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Black Diamond appoint new Marketing Manager

Virgin choose Helly Hansen for Oceanic Expedition

PHD have introduced the Kappa insulated jacket and vest .

The Kappa jacket weighs 640gms, is shower proof and will keep you warm to -5C. Insulation is Primaloft® and although not fully waterproof the Kappa retains a lot of its warmth even when wet, making it ideal on high Himalayan treks, Alpine ascents and Scottish winter routes.

PHD say that the jacket should be used in conjunction with a waterproof layering system.

says “Helly Hansen was founded by a sea captain 135 years ago, so the sea is in our blood. Since then, our mission has been to protect and enable professionals that make their living in extreme environments, and to do so with a real sense of Scandinavian style. We are personally and professionally inspired by the Virgin Oceanic team and are both humbled and motivated to be associated with this project”.

Black Diamond Equipment have appointed Saskia Stock their new Marketing Director for Black Diamond Europe.

Saskia who holds a Master Degree in Sport Science is an active member of the German Ski Association and is a keen telemark and alpine skier. Previously she worked for Somnio Europe and American company who made custom running shoes, MBT footwear and Cannondale Europe BV where she was VP of European Marketing.

EasyJet make progress with AVOID

The North Face launch new mountain biker kit

The North Face have launched a new range of gear for mountain bikers. One of these is the convertible Men’s Dirt Track Jacket which offers windproof protection in both sleeved and vest configurations with novel zip-off sleeves. The jacket is constructed from breathable Windstopper® Soft Shell on the chest and centre back and stretchy Apex Aerobic soft shell on back sides and underarm panels for increased mobility. This ensures a secure fit with the addition of elasticated binding at the cuffs and the back has been designed longer to give riders ample protection. The performance fit Dirt Track Jacket is available from a North Face shop near you.

PHD launch new products

Richard Branson and his team are embarking on their latest quest to explore the deepest points in the world’s five oceans beginning with the 10,924m deep Mariana Trench off the Pacific island of Guam.

In order to keep the crew warm and dry Virgin Oceanic have chosen Helly Hansen, one of Norway’s premier outdoors company’s to supply their team with clothing, footwear and accessories.

Erik Burbank, VP Marketing at HH

A year on from the Icelandic eruption, EasyJet announced the latest progress of the AVOID (Airborne Volcanic Object Identifier and Detector) system and calls upon the aviation industry to work together to avoid further disruption in European airspace from future volcanic activity. It is hoped the new equipment will radically change air travel, giving EasyJet the ability to navigate around future ash clouds without incurring risk..

The AVOID system is effectively a weather radar for ash. The system comprises of infrared technology fitted to aircraft to supply images to pilots and an airline’s flight control centre. These images will enable pilots to see an ash cloud up to 100 km ahead of the aircraft and at altitudes between 5,000ft and 50,000ft. This will allow pilots to make adjustments to the plane’s flight path to avoid any ash and therefore greatly reducing any future disruption to air travel.

The next phase of the project is to further test the equipment by flying close to volcanic ash. The testing is expected to take place over the next few months. In addition to the larger roll out of the AVOID system, easyJet plans to have the AVOID equipment certified and ready to fit to one of its aircraft in the event should another volcano erupt in Europe. EasyJet believes that if 100 aircraft (20 of which would be EasyJet aircraft) across Europe were to be fitted with AVOID equipment, this would provide comprehensive coverage of the continent.