Paragliding Essential Skills
Paragliding is easy to learn but takes time to master. Learning the correct skills and techniques from the start and progressing at the correct pace ensure that you continue to love to fly.
Ground Control. Your ground handling must be good to allow safe take offs. One hour's ground handling is worth 10 hours flying in terms of learning control. You need to be able to stop the paraglider and only takeoff when you want to. On a windy day, practise steering around a slalom course and manoeuvre over obstacles.
Make sure your technique is good and that you are leaning forward on your harness with the feeling of contact with the wing. Understand the way to create speed to allow the wing to create maximum lift without over flying you. You can do this by jumping on the flat ground and braking at the same time to keep the contact with the wing. You do not jump on take off (if you practise on the ground you will find out why!) Practise laying on the ground and flying teh wing tehn pulling on the brakes to lift you back onto your feet.
Weather: The correct weather conditions are vital to remain alive! The best flying conditions are between 5 and 14 miles an hour with small cumulus clouds and sun. But stable grey days can give great soaring.
If it is too windy then you may get blown backwards. Wind also acts like water and there can be severe turbulence behind obstacles that will collapse your paraglider. If it is raining the material will stick together and will react differently, stalling easier. It will also quickly deteriorate the fabric if it gets wet.
In showery rain and thunder there can be severe gust fronts and turbulence.
If the conditions are too thermic for your level you may see people flying and climbing high. But it maybe akin to Kung Fu fighting, requiring a high level of skill and currency to keep the wing open and flying. Experienced pilots may make it look easy!
The different strength and thermic level of this sky is like the grading of a river. If you are learning to Kayak you can look at the river and see if it is grade 3 or grade 5 depending on how much white water. You can decide easier if it is suitable for you. With the sky you cannot see the wind so you need to learn how to judge the conditions from the strength of the wind and the clues in the clouds. You will learn this with your school but it is important to continue learning after your basic course by continuing in a club environment or going on more advanced courses.
Study the weather and learn what websites to look at to see if the weather is suitable. There is a weather section and links on my site.
Flying Site This must be suitable for your level and the conditions of the day. Identify the hazards and make a risk assessment. If it is windy and you have power lines right behind the take off and you are not sure if you will be blown back then stay on the ground. If in doubt don't. Instead go somewhere lower down clear of obstacles and practise ground handling. Talk to the local pilots but also watch them to see if you need to take what they say with a pinch of salt. Be aware of your own limitations and your currency.
Choice of launch area: Check it for hazards, have you chosen to set up surrounded by bracken and rocks when there is a perfectly good grassy area beside you? Think of your runway and a safe area in which to be blown backwards. Decide where your stop line is on your take off runway and be strict, don't go beyond this point if there is anything wrong with your take off.
Pre flight checks: Be systematic check all your equipment, re check the wind and weather. Just before takeoff always check airspace, all clear above, behind and around.
Take off: Don't be in a hurry, break the take off into stages; inflate, stabilise, check and contact with the wing, decision whether to abort or go by your stop line. Acceleration and keep your legs down running until you are well clear of the ground. Imagine the wind is blowing at you in a straight line from a point on the horizon keep looking at this point as you take off and fly away from the hill.
Look where you are going! On takeoff, flying and landing look out to the horizon. This way you can judge your height and distance from the ground and keep a good eye out for other flyers. Anytime you are feeling too near the hill or an obstacle look and steer away.
Airflow: Understand how the air is affected as it passes over different terrain. Search out the lift zones and learn to stay up. Avoid the sinking areas in the shadows and slopes that are too shallow. Feel the wind and look level with your horizon then you can judge one set of hills against another to see if you are sinking or rising.
Flying skills: Fly efficiently, practise different types of turns when you are high up. Try to turn the wing flat and then try it steeper and see which is causing the wing to sink more.
Active flying: Keep contact with the wing as you fly with your arms relaxed so you can feel the wing and keep the pressure even by keeping the weight of your hands on the brakes constant. If the glider pitches forward you brake, if it drops behind you, release the brakes to keep it stable above your head.
Thermalling: When you begin to thermal practise well away from any terrain as the wind will drift you and you will lose more height in a 360. As you enter the thermal the wing pitches back as it starts to pitch forward release one brake a little and look lean and brake the way you want to turn. Allow the wing fly but keep contact on both sides of the wing by feeling a constant brake pressure and centre the wing on the lifting air. Look out for clues like birds, other pilots and butterflies circling up and join them in the same direction! Anytime you feel the terrain is too close turn away.
Crabbing: If you are flying near to a ridge or cliff or close to trees then put your weight away from the obstacle if you get a collapse you will automatically turn away. Also the wing is flatter and angled more into the wind. Don't exaggerate too much with the weight shift or you will deform the wing and it won't fly as efficiently. Watch the birds and see how they ridge soar. Safety margin , keep a distance from the hill.
Advanced flying skills : Spiral dives, Asymmetric collapses, big ears should all be practised under instruction.
Landing: A good approach makes a good landing. Have a look at the landing area assess the wind direction, wind hazards and other obstacles. Mark out no go areas and designate a safe approach zone. Choose an actual spot on the field where you want to land and a runway that leads up to this spot. Designate alternate landing areas for landing short and for over flying.
Keep back from your runway keep looking at your spot but stay back ready to glide in on a straight path if you need to turn low down then use weight shift and keep the turn flat.
Final approach:
Get your legs down early , they are your landing gear. This adds drag and helps to degrade your glide angle and is safer for your back. You want speed in the wing as this cuts through turbulence and the wind gradient and is used to change into lift with your final flare. Keep contact with the wing. Look up and straight into the wind this allows you to judge your altitude. The height to flare depends on the strength of the wind and the paraglider. About 1 metre above the ground, bring both brakes down evenly and run forward into the wind.
PLF: Parachute landing fall , practise these they work! If ever you are going to meet the ground too fast then they may help you.
Currency: Is very important, if you haven't been flying for a while realise that your level will have dropped. Just spend a bit of time playing with your wing on the ground to get the feel of it again before taking to the skies. If necessary go back to school or just remain on mellow flying sites and conditions until your confidence and ability have built up.
Practicing your essential skills and being honest about your level will allow you to progress safely and continue flying and enjoying the sport. If you have a bad technique or keep just getting away with dodgy takeoffs or landings. Then take your self off to the training hill or have some more advanced lessons with an instructor who can help you pinpoint your errors and improve your technique.
Zabdi Keen runs Flying Fever paragliding school on the Isle of Arran in Scotland and courses abroad in France , Nepal and Bulgaria . Flying Fever offers assesment training days for qualified pilots using video and tandem flights for instruction. This allows you to analysis and improve on your basic techniques and progress to the next level.
Assess yourself on your next flight
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Pre-flight |
Equipment inspection |
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Layout |
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Lines |
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wingtips |
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Launch |
timing wind |
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airspace |
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looking ahead |
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body position |
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inflation |
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check (stop line) |
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harness loading |
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control contact |
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acceleration |
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glide |
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getting into harness |
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In flight |
direction |
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Turns |
looking |
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leaning |
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control |
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Landing |
wind direction |
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approach |
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final glide |
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legs down |
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looking ahead |
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flare |
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control |
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