rodbailey

Forward Launches
by Dixon White ( http://eagleparagliding.com )

Forward launches may be useful in situations where the air is very still, you are launching from difficult terrain, you have an ankle or knee problem, and if you're at a high altitude site. The advantage to the forward launch is that you eliminate the rotation to a forward position that the reverse launch requires. Using a forward inflation in even moderately gusty or windy conditions can be tough or dangerous due to a lack of glider control. It's very important to carefully preflight your glider so it's completely open with the center pulled further back than the tips, thus loading the center of the glider upon initial inflation. If your leading edge stands up ready to grab air your inflation will be even easier. Be sure and thoroughly clear all of your lines, look under the trailing edge for hidden lines that may be snagged. Place the each riser set so that they are laying over your arms, palms facing up, without any twists. Detach the brakes and place them with the "A" risers in each hand, check the routing. Be sure and look over your shoulder and confirm that you are in the middle of the glider and that you will have an equal pull on the risers. You may initiate the inflation with your arms either back behind you or with your elbows bent and hands in line with your shoulders. In either method it's important to sense the symmetrical inflation of the glider and to compensate for subtle tilt in the inflation before it becomes too difficult to recover. You can make some correction to an uneven inflation by stepping towards the side that is pulling hardest and lifting the softer side more. As you sense that the glider is arriving overhead you will let go of the "A's" and add a bit of brake, if needed, to keep the glider from over flying. You will want to scan the glider to confirm it has no tangles or line overs.

Solid ground handling skills directly correlate to competent active piloting. In addition, being able to land accurately shows a solid ability to manage the energy in your glider, thus more competent active piloting skills. Active piloting skills are a prerequisite to flying in dynamic complex conditions. If you're having launching problems and trouble landing accurately avoid anything but simple atmospherics. Try and practice your ground handling in gusty/switchy conditions so you are forced to perfect your sense of the air and reaction timing to the needs of the glider. Although the video "Fly Hard" demonstrates some very dangerous flying maneuvers that should be attempted over water and supervised by a professional, there's a great deal to gain from studying the precision ground handling techniques.