FAR PART 103

Reserve parachute

Reserve parachutes

While flying a paraglider or a paramotor, we usually carry a reserve parachute, for emergency situations.

While flying a paraglider or a paramotor, we usually carry a reserve parachute for 
Paraglider reserve parachutes are very different from ones intended for skydiving. A paraglider one is designed to open as fast as possible to stop the pilot's fall, whereas a skydiving one is designed to open gradually to slow down the skydiver from a high-speed fall.

Its use, packing, and maintenance are different but it's your responsibility to make sure you are doing it (or are having it done by a professional) every six months.

A regular maintenance will affect the opening time and the performance of the parachute in the long run (according to manufacturers, a reserve parachute should serve its purpose for about ten years if the maintenance was done on a regular basis, i.e., at least, every six months to every year). It’s a good idea to practice a reserve extraction by hooking yourself up to a simulator before your season starts.

(You don't need to have the parachute fully extracted which would require a repack. What you can do is extract the reserve still in its bag and throw it in somebody's hands close to you while hooked to the simulator.)

The benefits of simulating an extraction are:

- Making sure you can move fluidly.

- Finding the reserve handle easily without looking.

- Confirming that the extraction requires little effort and is working properly.

- Having the opportunity to practice re-installing the reserve in the harness container.

-Closing the container pins correctly (it’s possible that when you arrive on launch, you find that one of your pins is out of its loop, so it's always good to know how to put it back properly).

- Installing the handle properly followed by a quick review of your pref-light check.

There are three main different styles at the moment

1) The round ones are more basic and simpler to use and repack. They come in "regular" or "light" versions. The lighter version is about half the size when packed (so it’s easier to put in the harness but most importantly to extract. They also weigh half as much as other ones so they’re more popular, especially with those who like to hike and fly.

The reserve parachute Swing Escape is light and offer a fast opening with an amazing sink rate.

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2) The square ones are pretty much a recent evolution of the round ones which mean newer technology. The square shape results in a more stable reserve, faster opening, and better/slower sink rate.

The SWING Orange Cross offer a fster opening, more stability and a better sink rate .

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3) Finally, the Rogallo style like the Beamer can be directional after opening. The main advantage is its ability to fly away from a dangerous obstacle like power lines while descending. While being directional is a great advantage, it also means there are more tasks to perform after opening it. It’s recommended to practice the reserve extraction during maneuver training over water to master its use.

The Beamer 3’s special shape and particular folding technique help it open up to 50% faster than normal round canopies; the Beamer 3 is setting EN Test records.

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Overall, you need to evaluate all aspects properly when you are ready to purchase your reserve. But it’s also imperative to understand that your reserve parachute requires a repack every six months to properly function when needed.

As a novice pilot when should I start using variometer?

What we try to explain to our students is based on what we have seen at Let’s Go Paragliding over the last 15 years of teaching on a daily basis. We see a lot more students, before P2 completion or just after, fully geared up with high-end electronics. Sometimes with cockpits that would impress a competition pilot :-).

We just believe that it’s too much, unnecessary, and at the beginning simpler is better.

As an example, we’ve had students that cannot afford a full set of new gear and then pass on the variometer, flying sometimes one or two seasons without. We have observed that often, those students outperform, by their skills and senses, those that fly right away with a variometer. They are not as dependent on the variometer to give them information/feedback about what’s happening as a pilot who uses a variometer right out of the gate. So we often recommend that our students stage their use of a variometer.

All that said, each pilot has his/her own philosophy, and should use the tools available in the way that is most effective for them.

Happy flying to All!

Let’s Get You Flying at the Paragliding Introduction Day

Let’s Get You Flying at the Paragliding Introduction Day

You finally decided to take that leap of adrenaline and fly across the skies into a new hobby that will provide you with a lifetime of memories. Congratulations! We are just as excited to have you choose our Paragliding School as your ultimate guide to teaching you how to conquer the mind-blowing activity of paragliding. We know that your heart is sailing with adventure and ready to take flight, so let’s quit the chit chat and get to the good stuff of paragliding!

What is Paragliding?

You’ve likely seen it before in the sky – it’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s a paraglider! You may even know the basics of paragliding, but it is important to know exactly what this astonishing activity is all about before heading off to your Introduction Day. This is an outdoor sport that allows you to explore the world in a way that only birds get to. It’s a pure rush and extremely safe, with the proper training which of course, you will be receiving on Introduction Day and throughout all the other classes of your choice. Paragliding is similar to flying a kite, only you’re sitting below the kite instead of steering it from the ground. The wind currents act somewhat like the ‘engine’ of the glider and you basically soar through the sky, enjoying the sights.

Your First Paragliding Class

We offer a huge range of different training programs to ensure that your desires are met fully – and even more importantly, to keep your paragliding experience furthering. However, before you advance on to flying on your own or becoming an expert under the sail, you certainly need a bit of an introduction to this adrenaline-pumping action. This is where you will get all the basics that you need, including equipment. The slow and steady approach within the training will provide you with a thorough look into what paragliding is all about, and if you decide that it just isn’t for you, this is the perfect time and place to discover that. However, we are absolutely convinced that you will be ecstatic with the full day of outdoor fun, and can’t wait to provide you with the thrill of flying. During the Introduction Day training class, you will also learn the basic skills to kitting your glider, how the air currents is the secret to flying, and you will even make your very first flight… from the training hill, of course.

Prepare For Your First Paragliding Class

The first thing you need to do to prepare for your first paragraph class is to get exciting! This is an experience of a lifetime, and you certainly want to enjoy it to the fullest. So, get a well night’s rest and a delicious and nutritious breakfast in before packing up your bag. Some things you definitely don’t want to forget at home include your; hiking boots, light gloves, water and snacks. Depending on the weather, you may also want to add in your sunglasses, a long sleeve shirt and some long pants just to ensure your comfort. Other than that, you’re ready to go. Let’s Go Paragliding will provide you with all necessary equipment such as the glider itself, harness, helmet and radios. You just have to bring yourself and your excitement – and a couple of other things, as mentioned.

What are the different levels of Wings or Gliders?

What are the different levels of Wings or Gliders?

Safety of pilots is of highest priority in the sport of Paragliding and reputed organizations and the ambassadors of the sport take every necessary step to ensure the same.

In this scheme of things, the performance and the quality of the wing/canopy/ glider is of high importance.

No glider ever makes it to the large scale production site without getting rated and certified by standard organizations. This happens only after the glider clears some prerequisite tests conducted on it. The rating of the glider is a way to measure its performance and stability.

The rating system

The most trusted and accepted glider ratings are given by the ‘European Committee for Standardization’- CEN or in short EN and the ‘Deutscher Hangegleiter Verband’- DHV, the German Handgliding and Paragliding Organizations which has changed its name to LTF from DHV.

The EN rates the gliders in the decreasing order of stability as A, B, C and D and the LTF rates the gliders in the same way as 1,1-2, 2 ,2-3 and competition glider or 3.

The A or 1 rating is meant for a Beginner pilot, B or 1-2 for Intermediate, C or 2 for Advanced and D or 2-3 for Master pilots. The glider of rating 3 is generally meant for the extremely skillful gliders with years of experience behind their back and it isn’t something that the EN or LTF certifies.

These ratings are conducted by licensed agencies and are mainly meant to ensure two main aspects for the pilots-

1. That the performance and stability of the glider match with the level and skill sets of the pilots that it is intended for.

2. That the glider has undergone proper testing before it’s used for flying.

The testing of the Paragliders.

The ratings are the results of tests which are conducted under run time conditions. Sophisticated and highly precise measuring instruments are used to record accurate measurements during the tests which are only conducted by experienced pilots.

Among other things, these tests measure the time it takes for the glider to re-inflate itself and get back to stable condition without any input from the pilot after it has collapsed during the flight.

The faster the glider responds to such scenarios the lower it’s rating will be.

Generally, beginner level gliders are more stable and re-inflate themselves within 3-5 seconds, whereas gliders with higher rating can take an added 3 or 5 seconds to get back to stability. Precision cameras provide run time information about the inflationary times and also the angle the wing turned during the inflation stage.

It is always advisable to choose such wings which are intended for your level of expertise in flying.

Respect the sport and follow the standards, you will sure fly safe!

How can I make a safe choice for my first paraglider ?

How do I choose my first wing?

One of the biggest mistakes that new pilots make occurs in purchasing their first wing.

Award Winning Instruction

Benoit Bruneau named 2010 Paragliding Instructor of the year.

Instructor of the year.

Every year, the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association elects a US instructor to receive this award. In 2010, Benoit Bruneau, owner and head instructor of Let’s Go Paragliding, LLC, received this honor:

Benoit Bruneau is the founder of and head instructor at Let’s Go Paragliding; he has been teaching the sport since 1999 and is certified by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (as well as the Canadian and French equivalents). An experienced paragliding instructor and highly qualified outdoors-man, Benoit is just the person to help you experience the joys of paragliding.

• Certified advanced paragliding instructor (in the U.S.A., France and Canada).

• Certified paragliding tow technician.

• Certified white water kayaking instructor and rafting instructor.

• Certified caving instructor.

• Certified canyonning instructor.

“I have always found it exhilarating to help people discover new ways to enjoy life and forget the stresses of daily living through outdoor activity. In particular, paragliding allows us to not only achieve an understanding and respect for our environment, but also to achieve the ultimate dream: the ability to fly!”

How to become a paraglider pilot.

Paragliding is a well regulated sport; it functions under the USHPA- United States Hand Gliding and Paragliding Association. USHPA certifies pilots by rating them according to their skill and expertise in the sport of Paragliding. It rates pilots from P0 to P5 in the order of student, beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced and Master Pilots.

Pilots generally start their journey as a beginner with a P0 certificate and make their way through the different levels and reach the P5 level by mastering the art of Paragliding.

The ratings are issued to reflect the completion of certain tasks by the students which are witnessed and observed by officials and licensed instructors. The ratings are also meant to regulate the pilot to fly in only such sites which are meant for his level of expertise as flying sites are labeled according to the approximate skill level required to fly there safely.

The tasks that the pilot has to go do may require keen attention to detail and very high precision. A good amount of training in these has been always beneficial. That is why it is advisable for wannabe pilots to enroll in a Paragliding school.

The Process of becoming a Pilot:

Student and Beginner certificate P0-P1:

Student P0 Pilot: This pilot has the basic knowledge required to understand and accept the risks of flying as a tandem passenger on a Paraglider.

Beginner P1 pilot:

A Beginner pilot has the knowledge and basic skills necessary to fly and practice under direct instructor supervision and within significant operating limitations.

The pilot understands the USHPA Paragliding rating systems and recommended operating limitations.

Students enrolled with us generally start off their training with the Introduction Day. This program is designed for those students who wish to get a feel for the sport and in the process learn the basic skills and kiting by making their first flight on the training hill.

This program also serves as a way to remove any doubt and hesitation in the mind of the students about Paragliding and in a way persuades them to take up training for acquiring the P2 pilot certificate. Once the students are convinced to take up the training program and enrolls for the P2 program, he is giving the P0 and P1 certificates together by the instructor.

Novice P2 certificate:

The P2 pilot is all that a P1 pilot is with a good judgment and has a level of maturity commensurate with the rating. Pilots must demonstrate Beginner level skills and knowledge before obtaining the Novice rating.

To acquire the P2 certificate the pilot has to complete few witnessed tasks with a minimum of 8 hours of ground school theory. The pilot should have learnt basics about the forecasting the weather, basics in launching, Understanding danger signs, landing and site orientation etc.

Once the pilot finishes the P2 program he will have the necessary skills to inflate, ground handle and control the glider. P2 certificate also lets the pilot to fly solo with glider under certain restrictions.

Intermediate P3 pilot:

The pilot has the knowledge and skills to fly most sites in mild to moderate soaring conditions, and to judge when the site and conditions are within the pilot’s skill, knowledge, and experience level.

To receive the P3 certificate the pilot should have logged in a minimum of 30 flying days, at least 90 flights and also a minimum of 20 hours of solo airtime. The P3 pilot shows exceptional abilities of flying with sound knowledge in Airspeed control, turbulence, collapse and recoveries.

The detailed report for the requirements to become an Intermediate pilot is given in the USHPA website.

Advanced Pilot P4:

The pilot has the knowledge and skills to fly technically demanding sites in strong soaring conditions, and to judge when the site and conditions are within the pilot’s skill, knowledge, and experience level.

The pilot understands the USHPA Paragliding rating system and recommended operating limitations, and the FARs and other flying rules applicable to his/her flying. To get the Advanced pilot certificate the pilot should have had a minimum of 250 flights, with a minimum of 80 flights, days, must have flown in all the 5 P3 flying sites 5 times each.

The P4 pilot will display elite skills and expertise in the art of flying as given in the report by USHPA.

Master pilot P5:

For pilots who wish to further diversify their skills in the sport of Paragliding, and to recognize the achievement of the expert skilled pilot who has experience beyond the Advanced level, there is a designation of Master Pilot.

No site will be designated as requiring Master skills. The pilot will fly using good judgment and have a level of maturity commensurate with the rating. The P5 pilot will display exceptional skills and expertise in the art of flying as given in the report by USHPA.

For most recreational and occasional flyers, being an Intermediate Pilot or even a Novice pilot will be sufficient to fly at most flight parks. As mentioned above, it is always advisable to enroll for Paragliding training to hone your skills.

At Letsgoparagliding, we nurture the hidden talents in all of our students. Come fly with us!

A Great Paragliding School Can Make A Big Difference – We Can Help

Now that you’ve read more about paragliding, paragliding lessons and the introduction day that we at Let’sGoParagliding offer, you might be thinking of shopping around for schools and programs to help you get started on your paragliding adventure. This is great. One of the most important things when you’re learning any kind of extreme sport is to have a good repoire with those that will be teaching you to paraglide. You want to feel comfortable with what you’re learning as well as trust that your teachers are as good as they say they are.

However, you can’t just go with a “good feeling” that you have about your school of choice. So, we’ve put together a list of what you should be looking at when you’re choosing a paragliding school that will be the best for you:

• Don’t just price shop or you might get second rate paragliding instructions. You should know that most paragliding courses run about the same in an area. Some will be slightly higher or lower, depending on what the course offers. If you meet someone that offers to teach you to paraglide for a very low price you should consider finding another paragliding school.

• While the feeling you get from a paragliding school is important, you should take the time to check on credentials of the school and/or instructors you’re thinking about taking classes from. Since paragliding can be dangerous, you want to make sure that you’re going to learn the ins and outs of safety, equipment and how to use it all properly. You also want to make sure that your instructors are certified so that you’ll have the best experience possible.

• Since you don’t want to have to buy all your equipment before you even know that you want to pursue paragliding, it’s a good idea to go with a paragliding school that includes the cost of using their equipment into the price of the instruction package you’re thinking about taking. At Let’sGoParagliding, all of your instruction packages, from the introduction day to becoming certified to fly on your own, include the cost of equipment usage.

• You also want to ensure that the instruction package you’re paying for will work with your schedule. Nothing is fun if you can’t make it work with your family and work life. That’s why we offer flexible scheduling and packages that work with your time so you can get the most of your paragliding experience.

Paragliding should be fun. You should be able to learn how to fly, but you also want to get in the air as soon as possible. We understand that you’re willing to learn, but you want to know what it’s like. That’s why we’ve worked to offer you a hands-on flying experience right from day one of your instruction.

If you’re still not certain that you want to paraglide, why not consider an introduction day to get you started? We want you to love paragliding as much as we do, and when you choose Let’sGoParagliding, you’re going to get to see how it feels to fly.

What we offer

Before you decide that you want any kind of paragliding lessons, you want to know who your instructors are. You want to know that they are good at what they do and that you’re going to be safe and learn as much as possible.

We get this and that’s why at LetsGoParagliding, we provide many different training programs to meet your needs. You can enjoy an introduction day that will give you the basics of your equipment and let you get started on your first little flight. This is where you’ll decide if you want to pursue paragliding or not. It’s a full day of fun, excitement and outdoor activity. When you get in the air though, don’t be surprised at the thrill you feel.

If you’ve decided that you want to learn to fly on your own, we offer programs for this too. We offer packages that work with your schedule and time so you don’t have to feel pressured. At the end of our P2 program, you’re going to be able to fly without direct supervision from your instructor. Of course, you’ll have some limitations – you won’t be an expert yet, but this is a great way to get out and start enjoying nature the way the birds do.

We also offer programs that can help you to get to where you want to be when it comes to your experience level. So, whether you’re happy being a novice or you want to fly all on your own, we’ll be with you every step of the way.

We believe in the sport of paragliding. We know it’s exciting and thrilling, but we also know how things can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Since we feel passionate about paragliding, we want you to feel the same way, which is why we walk with you every step of the way.

What you’ll experience:

• When you choose to enjoy any kind of lessons with LetsGoParagliding, including the introduction day, you’re going to experience flying. From little starts to getting up on your own, you will see what it’s like to fly the way birds do.

• You’ll gain more knowledge than you thought possible. This will help you to become knowledgeable enough to fly on your own should you choose to once you’ve completed your lessons.

• Paragliding is fun and that’s why we love to focus on the fun part of it. You can have fun and be safe and we will show you how every step of the way.

What you won’t find:

• When you choose to take paragliding lessons with us, you’re not going to be free to fly on your own with no training. We believe in safety first, so you’ll never be left alone to your own devices if you aren’t ready.

• You won’t find cut rate equipment, or large rental fees for it. We offer great equipment for you to use while you’re taking lessons with us. It’s all in excellent shape and the use is included in the cost of lessons.

If you know that you want to try paragliding, consider LetsGoParagliding for your paragliding experience. You’ll get excellent training and have the experience of a lifetime.