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52-592: The Paragliding World Cup (or PWC for short) is a cross country flying competition for paraglider pilots, organized by the Paragliding World Cup Association (PWCA), based in Marlens , France. Each year, the Paragliding World Cup Tour visits 5-6 different locations worldwide. At each event several tasks are flown to establish the overall classification. The goal of each competition task

104-614: A cell phone so they can call for pickup should they land away from their intended point of destination. GNSS is a necessary accessory when flying competitions, where it has to be demonstrated that way-points have been correctly passed. The recorded GNSS track of a flight can be used to analyze flying technique or can be shared with other pilots. GNSS is also used to determine drift due to the prevailing wind when flying at altitude, providing position information to allow restricted airspace to be avoided and identifying one's location for retrieval teams after landing out in unfamiliar territory. GNSS

156-554: A closed trailing edge, and was inflated by passage through the air ‍ — the ram-air design. He filed US Patent 3131894 on January 10, 1963. About that time, David Barish was developing the sail wing (single-surface wing) for recovery of NASA space capsules—"slope soaring was a way of testing out   ... the Sail Wing." After tests on Hunter Mountain , New York , in September 1965, he went on to promote slope soaring as

208-684: A droning sound, which gets deeper as the rate of descent increases) and/or a visual display. It also shows altitude : either above takeoff, above sea level , or (at higher altitudes) flight level . Radio communications are used in training, to communicate with other pilots, and to report where and when they intend to land. These radios normally operate on a range of frequencies in different countries—some authorised, some illegal but tolerated locally. Some local authorities (e.g., flight clubs) offer periodic automated weather updates on these frequencies. In rare cases, pilots use radios to talk to airport control towers or air traffic controllers. Many pilots carry

260-404: A flying position, then turning around under the wing and running to complete the launch. Reverse launches have a number of advantages over a forward launch. It is more straightforward to inspect the wing and check if the lines are free as it leaves the ground. In the presence of wind, the pilot can be tugged toward the wing, and facing the wing makes it easier to resist this force and safer in case

312-437: A group of smaller, thinner lines. In some cases this is repeated for a fourth cascade. The top of each line is attached to small fabric loops sewn into the structure of the wing, which are generally arranged in rows running span-wise (i.e., side to side). The row of lines nearest the front are known as the A lines, the next row back the B lines, and so on. A typical wing will have A, B, C and D lines, but recently, there has been

364-427: A lounge chair in the sitting or reclining position. Many harnesses even have an adjustable lumbar support. A reserve parachute is also typically connected to a paragliding harness. Harnesses also vary according to the need of the pilot, and thereby come in a range of designs, mostly: Harnesses have a substantial influence on the flying characteristics; for instance, acro harnesses lead to more agile handling, which

416-459: A moving object, like a car or a boat, that pays out line slower than the speed of the object, thereby pulling the pilot up in the air. In both cases, it is very important to have a gauge indicating line tension to avoid pulling the pilot out of the air. Another form of towing is static line towing. This involves a moving object, like a car or a boat, attached to a paraglider or hang glider with a fixed-length line. This can be very dangerous, because now

468-405: A paraglider, as with all unpowered aircraft which cannot abort a landing, involves some specific techniques and traffic patterns. Paragliding pilots most commonly lose their height by flying a figure 8 over a landing zone until they reach the correct height, then line up into the wind and give the glider full speed. Once the correct height (about a metre above ground) is achieved the pilot will stall

520-399: A slightly higher sink rate compared to solo paragliders. The pilot is loosely and comfortably buckled into a harness, which offers support in both the standing and sitting positions. Most harnesses have protectors made out of foam or other materials underneath the seat and behind the back to reduce the impact on failed launches or landings. Modern harnesses are designed to be as comfortable as

572-662: A slope ... whether on a rock-climbing holiday in Skye or skiing in the Alps." In 1961, the French engineer Pierre Lemongine produced improved parachute designs that led to the Para-Commander (PC). The Para-Commander had cutouts at the rear and sides that enabled it to be towed into the air and steered, leading to parasailing /parascending. Domina Jalbert invented the parafoil , which had sectioned cells in an aerofoil shape, an open leading edge,

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624-440: A span of 8–12 metres (26–39 ft) and weigh 3–7 kilograms (6.6–15.4 lb). Combined weight of wing, harness, reserve, instruments, helmet, etc. is around 12–22 kilograms (26–49 lb). Ultralight Hike & Fly kits can be lighter than 5 kilograms (11 lb). The glide ratio of paragliders ranges from 9.3 for recreational wings to about 11.3 for modern competition models, reaching in some cases up to 13. For comparison,

676-614: A summer activity for ski resorts . Author Walter Neumark wrote Operating Procedures for Ascending Parachutes , and in 1973 he and a group of enthusiasts with a passion for tow-launching PCs and ram-air parachutes broke away from the British Parachute Association to form the British Association of Parascending Clubs (which later became the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association ). In 1997, Neumark

728-512: A tendency to reduce the rows of lines to three, or even two (and experimentally to one), to reduce drag. Paraglider lines are usually made from UHMW polythene or aramid . Although they look rather slender, these materials are strong and subject to load testing requirements. For example, a single 0.66 mm-diameter line (about the thinnest used) can have a breaking strength of 56 kgf (550 N). Paraglider wings typically have an area of 20–35 square metres (220–380 sq ft) with

780-442: A typical skydiving parachute will achieve about 3:1 glide. A hang glider ranges from 9.5 for recreational wings to about 16.5 for modern competition models. An idling (gliding) Cessna 152 light aircraft will achieve 9:1. Some sailplanes can achieve a glide ratio of up to 72:1. The speed range of paragliders is typically 22–55 kilometres per hour (14–34 mph), from stall speed to maximum speed. Achieving maximum speed requires

832-572: A variometer is in helping a pilot find and stay in the "core" of a thermal to maximise height gain and, conversely, to indicate when a pilot is in sinking air and needs to find rising air. Humans can sense the acceleration when they first hit a thermal, but cannot detect the difference between constant rising air and constant sinking air. Modern variometers are capable of detecting rates of climb or sink of 1 cm per second. A variometer indicates climb rate (or sink-rate) with short audio signals (beeps, which increase in pitch and tempo during ascent, and

884-451: Is attached to the harness by a carabiner , one on each side of the pilot, and each riser of a set is generally attached to lines from only one row of its side of wing. At the end of each riser of the set, there is a small delta maillon with a number (2–5) of lines attached, forming a fan. These are typically 4–5 m (13–16 ft) long, with the end attached to 2–4 further lines of around 2 m (6.6 ft) m, which are again joined to

936-491: Is desirable for flying acrobatics, but may be unsuitable for beginners or XC pilots looking for more stability in flight. While pod harnesses offer more stability and aerodynamic properties, they increase the risk of riser twist, and are hence not suitable for beginners. The standard harness is an open harness, which features a sitting, slightly reclined body position. Most pilots use variometers , radios , and, increasingly, GNSS units when they are flying. The main purpose of

988-405: Is hand towing. This is where 1−3 people pull a paraglider using a tow rope of up to 500 feet (150 m). The stronger the wind, the fewer people are needed for a successful hand tow. Tows up to 300 feet (91 m) have been accomplished, allowing the pilot to get into a lift band of a nearby ridge or row of buildings and ridge-soar in the lift the same way as with a regular foot launch. Landing

1040-685: Is integrated with some models of variometer. This is not only more convenient, but also allows for a three-dimensional record of the flight. The flight track can be used as proof for record claims, replacing the old method of photo documentation. Increasingly, smart phones are used as the primary means of navigation and flight logging, with several applications available to assist in air navigation. They are also used to co-ordinate tasks in competitive paragliding and facilitate retrieval of pilots returning to their point of launch. External variometers are typically used to assist in accurate altitude information. Paraglider ground handling, also known as kiting,

1092-516: Is one event at the end of every year called "PWC Superfinal". The best pilots selected from the events all over the year compete to select the overall winner of the year. Before 2009 the total winner was determined by adding the results of all worldcups of the year. Original version of this article Paraglider Despite not using an engine, paraglider flights can last many hours and cover many hundreds of kilometres, though flights of one to five hours and covering some tens of kilometres are more

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1144-400: Is particularly recommended for kiting. As wind speed increases (above ten knots), especially on steep ridges, the use of the C's introduces the potential to be lifted before the wing is overhead due to the increased angle of attack. That type of premature lift often results in the pilot's weight swinging downwind rapidly, resulting in a frontal tuck (due to excess A line loads). In that situation

1196-405: Is the practice of handling the paraglider on land. The primary purpose of ground handling is to practice the skills necessary for launching and landing. However, ground handling could be considered a fun and challenging sport in and of itself. Ground handling is considered an essential part of most paragliding wing management training. It needs to be remembered that in any sort of stumble or tumble,

1248-412: Is to fly round a predetermined course with a start, some turn points (usually 4-6) and a finish line. Slightly simplified, the winner is the fastest pilot round the course, or the pilot who flew furthest if no one completes the course. Pilots carry a GPS receiver to record their flight track, which is afterwards used to verify that they correctly followed the course and determine timings. Since 2009, there

1300-458: The Everest region of Nepal ‍ —  this would effectively be paragliding from the highest starting altitude on the planet. The paraglider wing or canopy is usually what is known in engineering as a ram-air airfoil . Such wings comprise two layers of fabric that are connected to internal supporting material in such a way as to form a row of cells. By leaving most of the cells open only at

1352-471: The Parachute Manual magazine by parachutist and publisher Dan Poynter, they calculated that on a suitable slope, a "square" ram-air parachute could be inflated by running down the slope; Bétemps launched from Pointe du Pertuiset, Mieussy, and flew 100 m. Bohn followed him and glided down to the football pitch in the valley 1000 metres below. Parapente ( pente being French for 'slope') was born. From

1404-676: The 1980s, equipment has continued to improve, and the number of paragliding pilots and established sites has continued to increase. The first (unofficial) Paragliding World Championship was held in Verbier, Switzerland, in 1987, though the first officially sanctioned FAI World Paragliding Championship was held in Kössen, Austria, in 1989. Europe has seen the greatest growth in paragliding, with France alone registering in 2011 over 25,000 active pilots. Starting in 2022, feasibility studies of paragliding from above 8000   meters have been in progress in

1456-402: The following characteristics: As pilots progress, they may challenge themselves by kiting over and around obstacles, in strong or turbulent wind, and on greater slopes. As with all aircraft, launching and landing are done into wind. The wing is placed into an airstream, either by running or being pulled, or an existing wind. The wing moves up over the pilot into a position in which it can carry

1508-514: The forces on the line have to be controlled by the moving object itself, which is almost impossible to do, unless stretchy rope and a pressure/tension meter (dynamometer) is used. Static line towing with stretchy rope and a load cell as a tension meter has been used in Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and other Eastern European countries for over 20 years (under the name Malinka ) with about the same safety record as other forms of towing. One more form of towing

1560-496: The glider in order to land. Unlike during launch, where coordination between multiple pilots is straightforward, landing involves more planning, because more than one pilot might have to land at the same time. Therefore, a specific traffic pattern has been established. Pilots line up into a position above the airfield and to the side of the landing area, which is dependent on the wind direction, where they can lose height (if necessary) by flying circles. From this position, they follow

1612-506: The hands raising the leading edge with the As. As it rises the wing is controlled more by centring the feet than by use of the brakes or Cs. With mid level wings (EN C and D) the wing may try to "overshoot" the pilot as it nears the top. This is checked with Cs or brakes. The wing becomes increasingly sensitive to the Cs and brakes as its internal air pressure rises. This is usually felt from increasing lift of

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1664-413: The head is at risk and a helmet is therefore always advisable. It is highly recommended that low hour pilots, ground-handling, should be wearing a formal harness with leg and waist straps firmly fitted and fastened. Since 2015 the standard harness has become an inflatable type. This forms a protective cushion when, during flight, air is forced through a check valve and retained in a chamber behind and under

1716-402: The internal ribs allow a free flow of air from the open cells to these closed cells to inflate them, and also to the wingtips, which are also closed. Almost all modern paragliders follow a sharknose design of the leading edge, by which the inflation opening is not at the front of the wing, but slightly backwards on the underside of the wing, and following a concave shape. This design, resembling

1768-447: The invention contemplates the provision of a wing of rectangular or other shape having a canopy or top skin and a lower spaced apart bottom skin", a governable gliding parachute with multi-cells and controls for glide. In 1954, Walter Neumark predicted (in an article in Flight magazine) a time when a glider pilot would be "able to launch himself by running over the edge of a cliff or down

1820-416: The knees and pushing the shoulders forward. Most pilots will find that when their hands are vertically under the brake line pulleys they are able reduce trailing edge drag to the absolute minimum. That is not so easy for most, when the arms are thrust rearwards. In flatter countryside, pilots can also be launched with a tow. Once at full height (towing can launch pilots up to 3,000 feet (910 m) altitude),

1872-416: The leading edge, incoming air keeps the wing inflated, thus maintaining its shape. When inflated, the wing's cross-section has the typical teardrop aerofoil shape. Modern paraglider wings are made of high-performance non-porous materials such as ripstop nylon . In most modern paragliders (from the 1990s onwards), some of the cells of the leading edge are closed to form a cleaner aerodynamic profile. Holes in

1924-420: The legs of a flightpath in a rectangular pattern to the landing zone: downwind leg, base leg, and final approach. This allows for synchronization between multiple pilots and reduces the risk of collisions, because a pilot can anticipate what other pilots around him are going to do next. World Paragliding Championships World Paragliding Championships is the main competitive paragliding championships in

1976-469: The low wing tip, and applying light brakes in a natural sense to keep the wing horizontal. In stronger wind conditions it is often found to be easier to remain facing downwind while moving slowly and steadily backwards into the wind. Knees bent to load the wing, foot adjustments to remain central and minimum use of Cs or Brakes to keep the wing horizontal. Pirouette when the feet are close to lifting. This option has two distinct advantages. a) The pilot can see

2028-448: The norm. By skillful exploitation of sources of lift , the pilot may gain height, often climbing to altitudes of a few thousand metres. In 1966, Canadian Domina Jalbert was granted a patent for a multi-cell wing type aerial device— "a wing having a flexible canopy constituting an upper skin and with a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs forming in effect a wing corresponding to an airplane wing airfoil   ... More particularly

2080-493: The nose of a shark, increases wing stability and stall resistance. In modern paragliders, semi-flexible rods made out of plastic or nitinol are used to give extra stability to the profile of the wing. In high-performance paragliders, these rods extend through most of the length of the upper wing. The pilot is supported underneath the wing by a network of suspension lines. These start with two sets of risers made of short (40 cm (16 in)) lengths of strong webbing. Each set

2132-419: The passenger. The pilot is then lifted from the ground and, after a safety period, can sit down into his harness. Unlike skydivers, paragliders, like hang gliders, do not jump at any time during this process. There are two launching techniques used on higher ground and one assisted launch technique used in flatland areas: In low winds, the wing is inflated with a forward launch, where the pilot runs forward with

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2184-401: The pilot commonly drops vertically and injuries are not uncommon. In ridge soaring situations above ten knots it is almost always better to lift the wing with A's only and use the brakes to stop any potential overshoot. The brakes do not usually increase the angle of attack as much C's. As wind strength increases it becomes more important than ever for the pilot to keep the wing loaded by bending

2236-455: The pilot pulls a release cord, and the towline falls away. This requires separate training, as flying on a winch has quite different characteristics from free flying. There are two major ways to tow: pay-in and pay-out towing. Pay-in towing involves a stationary winch that winds in the towline and thereby pulls the pilot in the air. The distance between winch and pilot at the start is around 500 metres (1,600 ft) or more. Pay-out towing involves

2288-404: The pilot slips (as opposed to being dragged backwards). However, the movement pattern is more complex than forward launch, and the pilot has to hold the brakes in a correct way and turn to the correct side so he does not tangle the lines. These launches are normally attempted with a reasonable wind speed, making the ground speed required to pressurise the wing much lower. The launch is initiated by

2340-399: The pilot's back, in a car, or on public transport. In comparison with other air sports, this substantially simplifies travel to a suitable takeoff spot, the selection of a landing place and return travel. Tandem paragliders, designed to carry the pilot and one passenger, are larger but otherwise similar. They usually fly faster with higher trim speeds, are more resistant to collapse, and have

2392-418: The pilot. In ground-handling practice the amount of air passing through the check valve may be very slight. In an accident where the pilot has been lifted and dumped while facing downwind, the protection offered by an inflatable harness is likely to be minimal. The old fashioned foam type of harness has a special value in that sort of situation. The ideal launch training site for novices with standard wings has

2444-401: The use of speedbar, or trimmers. Without these, and without applying brakes, a paraglider is at its trim speed, which is typically 32–40 kilometres per hour (20–25 mph) and often at the best glide ratio, too. High-performance paragliders meant for competitions may achieve faster accelerated flight, as do speedwings , due to their small size and different profile. For storage and carrying,

2496-414: The wing applying harness pressure to the seat of the pants . That pressure indicates that the wing is likely to remain stable when the pilot pirouettes to face the wind. The next step in the launch is to bring the wing into the lift zone. There are two techniques for accomplishing this depending on wind conditions. In light wind this is usually done after turning to the front, steering with the feet towards

2548-418: The wing behind so that the air pressure generated by the forward movement inflates the wing. It is often easier, because the pilot only has to run forward, but the pilot cannot see his wing until it is above him, where he has to check it in a very short time for correct inflation and untangled lines before the launch. In higher winds, a reverse launch is used, with the pilot facing the wing to bring it up into

2600-401: The wing centre marker (an aid to centring the feet) and, if necessary, b) the pilot can move briskly towards the wing to assist with an emergency deflation. With either method it is essential to check "traffic" across the launch face before committing to flight. The A's and C's technique described above is well suited to low-hours pilots, on standard wings, in wind strengths up to 10 knots. It

2652-405: The wing is usually folded into a stuffsack (bag), which can then be stowed in a large backpack along with the harness. Some modern harnesses include the ability to turn the harness inside out such that it becomes a backpack, saving weight and space. Paragliders are unique among human-carrying aircraft in being easily portable. The complete equipment packs into a rucksack and can be carried easily on

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2704-638: Was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Aero Club of the UK. Authors Patrick Gilligan (Canada) and Bertrand Dubuis (Switzerland) wrote the first flight manual, The Paragliding Manual in 1985, coining the word paragliding . These developments were combined in June 1978 by three friends, Jean-Claude Bétemps, André Bohn and Gérard Bosson, from Mieussy, Haute-Savoie , France. After inspiration from an article on slope soaring in

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