Skywalk Chili 3 Review - Initial Thoughts

The sky is closing in, and a patch of unsettled air is on the doorstep thus terminating any flying opportunities for the next few days. Just another springtime in the Wasatch mountains. This reprieve does give me a chance to pause and offer some thoughts on the new Skywalk Chili 3 (high end EN-B) wing. I received a brand new crisp Chili 3 from Skywalk a few weeks ago and have been flying it across my home mountain range. Over the last few weeks I have logged well over 200 km of cross country (XC) thermal flying with this wing over my head. No, this is not ridge soaring back and forth across the same hill, but rather putting it through the paces in high alpine, high altitude, turbulent spring air.

Flying high above the Wasatch Mountains, Utah (~12,000 ft)

Before I get too far into my review of the wing I think it is probably a good idea to pause, and perhaps explain the reasons why I choose to fly. Hopefully it will help you understand the context of this review and the lenses through which I look when experiencing this wing. I do not fly for competitions sake, for recognition, nor to be a part of some social flying community. My goals do not center around flying acro maneuvers, or to become some XC guru who flies with a big digital number on my wing. Each person's goals are their own, which is great, but those are not mine. After all, there are many other aspects and responsibilities in my life other than paragliding (what a shock). Outside my passion for flying I am a business owner, husband, and father. Every day my feet leave the ground in free flight I am keenly aware that I have clients, employees, a wife and kids that are counting on me, and need me to get back on the ground safely....every time! So, why do I fly? I fly for the peace, serenity, and perspective only to be found high above the earth. With no motors, no metal, no sound....just the VIEW. I measure my success, not by the number of kilometers behind me, but the size of the smile on my face. So, that being said here are my initial thoughts on the new Skywalk Chili 3:

Looks: I am flying the blue/black version of this wing and have to say it is probably to most beautiful looking wing out there. Alright, I know there is a personal preference to this one, but I have had several others offer similar opinions. So yes, it is a good look'n wing!

Initial Thoughts: My first thought when unpacking the glider was "wow, where are all the lines?" It is a true 3-liner and boasts only 239 meters of lines (25% less than the Tequila 3). Those lines are tiny as well. The upper brake cascades are so small you could floss your teeth with them. But, hey I trust the Skywalk engineers. They are brilliant, calculated individuals, and do not release a product until it is perfect! So thin lines? That is great. The wing also utilizes other Skywalk standards like Dyneema and Technora lines, Rigid foil (no mylars), jet flaps, and new C-wires in the middle of the wing to help the trailing edge stay solid. The A-risers have a nice Skywalk tab on them showing which riser you pull for Big Ears. With only 2-A's it is important to pull the right one! The tab makes that choice much easier.

Launching: I have been flying Skywalk's Tequila 3 for a couple years, and this last summer the Arriba 2 on hike-n-fly adventures, and throughout the Alps and cannot say enough great things about these wings. They are both phenomenal, but a little bit touchy to launch. At about 45 degrees above the ground they surge quickly, so you better have control of the brakes. When I launched the Chili 3 for the first time I was expecting the same dynamic reaction. Not so. The launch is super smooth. The wing comes up controlled and smooth from the initial pull of the A-risers until it is stable over your head, even in thermic conditions. A shocking, and welcome surprise for a higher performance wing.

Tequila 3 (White), Arriba 2 (Red), and the new Chili 3 (Blue) - All phenomenal wings!

Thermal Flying: Before flying the new Chili 3 I was told it was 'talkative.' Not sure what that really meant until I flew it in turbulent air. It took a few minutes in strong conditions to understand what it was  trying to 'say' to me, but once I got it, I GOT IT. Let me try and explain. When flying an EN-A or low EN-B wing you kind of bump through the turbulence. You generally feel the air, wing pressure, bumps, etc. in the brakes. The Chili 3 is not this way. You feel it in the risers, and thus it tends to move your butt around....a lot. Once I learned to understand what it was saying it took some of the guess work out of thermal flying. Before when I flew into a thermal I had a 50/50 chance of turning the right direction. With the Chili 3, by listening to what the wing is saying, it tells you very clearly where the thermal is, which direction to turn, and how steep your turn should be. It is a thermal hungry, climbing machine and often guides you right where you need to be....so long as you listen to what it is saying.

Turbulence: This is not a docile wing for beginners as it requires a lot of active piloting techniques. You need to know how to keep a wing over head in turbulence to fly it safely. That being said, I am actually very surprised how solid it is. It's 'talkative' nature keeps me working most of the time,  and I have taken only a few minor collapses (~30%) and both were in really strong thermic conditions. The wing behaved as it should, was stable, solid, easy to control and easy to reinflate. While in a steep turn while climbing it continues to 'talk' but has always remained very solid overhead, even when exiting. The key is always to control the surge on exit, and I found the control was there. Like I stated earlier I only have around 200 km of XC on the wing, but so far, so good!

Big-Ears / Speed Bar configuration

Descent: When trying to come down I found the big ears/speed bar combination to work extremely well on this wing. The descent is quick and fast (unless you are in rapidly ascending air). The other day I was still going up in full configuration at 400 ft/m. Crazy! But that was not the gliders fault, it descends actually quite well. The spiral dive approach ramps up a bit faster than the Tequila 3, but remained really smooth and easily controlled with outer brake and weight shift throughout the descent. I actually like spiraling down with this wing better than the Tequila 3 and Arriba 2, just because it had more dynamic action on it.

Landing: The first thing I noticed when landing was the wing flies much faster than the Tequila 3 or Arriba 2. That is where the jet flap technology comes into play, along with the C-wires in the middle ribs of the wing. These two elements in combination gave me the ability to fly quite slow, in a safe manner, thus allowing me to return to earth safely....which for me is a pretty important part of the flight!

Me and fellow pilot Matt (Green Chili 3) fly a short 35 km XC across the Wasatch

Conclusions: Well, I guess all I need to say about this wing is I LOVE IT!!! Yeah, I know I am a Skywalk Team Pilot and should say that, but the reality is, it really is an amazing high end EN-B wing. It seems to provide the performance of a EN-C with the safety of an EN-B. Right now in my flying career safety is much more important to me than performance. That being said I feel I am getting the best of both worlds. It is a great opportunity to be flying a higher performance wing that is very 'talkative' and responsive yet still has the overhead stability and overall safety that comes with an EN-B rating.

If you are interested in flying or buying a new Chili 3, talk to the U.S.A. Distributor Jonathan Jefferies of Utah Paragliding.