Firebird USA LLC (formerly Firebird Skydiving GmbH and Firebird Sky Sports AG) is an American

parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...

manufacturer based in

Eloy, Arizona Eloy is a city in Pinal County, Arizona, United States, approximately northwest of Tucson and about southeast of Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census estimates in 2019, the population of the city is 19,625. History In 1880, as tracks were ...

. The company also has locations in Germany, Sri Lanka, and the Czech Republic, and was formerly based in Füssen and

Bitburg Bitburg (; french: Bitbourg; lb, Béibreg) is a city in Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate approximately 25 km (16 mi.) northwest of Trier and 50 km (31 mi.) northeast of Luxembourg city. The American Spangdahlem ...

, Germany. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of

s and at one time also constructed paragliders and parafoil kites.Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003–04'', p. 16. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003.

Background

Firebird was founded as Performance Variable by Bernd Pohl in 1995. In 2017 skydivers Sara and Steve Curtis, and George Reuter purchased Firebird. After previously manufacturing its products in Germany and the Czech Republic, in 2018, the company moved its production facility to Eloy, Arizona, a city that has the world's biggest drop zone. In the mid-2000s, as Firebird Sky Sports AG, the company produced a range of 11 different models of paragliders, including the beginner

Firebird Sub-One The Firebird Sub-One is a German single-place, paraglider that was designed and produced by Firebird Sky Sports AG of Füssen Füssen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu, situated one kilometre from the Austrian bor ...

and Z-One, the intermediate Grid and Hornet, the competition Debute and Tribute as well as the two-place Choice Zip Bi, that incorporated zippers to reduce its wing area. Once one of the world's leading manufacturers of paragliders, the company stopped producing them around 2013 to concentrate on parachutes for military and civil applications, along with reserve parachutes. Today, Firebird manufactures custom parachutes and related products, such as tandem rigs for parachutes, reserve parachutes, harness-and-container systems, and magnetic riser covers.

Products

Canopies

* FB Tandem * Rush Reserve * Quick 400 Reserve

Containers

* Evo * Evo Student * Evo Tandem

Aircraft

Summary of paragliders built by Firebird, introduced in the mid-2000s and since out of production: *

Firebird Choice Zip Bi The Firebird Choice Zip Bi is a German two-place, paraglider that was designed and produced by Firebird Sky Sports AG of Füssen. It is now out of production.Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', p ...

* Firebird Debute *

Firebird Grid The Firebird Grid is a German single-place, paraglider that was designed and produced by Firebird Sky Sports AG of Füssen in the mid-2000s. It is now out of production.Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2 ...

* Firebird Hornet * Firebird Hornet Sport *

Firebird Tribute The Firebird Tribute is a German single-place, paraglider that was designed and produced by Firebird Sky Sports AG of Füssen in the mid-2000s. It is now out of production.Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviatio ...

Firebird Z-One The Firebird Z-One is a German single-place, paraglider that was designed and produced by Firebird Sky Sports AG of Füssen Füssen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu, situated one kilometre from the Austrian borde ...

References

External links

* {{Firebird aircraft Aircraft manufacturers of Germany Parachuting in Germany Paragliders Manufacturing companies based in Arizona Parachuting in the United States Eloy, Arizona