Launch and landing · Canadian Paragliding Exam Study Guide

Before launch

Why a slow, careful pre-flight? Three reasons, and the exam wants all three: (1) to find damage, wear and check the glider is airworthy; (2) to check you have completed every step of setting up the glider and yourself; (3) because finding a problem on the ground is much easier than finding it in the air. If the options list all three and then "all of the above", the answer is all of the above.

Helmet on before you connect to the glider. Not after unpacking (too early to matter), not before inflating (already connected), not before launching (far too late: you can be dragged while connected). The exam answer: before connecting yourself to the glider.

Lay the glider out in a horseshoe (wall / arc) shape. Why? So the centre lines load first and the centre of the wing comes up first. This gives a straight, even inflation. It is not for more lift and it does not help you check the lines.

Must-pass idea: who decides that you fly?

As a beginner or novice, you make the decision together with your instructor, and both of you must say yes. The instructor can stop you; you can also stop yourself. Neither of you decides alone. Later, as an intermediate pilot, the decision is yours, and the exam says an intermediate pilot should be able to judge when a site and conditions are within his or her skills.

Must-pass idea: the most important factor in pilot safety

Not skill. Not knowledge. Not equipment. The pilot's judgment. Skill and knowledge are tools; judgment decides when and whether to use them. When you see this question, the answer is judgment.

Forward and reverse inflation

	Forward (alpine) inflation	Reverse inflation
Use it when	Light or no wind; shallow slope; high altitude (you need a long run); small, tight launch area	Moderate to strong wind
Advantage	You can run and build airspeed	You see the wing, so you have more control and can check for line tangles, and it is easier to control in stronger winds
Danger	Wing behind you, you cannot see a tangle	Being lifted while still facing the wing

All of these are correct reasons for a forward inflation: light or no wind, shallow slope, high altitude, small constrained area. Exam answer: all of the above.

Reverse inflation advantages: seeing the wing gives control and lets you look for tangles, and it is easier in stronger wind. Exam answer: both.

Must-pass idea: why you lean forward when launching

Not to be aerodynamic. Not to see where you are going. Not to increase the angle of attack. You lean forward to load your weight evenly into the harness and avoid being flipped back into your seat too early. If you sit back early, the wing moves ahead of you, you lose your run, and the wing can surge or drop you. This exact idea is a † question on the P2.

Feet lifted off the ground too early (a gust or thermal lifts you before you have flying speed): run with knees flexed, leaning forward, so you keep contact with the ground. Do not run tall on your toes, do not pull brakes to "pop up", do not lean back.

Lifted while still in the reverse position with your feet on the ground: the first thing is to turn around to face forward and keep directional control. Getting into the harness, leaning back, or pulling full brake are all wrong first actions.

The two most common and dangerous launch errors: no visual check of the canopy (launching with a tangle or a partial inflation) and not running hard enough / sitting down too early. Other accepted errors: not launching directly into the wind, canopy not fully inflated.

Why launch and land into the wind? The glider inflates more easily and your groundspeed is lower, so you run less and touch down slower. Exam answer: both.

Danger of launching in strong wind: being dragged uphill and over the back into the lee side (rotor). Not "failure to inflate", not "stalling".

Launching at high altitude: you need a faster run because the air is less dense, so less lift at a given speed. (Also true in hot weather.)

Cross-wind launch. A south-facing slope, wind from 120° at 15: inflate straight into the wind, then direct the canopy toward the fall line (straight down the slope) and accelerate. Do not run diagonally across a slope at speed; do not inflate facing the slope direction if the wind is off to one side.

Nepal bridge: reverse launches in wind

Sarangkot most days is a gentle forward or reverse launch in a smooth valley breeze. Canadian coastal and prairie sites often have 20–30 km/h laminar wind, and HPAC's Coastal/Ridge endorsement expects two launches in 20–25 km/h wind. In those winds the reverse launch, brake and riser control on the ground (kiting), and knowing when not to launch are tested skills. The exam words for a wind that is too strong: "you may still be blown back once airborne" even if the wind is below your top speed, because the wind is stronger a little higher and gusts add to it.

Cliff launches (P3)

Moderate to strong wind on a cliff: launch and top-land downwind of the cliff edge, in clean air, with enough running room to reach flying speed. The edge itself has strong lift and turbulence, and you can be plucked off before you are ready.
Light wind on a cliff: launch in clean air as close as possible to the edge, because you need the lift at the edge and you must not run out of room.
Thermic conditions at a cliff make the rotor zones and wind cycles unpredictable. Wait, watch, and be ready for the cycle to change.

Turns after launch

You launch in calm air and find yourself turning left. Likely reasons: the left side was not fully inflated, a thermal lifted one side, or a line tangle on the left. Recovery: weight shift right, apply right brake to hold course, look up and clear the lines.

You are flying slowly along the slope and the glider feels sluggish and will not turn away from the hill. You are close to stall (wind gradient, gust, or simply too slow). Speed up first for control, then weight-shift toward the turn with brake.

Landing approaches

Two standard patterns (learn to draw both, see Module 00):

Figure-8 (S-turn) approach: S-turns on the downwind side of the landing spot, losing height, then a final turn into wind. Good for small fields and strong wind because you never turn your back on the field.
Aircraft approach: a downwind leg, a base leg across the wind, and a final leg into wind. Good for bigger fields and lighter winds.

Both patterns end into the wind. Lengthen or shorten each leg to adjust height.

Must-pass idea: lose your height on the UPWIND side of the field

In strong wind, set up your approach and burn your height on the upwind side of the landing field. Why? If you lose height on the downwind side and the wind is strong, you may not be able to penetrate the headwind to reach the field. From the upwind side, the wind carries you back into the field. On the P2 this is a † question and you must explain the reason in writing: "so that I can always reach the field even if I cannot penetrate the wind."

The wind gradient on landing. Near the ground the wind is slower (friction with the ground). As you descend through this gradient into a headwind, your airspeed drops. If you are already slow, you can stall or drop hard. Rule: speed up (hands up, or a little speed bar) when approaching the ground in wind. Never slow down early. The gradient is stronger in higher winds and over rough ground (trees, buildings) than over smooth ground.

Why does the marked drift on a cross-country flight matter at landing?

You flew cross-country and noticed a strong drift (strong wind up high). Coming in to land, the wind at ground level seems almost calm. Expect a big wind gradient on final: your airspeed will decrease as you come down through it. Keep speed. The exam answer is "a diminishing airspeed".

Drifting sideways on final. At 10 ft you notice you drift to your right over the ground. The wind is from your left. Steer left to bring your heading into wind. Do not twist your body, do not wait for the flare.

Sudden light downwind on final. Do not try a 180° turn near the ground (you will hit the ground in a steep turn). Continue the final and flare as fully as possible, ready to run or PLF.

Slope landing with a light upslope wind: land across the slope (crosswind), not straight uphill or downhill, so the ground does not rise into you too fast or fall away. In strong upslope wind you can land facing uphill into wind because your groundspeed is low.

Landing at the mouth of a valley at day's end. In the evening the valley breeze reverses and cool air flows down the valley. Plan to land facing up-valley, into that down-valley wind.

Power lines on your glide path. Watch the lines against the background as you fly toward them: if they appear to sink in your field of view, you will clear them; if they appear to rise, you will not. If in doubt, land before them.

The flare and after

Flare too early? Stop the flare, hold the brake position you have, and flare again at the correct height. Do not go hands up (the wing surges and drops you); do not hold full brake (you stall high).
Flare too late? Flare hard and deep, and be ready to run or PLF. Exam answer: both.
Flared fully but groundspeed still fast (light wind, high altitude): run to match the ground while holding the flare, and be ready for a PLF. Never stick your feet out to brake, never release the flare to fly further.
Where to look on approach: ahead, along your glide path at where you are going, not down at the ground, not at obstacles, not up at the wing.
Control inputs near the ground: smooth and slow. Over-controlling causes swings.
First thing after landing: bunch up the glider and clear the landing area for the next pilot. Helmet stays on until the wing is under control.

Parachute landing fall (PLF): feet and knees together, knees bent, roll onto the side of the leg, hip and back, chin tucked. It turns a hard landing into a roll.

Nepal bridge: the big empty field

In Pokhara the main landing at Lakeside is familiar and the wind is usually a steady lake breeze. Canadian landing fields are often unfamiliar farm fields with strong, gradient-heavy wind, power lines along the roads, fences, and sometimes cattle. The exam questions on wind gradient, upwind-side approaches and power lines are written for these fields. Treat every new field as a full aircraft approach with a wind check first.

Wake turbulence from other gliders

Wait at least 30 seconds before launching behind another glider in light or no wind, so its wake turbulence clears. In stronger wind it clears faster, but give it time anyway.

Key numbers from this module

Wait 30 s after the previous glider launches in light wind.
Wind gradient: stronger in high wind, stronger over rough ground. Speed up near the ground.
Lose height on the upwind side of the field. †
Helmet on before connecting to the glider.
Two most dangerous launch errors: no visual check and not running hard enough / sitting too early.