Sure you’ve probably covered how to land a paraglider in your initial training, but it doesn’t hurt to rethink and critic your landing techniques in your first couple of years of paragliding. Once you start paragliding on your own, this is where some bad habits or bending the rules can occur. Self awareness is key to becoming great at paragliding (along with many other things). And let’s face it, if you don’t get good at landing a paraglider, you might not get to fly again!
There are many factors which influence your landing such as thermal activity, wind, your wing and paraglider setup, the speed and angle you’re approaching at, and the surface you wish to land on, just to name a few. No two landings are the same, but obeying the right principles will put you in a better position to successfully land.
Plan Your Landing – Avoid Spontaneous Landings Where Possible
Mistakes are often made when pilots want to land suddenly. This usually results in overuse of braking, losing too much speed and stalling, or not properly scoping out the landing zone for hazards. The best landings are well thought out and factor in the possibility of sudden wind change, as well as hazards such as trees, powerlines or jagged rocks which could damage your wing.
The first step is to determine if there’s any wind drift, and if so, what direction it’s going in. This can be checked by visual markers at ground level such as tree blowing, wave ripples etc. Your GPS (all pilots should carry one of these) can also be used.
A common mistake is to focus mostly on the launch area and not plan the suitability and weather conditions of your landing zone. In many cases it’s safer to land on green fields, rather than near the water as the thermal conditions here may make landing a less stable experience. The weather conditions should also be considered for the time you wish to land. You may find that some areas have higher thermal activities in the afternoon and that it’s best to get your flight in earlier in the day so you can enjoy a smoother paragliding landing.
It’s important to consider the slope of the landing zone in your landing strategy. If there is a slope, combined with a tailwind or some thermal lift, you’ll need a longer final glide. If you’re planning your landing from a high altitude, you may want to do two-stages of planning, firstly by performing some figure of eights to work off the altitude and then lining yourself up and planning the second stage of landing from a lower altitude.
Keep Your Eye on the Landing Zone
Keep your eyes on the spot you wish to land on and use your knees as a sight. This helps you to concentrate and focus. If the landing zone rises up, this means you’ll land short of your target. If the landing zone drops below, you’re going to fly over and past it. Line up the landing zone early so you can avoid turning later in the landing.
Legs Down!
Getting your legs into position can seem like a pretty small and insignificant part of landing a paraglider. But it’s one of the most common landing injuries, so it’s worth getting into the habit of always getting your legs down early.
If you stay in a reclined position until you’re ready to land, your feet will be in front of you and won’t be ready to take the full weight plus inertia. This can cause considerable force on your ankle which can easily be injured from this pressure.
Make this something you tick off your mental checklist early. Get your legs down when your about 50 feet in the air. By getting your legs underneath you, your entire feet and legs can absorb the force instead of just dumping it on your ankle.
Slow Down, But Not Too Much
We’re always told when driving cars, motorbikes and most over vehicles that speed is dangerous and to brake early. In paragliding you don’t want to come in with too much speed, but braking too early or too hard can actually result in a rougher landing.
In paragliding, it’s actually important to glide and to land with a certain level of speed. Speed helps you to retain control over your steering. Slowing down too much can cause you to stall and braking too hard can also cause you to stall or results in less steering control. Braking too early can also make the harder breaking required later in your landing less effective.
To slow down and prepare for landing, the pilot should apply gentle brake pressure – about 25% pressure. This allows you to speed up or slow down when needed and to maintain control. It’s important to know your stall point and not get too close to this.
When you’re a beginner or when you purchase a new paraglider, it’s a good idea to conduct tests and find where your stall point is. Do this safely, when about two to three metres above the ground.
Flare It Up Buddy!
At the end of your paragliding landing, while you’re almost grazing the ground, it’s a good idea to flare. Flaring allows you to carry speed late into your landing but quickly drop speed and get your body into an upright position and ready to touch the ground.
In beginner to intermediate level wings, this can often be performed at about 6-8 feet above the ground. Flaring needs to be a bit stronger with these paragliders and you might need to apply more braking later in your flaring to get in an optimal upright position. However if your flare is too deep you may have a rocky landing where you bounce back off the ground.
Those with advanced wings can do this from a lower height.
We hope these tips help you or at least remind you about some of the key steps which can help you to reach the ground smoothly and not bounce up or down or crash in a heap. Enjoy and safe paragliding!
