Tandem Paragliding: Information for Anyone Thinking of Flying

Note (April 2007): I am not currently flying tandems.

(For photographs and video showing what tandem paragliding is like, and what a tandem passenger should do when launching, see the other links in the tandem paragliding section of my main web page.)

Qualifications for a Passenger to Tandem Paraglide with Me
You should definitely want to do it and not be doing it to please anyone else. You should be fit enough to run when launching and landing, and I prefer that you be fit enough to jump off of a picnic table and take a roll without injury. You should have health insurance to cover you for the unlikely possibility of major injury. You must be willing to sign a standard liability waiver form that all of us sign who do paragliding, and also be willing to sign my own waiver form.* You should be an adult and not exceed about 240 pounds in weight.

What you Should Know about How We Fly Tandem
You need not have any specific knowledge, but here is a general overview. Before flying I will go over what you need to do, and you should try to follow my instructions. Most importantly, when I say "run" when launching you need to run and keep running until we are in the air. While flying we control the paraglider by pulling on brake handles and by shifting our weight. I may ask you to help me by shifting your weight to the side with me when we turn, and if conditions allow I may give you the brake handles so you can control the paraglider yourself. We will have a backup parachute that I can deploy in the unlikely event of an emergency. When we go in to land I will ask you to get your legs down and be ready to run; often we touch down very gently, landing almost stopped, but you need to run if necessary.

What you Should Know about the Safety of Flying Tandem
You should understand that it is very common for passengers to fall down or sit down, and sometimes sustain minor scrapes and bruises. I will do my best to prevent any serious threat to our safety, but I cannot prevent you from doing some things that might hurt yourself nor can I guarantee that I will perform perfectly. For example, on a landing in which I easily stood up without even taking a step, I had a passenger sit/fall down, stick out her arm, and break her wrist. Although I can tell you to keep your hands close to your body and not stick them out when we land, I cannot prevent you from doing otherwise. In almost 100 tandem flights my record is that I have had to abort several launches when passengers fell down, with no injuries other than minor scrapes. On only one landing was I not able myself to land standing up, although I have had many passengers sit down. I have had one passenger break a bone, the one who stuck out her arm and broke her wrist.

What you Should Bring with You
Wear footwear that provides as much ankle support as possible; sturdy boots are best. Bring gloves, and kneepads if you have them. I will provide kneepads if you don't have them, and also a helmet. Bring more warm clothes than you think that you will need, since when paragliding we are in a constant 20 mph wind and it can feel cold. In the fall, winter, and spring, think of it like dressing for downhill skiing. You may bring a small camera on the flight, but secure the camera to you with a strap (I have learned that if you drop a camera from several hundred feet you will not recover it in one piece). We will probably be out for most of the day, so bring water and maybe some snacks.

Federal Air Regulations Governing our Tandem Flight
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates paragliding under the category of ultralight aircraft. Our tandem flight will be conducted under an exemption to federal air regulations (Exception No. 4721 to FAR 103) that allows tandem/biplace ultralight operations for instructional purposes. Our flight is instructional since you will learn about paragliding and how to fly a paraglider. Before flying you must fill out and sign a USHGA (United States Hang Gliding Association) student membership application, including the standard liability waiver. I will then give you a student rating card to carry, and I must carry my tandem instructor card. The FAA requires that I tell you that the paraglider we will fly is not certified by the FAA, although our paraglider is certified by the largest European agency (DHV) that certifies paragliders.

Please Support my Emphasis on Safety
Since my main concern in tandem paragliding is safety, I will evaluate the conditions on-site very carefully. Usually we can tell fairly well ahead of time whether conditions will allow paragliding, but sometimes we drive to a flying site and do not fly. It is possible that other paragliders may be flying, but I will not be willing to fly under the conditions. I may want to observe for a while before flying, or perhaps wait for a change in conditions. If you are not athletic and in good condition, I will limit more the conditions in which we will fly. Here are two common paragliding safety adages that I keep in mind: 1) "Launching is optional; landing is mandatory," and 2) "It is better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground." Please support me in my emphasis on safety.

So Let Me Know if You Want to Fly Tandem!
Let me know if you want to do a tandem flight. Although tandem flights cost typically $125-$150 or more commercially, I fly for free my friends, friends of friends, PSU students, and friends of my students. All other passengers I request make a contribution of about $40 to the Cascade Paragliding Club.** I usually am available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and some times of the year, including summers, I am available more frequently.
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*You might want to print out my own waiver form, read it, sign it, and give to me when we go flying.
**Write a check to the Cascade Paragliding Club, and on the check write "donation for Brian Stipak tandem".