The purpose of this video is to highlight three different cases where the Kougar 3 experienced a collapse at full speed. After endorsing this wing in part one and two of this series, I feel as though I have an obligation to share the additional information I have at my disposal in part three. Based off of these three incidents, I personally feel like this wing is not safe at full speed. Although the manufacturer may have had a different experience that led them to disagree, I believe it is important to share these incidents so that current or future Kougar 3 pilots can make an objective judgement of the wing in order to stay safe. If you are an aspiring paramotor pilot, please note that this is an advanced level, unrated wing flying in an advanced configuration. (full speed) I say this because I don't want these instances to scare anyone from the sport. There are plenty of very safe wings on the market that do not exhibit similar tendencies. With proper training and appropriate gear, this sport is really as safe as you make it. Special thanks to Tyson and Tony for sharing their incidents. Check out Tyson's webpage here. - www.funflyn.com/
@@frostgamer8371 he is not exposing himself or others to covld by paramotoring, so its fine that he is flying, but its nice that you care about him and others:)
Tyson was my Ppg instructor. He's an incredible Paramotor pilot and instructor. Flying is is his life, he lives and breathes ppg not to mention he's the nicest dude ever. Theres absolutly no doubt in my mind that the wing is defective and that the company is trying to cover up. @funflyn im glad you're alright brother! Lets fly soon!
@@TuckerGott That riser swap was dirty (or wing swap whichever). Do you recon some of the wings had a wrongly designed riser set with the speed bar range being too long and the one Ramon had was the correct one? Sooo glad Tyson was able to get that reserve out considering he had his arm stuck.
In the age of hyperbole and hyper-reactivity, your calm, thoughtful, even-mannered approach to such a tricky topic is such a breath of fresh air and an absolute inspiration. Thank you for being the level-headed voice of sanity in our sport.
Mad respect for getting Saftey information out there while not being aggressive! This is clearly a issue that could get anyone in a bad collapse and you have done this very tastefully !
@@gentlejake605 That's what people, who are waking up to who they truly are, do. They put their egos aside and just state the Truth about a situation. Nobody wins when you have an ego to ego argument. The Truth has NO argument as it's the Truth. I write this to remind MYSELF, as my ego wants to prove it's in control no matter what. I do my best at every moment to live in Truth. That would be God's Truth with a capital T. Thank God for Tucker Gott! If more of us were to act like him, the world would be a better and a safer place!
Thank you for exposing the danger of this glider. It's sad that the manufacturer still refuses to acknowledge there is something in their design causing these collapses when you have two videos showing the collapses as they happened. Hopefully pilots who have this wing sees this video before they experience collapses of their own. I'm impressed how well you maintained your composure and were so professional. That'd some real character. Good on ya mate!
Niviuk has always made deadly wings. The doberman has been killing people for years, especially its speedbar behavior. The kougar is an updated design of the doberman and just as deadly. They take safety too lightly. I'm shocked they haven't cleaned up their act yet and I can only hope that the attention Tucker brings will help. Then again, the attention Jeff Toll brought didn't seem to be enough. It's sad to see this happen, I wish he was still alive.
Thanks for mentioning that. I didn't bring up the Doberman but it certainly has a bad reputation at full speed. I would hate to see another incident like Jeff Toll's.
I am curious...the Qubik you own, and is flown by “J” often, has been a solid wing for me. I still plan to fly it until it’s hours are up. Will you still fly the Qubik? Will “J”? Or does the poor response from Niviuk limit your desire to be under any of their wings? You have enough hours under the Qubik to know it is a fantastic x-country and adventure wing. I am just curious if you are pissed enough, justifiably, to never be seen under a Niviuk wing again?
So I'm just now thinking about getting into the sport, so take the following with a big 'ol grain of salt... it seems like industry behavior like this is just tempting Washington to regulate, which is good for exactly no one.
@@MacroAggressor as TG says, this is an advanced wing, flown "aggressively". you should have hundreds of hours of flying (and lots of training) before even considering such a thing
@TheJimmyc1982 A very old saying worth repeating. "There are Bold pilots, and there are Old pilots. But, there are NO Bold Old pilots". An over abundance of caution can only be a wise plan of action.
If Niviuk had the tiniest bit of sense, their press release would read something like this: "We are very concerned that some users have had issues with the Kougar 3. We have not been able to reproduce these anomalies here at the factory. To better understand what is happening, we have invited Tucker and a few other pilots who have had an issue to visit the factory at our expense, as consultants. We will welcome their input as we evaluate the Kougar 3 and work to make it even safer while maintaining the characteristics that make it great. If you wish, at this time we will replace the risers at no cost to you to slightly lower the top speed using speed bar. Please, pilots who own an unmodified Kougar 3, do not use the speed bar until our evaluation is complete and/or the wing is factory retrofitted.
@no candy As long as no one has died or been injured and you do an immediate recall, I think there should not be an issue. And no amount of denials is going to work if you don't do the recall and express the urgency to do so. There will be people who will not turn in their wing if they say: "Nothing is wrong with it, but because of some inept pilots, we can make it slower for you". Then they can look forward to loosing their company.
You have won the Icarus race, fly with team fly Halo, Have had the privilege to fly more motors and different wings than most people ever will. You have flown in many different parts of the world. In all different conditions. You always evaluate your flights, understand and acknowledge your mistakes and learn. But in the eyes of the manufacturer you're not experienced. Total crap. I do not fly, i would like to learn. I do live in FL so one day I will get to Lake Whales. I have deep respect for what you do and you transparent honesty. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for being fair, giving the manufacturer a chance and in either case exposing the facts for what they are and making in a good positive and enlightening way dude. top marks
Companies should realise that owning up to, and correcting, their mistakes will get them far more respect than 'appearing to' put profits before people.
Exactly! Taking a bit of a profit loss to give everyone new risers in a recall would do SO MUCH MORE for customer faith than saying "Meh, it's too advanced for some idiots like Tucker, so change it if you want to. 🤷♂️" Their pathetic, arrogant response will cost them more profit down the line in loss of customer faith (I sure as shit won't be purchasing from them) than if they'd owned up to the design flaw initially and took the smaller profit hit to fix the problem with a recall for the risers. Bad business decision, Niviuk.
They would lose a lot less profit by being an honorable, reputable company. Im a pretty new pilot so it isn't like I was about to buy a K3 anytime soon anyway, but I definitely liked a lot of things about it and a few years down the line absolutely would have purchased it. Not now, though. I can't get behind a company that won't stand for its customers.
The thing is owning up to and correcting mistakes builds trust and brand loyalty and thus has a chance to vastly increase profits in the long run. Personally I am much more likely to spend more money on a product if it is from a brand I trust, especially with a product like this that has the chance to kill you if it fails.
Many companies probably would if they we'rent advised legally speaking to never do that. The cost in reputation is almost never as large as the cost in court. Many times when you do see a company being honest it involves a product that has little impact on a persons life, privacy, or well being.
Clearly the manufacturer needs to take what has happened here seriously and do a recall. A wing in smooth laminar air should not collapse at full speed bar.
I'd say there's some damage control going on. They're fixing the issue going forward, but they're not acknowledging it's a serious problem now. They're shifting the blame to the pilots. I hope no one has to die or get seriously injured to expose this facade.
Just what you all need right now, a wing maker acting all lawyered up and passing the buck instead of just owning it and fixing the problem. I suspect in the spirit of competitive marketing they decided to push the known rules of design just a little bit thinking they would get away with it and gain a competitive edge. Everyone who knows anything about the design of anything knows better than to do that and that safety to the user or equipment is almost always the first thing to be compromised. This is not the first or last time we are to see this unfortunately.
Niviuk's knee jerk reaction, when initially alerted to the issue, causes me enough heartburn that I would not consider the purchase of any of their products. Period. As Tucker so aptly pointed out there were several things they could have done to mitigate the discovered problem. In short, they failed to do any of them, finally blamed the pilots for lacking the experience to fly such an advanced wing, and issued a VNE directive . . . which all flies in the face of their marketing that claimed it was the fastest wing. This whole thing is a marketing trainwreck which could have been avoided by doing extensive premarketing testing, or taking ownership of the issue upon first being alerted. Niviuk's corporate integrity is now - and will forever be - in the toilet.
That's my biggest fear! If a collapse like Tyson's happened at a lower altitude, the results would have been much different. I hope this video prevents that from ever happening.
If there were three solid aircraft failures in a row from the same company, would a short dismissal of liability occur? I am relatively certain that a heck of a lot of government organizations would be saying "hello!" Safety first when flying. It sounds like they aren't taking this seriously.
EXCELLENT ! WOW ! I am new in the sport, slow - with a couple yrs, only a dozen + flts., crashing my cart a couple of times. ( going to take a refresher course.) I am a Ret. 59-82 USN. Para-Rigger / SERE Inst / VN Vet. Really believe in SAFETY . Love all your very, informative, exact notes, tips, ideas, videos . Sad to say in early 1960's us parachutists " played it by ear " way tooo much. At age 79 I smarter. But I am not a normal Senior and still enjoying adventures. Ha. Basic and simple - " Take off - Fly safety around- Enjoy the air - NO " hot dogg'n " - and land safely. ( Amen, time for a cold PBR ! ) Sad last week here in W. Colorado , 3 crashes, 2 pilot died . I am trying to find our " WHY " as I learned from others mistakes . I am a survival Inst . with 50+ yrs experience. Arctic to the Amazon . I plan correctly. .I always believed in wearing a " reserve " during my 200 + jumps. But my PPG Inst talked me out of it. NOW , I am considering a reserve ! I am researching for YOUR THOUGHTS and INPUT. Thank You Tucker ( but please beware of your youth, age, love for adventure as it can be dangerous . VN was for me. And wild women are now - here in W. Co. Ha. " Mtn Mel & Aussie Molly Blue " , wilderness skills tipi camp - headed frog gig'n tonight. Like to talk with you on the phone , text or email . Mel T. Deweese, G. Jct., Co.
This will probably save lives. The manufacturer could have handled this so much better with the huge influence you have in the sport. I'm sure they make plenty of safe products but this really shows where their heart is at.
I think many companies haven't noticed yet which importance social networks and „influencers“ like Tucker nowadays have. Niviuk could easily use this situation to make an improvement for their company and get positive attention by the community instead of insulting Tucker.
Yep. I would have done anything to keep Tucker happy. He’s basically the poster child for the sport and a positive review is worth an amazing number of sales. Even if it starts bad and the respond correctly it could have been a win for them. Not a good sign for their company
If Niviuk had the smallest shred of decency and integrity, they would issue a warning or ideally a recall. The tone they used for their press releases was totally UNACCEPTABLE!!! It's TRAGIC that Niviuk doesn't seem to give a damn if their product(s) seriously injure or KILL someone merely because they have such immature, fragile egos that they come out swinging rather than take appropriate and responsible action. Typically companies like this fail because either the consumer avoids their products (due to known safety issues) or they get sued into OBLIVION for failing to correct their clearly defective, dangerous and potentially DEADLY product! The untenable way they've handled this situation must be shared far and wide with everyone involved in this sport. Kudos to Tucker for saving countless lives, by simply telling the TRUTH! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 It's a shame that this company opted to handle this situation in the worst possible way. 👎🏻👎🏻
Acknowledging a safety issue is the most responsible thing, to hide from your responsibility is something else. Well done for highlighting this issue and the manufacturer for highlighting themselves 👍🏻😃
Tucker, manufactures will never tell you want to hear, unless they are forced to. Don't be distracted by that noise because ultimately they made changes that will likely save lives. You did everything right.
Except that everyone needs to know about this danger and their willingness to lie lie lie instead of putting safety first.... this alone will destroy them quickly.... and they really should be reminded legally from the market by law for lying..... even though these are not regulated by FAA the NTSB will find this atrocious and take action .....
I think Tyson's incident supports the manufacturer's claim perfectly and shows the engineering and execution were excellent and just as they intended. Not Niviuk, the maker of the reserve.
Thanks for being a good guy and putting safety and truth first. Definitely uncool on Niviuk’s part for not being more transparent. You can hear the tone in both their press releases that they’re not to blame, it was your fault and the fault of all the pilots who were so called flying beyond their capabilities. I get that there is some grey area here and the company wants to do some damage control but to me their communication ends up sounding dishonest and manipulative. Thanks for being the voice of reason and a guy we can trust. You’re the man
A video not seen often in this sport. Product review of a wing...with non BS, providing a skilled pilot's personal eval and video evidence of his experience. I LIKED IT!! Start Safe, Stay Safe. Ohhh one last thing....Beamer 3 Reserve, that is one of my all time favorites. I personally believe it should be a go to reserve for most PPG pilots. Steerable, deploys quickly, the kind of thing that can keep you out of the trees, or power lines if you have the time. Once again great video.
Great job in presenting this information in an objective and unbiased way. The evidence speaks for itself and it sounds to me that Niviuk is lacking some integrity in their safety department. I spoke with Tyson at the Salton Sea days after his experience and he showed me the video on his phone. He mentioned he was going to work with you and others in taking the right approach in getting this information out there. Hats off to you both for not simply putting it out there prematurely and working with the company first to try and fix the problem. Personally I have never flown a Niviuk wing, but this sort of lack in professionalism on their part really would turn me away from their products. Safety should ALWAYS be the first priority.....
And hats off to all of you for giving Niviuk repeated chances to do the right thing before you went public. You gave them a way out and they chose not to take the option to fix the problem, instead doubling down on their false claims. Then you rightly made the decision it was time to go public. A Tucker Gott video has more credibility and more impact than any advertising budget of any wing manufacturer. In my book a Fly-guy Alberta video carries the same credibility. If you're a wing manufacturer and any of these guys come to you with a concern, I hope you treat them differently than Niviuk. Doing so, you can turn a problem into a great opportunity to sell lots of wings.
Seriously pro recovery on that. That collapse could have been tragic, but he just calmly pops the reserve and gets her down and walks away intact. Nice work. Always check your reserve folks!
You dont send out a 2nd press release for no reason. Something happened in those 2 days for that to have happened!! The way a company reacts to faults being discovered in their products says a lot about who they are. I think, (and from what little of the comments I have read, most everyone else feels the same) Nivik have not made this situation any better! Stay safe out there guys and gals, make good decisions when you are flying!
I’ve always appreciated your calm, objective & unexaggerated analysis. I’ve never seen you point the finger in incident analysis and always strived for learning outcomes. But....sometimes you need to call it for what it is. A company has been made aware of a design flaw by multiple professional pilots. Instead of recognizing and responding, they’ve deflected, denied, belittled and hidden their corrective actions. The only positive I can draw from the whole experience is never to buy from a company that behaves that way. Thanks for the great content and always taking the high road. ✌️
Niviuk just made a bad situation much worse. The bad glider and now their cover up is as bad as it gets. I hope we all show our disgust for this behavior by stop consider their products. I so hope this mentality is not shared by other manufacturers!!! Good job Tucker!
I agree. But i also didn't find it fair of tucker to meke this "same glider" thing so huge. They said his glider was fine and used another one that probably was fine as well. So it made no difference (assuming they weren't lying when they said his glider was completely fine). This doesn't make it better though...
I do not fly a paramotor... Yet.but I just had to say thank you for your public service announcement. You may very well be saving lives by posting this. Thanks Tucker
Tucker, this a professional, life-saving video. Your thoughtful and measured response lends it credibility, along with Tyson's experience. The company has admitted to the design flaw via: 1) All new wings made in the future will be speed restricted; 2) They are offering to swap out the risers However, they are not issuing a recall and that will leave them vulnerable to lawsuits, but that is their choice. Remember, European companies react/respond different than US companies, it's a cultural/legal difference.
Being in Europe will not save them... Microsoft got fined by European courts(not once) over a billion... Siemens got fined by a German court over one billion EUR over corruption charges related to a third world country, etc.
Tucker- you are so amazingly reasonable and articulate. You went about this whole thing with incredible professionalism and class. You could have been much more critical, but I feel it would have made it easy for anyone to dispute what you’re saying. Solid video, solid information and amazing restraints that’s why you’re the man.
Sounds like the same letters from Boeing ...regarding the 737 Max...We have investigated our Aircraft and as long as you do the recommended workarounds to counteract the known flaws in the aircraft's software...iz all good.
and yet hundreds of people still lost their lives because of corporate ignorance. its only a matter of time before someone gets splatted into the ground with a badly designed wing like this. regulations exist for a reason, without it people get hurt or worse
Props to you Tucker for making a statement based on reality, difficult decision I am sure, but really got give you credit for calling out BS when you see it.
I paused and read the the full first and second press release. The tone of the entire letter seems around pointing the finger at the pilots. Regardless of who's fault it is, they needed to recommend extreme caution when using a speed bar at or above 80 kph (50 mph) which they sort of did that in the second letter. Hopefully, they investigate the possibility that the risers were changed before they tested. At the very least, thank you for bringing this to the flying public eye.
I think something may have gotten lost in translation. I think they meant to say A wing the same as the one Tucker flew. If the risers are different then it definitely isn't the same wing!
Tucker: "This glider has a problem" Company: "You have to be a really skilled pilot to use this" Tucker: "Me? Not skilled?" I know you were being modest, but c'mon, how much more skilled do you need to be before they acknowledge it?
You took the not-so-subtle insults to your skills way better than I would have--you are a flyer and a gentleman! And, honestly, a journalist, as fairly as you presented the problem and Niviuk's seemingly workable design solution.
I enjoy Tucker Gott’s videos, but have never been close to a paramotor. Having said that, I flipped a bird when they came back as being condescending towards Tucker’s skills as a pilot. Tucker is a pro.
Ditto everything "Night Train" said. I don't fly but I love the videos. I feel like I'm right there with you, what a great adventure sport. Tucker, I suspect everyone viewing this is with you on your evaluation. This company has a responsibility to the flying community and own up to this issue instead of sidestepping it.
Its videos like this Tucker that’s got you the respect you deserve. Great video buddy, I raised a glass to say thank you for all the lives you have possible saved. Respect Steve.
Everyone in the paramotor community needs to reject this manufacturer. for their cover up and not admitting the truth, and tucker proved it with the changed risers.
Thanks for the accountability check. Without you and Tyson's footage this could easily be brushed under the rug. Good Job fighting for that Beamer deployment Tyson! I think I heard him say a little prayer after landing "Thank you Father!"
Been watching you for awhile. Love the life style presentations and the adventure aspects. But this video was consequential in a way I've not seen you do before. You did a public service to your community by documenting a safety issue, very thoroughly, with multiple sources and evidence beyond your own experience. You truly investigated, and documented, the issue and even prior to the manufacturer identifying the risers as the problem, you'd id'd that--as a possible problem area, then, you demonstrated that the risers you used, were not the same ones they used, in their PR video. In short, you were competent, believable and credible in your presentation--and you weren't snarky in the least. You created an aura of truthfulness that can only be dealt with by also being straight forward. I'm much older than you (68). I've seen a lot of people tackle issues with varying degrees of competence and credibility. Mr. Gott, you did an incredible job in a public service presentation that may have saved lives. Congratulations. Respect. The company will have to evaluate their own PR moves here, but in this world we live in today, their lack of candor and use of obfuscation will likely cost them dearly. I don't wish any business ill on the face of it, but I do think if you manufacture aviation products where people's lives are at risk, there is no room for anything less than a full on embracing of the need to be open, above board, and willing to own the problem in a way that your customers can see clearly and accept. I don't think this company did that. We'll see how that plays out for them. But a larger company that manufactures airliners that had a similar problem which resulted in a massive loss of life. Taking this path, caused their company to collapse. It led to the replacement of their CEO and a loss in confidence to their products which benefited their competitors. That company has serious competitors like Airbus. It will take them years to recover. Jes saying.. GOOD JOB! You did a good thing.
Well made and worded video. You took the high road IMO. They appeared to take shots at you and it was great to see you stick to the facts! Glad no one was severely hurt! Keep the great content coming!!
Thanks Tucker , it was realy professionally handled ! Could not say it about the " Professionals that manufactured the wing " MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!
This is on their website under the kougar 3 advertising. Note it says EXCEEDS 80 km/h. You would think with the press release saying not to exceed this that they would fix their website! "It is not a paraglider, it is a rocket! Never before had I flown with a glider as fast as the Kougar 3. It is possible to exceed 80 km/h without the need to use a miniwing. To that we add a great precision in the handling and an incredible glide. All this with some of the simplest risers that exist. This glider will become my competition partner, but I intend to fly with it every day because it is so much fun!" -Julien Meyer
Great job staying objective on this. I don't know that I could have done that but then we do have the benefit of retakes etc. I think they need to come clean with you. Same thing with 2 experienced pilots +the other incident and then the "minor" (MAJOR) detail of the riser difference. They are not being honest. Great job!
Thanks Tucker for this video and all others. I want to get into this sport and have seen many of your videos. This one, totally about newness and safety, is so far one of the best I have seen. Thanks
Sketchy statements by Niviuk, to say the least. I'm glad you're fine and I'm not sure if I should be amazed or worried, that you don't use harsher language. I think everything about this video is right in a moral way though. Very considerate remarks. Thank you!
Both statements have done nothing to ease the concerns surrounding this wing! 2 separate pilots flew the wing in similar conditions and had an identical result, and a 3rd pilot on a 2nd wing had a similar result. If this were a Boeing 737 it would have been grounded!!
ive seen you mess up before and take 100% blame when it was your fault so i know this isnt to avoid blame on this good job for being on top of it to make sure others are safe
Excellent video, the community needs honest feed back. Even though this is not something that I would be flying I appreciate you doing the research and advising those who may be flying these type of equipment. Thanks for caring and keeping people safe.
My take away is this: they are willing to change out the risers to lower the speed. I think that would explain the difference in the riser handles.... That had already been done before they made the video.
Tucker... length of video is no issue... safety and your commitment to it are. Integrity and commitment to the truth are essential, and you and Tyson have displayed both. (Thank God both you and Tyson are safe.) As for the Kougar wing and manufacturer... let's just say that the market will judge and reward them accordingly. Happy flying!
I just got a new wing last week. Decided not to go for a niviuk based on the second video among some other reasons. This kougar has a DGAC certification that is required in almost all european countries. This certification is based on a lot of in house testing. It turnes out that at least one manufacturer can not be trusted with this responsibility. I really hope that DGAC is going to take a look at what is going on here and takes the nessesary steps to prevent this from ever happening again. If not, the whole DGAC certification loses its credibility and that would be bad for both the manufacturers and pilots. Shame on you Niviuk for acting this way.
I'm not a paramotorer, so forgive my ignorance, but I thought that Tucker said that this wing "isn't certified." Does that mean that ALL paramotor wings aren't governed by a regulating body, or does that mean that just the Kougar 3 16m variant isn't certified?
@@xenonram , there is no "performance" certification process for paramotor wings specifically and no regulating body. There *is* certification for paraglider wings (i.e. no motor) that some manufacturers choose to get done for their paramotor wings. This is the EN-A, EN-B, EN-C rating. But, it costs a lot of money and it's not always directly applicable to the style of flying that paramotors do and with the added weight of the motor...especially with reflex designs. Niviuk's Link 2 is a super safe glider, but it is technically "uncertified" because Niviuk doesn't believe that EN testing is relevant or helpful for paramotor wings. Also, freestyle/acro gliders don't match up to these types of in-air performance tests, so none of them get tested in this way. Tucker's Ozone Freeride is uncertified for this reason. Having said that, you'll see that most wings (including all Niviuk paramotor wings) are DGAC certified. This doesn't certify the in-air performance characteristics at all. Instead, it certifies that Niviuk manufactured the wing exactly to the specifications that they intended to.
I work in the auto-industry, building class-8 semi-trucks, “The best of the best!”/“American Made”!!!! …and believe me when I say, sometimes it looks great on computer, but when the actual construction takes place, there’s more things that don’t fit/reach/seal than what it was worth. Any modification, whether it’s the engineer or the pilot, is susceptible to flaws that can fail in the real world due to the lack of testing. Great video Tucker! 👍
Company line "Tucker is not experienced enough to handle our wing, so don't listen to him. Doesn't matter that the won the ICARUS race! and all those other pilots that had problems, it's their fault, the wing isn't for them, it's too advance!" - RRRRRIIIIIIGGGGGGHHHHHHHTTTTTT!!!!!!!
Reminds me of a different incident in the hair care industry with products catering to people of color. Products were causing people’s scalps to scab and lose hair. Company came out and basically said that it were a user error. I will never understand why companies try to blame their consumers & customers..
@@thelingeringartist Or apple when their IPhones lost signal. It wasn't a bad design, the users were holding them wrong... So many companys (and people) can't admit mistakes.
Going through coronavirus isolation unable to go kiteboarding watching Tyler's videos. He speaks eloquently has great eye contact and wow is it ever exciting!
Tucker, thanks for putting this info out so objectively and professionally, and giving Niviuk the chance to act like a good citizen. I also got a chance to talk to Tyson at the Salton Sea after his collapse, and it was pretty scary to hear his account. He didn't mention it in your video, but after 20 years of flying that was his FIRST reserve toss! Crazy. Personally, I love my Qubik and I've been eyeing up a small Link 2 to be my "play" wing. But, this has left me sorely disappointed in them. Don't know what to do now.
That's definitely a glider I'd never ever fly... And the answer letter from Niviuk borders on impudence. Thank you Tucker for the enlightening video🙂👍.
That reserve throw...shwew! I think a semi-rigid wing using auxetic materials would fix this sort of vulnerability for good. A few casualties and much litigation is usually what it takes to fix things...unfortunately.
Paragliders are designed to collapse as it dissipates the energy. Better having a tip tuck than that force being transmitted through the whole wing and having the wing swing beneath you. Many experiments have been done with introducing rigid components over the decades and to my knowledge all ended up making the problem worse. There is one notable exception which is RAST from Swing which is purported to reduce the severity of collapses by keeping the rear inflated while allowing the front to tuck which dissipates the energy. Some great videos on YT of it in action.
What does auxetix material have to do with it? Is that just one of those things where people hear about it and then want to make everything out of it? Like carbon fiber everything.
As a Quality Manager for a aviation company I am not surprised by their response. Until a regulatory agency gets involved this is a he said they said! Tucker provided some solid advice and lessons learned the best one in my opinion is "Altitude" when testing a new product, altitude is your best friend it increases you recovery time! If you read any aviation Blogs you will find differences of opinions about many products. Caveat Emptor and Fly Safe!
Very interesting. They should of checked your subs to realize how many people truly take your word.for what you say. Hard for them to claim there's no safety issues when you (pretty much a pro, to say the least) had what you had happen mid flight. If it's beyond your ability, I can't imagine there is going to be much of a market of consumers capable of owning this glider. P.S. not sure why ozone hasn't simply given you a full sponsorship yet! Come on ozone, tucks got over a million people following him. Probably more people then actually fly in reality.
Thank God it'll be handled. And thank God for this video. Thank you Tucker for your loving light. May you continue to be blessed and safe and surrounded by the same!
If we assume there is a skill or method or procedure the pilot can use to achieve the advertised speed without collapse, the manufacturer failed to demonstrate that procedure.
My prediction of what Niviuk would say was right but I didn't predict that they would blame you as a pilot to fly the glider. You pointing out the riser change in their video to me shows that their test was to test out the new risers. You and Tyson are lucky to have not gotten a serious injury. Geeze Tyson, Tucker showed and said it was going to collapse and you tested it so freakin low.
Tucker, you handled this with class and presented the facts for the sake of safety. Very disappointing conduct by Nuviuk and sadly one can't help but question their commitment to the communities safety. Thank you for allowing pilots to make a informed decision.
Wow this video showed what I've always asked about: reserve parachute. I was not 100% motivated to dive into paramotors because I thought it was a single parachute. Thank you for clarifying it! Greetings from Brazil
Great reaction time by your friend. I'm a former 82nd Airborne paratrooper and from 600ft free fall you have about 4 seconds before smack. Glad he's well and thanks for sharing such detail about both incidents.
Not very bright of the company to toss a well respected TH-camr under the bus like this. That's just asking to be shut down. The smarter call would have been to reach out to Tucker to work with him to see what could be done. Now, in their stupidity, they've put themselves in the position of multiple pilots having the same issues that threaten the lives of all. Further doubling down by putting up a video that reveals their deception, and never addressing the speed issue on three wings. I can see them "closing down" - changing names, and starting back up - maybe learning their lessing. However, based upon their obvious deception, I doubt they will learn.
Dude! It's because of Your Humble Attitude that makes people Want to Listen & Hear what you have to say. Thank You For Caring & Just Being Honest! It's Safe To Say God Likes You Too.... Stay Cool
The purpose of this video is to highlight three different cases where the Kougar 3 experienced a collapse at full speed. After endorsing this wing in part one and two of this series, I feel as though I have an obligation to share the additional information I have at my disposal in part three. Based off of these three incidents, I personally feel like this wing is not safe at full speed. Although the manufacturer may have had a different experience that led them to disagree, I believe it is important to share these incidents so that current or future Kougar 3 pilots can make an objective judgement of the wing in order to stay safe.
If you are an aspiring paramotor pilot, please note that this is an advanced level, unrated wing flying in an advanced configuration. (full speed) I say this because I don't want these instances to scare anyone from the sport. There are plenty of very safe wings on the market that do not exhibit similar tendencies. With proper training and appropriate gear, this sport is really as safe as you make it.
Special thanks to Tyson and Tony for sharing their incidents. Check out Tyson's webpage here. - www.funflyn.com/
0 dislikes and nearly 100 likes that's great
I luv your vids!
Stay at home dude
@@frostgamer8371 he is not exposing himself or others to covld by paramotoring, so its fine that he is flying, but its nice that you care about him and others:)
So it's fast, but dangerous! Give me slow but reliable any day.
Nuviuk is 100% correct. It’s the “fastest glider on the market” ...straight down.
Accurize2 | Survival Gaming Channel Most underrated comment lol
Its the near death experience they offer.
Brandon Caldwell oh lol
Surprised to see you over here Sgt.
Aircraft that take a dive for no apparent reason are known as lawn darts.
Tyson was my Ppg instructor. He's an incredible Paramotor pilot and instructor. Flying is is his life, he lives and breathes ppg not to mention he's the nicest dude ever. Theres absolutly no doubt in my mind that the wing is defective and that the company is trying to cover up. @funflyn im glad you're alright brother! Lets fly soon!
Tyson is the man! He did an incredible job recovering that situation and I am very grateful that he took the time to share his experience.
Maxx, nice to see you in the comment section👍
Have a good time and stay safe!
Greetings from Germany
@@TuckerGott That riser swap was dirty (or wing swap whichever). Do you recon some of the wings had a wrongly designed riser set with the speed bar range being too long and the one Ramon had was the correct one? Sooo glad Tyson was able to get that reserve out considering he had his arm stuck.
Tyson was my instructor as well. Just finished training a couple weeks ago.
Tyson and his daughter were my instructors as well. He was a great instructor. If I’m the Washington area he is the guy to contact.
Tucker you saved lives with this video. It’s one of the many reasons why you are popular on TH-cam. I admire that!
Facts
In the age of hyperbole and hyper-reactivity, your calm, thoughtful, even-mannered approach to such a tricky topic is such a breath of fresh air and an absolute inspiration. Thank you for being the level-headed voice of sanity in our sport.
Yes - Tucker's analytical approach to understanding the behavior of the wing (e.g., Wing loading @15:09) is GREATLY appreciated!
Mad respect for getting Saftey information out there while not being aggressive! This is clearly a issue that could get anyone in a bad collapse and you have done this very tastefully !
Much appreciated, Keith!
@@TuckerGott and without throwing punches back like they threw punches at you and you just stayed chill would love to chill with you sometime
@@gentlejake605 That's what people, who are waking up to who they truly are, do. They put their egos aside and just state the Truth about a situation. Nobody wins when you have an ego to ego argument. The Truth has NO argument as it's the Truth. I write this to remind MYSELF, as my ego wants to prove it's in control no matter what. I do my best at every moment to live in Truth. That would be God's Truth with a capital T. Thank God for Tucker Gott! If more of us were to act like him, the world would be a better and a safer place!
@@sonnybzero Exactly I have a hard time with it but typically I'm relaxed imma go back to watching snakes lol haha
Thank you for exposing the danger of this glider. It's sad that the manufacturer still refuses to acknowledge there is something in their design causing these collapses when you have two videos showing the collapses as they happened. Hopefully pilots who have this wing sees this video before they experience collapses of their own. I'm impressed how well you maintained your composure and were so professional. That'd some real character. Good on ya mate!
Niviuk has always made deadly wings. The doberman has been killing people for years, especially its speedbar behavior. The kougar is an updated design of the doberman and just as deadly. They take safety too lightly. I'm shocked they haven't cleaned up their act yet and I can only hope that the attention Tucker brings will help. Then again, the attention Jeff Toll brought didn't seem to be enough. It's sad to see this happen, I wish he was still alive.
Thanks for mentioning that. I didn't bring up the Doberman but it certainly has a bad reputation at full speed. I would hate to see another incident like Jeff Toll's.
I am curious...the Qubik you own, and is flown by “J” often, has been a solid wing for me. I still plan to fly it until it’s hours are up. Will you still fly the Qubik? Will “J”? Or does the poor response from Niviuk limit your desire to be under any of their wings? You have enough hours under the Qubik to know it is a fantastic x-country and adventure wing. I am just curious if you are pissed enough, justifiably, to never be seen under a Niviuk wing again?
So I'm just now thinking about getting into the sport, so take the following with a big 'ol grain of salt... it seems like industry behavior like this is just tempting Washington to regulate, which is good for exactly no one.
@@MacroAggressor as TG says, this is an advanced wing, flown "aggressively". you should have hundreds of hours of flying (and lots of training) before even considering such a thing
@TheJimmyc1982 A very old saying worth repeating. "There are Bold pilots, and there are Old pilots. But, there are NO Bold Old pilots". An over abundance of caution can only be a wise plan of action.
If Niviuk had the tiniest bit of sense, their press release would read something like this: "We are very concerned that some users have had issues with the Kougar 3. We have not been able to reproduce these anomalies here at the factory. To better understand what is happening, we have invited Tucker and a few other pilots who have had an issue to visit the factory at our expense, as consultants. We will welcome their input as we evaluate the Kougar 3 and work to make it even safer while maintaining the characteristics that make it great. If you wish, at this time we will replace the risers at no cost to you to slightly lower the top speed using speed bar. Please, pilots who own an unmodified Kougar 3, do not use the speed bar until our evaluation is complete and/or the wing is factory retrofitted.
you should consider a career in writing press releases, this would be the best release you could ever have done (y)
@no candy As long as no one has died or been injured and you do an immediate recall, I think there should not be an issue. And no amount of denials is going to work if you don't do the recall and express the urgency to do so. There will be people who will not turn in their wing if they say: "Nothing is wrong with it, but because of some inept pilots, we can make it slower for you". Then they can look forward to loosing their company.
Yes I agree, me and the multitudes..yikes
You have won the Icarus race, fly with team fly Halo, Have had the privilege to fly more motors and different wings than most people ever will. You have flown in many different parts of the world. In all different conditions. You always evaluate your flights, understand and acknowledge your mistakes and learn. But in the eyes of the manufacturer you're not experienced. Total crap. I do not fly, i would like to learn. I do live in FL so one day I will get to Lake Whales. I have deep respect for what you do and you transparent honesty. Keep up the good work.
right. they're showing where their priorities lie with this type of response.
@@laur-unstagenameactuallyca1587 Yeah seems as if they are more worried about bad PR than pilots lives. Really pisses me off.
You will never get to Lake Whales so try Lake Wales instead :)
Thanks for being fair, giving the manufacturer a chance and in either case exposing the facts for what they are and making in a good positive and enlightening way dude. top marks
Companies should realise that owning up to, and correcting, their mistakes will get them far more respect than 'appearing to' put profits before people.
Exactly what I was thinking.
Exactly! Taking a bit of a profit loss to give everyone new risers in a recall would do SO MUCH MORE for customer faith than saying "Meh, it's too advanced for some idiots like Tucker, so change it if you want to. 🤷♂️"
Their pathetic, arrogant response will cost them more profit down the line in loss of customer faith (I sure as shit won't be purchasing from them) than if they'd owned up to the design flaw initially and took the smaller profit hit to fix the problem with a recall for the risers.
Bad business decision, Niviuk.
They would lose a lot less profit by being an honorable, reputable company. Im a pretty new pilot so it isn't like I was about to buy a K3 anytime soon anyway, but I definitely liked a lot of things about it and a few years down the line absolutely would have purchased it. Not now, though. I can't get behind a company that won't stand for its customers.
The thing is owning up to and correcting mistakes builds trust and brand loyalty and thus has a chance to vastly increase profits in the long run. Personally I am much more likely to spend more money on a product if it is from a brand I trust, especially with a product like this that has the chance to kill you if it fails.
Many companies probably would if they we'rent advised legally speaking to never do that. The cost in reputation is almost never as large as the cost in court.
Many times when you do see a company being honest it involves a product that has little impact on a persons life, privacy, or well being.
Tucker gott, Your knowledge and understanding of this hobby is not only teaching others but more importantly saving lives. Props to you!
“Thank you, Father!” Amen!
thats what i said to
Clearly the manufacturer needs to take what has happened here seriously and do a recall. A wing in smooth laminar air should not collapse at full speed bar.
I'd say there's some damage control going on. They're fixing the issue going forward, but they're not acknowledging it's a serious problem now. They're shifting the blame to the pilots. I hope no one has to die or get seriously injured to expose this facade.
They will wait until someone dies first,that's the reality
@@joesterling4299 So in other words it's like Boeing and the MCAS but at a much smaller scale?
No shit Sherlock.
Just what you all need right now, a wing maker acting all lawyered up and passing the buck instead of just owning it and fixing the problem. I suspect in the spirit of competitive marketing they decided to push the known rules of design just a little bit thinking they would get away with it and gain a competitive edge. Everyone who knows anything about the design of anything knows better than to do that and that safety to the user or equipment is almost always the first thing to be compromised. This is not the first or last time we are to see this unfortunately.
Niviuk's knee jerk reaction, when initially alerted to the issue, causes me enough heartburn that I would not consider the purchase of any of their products. Period. As Tucker so aptly pointed out there were several things they could have done to mitigate the discovered problem. In short, they failed to do any of them, finally blamed the pilots for lacking the experience to fly such an advanced wing, and issued a VNE directive . . . which all flies in the face of their marketing that claimed it was the fastest wing. This whole thing is a marketing trainwreck which could have been avoided by doing extensive premarketing testing, or taking ownership of the issue upon first being alerted. Niviuk's corporate integrity is now - and will forever be - in the toilet.
They're going to be in trouble if someone takes a collapse and doesn't recover like Tyson did. I'm not impressed with how they responded to this.
That's my biggest fear! If a collapse like Tyson's happened at a lower altitude, the results would have been much different. I hope this video prevents that from ever happening.
@@TuckerGott Amen
rjtumble Agreed... They need to issue a recall.
Can you say boycott??
If there were three solid aircraft failures in a row from the same company, would a short dismissal of liability occur? I am relatively certain that a heck of a lot of government organizations would be saying "hello!" Safety first when flying. It sounds like they aren't taking this seriously.
EXCELLENT ! WOW !
I am new in the sport, slow -
with a couple yrs, only a dozen + flts., crashing my cart a couple of times. ( going to take a refresher course.) I am a Ret. 59-82 USN. Para-Rigger / SERE Inst / VN Vet. Really believe in SAFETY . Love all your very, informative, exact notes, tips, ideas, videos . Sad to say in early 1960's us parachutists " played it by ear " way tooo much. At age 79 I smarter. But I am not a normal Senior and still enjoying adventures. Ha. Basic and simple - " Take off - Fly safety around- Enjoy the air - NO " hot dogg'n " - and land safely. ( Amen, time for a cold PBR ! ) Sad last week here in W. Colorado , 3 crashes, 2 pilot died . I am trying to find our " WHY " as I learned from others mistakes . I am a survival Inst . with 50+ yrs experience. Arctic to the Amazon . I plan correctly. .I always believed in wearing a " reserve " during my 200 + jumps. But my PPG Inst talked me out of it. NOW , I am considering a reserve ! I am researching for YOUR THOUGHTS and INPUT. Thank You Tucker ( but please beware of your youth, age, love for adventure as it can be dangerous . VN was for me. And wild women are now - here in W. Co. Ha. " Mtn Mel & Aussie Molly Blue " , wilderness skills tipi camp - headed frog gig'n tonight. Like to talk with you on the phone , text or email . Mel T. Deweese, G. Jct., Co.
This will probably save lives. The manufacturer could have handled this so much better with the huge influence you have in the sport. I'm sure they make plenty of safe products but this really shows where their heart is at.
I think many companies haven't noticed yet which importance social networks and „influencers“ like Tucker nowadays have. Niviuk could easily use this situation to make an improvement for their company and get positive attention by the community instead of insulting Tucker.
Yep. I would have done anything to keep Tucker happy. He’s basically the poster child for the sport and a positive review is worth an amazing number of sales. Even if it starts bad and the respond correctly it could have been a win for them. Not a good sign for their company
If Niviuk had the smallest shred of decency and integrity, they would issue a warning or ideally a recall. The tone they used for their press releases was totally UNACCEPTABLE!!!
It's TRAGIC that Niviuk doesn't seem to give a damn if their product(s) seriously injure or KILL someone merely because they have such immature, fragile egos that they come out swinging rather than take appropriate and responsible action.
Typically companies like this fail because either the consumer avoids their products (due to known safety issues) or they get sued into OBLIVION for failing to correct their clearly defective, dangerous and potentially DEADLY product!
The untenable way they've handled this situation must be shared far and wide with everyone involved in this sport.
Kudos to Tucker for saving countless lives, by simply telling the TRUTH! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 It's a shame that this company opted to handle this situation in the worst possible way. 👎🏻👎🏻
Acknowledging a safety issue is the most responsible thing, to hide from your responsibility is something else. Well done for highlighting this issue and the manufacturer for highlighting themselves 👍🏻😃
Always impressed with your maturity levels. I hope your parents are super proud of you and of themselves for the job they did raising you.
if its too advanced for Tucker Gott AND Tyson Russel its probably too advanced... glad you made it Tyson!!!
Tucker, manufactures will never tell you want to hear, unless they are forced to. Don't be distracted by that noise because ultimately they made changes that will likely save lives. You did everything right.
Except that everyone needs to know about this danger and their willingness to lie lie lie instead of putting safety first.... this alone will destroy them quickly.... and they really should be reminded legally from the market by law for lying..... even though these are not regulated by FAA the NTSB will find this atrocious and take action .....
I think Tyson's incident supports the manufacturer's claim perfectly and shows the engineering and execution were excellent and just as they intended. Not Niviuk, the maker of the reserve.
Thanks for being a good guy and putting safety and truth first. Definitely uncool on Niviuk’s part for not being more transparent. You can hear the tone in both their press releases that they’re not to blame, it was your fault and the fault of all the pilots who were so called flying beyond their capabilities. I get that there is some grey area here and the company wants to do some damage control but to me their communication ends up sounding dishonest and manipulative. Thanks for being the voice of reason and a guy we can trust. You’re the man
A video not seen often in this sport. Product review of a wing...with non BS, providing a skilled pilot's personal eval and video evidence of his experience. I LIKED IT!! Start Safe, Stay Safe. Ohhh one last thing....Beamer 3 Reserve, that is one of my all time favorites. I personally believe it should be a go to reserve for most PPG pilots. Steerable, deploys quickly, the kind of thing that can keep you out of the trees, or power lines if you have the time. Once again great video.
Great job in presenting this information in an objective and unbiased way. The evidence speaks for itself and it sounds to me that Niviuk is lacking some integrity in their safety department. I spoke with Tyson at the Salton Sea days after his experience and he showed me the video on his phone. He mentioned he was going to work with you and others in taking the right approach in getting this information out there. Hats off to you both for not simply putting it out there prematurely and working with the company first to try and fix the problem. Personally I have never flown a Niviuk wing, but this sort of lack in professionalism on their part really would turn me away from their products. Safety should ALWAYS be the first priority.....
And hats off to all of you for giving Niviuk repeated chances to do the right thing before you went public. You gave them a way out and they chose not to take the option to fix the problem, instead doubling down on their false claims. Then you rightly made the decision it was time to go public.
A Tucker Gott video has more credibility and more impact than any advertising budget of any wing manufacturer. In my book a Fly-guy Alberta video carries the same credibility. If you're a wing manufacturer and any of these guys come to you with a concern, I hope you treat them differently than Niviuk. Doing so, you can turn a problem into a great opportunity to sell lots of wings.
Seriously pro recovery on that. That collapse could have been tragic, but he just calmly pops the reserve and gets her down and walks away intact. Nice work. Always check your reserve folks!
You dont send out a 2nd press release for no reason. Something happened in those 2 days for that to have happened!!
The way a company reacts to faults being discovered in their products says a lot about who they are. I think, (and from what little of the comments I have read, most everyone else feels the same) Nivik have not made this situation any better!
Stay safe out there guys and gals, make good decisions when you are flying!
They realized you could tell that they changed out the risers, which they changed in the first place, most likely after the first take of their video.
I’ve always appreciated your calm, objective & unexaggerated analysis. I’ve never seen you point the finger in incident analysis and always strived for learning outcomes. But....sometimes you need to call it for what it is. A company has been made aware of a design flaw by multiple professional pilots. Instead of recognizing and responding, they’ve deflected, denied, belittled and hidden their corrective actions. The only positive I can draw from the whole experience is never to buy from a company that behaves that way. Thanks for the great content and always taking the high road. ✌️
Niviuk just made a bad situation much worse. The bad glider and now their cover up is as bad as it gets. I hope we all show our disgust for this behavior by stop consider their products. I so hope this mentality is not shared by other manufacturers!!! Good job Tucker!
I agree. But i also didn't find it fair of tucker to meke this "same glider" thing so huge. They said his glider was fine and used another one that probably was fine as well. So it made no difference (assuming they weren't lying when they said his glider was completely fine).
This doesn't make it better though...
@@dummi2673 the speeds were vastly different - that's why it's huge, the whole issue is when hitting higher speeds
I do not fly a paramotor... Yet.but I just had to say thank you for your public service announcement. You may very well be saving lives by posting this. Thanks Tucker
your right brother,these pricks just dont want to take responsibilty for it.
Tucker, you saved lives. The company obviously cares more about money than people. I hope they feel the impact of their lack of honesty.
Tucker, this a professional, life-saving video. Your thoughtful and measured response lends it credibility, along with Tyson's experience. The company has admitted to the design flaw via:
1) All new wings made in the future will be speed restricted;
2) They are offering to swap out the risers
However, they are not issuing a recall and that will leave them vulnerable to lawsuits, but that is their choice.
Remember, European companies react/respond different than US companies, it's a cultural/legal difference.
Being in Europe will not save them... Microsoft got fined by European courts(not once) over a billion... Siemens got fined by a German court over one billion EUR over corruption charges related to a third world country, etc.
This company messed with the wrong guy. Now they will lose business big time.
Judging by the company's response I would RUN the hell away from buying any of their products, just my opinion.
Tucker- you are so amazingly reasonable and articulate. You went about this whole thing with incredible professionalism and class. You could have been much more critical, but I feel it would have made it easy for anyone to dispute what you’re saying. Solid video, solid information and amazing restraints that’s why you’re the man.
Sounds like the same letters from Boeing ...regarding the 737 Max...We have investigated our Aircraft and as long as you do the recommended workarounds to counteract the known flaws in the aircraft's software...iz all good.
and yet hundreds of people still lost their lives because of corporate ignorance. its only a matter of time before someone gets splatted into the ground with a badly designed wing like this. regulations exist for a reason, without it people get hurt or worse
Props to you Tucker for making a statement based on reality, difficult decision I am sure, but really got give you credit for calling out BS when you see it.
I paused and read the the full first and second press release. The tone of the entire letter seems around pointing the finger at the pilots. Regardless of who's fault it is, they needed to recommend extreme caution when using a speed bar at or above 80 kph (50 mph) which they sort of did that in the second letter. Hopefully, they investigate the possibility that the risers were changed before they tested. At the very least, thank you for bringing this to the flying public eye.
I think something may have gotten lost in translation. I think they meant to say A wing the same as the one Tucker flew. If the risers are different then it definitely isn't the same wing!
Tucker: "This glider has a problem"
Company: "You have to be a really skilled pilot to use this"
Tucker: "Me? Not skilled?"
I know you were being modest, but c'mon, how much more skilled do you need to be before they acknowledge it?
This man was born a bird ffs.
Not older than 40 and not less than 50 years of experience ;)
Don't fly gliders with bad stories associated with them.
this is solid advice F-that
Every glider has a bad story associated with it if you dig deep enough....
Don't fly manufacturers that lie also
You know what else do not vote for politicians that lie .... even a tiny lie is just the tip of the ice burg
Guess tuck needs to stop flying that freeride because I know a few people who died on them 😱
You took the not-so-subtle insults to your skills way better than I would have--you are a flyer and a gentleman! And, honestly, a journalist, as fairly as you presented the problem and Niviuk's seemingly workable design solution.
It sounded like they insulted you.
I enjoy Tucker Gott’s videos, but have never been close to a paramotor. Having said that, I flipped a bird when they came back as being condescending towards Tucker’s skills as a pilot. Tucker is a pro.
@@danielwatts7375 yeah and that other dude who's been flying for over a decade? Wtf
@@Zaque-TV over 2 decades not 1 lol
Ditto everything "Night Train" said. I don't fly but I love the videos. I feel like I'm right there with you, what a great adventure sport. Tucker, I suspect everyone viewing this is with you on your evaluation. This company has a responsibility to the flying community and own up to this issue instead of sidestepping it.
I was about to buy several of these for my club but now going to boycott them...
Its videos like this Tucker that’s got you the respect you deserve.
Great video buddy, I raised a glass to say thank you for all the lives you have possible saved.
Respect Steve.
Everyone in the paramotor community needs to reject this manufacturer. for their cover up and not admitting the truth, and tucker proved it with the changed risers.
WOW!! That second one was amazing, what a calm and talented pilot - he saved his own life.
Thanks for the accountability check. Without you and Tyson's footage this could easily be brushed under the rug. Good Job fighting for that Beamer deployment Tyson! I think I heard him say a little prayer after landing "Thank you Father!"
Been watching you for awhile. Love the life style presentations and the adventure aspects. But this video was consequential in a way I've not seen you do before. You did a public service to your community by documenting a safety issue, very thoroughly, with multiple sources and evidence beyond your own experience. You truly investigated, and documented, the issue and even prior to the manufacturer identifying the risers as the problem, you'd id'd that--as a possible problem area, then, you demonstrated that the risers you used, were not the same ones they used, in their PR video. In short, you were competent, believable and credible in your presentation--and you weren't snarky in the least. You created an aura of truthfulness that can only be dealt with by also being straight forward. I'm much older than you (68). I've seen a lot of people tackle issues with varying degrees of competence and credibility. Mr. Gott, you did an incredible job in a public service presentation that may have saved lives. Congratulations. Respect.
The company will have to evaluate their own PR moves here, but in this world we live in today, their lack of candor and use of obfuscation will likely cost them dearly.
I don't wish any business ill on the face of it, but I do think if you manufacture aviation products where people's lives are at risk, there is no room for anything less than a full on embracing of the need to be open, above board, and willing to own the problem in a way that your customers can see clearly and accept.
I don't think this company did that. We'll see how that plays out for them. But a larger company that manufactures airliners that had a similar problem which resulted in a massive loss of life. Taking this path, caused their company to collapse. It led to the replacement of their CEO and a loss in confidence to their products which benefited their competitors. That company has serious competitors like Airbus. It will take them years to recover. Jes saying.. GOOD JOB! You did a good thing.
Well made and worded video. You took the high road IMO. They appeared to take shots at you and it was great to see you stick to the facts! Glad no one was severely hurt! Keep the great content coming!!
Thanks Tucker , it was realy professionally handled !
Could not say it about the " Professionals that manufactured the wing "
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!
This is on their website under the kougar 3 advertising. Note it says EXCEEDS 80 km/h. You would think with the press release saying not to exceed this that they would fix their website!
"It is not a paraglider, it is a rocket! Never before had I flown with a glider as fast as the Kougar 3. It is possible to exceed 80 km/h without the need to use a miniwing. To that we add a great precision in the handling and an incredible glide. All this with some of the simplest risers that exist. This glider will become my competition partner, but I intend to fly with it every day because it is so much fun!"
-Julien Meyer
I would have guessed that guy had 10+years experience flying how he handled that fall and saved himself awesome skill display
Great job staying objective on this. I don't know that I could have done that but then we do have the benefit of retakes etc. I think they need to come clean with you. Same thing with 2 experienced pilots +the other incident and then the "minor" (MAJOR) detail of the riser difference. They are not being honest. Great job!
Thanks Tucker for this video and all others. I want to get into this sport and have seen many of your videos. This one, totally about newness and safety, is so far one of the best I have seen. Thanks
Sketchy statements by Niviuk, to say the least. I'm glad you're fine and I'm not sure if I should be amazed or worried, that you don't use harsher language. I think everything about this video is right in a moral way though. Very considerate remarks. Thank you!
Both statements have done nothing to ease the concerns surrounding this wing! 2 separate pilots flew the wing in similar conditions and had an identical result, and a 3rd pilot on a 2nd wing had a similar result. If this were a Boeing 737 it would have been grounded!!
That shot of the reserve shoot towards the end of the footage inflated in a heart shape is poetic.
If nothing else makes you a believer in the emergency chute, this does!
I really appreciate the CANDID and appropriate length of this video. I agree they should be doing a general recall. Thanks, Tucker!
ive seen you mess up before and take 100% blame when it was your fault so i know this isnt to avoid blame on this good job for being on top of it to make sure others are safe
Excellent video, the community needs honest feed back. Even though this is not something that I would be flying I appreciate you doing the research and advising those who may be flying these type of equipment. Thanks for caring and keeping people safe.
My take away is this: they are willing to change out the risers to lower the speed. I think that would explain the difference in the riser handles.... That had already been done before they made the video.
Tucker... length of video is no issue... safety and your commitment to it are. Integrity and commitment to the truth are essential, and you and Tyson have displayed both. (Thank God both you and Tyson are safe.) As for the Kougar wing and manufacturer... let's just say that the market will judge and reward them accordingly. Happy flying!
I just got a new wing last week. Decided not to go for a niviuk based on the second video among some other reasons. This kougar has a DGAC certification that is required in almost all european countries. This certification is based on a lot of in house testing. It turnes out that at least one manufacturer can not be trusted with this responsibility.
I really hope that DGAC is going to take a look at what is going on here and takes the nessesary steps to prevent this from ever happening again. If not, the whole DGAC certification loses its credibility and that would be bad for both the manufacturers and pilots.
Shame on you Niviuk for acting this way.
I'm not a paramotorer, so forgive my ignorance, but I thought that Tucker said that this wing "isn't certified." Does that mean that ALL paramotor wings aren't governed by a regulating body, or does that mean that just the Kougar 3 16m variant isn't certified?
@@xenonram , there is no "performance" certification process for paramotor wings specifically and no regulating body. There *is* certification for paraglider wings (i.e. no motor) that some manufacturers choose to get done for their paramotor wings. This is the EN-A, EN-B, EN-C rating. But, it costs a lot of money and it's not always directly applicable to the style of flying that paramotors do and with the added weight of the motor...especially with reflex designs. Niviuk's Link 2 is a super safe glider, but it is technically "uncertified" because Niviuk doesn't believe that EN testing is relevant or helpful for paramotor wings. Also, freestyle/acro gliders don't match up to these types of in-air performance tests, so none of them get tested in this way. Tucker's Ozone Freeride is uncertified for this reason.
Having said that, you'll see that most wings (including all Niviuk paramotor wings) are DGAC certified. This doesn't certify the in-air performance characteristics at all. Instead, it certifies that Niviuk manufactured the wing exactly to the specifications that they intended to.
@@xenonram paramotorplanet.com/paramotor-wing-guide/
I work in the auto-industry, building class-8 semi-trucks, “The best of the best!”/“American Made”!!!! …and believe me when I say, sometimes it looks great on computer, but when the actual construction takes place, there’s more things that don’t fit/reach/seal than what it was worth. Any modification, whether it’s the engineer or the pilot, is susceptible to flaws that can fail in the real world due to the lack of testing. Great video Tucker! 👍
Dude,
You are the absolute definition of the word: professional.
Keep up the good work!
That reserve is literally a life saver! This has to be one of the safest ways to fly!
Company line "Tucker is not experienced enough to handle our wing, so don't listen to him. Doesn't matter that the won the ICARUS race! and all those other pilots that had problems, it's their fault, the wing isn't for them, it's too advance!" - RRRRRIIIIIIGGGGGGHHHHHHHTTTTTT!!!!!!!
Yeah, sounds about right.
Reminds me of a different incident in the hair care industry with products catering to people of color. Products were causing people’s scalps to scab and lose hair. Company came out and basically said that it were a user error. I will never understand why companies try to blame their consumers & customers..
@@thelingeringartist Or apple when their IPhones lost signal. It wasn't a bad design, the users were holding them wrong... So many companys (and people) can't admit mistakes.
Going through coronavirus isolation unable to go kiteboarding watching Tyler's videos. He speaks eloquently has great eye contact and wow is it ever exciting!
Is this manufacturer a subsidiary of Boeing?
Makes one wonder . They definitely got the wrong guy / gal,in their customer relations department .
You absolutely crushed it… Facts not feelings!!!
Tucker, thanks for putting this info out so objectively and professionally, and giving Niviuk the chance to act like a good citizen. I also got a chance to talk to Tyson at the Salton Sea after his collapse, and it was pretty scary to hear his account. He didn't mention it in your video, but after 20 years of flying that was his FIRST reserve toss! Crazy. Personally, I love my Qubik and I've been eyeing up a small Link 2 to be my "play" wing. But, this has left me sorely disappointed in them. Don't know what to do now.
That's definitely a glider I'd never ever fly... And the answer letter from Niviuk borders on impudence.
Thank you Tucker for the enlightening video🙂👍.
Omg I would literally hug the sand after that.
tyson! EXCELLENT RECOVERY! very calm under pressure, that's the type of reaction that saves lives
That reserve throw...shwew! I think a semi-rigid wing using auxetic materials would fix this sort of vulnerability for good. A few casualties and much litigation is usually what it takes to fix things...unfortunately.
I think that has been considered or tried before but it is more dangerous because if the glider doesn’t collapse it will shoot underneath you.
Paragliders are designed to collapse as it dissipates the energy. Better having a tip tuck than that force being transmitted through the whole wing and having the wing swing beneath you. Many experiments have been done with introducing rigid components over the decades and to my knowledge all ended up making the problem worse. There is one notable exception which is RAST from Swing which is purported to reduce the severity of collapses by keeping the rear inflated while allowing the front to tuck which dissipates the energy. Some great videos on YT of it in action.
What does auxetix material have to do with it? Is that just one of those things where people hear about it and then want to make everything out of it? Like carbon fiber everything.
As a Quality Manager for a aviation company I am not surprised by their response. Until a regulatory agency gets involved this is a he said they said! Tucker provided some solid advice and lessons learned the best one in my opinion is "Altitude" when testing a new product, altitude is your best friend it increases you recovery time! If you read any aviation Blogs you will find differences of opinions about many products. Caveat Emptor and Fly Safe!
Great video Bro! No telling how many Lives you saved just by uploading this. :D
Fly Safe!
I think you are a saviour. Many would have been caught unawares in this situation
Very interesting. They should of checked your subs to realize how many people truly take your word.for what you say. Hard for them to claim there's no safety issues when you (pretty much a pro, to say the least) had what you had happen mid flight. If it's beyond your ability, I can't imagine there is going to be much of a market of consumers capable of owning this glider. P.S. not sure why ozone hasn't simply given you a full sponsorship yet! Come on ozone, tucks got over a million people following him. Probably more people then actually fly in reality.
This is a weary important an well documented video that I believe saves lives. Keep it coming Tucker🖖🏼
3:31 is the exact second where you can hear Tyson’s soul re enter his body....crazy stuff.
Thank God it'll be handled. And thank God for this video. Thank you Tucker for your loving light. May you continue to be blessed and safe and surrounded by the same!
If we assume there is a skill or method or procedure the pilot can use to achieve the advertised speed without collapse, the manufacturer failed to demonstrate that procedure.
this video was a life saver for someone like me, weighing the pros, cons and types of reserve parachutes. again. a life saver!
My prediction of what Niviuk would say was right but I didn't predict that they would blame you as a pilot to fly the glider. You pointing out the riser change in their video to me shows that their test was to test out the new risers. You and Tyson are lucky to have not gotten a serious injury. Geeze Tyson, Tucker showed and said it was going to collapse and you tested it so freakin low.
Thank you Tucker. I am in the market for my next wing and Niviuk was at the top of the list. No way now. What a terrible way to handle this issue.
Tucker, you handled this with class and presented the facts for the sake of safety. Very disappointing conduct by Nuviuk and sadly one can't help but question their commitment to the communities safety. Thank you for allowing pilots to make a informed decision.
Tucker, that is your best work ever, I don't think Niviuk will sell another wing after watching this and reading all the comments
"there's nothing wrong with the glider and it was user error but we fixed it so now it's safe"
Wow this video showed what I've always asked about: reserve parachute. I was not 100% motivated to dive into paramotors because I thought it was a single parachute.
Thank you for clarifying it!
Greetings from Brazil
That's so freaking sketchy dude! They need to stop with the lawyer talk and just admit it. For sure I'll never trust that company from now on.
Great reaction time by your friend. I'm a former 82nd Airborne paratrooper and from 600ft free fall you have about 4 seconds before smack. Glad he's well and thanks for sharing such detail about both incidents.
Not very bright of the company to toss a well respected TH-camr under the bus like this. That's just asking to be shut down. The smarter call would have been to reach out to Tucker to work with him to see what could be done. Now, in their stupidity, they've put themselves in the position of multiple pilots having the same issues that threaten the lives of all. Further doubling down by putting up a video that reveals their deception, and never addressing the speed issue on three wings.
I can see them "closing down" - changing names, and starting back up - maybe learning their lessing. However, based upon their obvious deception, I doubt they will learn.
Awesome, competent evaluations.
You are wise beyond your age.
Have fun !
Whelp, when I get started on paramotor I won't be getting a Niviuk wing!
Dude! It's because of Your Humble Attitude that makes people Want to Listen & Hear what you have to say.
Thank You For Caring & Just Being Honest!
It's Safe To Say God Likes You Too....
Stay Cool