This document provides guidance for new paraglider pilots on various aspects of pilot decision making and safety. It discusses factors to consider for site selection and weather assessment before flying, including wind conditions, turbulence, and rotor. It outlines pre-flight equipment checks and importance of logging flights. Tips are provided on wing control techniques like using brakes, risers, and speed bar. The document stresses progression through ratings, importance of experience and currency, knowing personal limitations, and making conservative decisions to fly safely.

1. CLUB PILOT THEORY

2. CLUB PILOT - AIRMANSHIP

3. DAILY INSPECTION: CHECKING EQUIPMENT FOR DAMAGE
IS THE GLIDER THE RIGHT SIZE FOR ME?
IS IT THE RIGHT EN RATING FOR ME?
SITE ASSESSMENT: IS THIS THE RIGHT FOR ME?
IS THIS A SAFE PLACE TO LAUNCH FROM?
IS THERE A SAFE BOTTOM LANDING?
WEATHER ASSESSMENT: WIND DIRECTION AND IF CHANGING
HOW STRONG AND GUSTY IS THE WIND?
HOW STABLE OR UNSTABLE IS THE DAY?
IS ANYONE ELSE FLYING AND WHO ARE THEY?
SHOULD I FLY NOW OR WAIT?
PRE FLIGHT CHECKS: WILL GEORDIE HAVE HIS CAT ABOARD
TODAY?
DO THEM BEFORE EVERY FLIGHT
THEY SAVE LIVES SO DON’T GET DISTRACTED!
LOG ALL YOUR FLIGHTS: IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOUR HOURS
KNOW WHAT CONDITIONS YOU HAVE FLOWN IN
HOW USED YOUR GLIDER IS
MAINTAIN YOUR EQUIPMENT AND GET ANY DAMAGE REPAIRED
WINGS SHOULD BE SERVICED EVERY YEAR OR 100 FLYING HOURS
GET YOUR RESERVE INSPECTED AND RE-PACKED EVERY YEAR

4. RED RIBBON: WEAR A RED RIBBON FOR YOUR FIRST 10 HOURS
LONGER IF YOU WANT
TELLS PEOPLE YOU ARE NEW – EXTRA SPACE
JOIN THE RED RIBBON CLUB
BHPA STRUCTURE: ELEMENTARY PILOT
CLUB PILOT
PILOT RATING
ADVANCE PILOT RATING
IPPI CARD: INTERNATIONAL CARD IF YOU TRAVEL ABROAD
JOINING A CLUB: YOU MUST JOIN THE CLUB
DO NOT FLY ALONE
BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU GROUND HANDLE
GET A SITE INDUCTION TO ALL NEW SITES
BHPA COACHES: MOST CLUBS HAVE COACHING SCHEMES
THEY AID DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PILOTS
SOME COACHES GOOD SOME NOT SO GOOD
BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU FLY
DESPERATION CAUSES ACCIDENTS
OFTEN EXPECT TO WAIT OR NOT FLY
PROGRESSION: WORK TOWARDS YOUR PILOT RATING
CP+ DAYS TO BOOST CONFIDENCE

5. BIG EARS
BY PULLING THE BIG EAR LINE WE DEFLATE THE TIPS
THIS REDUCES OUR SURFACE AREA, INCREASING OUR SINK RATE
IT RAISES OUR ANGLE OF ATTACK & INCREASES WING LOADING
USE WEIGHT SHIFT TO CHANGE DIRECTION
DO NOT PULL MAIN ‘A’ RISER – BIG DEFLATION
SPEEDBAR
APPLYING SPEED BAR REDUCES OUR ANGLE OF ATTACK
MAKES OUR GLIDER MORE PRONE TO FRONTAL DEFLATIONS
INCREASES OUR AIRSPEED (AND GROUND SPEED)
REDUCES INDUCED DRAG BUT INCREASES PARASITIC DRAG
AVOID BRAKE INPUTS WHILST ON BAR / USE REAR RISERS
COME OFF SPEED BAR IF IT GETS BUMPY OR A DEFLATION

6. PARAGLIDER CERTIFICATION
TO GAIN A CERTIFICATE OR RATING A PARAGLIDER IS TESTED TO SEE HOW IT RESPONDS TO A
SERIES OF DEFLATIONS AND IN FLIGHT SCENARIOS
HOW THE GLIDER RESPONDS TO THESE TESTS GIVES IT A RATING A-B-C-D
EN-A SCHOOL GLIDER
VERY SAFE AND FORGIVING
LONG BREAK TRAVEL
EXCELLENT RECOVERY CHARACTERISTICS
EN-B PROGRESSION GLIDER
SAFE AND NORMALLY FORGIVING
LESS BREAK TRAVEL
GOOD RECOVERY CHARACTERISTICS
EN-C CROSS COUNTRY GLIDER
CAN GO WRONG QUITE QUICKLY
SHORT BREAK TRAVEL
MORE DYNAMIC AND TAKES LONGER TO RECOVER
EN-D ADVANCED XC AND COMP WING
NOT ALL THAT SAFE
VERY SHORT BREAK TRAVEL
NEEDS PILOT INPUT FOR A SAFE OUTCOME

7. WIND GRADIENT WITH HEIGHT
A RAPID DECREASE IN WIND SPEED
CAN MAKE OUR GLIDERS PITCH
FORWARD
WIND GUSTS MAKES IT PITCH
BACKWARDS
WE EXPECT THE WIND SPEED TO INCREASE WITH HEIGHT – GROUND FRICTION
THE HIGHER WE GET THE STRONGER THE WIND MAY BE SO BE CAREFUL
AS WE DESCEND WE SHOULD PREPARE FOR THE WIND TO DECREASE – BUT THINK VALLEYS!
OUR GLIDER MAY PITCH FORWARD TO GAIN LOST AIRSPEED
IF WE LAND IN A FIELD SURROUNDED BY TALL TREES EXPECT A STEEPER WIND GRADIENT

8. WIND GRADIENT CAN GET US BLOWN BACK OVER THE
TOP OF A RIDGE
IF WE CAN’T MOVE FORWARD WE MAY END UP IN THE
LEE OF THE HILL AND IN THE ROTOR
IF IT IS TOO STRONG AT THE TOP DO NOT FLY
DO NOT WALK LOWER AND TAKE OFF!
WIND GRADIENT ON LANDING CAN MAKE US
OVERSHOOT OUR LANDING FIELD BY FOOLING US INTO
THINKING WE WILL LAND FURTHER BACK
AS THE WIND DECREASES OUR GROUND SPEED
INCREASES SO WE MAY OVER SHOOT
ALLOW YOURSELF LARGE MARGINS OF ERROR WHEN
LANDING
WITH A VALLEY WIND IT MAY BE OPPOSITE SO
APPROACH UPWIND OF THE LANDING

9. ROTOR & TURBULENCE
AS AIR MOVES PAST, OVER AND AROUND AN OBJECT IT
CAN CREATE ROTOR
THIS ROTOR CAN BE VERY MILD AND IT CAN BE VERY
STRONG
OUR INFLATABLE FABRIC FLYING MACHINES DO NOT LIKE
TO FLY IN SUCH ROTOR
NEVER FLY IN THE LEE OF ANY HILLS OR OBJECTS
THE STRONGER THE WIND GETS THE WORSE THE ROTOR
WILL BE AND THE FURTHER BACK IT TRAVELS
THINK OF A STREAM AND WHERE YOU FIND EDDIES OR
WHIRL POOLS THIS IS WHERE THE ROTOR WILL BE

10. DIFFERENT SHAPED RIDGES OR HILLS CAUSE DIFFERENT AMOUNTS AND SHAPES
OF ROTOR
SMOOTH TOPPED RIDGES WITH GENTLE DECLINES BEHIND THEM SELDOM
CREATE ROTOR
SHAPER EDGES CREATE MORE ROTOR SO BE CAREFUL WHEN FLYING CLIFFS OR
SPINE BACK RIDGES
THE LEESIDE OF THESE CAN BE DEADLY SO AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE HOW FAR BACK THE ROTOR WILL TRAVEL.
THE STRONGER THE WIND THE MORE ROTOR AND THE MORE LIKELY YOU MAY
END UP THERE
IF YOU CAN’T PENETRATE FORWARDS USE YOUR SPEED BAR AND LAND DOWN
DO NOT TRY TO TOP LAND IN STRONG WINDS TO AVOID A WALK BACK UP FROM
THE BOTTOM

11. ROTOR ON SPINBACK RIDGES
SEVERE ROTOR CAN BE FOUND IN THE LEE OF SPINE BACK RIDGES. BE VERY
CAREFUL WHEN FLYING IN THE MOUNTAINS OR IN STRONG WINDS
THE ROTOR CAN STRETCH FAR BEHIND THEM SO DO NOT FLY CLOSE TO
THEM IF YOU ARE IN THE LEE
ROTOR BEHIND OBJECTS
EXPECT TO FIND ROTOR BEHIND ALL OBJECTS IF THERE IS WIND
IF THE WIND INCREASES THE ROTOR INCREASES QUICKLY
AVOID LANDING DOWNWIND OF AN OBJECT
VENTURI
ANY CONSTRICTION OF AN AIR MASS RESULTS IN AN INCREASE IN SPEED
THE SAME VOLUME OF AIR HAS TO PASS THROUGH A SMALLER SPACE SO
SPEEDS UP TO DO SO
TOPS OF HILLS VALLEYS AND ROUND CONICAL HILLS

12. QUESTIONS
CAN YOU LOCATE A HAZARD?
WILL THERE BE ROTOR?
TAKE OFF FROM A OR B?
WOULD THERE BE VENTURI?
IF SO WHERE WOULD IT BE?
MORE OR LESS WIND LANDING DOWN?

13. LIMITING FACTORS
FEAR OF FLYING IS VERY REAL
PHYSICAL & MENTAL LIMITATIONS
MEDICATION, TIREDNESS & INJURY
UNDER & OVER CONFIDENCE
EXPERIENCE & CURRENCY IS KEY
MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS
BEING THE PILOT IN CONTROL
DECIDING NOT TO FLY & WHY
IT IS A DECISION BASED SPORT
BEING LUCKY ISN’T BEING GOOD
KNOW YOUR LIMITS & DON’T IGNORE
THEORY AND ITS IMPORTANCE
BE HUNGRY FOR KNOWLEDGE
USE THE PILOT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
PROGRESS TO THE PILOT RATING
SET TASKS & GOALS DURING FLIGHTS
NEXT STEPS
PRACTISE THE SKILLS & BUILD HOURS
NETWORK & MAKE NEW PILOT FRIENDS
SIV & HOLIDAYS ABROARD
JOIN THE LOCAL CLUB AND FLY!
LIMITING FACTORS, DECISIONS AND NEXT STEPS