Virtual Classroom

The most important factor in pilot safety is; A. Pilot skills. B. Pilot knowledge. C. Pilot equipment. D. Pilot attitude. If this question sounds familiar to you it, should question number 5, straight off the P1 test. Good habits start on the ground. As you might have guessed, good habits begin with a good attitude. No other aspect of flight is as important in pg flight as a positive attitude… although patience is a near second. So how can we form a positive attitude towards flight?

I believe that the first step is accepting the fact that we are mere mortals. We may love flight, in fact some of us are pretty good at it, but at the end of the day we have yet to disprove Newtonian Physics, specifically gravity. Keeping that in mind, I have heard several pilots use the analogy, “Launching is optional, but landing is mandatory.” This small statement holds a world of truth to it… after all what goes up must come down. Ideally, we will only fly in those conditions, which permit a graceful, featherlike descent.

The mental state of a pilot is often more important than the skill or knowledge level. We can practice a couple of techniques to ensure clear thinking while deciding to launch. The first of those techniques is patience . This is clutch for successful piloting, because patience is the quality that keeps us on the ground when our better judgment questions the conditions that our fellow pilots did not.

Secondly, adapt a lifelong passion for learning the intricacies of our sport. Strive for complete mastery of every single aspect of launching, landing, turning, thermalling, etc. It is perfectly reasonable to work on specific skills or technique during each flight. Examine these newly learned techniques; understand the events that must occur in order for you, to execute your newfound skills. In the pursuit of perfection, many imperfections may occur. Accidents and mistakes happen; they are part of the learning process. It is up to you, the pilot, to facilitate the conditions they happen in and provide yourself with a safe learning environment. Many pilots that have become tired or bored with the sport have done so only when they attained a level in which they stopped learning and progressing as pilots.

Finally smile , remember how excited you were after your first sled ride. You should be no less thrilled with your last. What you are doing is truly remarkable.

We've established a strong mental outlook; let's think about other habits we can form to improve our game while still connected to mother earth? Prudent planning and thinking are invaluable to every aviator, especially when near the ground. Statistically, the majority of paragliding mishaps occur near the ground, which remains consistent with general aviation trends worldwide.  Improving pilot and passenger safety on or near the ground has always been the fundamental goal of pilot education.  Pilots are obligated to reinforce and refine, these “ground skills,” even at the highest certification and skill levels.  The launching and landing sequence seems like a great place to form good habits that improve flight safety.

Launch preparation

Flight planning is intrinsic to pilot safety and should be your first newly acquired habit. Planning should start before the flight perhaps hours, days, even weeks when you travel somewhere. Pay attention to the important details (weather and transitions, equipment, mental state, energy levels, etc.) Consider for a moment how many checks and rechecks a professional (commercial) pilot goes through before every flight. Adapting a similar sort of checklist could prove to be invaluable on days when the anxiety level has hit the red. A proper list might include ; preflight checks, contingency plans, accident analysis, communication of location, condition, destination, personal evaluation, etc. Additional tools that assist in the checking procedure like Robertson's Rules of Reliability are a great idea, especially for those still unclear as to what defines appropriate flying conditions. The preflight plan is tangible in the sense that it details specifics.

One can also plan for the unforeseeable by being prepared for the unexpected. I guarantee the day that I do not bring a warm jacket we get high.  I know the XC flying is great whenever I forget my camel back.  If I wear shorts or forget, my boots… watch out cause the valley winds are going to pick up and I am most likely going to be landing with almost no forward speed in an area surrounded by big, jagged, ugly boulders or steep treacherous slopes.  So I have gotten into the habit of being over prepared.  Sure, my glider bag is a bit heavy and the rear window of my SUV is blocked by gear… but for me Murphy's Law has proven to be reality. 

Here is a shortlist of what I keep, just so I can be prepared at launch, in flight, and at the LZ.

So this kit plus a few gliders, helmets, spreaders, harnesses, wind socks, reserve repacking kit, etc. round out the trunk space on my truck.  It is amazing but it has all come in useful over the years. At launch frustration can be avoided with a bit of forethought and extra trunk space.

Quick Equipment Preflight (develop a routine and stick with it.)

• Glider - Start at risers and work up to wing.
• Webbing - stitching, abrasion, unraveling.
• Mallions (small biners) - screw gates locked shut, no corrosion, lines not fraying.
• Lines - can give visual A's-D's... once a month run hand along lines from risers to wing.  Look for cuts, tears, fraying of the sheath, feel for separation of the line core. 
• Brake lines - still firmly attached to toggle, run hand along brake lines before each flight from risers to wing.
• Wing - Go to leading edge as you are laying out the glider into the wind, visual inspection of line attachment points along seams (high load area), look inside intakes, make sure free of debris, especially at tips and trailing edge. 
• Once a month - Leading edge inspection, pay close attention to cell walls (baffles, ribs, panels, and cross ports), make sure that no damage is done internally, as wings age they become more susceptible to internal damage... ports are all cut in specific symmetric shapes so its easier to differentiate internal damage. 
• Trailing edge and tips - no rips or blowouts. 
• Send for professional inspection every other year, or once a year if you fly often. 

• Harness - Webbing inspection for frays, rips, and stitching.
• Check buckles, cams, biners - corrosion, dirt/grit that may make opening closing difficult, weak springs on cams may let harness require constant adjustments in flight, in buckles may not click lock or release.
• Zippers and neoprene are often initial points of failure in aging harnesses.  Any neoprene, which has been stitched to load carrying portions of the harness. 
• Check speed system pulleys - plastic on metal often get brittle and can break in flight, metal on metal pulleys may corrode and/or get stiffer which makes it hard to accelerate and may not release as quickly.  Empty dirt out of pockets, containers, etc.

• Reserve - Check pins and handle every time before putting on harness. 
• Pack your reserve at least once a year preferably 2(x).  This must be done under the supervision of a professional!  Realize that not all reserves will operate optimally using the same packing methods.  PDA's, conical, double capped PDA, cutaway, steerable, and rogallo style reserves all pack very differently. 

• Helmet - not heavily scratched, dinged, chipped, or faded, all of which will compromise structural integrity. 
• It takes 5 minutes to do this before the flight and maybe 15-20 minutes when you do a more thorough monthly inspection. 

Do a site analysis and develop a flight plan before every flight.  Use the P.W.A.I.T. system I wrote about in Vol. 1 Issue 2.  This process may seem cumbersome in the beginning but will become second nature for you soon after initial use. 

Final preflight before launch

• Speed bar or stirrup not dangling too low or in an area that might trip my inflation attempt.
• Leg straps connected and locked
• Chest strap closed
• Helmet on chin strap closed
• Reserve handle connected
• Biners - Screw gates locked shut, risers not twisted (If forward inflation remember the A's will be on the outside, I always  remember A's away, Brakes, body - or A's above, Brakes below.), make sure speed bar is connected, not wrapped around risers, brakes aren't tangled.
• Laid out into wind
• Launch window is clear.

Inflation

*The Zen of Paragliding, and step one to ground control success,
” Center the wing and yourself to the wind.”

Forward Inflation

• Body Position:
• Body leaned forward in a sprinter stance, arms relaxed at your sides or by shoulders, risers spread over arms, relaxed (even) grip on "A's” (I hold the A's fitting the mallions in the webbing between my thumb and index finger), brakes in hand, point of focus upwind of launch, 100% mental & physical commitment.
• Lean your body forward pushing your hips, down and forward, accelerate, keep arms relaxed, do not pull the wing up by the A's.
• Arms should simply be leverage point to help guide not force the wing up.
• Pull the wing up by using your hips.
• Check the canopy by looking at each wing tip (not the center of the wing. Keep moving forward.
• If canopy is clear and flying, allow A-risers to come out of your hands.
• Lean body forward sweep arms up and back into the torpedo position.
• Smooth even acceleration into the wind

Reverse Inflation

• Body Position:
• Body centered to the wing. Even relaxed grip on the A-risers and brakes. Slight bend in the knees and hips, neck, shoulder, back and arms relaxed.
• Move your body backwards, by moving your hips down and back almost like sitting into a chair.
• Do not pull on the A-risers, but rather lift the A's.
• In stronger winds, take a couple of steps toward the wing during the inflation so that you can meet the wing in the middle.
• If the wing comes up asymmetrically, continue to lift A's with a little extra help on the slow side. Turn your hips towards the slow/low side of the wing and walk towards that wing tip while continuing to move backwards.
• When the wing is overhead, release the A-risers, and slow the wing from overshooting, by giving a little bit of brake.
• Keep the brake input, smooth, symmetrical, and only as much input as needed to stop the wing from overshooting.
• Correct canopy misalignment with brake and body input as needed.
• Turn forward and continue with step 3 of the forward inflation process when the canopy is stabile.

The Launch

Draw an imaginary line near the edge of your launch area. This is your point of no return. During the launch process, remember to check your canopy one more time, wingtip to wingtip, right before crossing the committal line. Assuming everything is perfect; commit 100% to the next few steps before lifting off. If you feel something is not perfect the canopy is not flying, it's not straight overhead, you're not lifting off… abort your launch aggressively before crossing the line.

This committal point should be far enough away from the cliff edge, to allow a safe abort at full speed. It should be close enough to the edge that you will only need to take a few steps at full speed before liftoff. For strong wind or steep slopes move your committal point further from the edge. In light winds or shallow slopes, move the committal line closer to the cliff edge.

Common launch mistakes

• Most of the time pilots do a good job setting up into the wind, even if it is cross. But in mild crosswinds, most pilots will orient themselves into the launch direction, not wind direction, after the initial inflation. This commonly results in pilots charging off launch with a canopy sideways instead of overhead, deflations at launch, or major pendulum swinging after lift off.
• Fix this problem by finding a point of focus directly upwind of you… somewhere beyond your launch point. Focus on this point after the inflation and accelerate towards this point. Do not stare at the ground when in the torpedo position!
• Let the wing tell you where the wind is coming from. If the glider is pulling you to the left, move to the left, but give a little right brake and turn your hips slightly towards the right after the wing has stabilized overhead.
• Stabilize the glider into the wind before starting to accelerate for take off.
• Excessive canopy pitch and roll oscillation during take off due to excessive and erratic brake input.
• A pilot can minimize this oscillation by giving less input to the wing and waiting longer allowing the wing to react, between given input. Pilots should always allow the wing to react to given input before increasing the amount of input given.
• Slow down the launch process… do not accelerate without stabilizing your glider into the wind first.
• The transition between inflation and lift off requires the pilot to accelerate towards the cliff edge. Three unique factors must work together during the acceleration to permit smooth liftoffs:
  • Brake input – slowly raise the brake toggles while accelerating.
  • Lean forward – slowly leaning forward, increasing load on the canopy (put more weight on your chest strap, so that canopy is carrying your weight).
  • Timed acceleration – smooth acceleration while leaning forward into torpedo position and sweeping arms up and back. You should not be running, but rather taking long strides, pushing your body down and forward with each step.
• Load your canopy – Torpedo position is appropriate – most important thing is getting weight on chest strap. Don't stare at the ground; keep your attention forward on the horizon.
• Unloading the canopy right before launch.
• Jumping off launch puts slack in your lines and unloads the wing. Rather push forward off launch.
• Inadequate airspeed for flight, make sure your hands are up higher and you are leaning forward. Stay in this position until after you have cleared the edge of launch.
• Your run should be driving forward and down against the chest strap. Don't sit into your harness until you have cleared the cliff edge.
• Getting into your harness.
• Putting both brakes in one hand is great, only if you continue to pay attention to the horizon and your flight direction. Most new pilots become distracted and allow their focus to shift towards the harness, making it difficult to know if you are veering towards the side of the hill.
• Get a foot stirrup to help push you into the harness without letting go off the brake toggles.
• Don't grab and hold the risers while getting into your harness. Instead, while holding the brake toggles normally, stick your thumbs out, and push against the back of the rear risers to give you more leverage while getting into the harness. Make sure that you keep the brakes high, do not bring them down to the karabiners while doing this.
• Check lumbar position, harness depth adjustment, and tighten up the leg straps. It's difficult to get into the harness when these adjustments are too loose.
• Fly straight towards the LZ if it takes more than a couple of attempts to get into the harness. Remember once airborne your primary concern is landing safely.

Landing Sequence

As the proverbial saying goes, launching is optional, landing is mandatory. This should be the primary focus of all flights. Contingency plans that include alternative landing areas, multiple landing approach methods, and emergency procedures for landing mishaps should all be included. Many pilots suffer from landing anxiety specifically when landing at new sites, crowded areas, near obstructions, etc. This anxiety can cause the pilots peripheral to narrow, which can be extremely dangerous. Irregardless of your chosen landing approach technique, remember, to stay aware and continue piloting your aircraft, until you are on the ground with the wing disabled.

Instead of trying to describe each landing approach technique, I would rather describe some common landing problems and potential solutions. We'll assume most pilots use the standard aviation approach method (downwind, base, final leg), with variations that include figure 8 turns, s-turns, 360's, big ears, etc. Part of your flight plan should include your landing approach and methods to check that your approach path will allow you to make the landing area safely. In my opinion, defining multiple points of focus prior to your flight, will allow you to check your landing progress without suffering from object fixation. An example of this, is defining visual reference points, to make figure 8 turns around. Another simple fix for landing area anxieties is tandem flights. Get multiple tandem flights with a tandem pilot that has proved competent at landing in your preferred LZ. If conditions warrant, the pilot may allow you to land the glider. If you cannot do the tandems, spend some time watching the locals and try to mimic their approaches.

Common landing mistakes

• Overshooting your landing area.
• If you use the standard aviation approach or a variation that utilizes, s-turns, 8's, etc. Your peripheral may narrow as you approach your landing area because you focus only on your target in the LZ. As your periphery narrows, the area you utilize for turning also becomes smaller, causing one of two things. Either your turns become looser so the figure 8's change to s-turns inadvertently. It also becomes more difficult to calculate your glide and sink when performing lots of turns, with little glide or time in between for the canopy to stabilize. The more dangerous consequence might be the pilot makes more aggressive turns in a smaller area, decreasing stability near the ground. Give yourself multiple reference points on landing. Use distinctive terrain features downwind from your intended landing area to check your progress. This includes features to perform maneuvers around like 8-turns, features that check your altitude like trees, or buildings, features that convey info about conditions, like streamers, water, etc.
• Choose a spot closer to the downwind edge of the landing area to give you more room to overshoot.
• Lengthen the downwind leg of your approach, drop some altitude on the base leg by adding in a few turns and stay on it longer, maybe add some brake on the base leg, to reduce glide, but increase effects of wind drift, make a sharper turn into final to drop additional height.
• Change your approach method… depending on site and conditions, perhaps try big ears in the approach, do a 360 over the L.Z., use figure 8's instead of s-turns, etc.
• For top landings, start your approach from ridge level or even a little below. You can avoid doing many turns to descend.
• Undershooting the landing area.
• Choose a spot closer to the upwind side of the landing area just in case you undershoot.
• Loosen your 8's into s-turns earlier.
• Shorten your downwind leg, turn to base sooner, and turn to final earlier.
• Try to increase your glide by using less brake on your approach. Lot 's of pilots have their brakes at chest level or lower on the approach without even realizing it. Let your hands come all the way back up to the brake pulleys to achieve a better glide.
• Landing hard
• Make sure your brakes are all the way up by the pulleys before flaring. Hard landings can occur when the pilot has inadvertently applied brake before flaring, which leaves less for the actual flare.
• Flare earlier and harder.
• Hold your flare, some pilots begin to flare, and then let their hands up when the canopy lifts. This is instinctual for humans yet dangerous. The canopy pitches forward when the hands go up and the pilot swings underneath.
• At altitudes, it is difficult to land softly even if you have great flare timing. Perhaps try a more advanced technique like intentionally slowing the glider then allowing it to speed up by letting the brakes up causing an intentional surge. If properly executed the canopy will dive and the pilot will only be a few feet off the ground at the trough of the dive. Just as the pilot passes the trough and begins swinging upward, stick the flare.
• Take a wrap to increase your flare authority.
• If using a one-step flare method, try a rounded flare. The pilot slows the glider a little around 10'. From there the glide angle is constantly reduced by symmetrically applying the brakes so that the total flare is completed a second or two before touch down. I try to match the flare speed with my glide slope and ground speed. If I am coming in hot or dropping fast, I am flaring hard and fast. If I am coming down nice and slow, I can flare slowly.

The whole flight should be preparation for the landing. Pilots need to constantly pay attention to visible details of changing conditions. To often a pilot will misjudge a landing approach because they failed to notice fluctuations in wind direction, velocity, pilot traffic, etc. The pilot should constantly be re-evaluating and adjusting his approach plan based on these conditions. A well-prepared approach plan will take all factors, tangible and not into account. By preparing plan a, b, and c or more, the pilot will insure preparedness for every situation.

Hopefully, these checklists and habits will help you. I'm sure that many details can be added to the list and trust you to add them as you see fit. Pay attention to the details of your flying, and the habits you have already formed. If you are doing something before, during, or after flight that could cause potential mishaps change. If you feel weak in an area of your piloting, fix it.

Pay attention to other pilots and the techniques they utilize. Much can be learnt by studying others and mimicking what works. Piloting is not an instinctual sport so practice what you have learned and then refine it. Get advice from local instructors and exceptional pilots as to how you might improve your piloting, after all none of us are perfect. There is no article that can replace a knowledgeable instructor's supervision.

Finally enjoy your flying, after all that is why we do it. Sometimes I take paragliding too seriously; the sport looses its fun then, and can even become dangerous. Each of us has different ambitions and priorities in flight and we must remember what they are. It's okay to boat around on the coast, or fly during the glass-off. You don't have to brave the midday conditions just to progress in your piloting skills. By having clearly defined parameters that I feel safe flying in, I can guarantee my flight success, year after year. This also insures my continued safety, happiness, and longevity in the sport.