A paragliding accident almost never has a single cause. It is a chain of decisions, and it can be broken at any link. In this module we cover the pre-flight check, the launch rules, separation in the air and risk management. Then human factors, the forced landing, calling for help in the mountains and first aid. We look separately at what is specific to Gudauri, at working with a passenger on a tandem, and at the operator’s duties under the regulations in force. The extended version adds the chain-of-events model, accident statistics by phase of flight, an analysis of mistakes at launch and on landing, flying near rock faces and in rotor, separation in a group, obstacles and water, fatigue and fear, and detailed first-aid protocols.
⏱ 110 min📖 24 sections✓ 40 questions
Safety is a system, not a list of prohibitions
In shortAn accident is almost never caused by one thing: a chain of small things is at work, and each of them is harmless on its own. So to stop an accident, it is enough to break any one link. Usually that costs one minute of time and a calm “no”. In Gudauri an error costs more: below the main launch there are more than 400 metres of rock, the thermals are sharp, and there are few landing fields. You write your personal minimums down in advance and do not change them on the day of the flight.
The review of almost any paragliding accident ends the same way: there is no single cause. There is a chain of small things, and each of them on its own is harmless. Slept badly, left later, rushed at the launch site, cut the pre-flight check short, did not notice that the reserve pin had come out of its loop, flew into a sharp narrow thermal (a rising column of warm air). No single link was deadly. The sequence was deadly. In real life: like missing a plane: the alarm clock, a traffic jam, a queue at the check-in desk; each one alone is a small thing. Press ▶: the diagram will build the chain.
This gives the main conclusion of the module: to stop an accident, it is enough to break any one link. Almost always that costs one minute of time and one calm “no”. In real life: like a house of cards in reverse: take out one link, and the rest never happens.
In Gudauri an error costs more than at flatland sites. Below the main tandem launch there are more than 400 metres of sheer rock. The thermals here are sharp, narrow and rough. There are few landing fields, and most of the time there is nowhere to land “somewhere close by”.
In 2022 a Border Police helicopter crashed near Gudauri. It was on a rescue operation, searching for paraglider pilots; eight people on board died. After that, the rules for the industry were made stricter. The cost of a rescue operation in the mountains is measured in other people’s lives. The plan “I’ll fly, and if something goes wrong, they’ll call for help” is not a decision. In real life: like driving without insurance: fine on an empty street, not in rush hour.
Drag the diagram sideways to see all of it.
causenever oneeach linkharmlessdeadlythe sequencehow many linksany onecosta minute and a “no”resultno accidentbelow launch400+ m of rocklanding fieldsfewrescueother livesit shiftswith each lucky flightthe curea written minimumon flying daynot changed
There is never just one cause
What it is
Slept badly, left late, rushed at the launch, cut the pre-flight check short, did not see that the reserve pin had come out of its loop, flew into a sharp narrow thermal. No single link was deadly. The sequence was deadly.
In practice
Like missing a plane: the alarm clock, a traffic jam, a queue at the desk. Each one alone is a small thing.
One “no” is enough
What it is
To stop an accident, it is enough to break any one link. Almost always this costs one minute of time and one calm “no”.
In practice
Like a house of cards in reverse: take out one link, and the rest never happens.
In Gudauri an error costs more
What it is
Below the main tandem launch there are more than 400 metres of sheer rock. Thermals are sharp, narrow and rough. There are few landing fields, and most often there is nowhere to land “somewhere near”. In 2022 a Border Police helicopter crashed near Gudauri while searching for paraglider pilots; eight people died. The cost of a rescue in the mountains is measured in other people’s lives.
In practice
Like driving without insurance: fine on an empty street, not in rush hour.
The norm drifts without you noticing
What it is
Getting used to an error is more dangerous than the error itself. Every successful flight on the edge moves your inner norm: what felt like the edge a year ago feels like a normal day today. The only cure is an outside reference: written personal minimums that you do not change on the day of the flight.
In practice
Like the volume in your headphones: you turn it up a little at a time and do not hear that it is already too loud.
Based on the lesson text. Scenes are schematic.
Safety culture means that a decision “I’m not flying” is not argued about, not laughed at, and no one has to justify it, whether a student or a tandem pilot with a thousand flights. If people joke about such a decision, the site is not safe, whatever the weather.
A detail for pros. Getting used to an error is more dangerous than the error itself. Every successful flight on the edge moves your inner norm: what felt like the edge a year ago feels like a normal day today. This is called norm drift. The only cure is an outside reference point: written personal minimums that you do not change on the day of the flight. In real life: like the volume in your headphones: you turn it up a little at a time and do not hear that it is already too loud.
Words from this section
Debrief: three sentences right after landing: what the wing did that you did not expect, what you did in response, and what you should have done. After twenty such debriefs you start to see the mistakes you keep repeating. Like looking at the score after a game: not to get upset, but to understand what to change in training.
In shortJames Reason’s “Swiss cheese” model: training, the gear check, the briefing, the right-of-way rules and the reserve are slices of protection, and every slice has holes. Usually the holes do not line up. An accident happens when they line up in one line. Two conclusions follow: looking for a single “main cause” makes no sense, and it is enough to close any one hole, not necessarily the first. Experience is a slice too, and it is dangerous because you get used to it.
The model used in aviation is called the “Swiss cheese” model. It was proposed by the psychologist James Reason. Imagine several slices of cheese standing one behind another. Each slice is a level of protection: training, the gear check, the briefing, the right-of-way rules, the reserve. Each slice has holes: weak spots. Usually the holes do not line up, and the danger is stopped by the next slice. An accident happens when the holes line up in one line. In real life: like several locks on a door: each has its own weakness, but rarely all at once. Press ▶: the diagram will show the slices and the holes.
The DHV (the German Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association) says the same thing more briefly: accidents are, as a rule, caused by a chain of events and wrong decisions.
Two conclusions follow from the model. First: one hole does not kill, so looking for “the main cause” makes no sense. Second: to stop an accident, it is enough to close any one hole, not necessarily the first one. In real life: like a to-do list: next to each line there is a concrete action, not “I will be more careful”.
Link
What it looks like
How to break it
The evening before
Went to bed at two in the morning
Move the flight to another day
The drive
Left an hour late
Say out loud: one flight today instead of three
The launch site
A queue, other people’s wings under your feet
Step aside and get ready there
The check
“I did up the leg loops, I remember for sure”
Five points out loud, then a second person
Launch
The wing came up crooked, but “I’ll manage”
Lay the wing down, start again
The first seconds
Pulling sideways towards the rocks
Abort the take-off run
In the air
A sharp thermal near the slope
Move away from the slope into the valley
Drag the diagram sideways to see all of it.
levelstraining … reserveholesin every oneusuallydo not line upaccidentholes in one line“the main cause”there is noneenough toclose any onefor each linka concrete actioncheckfive points aloudlaunchlay down, start againworkslike one more sliceriskflying with open holesquestionwhat if I do worse than usual?
Five slices of protection
What it is
The “Swiss cheese” model was proposed by the psychologist James Reason. Each slice is a level of protection: training, gear check, briefing, right-of-way rules, reserve. Every slice has holes, weak spots. Usually the holes do not line up, and the danger is stopped by the next slice.
In practice
Like several locks on a door: each has its own weakness, but rarely all at once.
An accident is when the holes line up
What it is
An accident happens when the holes line up in one line. Two conclusions follow. One hole does not kill, so looking for “the main cause” makes no sense. And to stop an accident it is enough to close any hole, not necessarily the first one.
In practice
Like winning the lottery in reverse: all the numbers must match at once.
Every link can be broken by something
What it is
Went to bed at 2 am: move the flight. Left late: say it aloud, today one flight instead of three. Queue at the launch: step away and get ready there. “I did them up for sure”: five points aloud and a second person. Wing came up crooked: lay it down and start again. Pulling aside towards the rocks: abort the take-off run. Sharp thermal near the slope: go out to the valley.
In practice
Like a to-do list: next to each line there is a concrete action, not “I will be more careful”.
Experience closes holes and hides them
What it is
An experienced pilot closes holes faster, and that is why they more often fly with holes already open. Skill works like one more slice of cheese, and this is dangerous: it lets you pull yourself out of situations a beginner would never get into. The right question is not “will I manage”, but “what is left if today I manage worse than usual”.
In practice
Like an experienced driver in the rain: drives faster exactly because they can, and the braking distance is not any shorter.
Based on the lesson text. Scenes are schematic.
A detail for pros. An experienced pilot closes holes faster, and that is exactly why they more often fly with holes already open. Skill works like one more slice of cheese, and that is dangerous: it lets you pull yourself out of situations a beginner would never have got into. The right question to ask yourself is not “will I manage”, but “what is left if today I manage worse than usual”. In real life: like an experienced driver in the rain: drives faster exactly because they can, and the braking distance is not any shorter for that.
Words from this section
Aborted launch: you started the take-off run and stopped, because something went wrong. An aborted launch is not a failure. A failure is a launch that should have been aborted, but the pilot felt awkward in front of the queue. Like stopping the car if your seat belt is not done up: one second of trouble instead of a big problem.
In shortMatt Wilkes’s group estimates 1.4 deaths and 20 serious injuries per 100,000 flights. By phase of flight, injuries split like this: approach and landing 39 percent, launch 21, ridge soaring 20. DHV statistics for 2024 put wing collapses in first place, followed by obstacles on approach. Legs and the spine suffer most. Gear failure is almost absent from the causes: what is there is preparation and decisions.
The most careful risk estimate so far was published in 2022 in the journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine by Matt Wilkes’s group. The researchers combined a survey of 1655 paraglider pilots with a review of a thousand incidents from a European database for 2012–2019:
1.4 deaths per 100,000 flights (confidence interval 1.1–1.9);
20 serious injuries per 100,000 flights (18–27);
counted by time: 1.6 deaths and 23 serious injuries per 100,000 flight hours.
Phase of flight
Share of injuries
Landing approach and landing
39 percent (393 cases)
Launch
21 percent (206 cases)
Ridge soaring along the slope
20 percent (189 cases)
German statistics say the same. In the DHV analysis for 2024 there were 385 incident reports: 167 with serious injuries and 10 fatal. By phase: launch, about 112 cases; landing approach, about 101; landing, about 45; leaving the slope and en-route (cross-country) flight, about 58. Among the causes, wing collapses come first: 63 cases, 31 serious injuries, 4 fatal. Next come obstacles on approach: 40 cases, among them 15 cars and 10 trees. Then stalls on approach: 13 cases, one fatal. Knots in the lines are listed separately: about 14 cases a year.
One caveat is a must: these are reports, not a full census. The DHV database only contains what pilots reported themselves, and about half of the cases happened abroad. You cannot divide these numbers by the number of flights: the denominator is unknown. In real life: like road accidents: most of them happen not on the highway but near home, in the last metres.
Part of the body
Number of injuries
Legs and feet
287
Lower (lumbar) spine
165
Arms, hands, shoulder
146
Middle (thoracic) spine
80
Rib cage
69
Pelvis
55
Head
33
Neck (cervical spine)
28
Drag the diagram sideways to see all of it.
fatal1.4 / 100,000 flightsserious injuries20 / 100,000sourceWilkes et al., 2022approach and landing39 %launch21 %ridge soaring20 %legs and feet287spine273 of 659takeawayprotector and feetgear failurealmost nonethere areknots, leg loops, obstaclesinvestin practice and reviews
1.4 and 20 per 100,000 flights
What it is
The most careful estimate is the work of Matt Wilkes’s group, 2022: a survey of 1655 paraglider pilots and a review of a thousand incidents from a European database for 2012–2019. 1.4 fatal cases per 100,000 flights and 20 serious injuries per 100,000 flights. Counted by time: 1.6 and 23 per 100,000 flight hours.
In practice
Like “one case in a hundred thousand”: rare, but not zero, and this is exactly why the check is done every time.
Approach and landing come first
What it is
By phase of flight: approach and landing give 39 percent of injuries, launch 21, ridge soaring along the slope 20. The German DHV statistics for 2024 say the same: the first cause is wing collapses, next come obstacles on approach, cars and trees. A caveat: these are pilots’ reports, not a full census.
In practice
Like road accidents: most happen not on the highway but near home, in the last metres.
Legs and spine
What it is
Legs and feet: 287 injuries, lumbar spine 165, arms and shoulder 146, thoracic spine 80, rib cage 69, pelvis 55, head 33, neck 28. The spine in total: 273 of 659. This comes straight from how the pilot meets the ground: seated, with a vertical impact along the body axis. So: the protector under the seat is not a formality, and at landing you must get onto your feet in time.
In practice
Like jumping off a chair: onto your feet is normal, sitting down means hospital.
Gear almost never breaks
What it is
Notice what is not in the tables: “gear failure” as a noticeable cause. Wings and reserves almost never break by themselves. But there are knots in the lines, unbuckled leg loops and obstacles on approach, that is, preparation and decisions. If you want to put an hour into your safety, put it into ground practice and approach reviews, not into choosing a new wing.
In practice
Like with a bicycle: the chain rarely breaks, but people often forget to check the brakes.
Based on the lesson text. Figures from the study and DHV statistics.
The spine in total: 273 injuries out of 659. This comes directly from how the pilot meets the ground: seated, with a vertical impact along the axis of the body. Two conclusions follow. First: the protector under the seat is not a formality. Second: on landing you must get onto your feet in time, and not take the impact with your pelvis and lower back. In real life: like jumping off a chair: onto your feet is normal, sitting down means hospital.
A detail for pros. Notice what these tables do not have. There is no “gear failure” as a noticeable cause. Wings and reserves almost never break by themselves. What they do have is knots in the lines, leg loops left undone and obstacles on approach: that is, preparation and decisions. If you want to put one hour into your own safety, put it into ground practice and into reviewing your approach, not into choosing a new wing. In real life: like with a bicycle: the chain rarely breaks, but people often forget to check the brakes.
Pre-flight and pre-launch check
In shortThe check has two steps: first an inspection of your gear while you are not clipped in, then five points, aloud and by hand. Weight is a separate item: outside the certified range the wing does not behave as in the certificate, and flying is prohibited. You prepare not at the launch position but where an accidental launch is least likely. You do not look at the leg loops, you pull them with your hands. If the check is interrupted, you start again from the first point.
Before take-off the pilot must check the wing, the lines, the pin and the handle of the reserve parachute. The radio link is checked separately. The pin is the small rod that keeps the reserve closed: while it sits correctly, the parachute will not come out by itself. The instruments are checked too: the batteries must last for the whole flight.
The check has two steps, the same as in “Launch step by step” and in the pilot logbook. Press ▶: the diagram will show each item.
Drag the diagram sideways to see all of it.
whenbefore clipping inwherepreparation areaitems7whenonce clipped inhowaloud and by handinterruptedfrom point onehelmeton and fastenedstrapnot twistedby handtouch the buckleleg loopsboth fastenedchest strapfastenedby handpullcarabinersclosed and lockedrisersnot twistedby handsleeve won't turnpinin placehandlereachable with one handbridlenot pinchedlinesfree, no knotsbrakesin handsfree travelcheckedcalled outcheck interruptedwhat to dostart from the helmetwhyit feels finished
Inspection (step 1)
What it is
In the preparation area, while you are not yet clipped in: wing, lines and risers, harness and speed bar, reserve, radio and instruments, pockets, wind and sky.
In practice
Like packing a suitcase at home: calmly and from a list, not while running to the train.
Five points (step 2)
What it is
Clipped in: five points, aloud and by hand: helmet, harness, carabiners, reserve, lines and brakes.
In practice
Like patting your pockets at the door: passport, ticket, keys. Every time in the same order.
Point 1. Helmet
What it is
On and fastened, strap not twisted.
In practice
Touch the buckle under your chin. An unfastened helmet flies off in an impact, like a cap in the wind.
Point 2. Harness
What it is
Both leg loops and the chest strap are fastened.
In practice
Do not look: pull both leg loops with your hands. The eye sees what it expects to see, but the hand does not lie.
Point 3. Carabiners
What it is
Closed and locked, risers not twisted, rows not mixed up.
In practice
Check the locking sleeve with your fingers: it does not turn. Like a door: closing it is not enough, the lock must click.
Point 4. Reserve
What it is
Pin in place, handle reachable with one hand, bridle not pinched.
In practice
Find the handle with your hand, without looking. Like the light switch in your own room: your hand finds it even in the dark.
Point 5. Lines and brakes
What it is
Lines free, no knots, brakes in your hands, free travel checked.
In practice
Pull the brakes a little: the first centimetres do not brake the wing. That is the free travel.
Interrupted: start from point one
What it is
If someone calls you in the middle of the check, start it again, from the helmet.
In practice
An interrupted check feels finished: the brain remembers it “already did something”. Like with soup: you got distracted and now you don’t remember if you salted it or not.
From the lesson text: inspection (step 1) and the five points (step 2), the same in “Flight safety”, “Equipment” and the pilot logbook. Poses and sizes are shown qualitatively.
Step 1. Inspection, in the preparation area, while you are not yet clipped in.
Wing. Laid out in an arc, cell openings open. Inspect the top and bottom surfaces, the ribs (the inner walls that hold the shape of the wing) and the seams.
Lines and risers. The lines are fully sorted: no knots and no lines thrown over the wing. The risers are not twisted.
Harness and speed bar. Buckles and back protector are intact. The speed bar is connected, its cords are not twisted, the bar is not lying loose in the grass.
Reserve. The container is closed, the pin is in the correct position, the handle is in its place.
Radio and instruments. Switched on, the right channel, the link checked by voice, enough charge for the whole flight.
Pockets. Zipped: your phone, camera and keys will not fly out.
Wind and sky. Where the wind comes from and how strong it is, who is flying, who is coming in to land.
A separate item is weight. Every certified wing is tested at both the minimum and the maximum take-off weight of its range. The manufacturer must confirm how the wing behaves at both limits. Outside the range the wing does not behave as written in the certificate, and there are no more guarantees. If the real loading does not match the weight limits of the wing and the reserve, flying is directly prohibited.
An example. The pilot weighs 85 kilograms, the gear 20, the wing is certified for 130–220 kilograms. With a 95-kilogram passenger the take-off weight is 200: within the range. With a 120-kilogram passenger it is 225: already above the upper limit. An excess of “only” five kilograms means flying in a configuration that nobody has tested.
You must not prepare for launch right at the launch position. Preparation is done where an accidental launch is least likely.
Step 2. Five points, once you are clipped in, aloud and by hand, always in the same order.
Helmet: on, fastened, strap not twisted.
Harness: both leg loops and the chest strap fastened, nothing hanging loose. You do not look at the leg loops, you pull them with your hands.
Carabiners and risers: carabiners closed and locked, risers not twisted, rows not mixed up, nothing trapped.
Reserve: pin in place, handle reachable with one hand, bridle not pinched.
Lines and brakes: lines free, no knots, brakes in your hands, free travel checked. The free travel of the brakes is checked exactly here, once you are clipped in: not when laying out and not when packing the wing.
In real life: the inspection is like packing a suitcase at home, and the five points are like patting your pockets at the door: passport, ticket, keys.
A separate word about the leg loops. This is the best-known fatal mistake in paragliding, and it happens to experienced people. The pilot gets into the harness not through the leg loops but from above, and falls out after lift-off. In DHV accident reviews such cases repeat year after year. You catch it with one movement: sitting in the harness, take both leg loops in your hands and pull. Do not look: pull.
A detail for pros. The danger is not a skipped item but a broken ritual. If someone calls you in the middle of the check, you will almost certainly continue from the wrong place. The rule: interrupted, start again from the first point. And one more thing: the check is done with your hands, not your eyes. Your eyes confirm what you expect to see: this is how attention works, not carelessness.
Case review. The pilot clipped in, stood up, and then a friend came over for a hug. After the chat the pilot went back to the position and launched. In the air it turned out that the chest strap was unfastened. Actions in the air: no sudden movements, hold the risers with your hands, fly smoothly, minimal turns, land at the first suitable field. Why: an unfastened chest strap does not drop the pilot, but it sharply increases the carabiner separation and the risk of a twist in a collapse. What should have been done: after the chat, start from the first point.
Words in this section
Wing loading: how many kilograms there are per square metre of wing. Higher loading: faster and more stable, but sharper. Like a pumped-up ball against a soft one: the firm one bounces back briskly, the soft one sluggishly.
Weight shift: steering by moving your body in the harness. It adds no drag and does not bring you closer to a stall, so in rough air you work with your weight first and then with the brake. Like on a bicycle: you lean and it turns, you hardly need the handlebar.
Cell openings (also air intakes): the openings along the leading edge of the wing. Through them the oncoming airflow inflates the wing from the inside. Like an open mouth when you run: while you run, the air goes in by itself.
All-up weight: you plus all your gear plus the wing itself. This is the number you compare with the weight range. Like your weight with a backpack on the airport scales: everything is counted together.
In shortA safe launch means three conditions at once: the site is clear of obstacles, the run can be aborted at any moment, and there are no people and no laid-out wings in the take-off direction. Within 30 metres of the lift-off point there must be no power lines, cable car, buildings or trees over 5 metres; the slope is up to 30 degrees. In light wind and at maximum weight the run is noticeably longer. You go to the launch position only with the flight director’s permission.
A safe launch means three conditions at once, not one of them to choose from:
the whole launch area is clear of obstacles: large rocks, bushes, trees;
the run can be aborted even after a long acceleration, as long as take-off speed has not been reached and there are no obstacles ahead;
in the take-off direction there are no obstructions, no paragliders laid out on the ground and no people.
Within 30 metres of the lift-off point there must be no power lines, cable car, buildings, trees over 5 metres, boulders over a metre, rocky gullies or roads with heavy traffic. The slope of the site along the run must be no more than 30 degrees.
Now about the length of the run. In light wind and at maximum take-off weight the run distance grows a lot. The lift-off speed rises with the loading, and a headwind does not add to it. You have to make up all the missing speed with your legs, so choose a site with a margin.
At a certified site the pilot does not work alone. The operator must keep two flight director’s assistants at every launch site, each having completed the required course. You may go to the launch position, get ready and take off only with the flight director’s verbal permission.
The order of actions is this. Lay out the wing, adjust your equipment, switch on the radio. Bring the wing up before you are clipped into the harness and make sure it is in good order. Look at the air around you, clip in the risers, check the connection and announce out loud that you are ready.
Launch step by step. Seven steps, the same in the online school and in the pilot logbook. Press ▶ at each step: the diagram shows what it looks like on the slope.
Drag the diagram sideways to see all of it.
wherepreparation zonewingin an arc, cell openings openlinessorted, no knotshowout loud and by handpoints5interruptedstart at point 1light windforward launchstronger windreverse launchpacesmoothly, no jerklookup, at the wingwingoverhead, inflatedpulls asidestep under the wingword“go” or “abort”criterionnamed in advanceaborted launchnot a failurespeedbuilds up smoothlyrununtil the wing is fully loadedinto harnessnot yetwinglifts you by itselflegsa couple more stepsinto harnessonly after lift-off
Step 1. Preparation
What it is
In the preparation zone, not at the launch position. The wing is laid out in an arc, the cell openings are open, the lines are sorted, no knots.
In practice
Look where the wind is coming from and who is flying or coming in to land. Like a bag for a trip: you pack it at home, not while running for the train.
Step 2. Check
What it is
Five points, out loud and by hand: helmet, leg loops, carabiners, reserve, lines and brakes.
In practice
Do not just look at the leg loops: pull them. If you were interrupted, start again at point 1. Like an airline pilot reading the checklist out loud so nothing is missed.
Step 3. Inflation
What it is
Bring the wing up smoothly, without a jerk. In light wind: forward launch, back to the wing. In stronger wind: reverse launch, facing the wing.
In practice
If you bring it up too sharply, the wing overtakes you and surges forward.
Step 4. Control
What it is
The wing is overhead. Look up: fully inflated, wingtips open, the wing is not pulling to one side.
In practice
If it pulls, step under the wing and level it.
Step 5. Decision
What it is
One word: “go” or “abort”. Name the sign that makes you abort in advance.
In practice
An aborted launch is not a failure. Like a yellow traffic light: it does not mean “speed up”.
Step 6. Run
What it is
Speed up smoothly and run until the wing is fully loaded.
In practice
Do not sit into the harness during the run: the pilot stops running before lift-off.
Step 7. Lift-off
What it is
The wing lifts you by itself.
In practice
Take a couple more steps in the air, and only then sit into the harness.
Based on the lesson text: the seven launch steps are the same in the online school and in the pilot logbook. Poses, line length and distances are shown qualitatively.
Preparation. In the preparation zone, not at the launch position. The wing is laid out in an arc, the cell openings are open, the lines are sorted, no knots. Look where the wind is coming from and who is flying or coming in to land. In real life: you pack your bag at home, not while running for the train.
Check. Five points, out loud and by hand: helmet fastened, leg loops pulled by hand, carabiners closed and locked, reserve pin in place, lines free, brakes in your hands. If the check was interrupted, start again at point 1. In real life: an airline pilot reads the checklist out loud not because they forgot it, but so that nothing is missed.
Inflation. Bring the wing up smoothly, without a jerk. In light wind: forward launch, back to the wing. In stronger wind: reverse launch, facing the wing.
Control. The wing is overhead. Look up: the wing is fully inflated, the wingtips are open, the wing is not pulling to one side. If it pulls, step under it and level it.
Decision. One word: “go” or “abort”. Name in advance the sign that makes you abort: “wing not overhead by the third step: I lower it”. An aborted launch is not a failure. In real life: a yellow traffic light does not mean “speed up”.
Run. Speed up smoothly and run until the wing is fully loaded.
Lift-off. The wing lifts you by itself. Take a couple more steps in the air, and only then sit into the harness.
Case review. The run has started, the wing is going off to one side, and the edge of the site is 15 metres away. The right action is to abort the run. An aborted launch is not a failure. A failure is a launch that should have been aborted, but the pilot felt awkward in front of the queue.
A detail for pros. The difference between a forward and a reverse launch is not only the wind strength, but where you lose control. In a forward launch you lose it during inflation: the wing is behind your back and you cannot see it. That is why in light wind, at an unfamiliar site, at maximum loading, a reverse launch is often safer, even when there is almost no wind. You see the wing for longer.
Words from this section
Cable car: at a ski resort, a constant danger when landing and on a route: the cables hang high and are hard to see from the air. Like a rope stretched between houses: you notice it only when you are already close.
Reverse launch: you stand facing the wing, bring it up, see whether everything is in order, and only then turn around and run. Like checking that your jacket sits straight by looking in a mirror, not by feel.
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Language: the sections above are in English. Behind the code the full module text and the question bank are currently in Russian — the English versions are being prepared.
The material prepares you for the theory exam of the national paragliding federation, but it does not replace practice with an instructor. The pilot licence is issued by the federation after its own exams. Book a course.
