Four Fundamentals

When you are leaning back into your harness your balance point is in the right place. All of the straps are tight and fully supported.

You can think of it as the human base of support. It refers to the area between the feet that supports the body's weight. It includes both feet and any other points of contact with the ground or a stable surface. The base of support provides stability and balance during various activities, including flying.

When leaning back into the harness, the base of support is aligned with the balance point, ensuring stability and proper weight distribution. However, leaning forward disrupts the base of support, leading to a less stable position and the potential need to use arms for balance.

If you lean forward during your flight, you change this. You’ve probably been in some turbulent air, finding your abdominal muscles aching, this is because we tend to tense up and lean forward when we are nervous.

If we lean forward in our harness we have a different balance point and we are much more likely to lose our balance and start using our arms to compensate to find that balance.

Maintaining a balanced and relaxed posture by leaning back and trusting the harness helps to optimize the base of support and enhance stability during flight.

Dissociating our arms refers to the technique of separating the movement and involvement of our arms from our overall body posture and balance while flying. By imagining that wet paint has been applied to the harness, the goal is to maximize contact between our back and the harness, in other words, get as much of the wet paint on your body as possible. Allowing us to fully trust the harness and lean back further.

This increases our base of support, providing greater stability and reducing the need to use our arms for balance. By pushing our knees out and tucking our legs under, we further increase the base of support and create a more enveloped and secure position in the harness.

This technique helps prevent the unnecessary use of arms and allows for a more relaxed and stable flying experience.

The main difference between a pod harness and a seated harness is the position of the legs. In a pod harness, the legs are extended outward, while in a seated harness, the legs are bent.

It is important to note that regardless of the type of harness used, the key factor for stability and safety is to bend the legs. This helps to counteract twisting forces and maintain a more balanced and secure position in the air. By training oneself to bend the legs during dynamic situations, pilots can mitigate the risks of twisting and compromised situational awareness.

In order to control our wing in as many situations as possible we have to be able to use the full brake range. Over time, pilots settle into a certain amount of brake input that they are familiar with, and are not comfortable going past those limits.

I would like to compare this to something that most of us are very familiar with. Imagine that you would only be willing to use 10-15 % of your steering wheels potential while driving a car.

This is something that we understand clearly that there are situations that requires to use more steering wheels travel than normal. The same is true in paragliding.

Situational awareness is a crucial skill for paragliding. It refers to the ability to perceive and understand the current state of the flying environment, including factors such as wind conditions, nearby obstacles, and the position of other pilots.

By maintaining situational awareness, pilots can make informed decisions and adjust their flight accordingly. This includes anticipating potential hazards, recognizing changes in weather patterns, and staying alert to the overall dynamics of the flying environment.

Situational awareness plays a vital role in ensuring safety and making efficient and effective choices while paragliding.

We will be working on improving your situational awareness throughout the course.