Markus Bönisch macht den nächsten Schritt mit dem SPHERA 2 RS

Over the past two years, Markus Bönisch has flown around 200 hours under the STELLAR RS. The wing became a real companion, one he knew inside out: reliable, dynamic and ideal for long days in the air.

At the same time, Markus was building his first competition experience, including in the Sports Class, where he held his own very well on our high-B wing. But as the level rose, one thing became clear: to keep up with faster wings and strong pilots, he needed more performance.

The first time Markus flew the brand-new SPHERA 2 RS, it just clicked. The glide, the speed, the handling. It felt like exactly the right next step. So he packed the wing and drove to Greifenburg for the Hesse Championship, where he decided to fly the SPHERA 2 RS straight into competition.

A bold move? Maybe. But read his feedback for yourself.

Watch the flight

Markus’s report on the SPHERA 2 RS

I flew 200 hours under SWING’s STELLAR RS. Great wing: reliable, dynamic, an ideal companion. The one small “but”: in competition it lacked the shape to really keep up. It hit home in Colombia early this year. At the Copa de las Americas I was short on speed and glide compared to the wings in the higher classes. The comp was set up for C wings at the very least, and I felt it. So I preferred to fly my own line and had some wonderful flights. But the wish for a good C wing was strong.

Then in spring, SWING had the SPHERA 2 RS certified as a C wing. And suddenly there was a real option. But how big would the jump to a SPHERA, a high-C, be? SWING gave me one to test, I packed it up and drove to Greifenburg to find an answer to the decisive question. And since I clearly had to overdo it, I wanted to fly the wing at the Hesse Championship straight after two days of free flying. Crazy? Maybe.

At launch on the Emberger Alm I had a big dose of respect on board, launched the wing and got into the air. What struck me: it shook me around in the harness (BF Zeppelin 2) noticeably more than the STELLAR. No wonder, it has an aspect ratio of 6.9. Carefully, I eased onto half bar, thermals included. The SPHERA stayed up, stayed open, all the way to landing. On the second day I ventured into the high mountains, because I’d realised the glide gives me confidence. I played with full bar, and there were no surprises there either. Apart from one small detail: I’m now thinking about flying with ski goggles or a visor, because the airflow really picks up.

The first competition on the SPHERA 2 RS

Then the competition. I’ve got a few comps behind me, none particularly successful, but I was never last either. I was curious. This wing was faster now. So with a bit of luck I could mix it with the “big boys”. Day one ended in goal, in 24th out of 100. Still plenty of high-performance wings and aces ahead of me. Day two was sightseeing at its finest; we flew mostly south of Greifenburg and hit solid lee-side thermals. I got shaken around properly, but the SPHERA always stayed open. What a reassuring feeling! I came back into goal after 81 kilometres, in 23rd. The last task for me was meant to be the crowning moment: 100 kilometres, heading right into the Lienz Dolomites. What a panorama! My race start happened to be spot on, right at the front. Later I dropped back, because the racing aces naturally had the better line. The task was stopped after a hang-glider accident, but I flew it to the end and landed in 27th. I couldn’t fly the final task for time reasons, so it ended up as 30th overall. Now comes the big “but”: I took out all the D and CCC wings, and there I stood in 8th. Wow, celebration.

Because one thing is clear: I put in around 19 flying hours in Greifenburg, sure. But to really fly a wing to its full potential, you need more time. Respect has to be reworked into trust. I’m on a good path, but a long way from the goal. The faster I fly, the further forward I get. And out of respect for thermals and turbulence, I still came off the bar too often. That’s why I’m pretty convinced there’s a lot more in there, that I finally have a wing with everything it takes to be up at the front.

And at the same time, I’m looking forward to flying at home in the Sauerland. Because that glide will give me even more freedom and options on cross-country when I’m flying purely for the joy of it. The wing already puts a smile on my face. Crazy? Nope, reliable.

You can find all the details and technical data on the SPHERA 2 RS product page.