PARAGLIDING
Intro: You carry your paraglider in a rucksack
up a hill, unroll the material step forward into the
wind and a wing forms above your head, your feet leave
the earth and your shadow flys beneath you over stunning
scenary . A different prospective on life. You circle
up in invisible air currents centering on the strongest
core of the thermal with birds staring at you as they
fly wingtip to wingtip.
You chose your site to fly depending
on the wind conditions sometimes hovering above a
ridge in stable air blowing in from the sea. Other
times launching from a hill to circle up to the clouds
and fly cross country in a three dimensional game.
You look , lean and turn banking your wing with your
harness steering with your hands, you take off and
land gently facing into the wind.
Want to get started? If you have always dreamed
of flying then do the elementary pilots course which
takes 4 to 5 days. You can also try aTandem or a funday
with friends, where you learn the basic controls starting
at the bottom of the hill having small solo flights
which are extended higher as confidence and ability
grow. Tandem flights you go up with an instructor
which lets you feel the thrill of flight with someone
experienced at the controls.
Paragliding is very easy to learn but takes time
to master. It is best to do the training as close
together as possible or you keep having to relearn
the same thing. Paragliding is weather dependant it
needs to be dry and the wind less than 15 miles an
hour. You work through a series of exercises which
teach you how to fly but everybody learns at a different
pace. The second stage is the club pilot course which
teaches you to stay up and judge conditions for yourself.
Equipment is provided but during training most pilots
purchase their own paraglider so they can get used
to flying it in a school environment. Once qualified
you join your local club to fly with more experienced
pilots.
Where to go Scotland has many beautiful flying
sites there are good clubs all over where experienced
pilots meet up and fly together. If you are learning
there are three schools in Scotland - The terrain
in Scotland is ideal for learning but the weather
can sometimes keep our feet on the ground - so its
good to take a holiday and be prepared to enjoy doing
other things - when the conditions are right there
is no where in the world more beautiful to fly.
Here is a series
of articles dealing with basic things like take off
techniques and accident scenarios: tree-landings,
water landings etc. Normally when something goes wrong
it is not just one thing but a series of wrong decisions
that cascade quickly into an accident scenario. We
will tackle one subject at a time and analyze how
to prevent it and if it is happening how best to cope
with it . It is no good just saying DON'T land in
water or in a tree and expect that no one ever will.
Accidents happen! we should be looking at how to best
prevent them. But we will also look at how best to
cope with and deal with the emergency situation to
increase your chances of survival.
In the Alps you tend to be forward launching in very
light winds, occasionally we even get those light
wind days in Britain! You will have learnt how to
forward launch during your first days training but
many pilots in Britain are more practiced at reverse
launching due to our stronger winds. If you neglect
to practice forward launches it can get very frustrating
making numerous wrong attempts when faced with a light
wind. (especially in front of a crowd!) So instead
of sitting around the hill on those nil wind days
team up with a friend or get your club coach to help
you and get some practice in!
Lay the glider out facing into wind in an arc with
the center cells higher. Do your daily inspection.
Check all your lines are clear and that no lines are
wrapped round your wing tip. Take a couple of steps
back as you put your harness on or you will pull the
edge of your glider over. Stand in the center of your
glider. Do a final preflight check making sure all
your lines are clear and all your straps done up.
Final check of the weather and look around for other
pilots don't forget to look directly up in case some
one's coming in for a top landing. Final check of
wind direction as it is very important to run into
the wind.
Now you are ready. Step forward till the lines go
taught. Run into wind gently at first or you will
tuck the front edge of your glider. Have your head
and body weight forward, arms back and down, holding
the risers so you can feel the pull coming from your
harness in a straight line to the glider. Accelerate
progressively lifting the risers in an arc. As the
glider comes over head let go of the risers and pull
a bit of brake to stop it over flying you. Look up
and check the wing to make sure everything is fine.
Now accelerate, as you build up speed you will feel
the pressure changing in the wing. As you feel it
lifting you, run faster and pull a little bit of brake.
This converts some of the speed into lift. Don't pull
too much brake or you will stall the glider. Keep
some brake pressure on as you fly clear of the hill
as this continues to provide a better sink rate. Keep
your legs down ready to run until you are well away
from the ground.
You may touch down again unexpectedly if you hit
some sinking air. If so then pull on some brake to
slow the glider. As you touch down your legs must
be down and running! accelerate to take off again.
You never see a plane lifting its landing gear immediately
after takeoff!
Some common mistakes
Pulling the risers unevenly forward with your hands
rather than the pressure coming evenly from the harness.
This usually distorts the glider and drags it to one
side as you are effectively making the lines shorter
on one side. If it goes off to one side keep running
into wind but go under the center of the canopy as
well as steering to correct the course.
An incorrectly laid out the glider will pull of to
one side make sure it's laid out facing into wind
and that you are in the middle. If the center isn't
high enough the wing tips can clap up and meet, this
can also happen as a glider gets old and the fabric
goes porous.
No pressure on the brakes means you are not in contact
with your wing. As you run it bounces up and down
and is floppy, it may overfly and get an asymmetric
tuck just as you take off. You must feel the wing
and fly it off the ground.
Don't Jump ! Just as you feel it lifting you off
the ground into the air as this will make the lines
go slack and you will fall in a heap. If airborne
you may get a tuck and get swung into the ground.
Don't turn sharply Immediately after takeoff. The
glider may not be flying properly, it is easier to
stall one side of the wing and it may pendulum you
into the ground.
Don't let the brakes go to adjust your harness immediately
after takeoff. The glider may pitch or you may encounter
turbulence. With no hands on the brakes you may be
too low to cope with the collapse. If your harness
is adjusted right you should be able to sit straight
back in it. But if you need to adjust it wait till
you are clear of the hill then take both brakes in
one hand and use the other to help you get into the
harness. Don't pull both hands down with your brakes
or you will full stall the glider!
RUN! You are the same as an aircraft which must attain
a decent speed to lift off. If the wind is strong
you just need to step forward but if its calm you
have to run. Its no good pussyfooting down the mountain
on twinkle toes or you will end up running all the
way down to the landing field!
As you sail over the heads of others walking down
the relief of getting airborne in a slight tail wind
due to your good forward launch technique will reward
all your efforts!
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First chose a nice launch area with
the wind coming up. Free from bracken so your lines
don't get tangled and clear of obstacles. Don't
set up in front of a boulder on a windy day!
When building the wall. Make sure
it's directly into wind with an imaginary line drawn
between the center of your glider through your back
and into the wind. By moving your body from side
to side you will get an even leading edge when your
back is directly into wind. Pull up the glider evenly
using the weight from your body on the harness,
your hands just guide the glider up. Don't pull
the risers towards you or you will distort the canopy.
Keep the tension on the lines at all times. Get
ready to pull on some brake to prevent the glider
overflying.
If the glider pulls to one side you
can grab both risers with one hand and move your
body under the center whilst pulling on the opposite
brake, letting it up as the glider comes above you.
Try to keep the leading edge coming up straight,
without stalling the wing. Once the glider is above
you do not be in a hurry to turn. Get the glider
stable and check the lines.
As you turn around step back into
wind, this keeps the glider stable. A common mistake
is to turn on the one spot or to step backwards
which makes the lines go slack, creating a front
tuck.
Step calmly into wind keeping your
body leaning forward so the pressure still comes
from your harness. Take your brakes and if there
is enough wind practice standing with the glider
above your head feeling the paraglider through your
brakes . Try not to look at it. If it drops down
to one side move under the center of the glider
and pull on the opposite brake whilst keeping the
pressure on the wing. Don't pull too much brake
or the glider will pull you backwards and stall.
This technique will give you an idea of what conditions
are like before you takeoff and is good practice
for active flying. When the wind feels good and
the glider is trying to lift you, let the brakes
up, lean your body weight forward and accelerate
as you feel it lifting pull gently on the brakes
to transfer some of your speed into lift. Don't
Jump! Keep your legs down ready to run again until
away from the hill.
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Timing is
Everything on light wind days
On a calm thermic day when you take off is vital
to your chances of staying up. Try to get as many
things going for you as possible. Study the clouds
see if they are growing or dissipating or just hanging
around. Look for birds are they circling and climbing
or just flapping past. Check there is sunlight on
the hill, look for thermal sources and triggers. If
the wind is strengthening occasionally it is probably
a thermal passing through try to time the intervals
between and how long the thermals last. If there is
enough wind pull the glider up and feel the pressure
in the wing through the breaks. If its trying to lift
you and feels solid it's probably a good time to go.
If the paraglider is all floppy and doesn't try to
lift you if you run forward and pull on some brake
it's probably not a good time. But sometimes there
is lift in the valley though you are getting none
on the hill if you see birds or other pilots climbing
within gliding distance then fly out to them.
Even on a ridge soarable days when it is thermic
there will be strong sink in between the thermals
even if the wind feels strong enough to hold you up.
Try to turn in the thermals - figure of eight turns
if you're close to the hill. Be prepared to leave
the safety of the ridge and follow the lift out from
the hill.
Don't be scared to take off and try it. You can always
side land or walk back up again if you go down. It's
better to have tried and failed than to sit all day
on the hill. It's even better to take off into a thermal,
climb to cloud base and look down at everyone else
still sitting on the hill!
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Trouble getting into the
harness
You should be able to get into your harness by just
leaning back and lifting your legs if you are having
trouble it may be your harness straps are too tight
or wrongly adjusted. Try hanging it somewhere on the
ground and adjusting it.
Try not to get into the habit of letting go of the
brakes immediately after take off and adjusting your
harness. If the air is turbulent you may get a collapse.
If you need to wriggle a bit to get into you harness
get your flight established first, get well clear
of the hill! You can take both brakes in one hand
or you can hold ALL risers evenly together and gently
lift yourself back.
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Water Landings
Water landings are potentially fatal because of the
danger of tangling in your lines. Prevention is better
than cure. If you are flying near water carry a hook
knife and consider wearing a buoyancy aid, definitely
wear one if you are planning to cross any tracts of
water. Never cross over any water if you have any
doubt that you might not make it over. Quick release
buckles and karabiners could save valuable time. When
you are coastal soaring be aware of wind strength
and direction. Don't fly beyond a headland or landing
zone on a downwind beat and then find you can't get
back on the into wind beat.
Okay so you've got it wrong you are going to land
in the water. Make sure your hook knife is at hand.
When you are about 50 ft sit back in your harness
and unfasten your leg straps, leave your chest strap
fastened until you are lower. Send a radio message
for help, if you have time switch off your electric
equipment. Slow the glider down a bit higher than
normal undo your chest strap and drop out of the harness
at about 6 ft above the water do not drop out too
high as sometimes it's difficult to gage your height
but you want to avoid your lines. If you haven't had
time to drop out undo as many straps as you can flare
a bit higher than normal then let the brakes fully
up to allow the glider to overfly or you could land
downwind. Do not panic or thrash around take a deep
breath and try to float on your back your harness
should be buoyant. Undo straps or unclip your risers.
STAY AWAY FROM THE LINES!!! If you have lines wrapped
around you do not struggle as they will grow tighter.
Instead take another deep breath try to float and
lay still very gently wave your arm or leg one at
a time to shake the lines loose carry a hook knife
it could save your life. There was a fatality abroad
last year when someone landed on the beach near to
the tide line. They were gathering up their glider
when a large wave came and dragged them into the surf,
they were drowned. So even when you have landed and
are near water unclip and gather your glider quickly.
Even if just your wing tip lands in a river or stream
it can quickly fill up with water and drag you down,
immediately grab the trailing edge of the glider to
prevent it filling up with water and disconnect having
quick release buckles will make this a lot easier.
Remember a water landing is very hazardous and must
be prevented if at all possible. The most important
piece of advice I can give you is to Stay High STAY
DRY!!!!
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