Paragliding in Strong Wind - How to Escape to Safety and Avoid The Rotor

The day is glorious when you arrive. You step to the edge. You launch. Presently, you are high above the valley, gliding here and there, watching the other pilots drift forwards of the ridge. Clouds begin to cover the sky. You watch pilots tuck their wingtips in and head for the valley. You wonder what is going on. Then you see your shadow, far below. You are going nowhere. You are trapped! The wind is howling, pushing you back, and you drift backwards, towards the looming mountain ridge behind.

1. Get away from big obstacles

Fly upwind of any mountain as fast as you can - hands up off the brakes, and check your penetration (forward speed over ground). The glider can be accelerated in smooth air by at least 25% by pushing the speed bar. If your glider lacks a speed bar, pull down on the A and B risers (it's tiring). Some paragliders fly faster with the wingtips tucked in than with them inflated. Test that on your next flight, before you need it.

2. Get down

Wind usually increases as you get higher, especially in pre-frontal conditions, when the airflow is laminar. Quite often you can escape the wind by descending towards the ground, where the wind-speed is less. Use 'big ears' (tucking in the outer A-lines of your canopy to collapse the wingtips underneath). Do not spiral or use a B-line stall, as both of these manoeuvres will cause you to drift downwind. Narrow valley systems (like the Alps) constrict the air below, which can cause very strong valley-winds. If you are presented with a narrow valley below you, it may be best to try and slope-land, or to land near a wider part of the valley.

3. Do both

It is quite safe to tuck the ears first, then to push out on the speedbar as well. This increases your forward speed and increases your rate of descent, and the glider remains very stable.

4. Recognise that you're going over

The earlier you can do this, the better your chances of taking action. Analyse your flight path after trying the first three steps. If you are going backwards rather than forwards, and are drifting back towards the mountains, you need to make a decision. Tuck bigger 'big ears'. Is there any way in which you can safely slope-land low down on the windward side of the mountain? Better to have a windy slope-landing in constant airflow than to land in the rotor turbulence behind the mountain.

5. Up, up and away

Make the decision quickly, don't fight a glider all the way down into the compression on top of the ridge to work out you are not going to make it. Get as much height as you can in the situation. As the wind blows over the mountain, it is forced upwards in places. Wherever there is lift (cliffs), the horizontal component of the wind will be less (it's going up, not sideways), so you will have improved forward speed. You may be able to climb in the lift for some time, building up more height and safety.

6. Go for the gap!

Manoeuvre yourself towards the best-looking crossing point. Conical peaks are great when they have large drop-offs on all sides. Any area where there is a 'bite taken out of the ridge-line' will have a venturi effect and increased wind speed. These are good areas to run through, as the airflow is usually smoother - less prone to rolling rotor turbulence. Climb, climb, and as soon as you reach the top of the lift band, you must turn and run.

7. Air space

Having acquired the most height possible, you now want to increase your ground clearance. Fly at an angle across the wind, away from the peaks. Thus you avoid the worst of the rotor, and race away with the wind. As the ground falls away beneath you, you have more and more space in which to fight the beast.

8. Run

If the route is clear, run downwind. To get your best glide angle, fly off brakes but don't use the speedbar. It is more effective to stay as high as possible for as long as possible, while the wind pushes you from behind. After some time you will enter the sinking air at the back of the mountain. Be ready to catch any wobbles and thumps on the brakes. Pray.

9. Rotor!

Most paragliders are designed to stabilise, so be prudent with your brake-input. Let the glider fly, but fly actively - dampen out the wild surges, keep the wing as much above your head as possible. And keep heading downwind.

10. Touchdown

If at any point during the escape, you find yourself close to the ground, turn into wind. A downwind landing into rocks is deadly. Even into wind, the landing will be unpredictable. Neutralise your glider, by front tuck with the A-lines (which requires good timing in strong wind. Practice it on a field.) Unclip from your harness immediately after landing! Gusts of wind can tear you away down the slope, even though your landing was fine.

11. A round of applause

Whoa! You made it through! Congratulations, you've got one big story to tell the guys in the pub. I hope that this is the last time you need to go over the back, for this is one game where it is better to score a One than a Ten. Those guys that landed out in the valley earlier on? They were the real winners today.

12. A note on reserve parachutes:

You may have noticed that I have not mentioned throwing a reserve. The reserve is your last chance: you know you are going to die, so you throw your reserve. It may prevent a hard landing, although in rotor this is unlikely. But you will be dragged far and fast on the reserve, and slammed into anything in the way. It is difficult to collapse most reserves. I recommend having quick-out buckles on your harness.

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Speed Flying - Meet the Newest Member of the Paragliding Family

Although the terms Paragliding and Parasailing are commonly mixed up, most people have an idea of what the two sports look like. As a quick refresher, paragliding is the act of non-powered, foot launched flight (not being towed behind a boat). To make things even more confusing, now there is a new sport thrown into the mix. It's called Speed Flying, and as of the time of this writing, most people will have no idea what this is. So let's shed some light on the subject and compare this sport to the more commonly known paragliding, as well as answer some Frequently Asked Questions about both.

Paragliding involves piloting a very large "ram air" canopy with the ultimate goal of soaring for extended periods of time. The wing is long and narrow, which creates a large amount of lift with very slow airspeeds. Paragliding is a cruising sport, where the pilot makes strategic use of the winds and other natural lift sources to sustain flight. Those individuals that would be drawn to sailing a boat are the same types that would enjoy paragliding.

Speed Flying on the other hand, is for the fighter pilot at heart. A speed flying wing is shaped more like a high performance parachute and meant to descend out of the sky at adrenaline inducing speeds. The pilot begins her flight at the top of a mountain, launching from a healthy sprint, and then racing slalom style through the different terrain features on the way down. Speed flying is certainly a cousin to paragliding, but it's the cousin that the rest of the family loves to share stories about, but not necessarily join in the adventure.

We will now answer the most common questions specific to each sport:

Is paragliding safe? - The sport of paragliding has evolved tremendously over the last decade, and with this evolution there has been a significant increase in the safety. Like any other adventure sport, there are always risks, and it is up to each individual to determine their risk threshold. With proper training, a modern paraglider, and good judgment, one can fly injury-free well into old age. Of course, an individual can also do the exact opposite of all this, continually scare themselves, and maybe even get lucky enough to not get injured. It is completely up to the pilot.

Is speed flying safe? - Speed flying is a new sport here in North America, but it has been popular in Europe for a few years now. In that time there have been significant improvements to the safety aspects of the wings, as well as the piloting techniques. With a modern wing in the right weather conditions, one can easily make thousands of incident-free flights. Although speed flying is a faster sport than paragliding, there are a variety of speeds to choose from, as explained below.

How long does it take to learn paragliding? - An individual will typically fly solo on their very first day of training, and it takes 5-10 days to master the required skills to earn a "P2" rating. Believe it or not, the flying is easy. What takes a good portion of time to learn is "kiting", which is controlling the wing overhead while standing on the ground. Not only does this make for a better pilot, but it is fun! Also, one can go out and practice kiting just about anywhere. So if a budding pilot does their kiting homework, they can get through the P2 course in minimal time.

How long does it take to learn speed flying? - A new student will fly solo on their very first day of training, and within 3-5 days they will have the necessary skills to fly unsupervised. It will be up to them to only fly in good weather conditions when solo. This good judgment and a proper attitude will be what keeps a pilot safe in the sport. New pilots will work toward their "S3" rating, which requires a minimum of 10 flying days and 25 flights.

How much does paragliding cost? - Training through the P2 license is about $1,500, and is typically discounted $300 or so with the purchase of paragliding gear. There are also 1-day lessons for around $200. A complete paragliding system, which includes the wing, harness and reserve parachute, will range between $4,500 and $5,500. When properly taken care of, this gear will last hundreds, and maybe even thousands, of flights.

How much does speed flying cost? - The range is $200 for a 1-day lesson, up to $1,250 for the training through the S3 rating. Like paragliding, there is typically a training discount with the purchase of speed flying gear. A complete speed flying wing and harness combo will cost between $2,100 and $2,500. This significantly lower cost than paragliding gear is due to its much smaller size and no need for a reserve parachute (speed flying pilots will typically not fly high enough). When properly taken care of, this gear will last thousands of flights.

What kind of flying can I do with a paraglider? - There are five different types of flying one can do: "Sledders", ridge soaring, thermal soaring, cross country and acro. These are listed in order of difficulty to learn. The Sledder is simply flying from the top to the bottom of a hill, and a student will do many of these in their training. The next goal is to master soaring techniques, with ridge soaring being the first since it is generally the easiest and safest to do. This type of soaring occurs at a hill, mountain, ridge or cliff, where the winds are coming straight in and strong enough to sustain flight by being deflected upward. Thermal soaring involves riding "heat bubbles" high into the atmosphere, and very large climb rates and altitudes are possible with this type of flying. Cross country flying is achieved by connecting the thermal dots in the sky to fly large distances, sometimes hundreds of miles. Finally there's acro, short for acrobatic, which as you might guess is radical maneuvering of the wing such as spinning and looping. It would not be incorrect to call this a risky activity.

What kind of flying can I do with a speed wing? - As mentioned earlier on this page, a person will feel like a fighter pilot when speed flying. There are two types of speed flying that cover the range of how radical a pilot can get. "Proximity Flying" is slalom-style racing down the mountain only a few feet above the ground, while contouring the terrain. "Speed Soaring" is sustained flight in high winds, similar to that of paragliding, but with very fast and agile maneuvering capability under the small wing.

Hopefully this article has presented clear insight into the well established activity of paragliding, and the up and coming sport of speed flying. You will now be ready to speak intelligently when somebody asks if you've seen that cool new sport that looks like high speed paragliding (or parasailing for that matter).

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Difference Between Paragliding and Parasailing

According to Wikipedia, "Paragliding is a recreational and competitive flying sport. A paraglide is a free-flying, foot-launched aircraft. The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a fabric wing, whose shape is formed by its suspension lines and the pressure of air entering vents in the front of the wing."

And again according to Wikipedia, "Parasailing, also known as par ascending, is a recreational activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle (usually a boat) while attached to a specially designed parachute, known as a parasail. The boat then drives off, carrying the par ascender into the air. The sheer power of the boat is powerful enough for 2-3 people to parasail. The par ascender has little or no control over the parachute."

The difference

Your level of interest helps you decide whether you would choose to go for paragliding or parasailing. Those who yearn to be in the driver's seat, with a sense of adventure and knowledge of his or her limitations, should take lessons to become a paraglide. The laid-back ones who prefer others taking charge should hold onto parasailing. Both the activities are a great way to relax and unwind.

The first and foremost difference between parasailing and paragliding is that - Parasailing is for those who love the water but do not prefer extreme endeavors such as jet skiing or knee boarding. Paragliding on the other hand is for the light hearted.

You can paraglide nearly anywhere but mostly Para gliders choose open fields, exciting cliffs and mountain ranges for their intense scenery. Parasailing on the other hand is done on big water masses and sometimes on land as well all with the safety and security of a parachute.

In parasailing, you need a motorized vehicle and a canopy to make you airborne whereas in paragliding wings are controlled solely by the rider, who is technically a pilot.

Another obvious visible difference is that parasailing is a team effort while Paragliding can be done solo. Even the manner in which one is lifted off differs in parasailing and paragliding. In paragliding you are propelled by parachute if you're on land or a backpack if you have opted for powered paragliding.

Before you go parasailing all you need to do is take a few minutes of water safety lessons. However, in paragliding you need to take a few days training before you can go for a solo flight.

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