http://icaro2000.com/Products/Hanggliders/Z9/Z9.htm#26

I hadn't flown a Icaro 2000 Laminar topless glider since 1997. Things have
improved quite a bit since then. I had my first chance to check out the new Z9
with my first flight at Grappa Mountain on Tuesday.

The first thing I noticed was that the wide down tubes made for a very
comfortable and solid feel when hoisted up on my shoulders. This is important if
you want to have a strong launch in light wind conditions. I throw my shoulders
back, stand straight, and rotate the glider nose down pivoting on my shoulders.
The strong pivot point provided by the wide downtubes makes this easy and safe.

The second thing I noticed was how easy the glider was to turn and fly in the
light conditions just off launch. I was the first to launch getting help from
Heinz, a Swiss pilot, and a German pilot, Mathias, who's wife provided my ride to the top. The
winds were light on launch, so the help was not necessary but always
appreciated.

The restaurant at the launch is out of business, but people do park there and
they can provide assistance if you like.

I went right off launch and found lift just before the paraglider launch a few
hundred meters to the west. The lift started at 100 fpm but it wasn't long
before it was 400 fpm. I climbed from 2,800' to 4,300' drifting back a little
over the hill side.

The glider felt stable and responsive, so unlike the model from so many years
ago. It was a joy to fly and I felt completely secure in it.

I flew up and down the ridge line for the next two hours and the glider was
again responsive and stable. The thermals were for the most part light and
small, although every now and then I found 400 fpm in tight thermals. The flying
was easy.

There were plenty of cu's over the mountain, and a few out over the flats. I
flew out to investigate but didn't find much away from the hill side. The areas
of lift were quite small no matter where I went and we pilots were up and down
during our flights.

After a couple of hours, I brought it in to land and the Z9 was rock steady on
the approach. The wind was ninety degrees to the LZ, but the approach is to go
down the LZ and then turn into the wind and land at the field next to it. I came
in at 45 degrees (as the wind was normally coming from the south not the east)
and then landed in the next field.

I mistimed the landing a bit flaring a little too early letting the control
frame down, so I don't have the timing quite right yet on the glider. I'll have
a few days to work on that here. The LZ is huge with the connecting fields which
you can land in without a problem.