Paragliding – ground handling
Why ground handle? Ground handling enables a pilot to become aware of the optimum ways, for that wing, to be launched and collapsed. Why are these important? Because pilots need to take off in a variety of wind conditions including light winds and strong winds. Your method for inflating the glider will differ in these winds. Learning from a text book or on a course is good however this needs to be supplemented by learnings specific to your glider.
I spent two hours on the beach (at Praia do Foz do Lisandro – out of everyone’s way) learning how to inflate the glider, hold it on the wind in the reverse position and forward, walking it around the beach and collapsing it in a variety of ways.
I spent another two hours on a very small sand dune at the mouth of the Obidos lagoon to experiment with launching in light wind conditions.
Was this useful? Very, this massively increased my confidence in launching in differing wind conditions, gave me the confidence to be in control of the wind and not the other way around and how to collapse my glider.
I fly a Sky Fides 2 Evo and tried the four recommended options to collapse my wing: 1. Rear risers; 2. ‘C’ risers; 3. Controls; 4. ‘B’ risers. Over the course of several experiments I concluded that the controls, the rear risers and the ‘C’ risers made for a nice collapse however the ‘B’ risers led to the canopy performing an unwanted full frontal tuck and then, near the ground falling backwards into the power zone. Had this been a very windy day, the ‘B’ line collapse could have yielded very unpleasant results. So, ground handle, learn how to use your wing in a variety of conditions.
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