Paraglider Wing-Collapse
Courtesy of Dreamstime.com
Flying is a Deadly Serious Endeavour !
I’ve lost several close friends to foot-launched flying, others are permanently disabled. I don’t want to lose any more friends.
If this article saves one friend from harm or death it’ll be more than worth it.
I’ve been flying hang gliders around the world since the early 1970s: Fabulous soaring in wonderful places including England (my favorite is Devils Dyke), Norway (Bodo), Belgium, France, Italia, Espana, Japan (Hakone Peninsula), Australia (Morning Glory above Burketown), even the Soviet Union (before it was just Russia). I was the first pilot to fly a hang glider in the tiny country of Andorra in 1976. Taught hang gliding in many, many countries (to many people who didn’t speak any English) – including North of the Polar Circle.
I didn’t get to keep flying for this many decades by treating flying as an off-handed frolic, lark or a gambol.
With Windsurfing – when (not if) you make a mistake – you just fall in the water, laugh, get back up and keep playing. (Yes, you could get run over by an Aircraft carrier, but that’s exquisitely rare.)
With Hang Gliding or any kind of flying – when you make a mistake – you can easily Die – in mere Seconds.
There’s a wonderful saying —
- There are Old Pilots,
and there are Bold Pilots,
But there are No Old – Bold Pilots.
With that firmly in mind – this is the advice I give to all those I care about :
Paragliding looks lovely and serene. And it can be.
But unlike Hang Glider’s rigid wings, Paraglider’s soft wings can, and do, collapse in turbulence.
If ParaGlider Wing collapse happens at high altitude it is merely Heart-Stoppingly Frightening, but often (not always) recoverable.
That’s because now paraglider wings are designed to re-inflate.
*** But that re-inflation takes several precious seconds !
*** If your Paraglider Wing collapse happens at only 60 to 250 feet above hard, unforgiving ground – it can easily kill You – or maybe worse; You could end up Paraplegic.
(Hint – essentially every Paraglider flight flies through that 60-250 feet window above the ground – Twice. On takeoff and for landing.)
Because at low altitudes, you don’t have enough seconds to re-inflate a collapsed Paraglider.
Now please take a serious moment – to imagine being dropped from 60 or 250 feet onto the ground. The height of many bridges.
Right – that’s Damn Serious ! ! !
Marina Sand Dunes near Monterey in California is one place that rarely has turbulence. It typically has some of the smoothest winds of anywhere. But even there, Wing collapse is very real potential and too easily dismissed by enthusiasts.
Paraglider pilots might be more fun than wet-blanket fuddy-duddy, instructors like me. As example — recently soaring at Stanwell Park in Oz (Australia) I saw one paraglider pilot flying with a cute Bear’s head costume. Later he flew his paraglider backwards. Bringing smiles from us watching; wry smiles to those of us long-time pilots.
However, only a week after I’d left, a Paraglider pilot was Killed there – just a few feet below where I had soared.
This Really is Serious.
If you doubt any of this – just try a quick web search on “Paraglider” and “collapse” and ask — Why do paraglider pilots always wear a backup parachute.
Please Burn this into your Memory —
. . . There are No Old – Bold Pilots.
Still Planning on taking that Paraglider Ride / Flight ???
“Its just a Dual Flight with an ‘experienced’ Paraglider pilot.”
FIRST you NEED to PLEASE ask your proposed Pilot / Instructor —
*** “Have you Practiced Recovery from all of these —
(Practiced in Flight – Not merely theorized or taken a Written Test on –)
* Water Landings ?
* Stalls – Deep, Parachutal or Constant Stall ?
* ParaGlider in a SPIRAL ?
* ParaGlider in a SPIN ?
* Full Frontal Collapse, Symmetrical ?
* A Blow-Back ?
* Asymmetric Collapse with a Cravat ?
! ! ! If they answer Anything except “Yes”
!!! DO NOT FLY with THEM ! ! !
Period !
Flying is a Seriously Deadly Activity.
I would FAR rather be a killjoy – than your Pall-bearer.
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