Is It Safe?

Paragliding can be enjoyed by just about anyone who can run a few steps with
some coordination. Here are two of my friends who paraglide. On the left is Heather,
age 12 and on the right is Hans, age 80. Both are accomplished current pilots.

We all know that whatever goes up, eventually comes down.
How we encounter that landing is critical. To land safely we are
going to land in an open area clear of obstacles and directly into the wind.

If you don’t make it to a clearing, you may end up in the trees.

There are 3 main aspects to flying safely no matter what the aircraft.
1) Fly in appropriate weather. We like light winds of 0-15 mph and a generally stable atmosphere.

2) Become extremely skillful in flying your particular aircraft. This is a never ending
pursuit. You must remain current and fly appropriate conditions for your skill level.

3) Exercise great judgement always leaning towards safety. This is the most
important safety matter. This takes time to develop and many pilots suffer
“intermediate syndrome” thinking that their skills are up to speed and push
conditions. Accidents happen due to bad decision making.