No Fear

Tandem Paragliding Passengers Show How to Launch

  • Run hard when the pilot says "run".
  • Bend knees, lean forward, look forward.
  • Move with the pilot.

Run Hard When the Pilot Says "Run"

Running hard when the pilot says "run" is the most important task for the passenger to ensure a good tandem paragliding flight. When the wind is light, then running hard is especially critical, since until our air speed reaches flying speed we cannot get airborne. If the passenger should stop running it is like an engine failing on a jet airliner on take-off, creating an emergency situation for the pilot. Both photo sequences below show outstanding examples of passengers running hard when launching.

Look at the big strides of this passenger:

Run Run Run Run
(Photographs courtesy of Leslie Sawyer.)

Because this passenger sprinted hard we quickly got airborne, even with a light wind and a heavily-loaded glider:

Run Run Run Run
(Photographs courtesy of Stan Harryman and BackFlash Video Services.)

Bend Knees, Lean Forward, Look Forward

When I give the command "pull" you will start pulling forward, and you will feel the glider trying to pull you backwards. You should bend your knees, one foot in front of the other, lean forward, and look forward at the horizon. My friends Joel, Leslie, and Jim demonstrate:

Bend Knees Bend Knees Bend Knees
(Photographs courtesy of Stan Harryman and Leslie Sawyer.)

Move with the Pilot

The passenger should also move with the pilot. If you feel the pilot pulling you to the side, just move with him. Look closely at this short sequence and you can see the passenger adroitly follow a slight movement I make to my right:

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Move with the Pilot

(Photographs courtesy of Stan Harryman and BackFlash Video Services.)

Step Backwards if Necessary

Sometimes the glider pulls back so hard that we must take a few steps backwards. Just give way (stepping backwards) as necessary, try to keep your balance, keep facing forward, start pulling again when you can, and run when I say "run". My friend Jim shows how:

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Step Back if Necessary

(Photographs courtesy of Leslie Sawyer.)

Stand Up if You Fall Down

If you should fall down backwards (it won't hurt, since you will fall on your big airbag protector), try to stand up again, always keep facing forward, and we may still save the launch. My friends Sarge (an excellent tandem pilot) and Roby provide a dramatic example:

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Stand up if You Fall Down

(Photographs courtesy of Stan Harryman and BackFlash Video Services.)

Also available:

Note how the passenger starts running hard as soon as I signal to run, and keeps running even after he has left the ground. This excellently demonstrates how the passenger should run aggressively in order to have a good launch.