HGFA Skysailor Magazine

SKY SAILOR 41 March | April 2019 out participation, they just make the challenge much more difficult. Yet, my question is: Why don’t we encourage more seniors to take up paragliding? Obviously, as a seventy-five year old, I’m all for it. For almost 20 years paragliding has been the joy of my life! But as a group, I suspect we don’t currently encourage this and I can understand why: In a training group of six novices, two seniors, who might be 40 years older than the rest, can represent quite a challenge to instructors. An HGFA reverse launch video production, available via the web page, covering all the details involved, in a safety-first approach, on a step by step basis, demands a budget. It also depends on qualified instructional experience, and an injection of the accumulated wisdom of recent PG3 graduates. As shareholders in an organisation dedicated to aviation safety, we have to live up to our responsibilities to novices. The bottom line is that when someone completes a course, all of us should know that they will be equipped to handle any predictable events they are preparing to face. We also need to talk more accurately about realistic wings and pilot performance as it relates to inexperience. PG3 documentation defines launch windspeeds for PG3 as ranging from 8 to 15kt. It does not specify when or where that range applies, or how it should be measured (shoulder height or wing height?). In my experience, few established PG pilots make a habit of measuring windspeed on site before launching and most novices have never held an anemometer. Even fewer know how to read or apply it. On coastal sites this is a special problem. With experience, pilots come to know that a steady 6kt will suffice to soar a 300ft slope. What is almost never considered is the impact of pulsations in wind strength (gusting) and varying angles of offset (crossing). Both can be dramatic. And what about the 15kt maximum? How realistic is it for low hour pilots to fly this on a coastal site? My concern is related to the absence of authorised, affordable guidance for newer pilots trying to establish safe launch practices. Novices ground-handling with ‘regular’ small to medium wings, with a steady 5kt at shoulder height, can expect to make safe progress if they know how to measure a steady 5kt, and if they can identify a safe space to operate in. We can be the good guys here by just spreading the word to them. Even for old blokes, this is not rocket science. The pictures below show a range of real wings, real exercises and a real senior citizen building his skills with a tested, steady 5kt. Contrast that with ‘The Deep End’ picture above: An unknown pilot is about to get dropped, unceremoniously. For the record, the wind, minutes before that launch (and measured at shoulder height) was 13kt and fluctuating. It was hard to just sit and watch as others repeated his experience! That’s your lot. My short, but enjoyable career, as a SkySailor contributor is over. I’m particularly indebted to the editor whose sharp eye has looked after the details of layout and display. We are all in her debt. Au revoir and out. The training pictures for this article feature Wilf Pinchen, whose assistance has been essential to me. Over a two-year period there have been no injuries. Human Factors Air (the environment) - Man (I’m safe) - Ship (the aircraft) I’M SAFE I llness? Do I have an illness or any symptoms of an illness or disorder? M edication and other drugs? Have I been taking or mixing prescription, over-the-counter or recreational drugs? S tress? Am I under psychological pressure from my job or personal circumstances? Am I worried about financial matters, health problems or family matter? A lcohol? Have I been consuming alcohol within the previous eight hours? Is my blood alcohol level less than 0.02? Would my average alcohol consumption be greater than ‘very low risk’? F atigue? Am I tired or inadequately rested? E ating and Drinking? Am I adequately nourished and hydrated? Stable footwork Dune reverse The Deep End Photos: Birdman Pete