. Flying a passenger needs its own rating; SafePro Para’s non-commercial tandem rating, for example, needs the stage-5 level and 100 flights at 10 different sites14. Requirements differ by country, so ask your federation or instructor, and see The ratings compared.
Can my first wing be a lightweight wing?
Some lightweight wings are class A2. But the lighter cloth is more easily damaged, so avoid long ground-handling sessions on rough ground with it11. Ask your instructor.
How old is too old for a used wing?
We know of no published age limit. What matters is the wing’s condition and record; an overdue check means it is no longer certified or airworthy under its maker’s rules41. A recent pass shows the wing is in good condition, but it does not make an old design behave like a current A wing. Ask your instructor before you buy anything more than a few years old.
Is a speed wing or a small wing a quicker way to learn?
No. Speed wings are for experienced, licensed paraglider pilots, and are usually only load-tested, not given an A–D class13.
Key points
- Don’t buy a wing alone before you finish training. Test-fly the model and ask your chief instructor.
- Each class holds several kinds of wing. Your first wing is class A or low B; high-B and higher are for experienced pilots who fly a lot.
- Lightweight wings wear faster, single-skins are very light specialist wings, speed wings are not for students, and tandem wings need a tandem rating.
- On a spec sheet, read the class and weight range first. A higher aspect ratio means a more demanding wing; performance figures are not comparable.
- Buy a used wing only with its label and inspection record, and have it checked by a service centre before you fly it unless the record shows a recent check.