HGFA Skysailor Magazine

26 SKY SAILOR November | December 2018 C onsequently, low-hour paraglider pilots should travel with qualified instructors. Last year gave us that as a hint, now it is definite. The air traffic on the south coast cliff line is at peak hour level. On a mid-strength day, with the wind square on, 25 solos in the air, and four tandems on short circuits, it’s still easy enough, but if the wind is light and 10 degrees off, it can be tough. The workable lift band narrows, max height reduces, and it gets hard to slot into the circuit as four or more tandems ferry big money tourists. It’s unlikely to get easier, the number of hotels along the ridge has trebled, the tourist population has gone gangbusters – holiday makers see us from their rooms, so who can blame them for wanting to give it a go? A new professionalism has emerged. Once upon a time, we thought we pioneered launch technique. Now they’re showing us. To get more flights out of each day they have a speed range of tandem wings. The morning starts with the Gin Fuse, followed by Ozones, AirDesigns and, for max wind speeds, the ITV Awak 2. What you’ll also notice are new assisted-launch techniques. If the wind is over 10kt, and slightly off to the east, each launch will be managed by the pilot and four assistants. Two of those are stabilising the harness, one of the other two manages the A-lines of the left tip and the fourth guy feeds the cobra out of its concertina ‘basket’. The pilot manages the left brake. This is a docile cobra. It starts at the extreme edge of the lift band and it is smooth, smooth, smooth. In most cases the pilot's feet will move just one metre to the right and half a metre forward as the wing comes up in a 10 second lift. Very occasionally it gets snakey. I must have seen a hundred smoothies and only one snake, but it was seriously scary. Casual by-standers were at risk! Last year, this ridge had three launch sites within about five kilometres of one another. From west to east these were Timbis, Payung and Riug. This year, that has become five, with a big possibility of a sixth, in the same five-kilometre stretch. Para-tourism Farming the Sky The tempo of paragliding in Bali has accelerated dramatically since my 2002 visit. We were there for fun in the sun. Now it's a big business! Birdman Pete Six trained assistants (l-r): Two anchors (one pilot with brake and passenger, one standby), one linesman (stabilo and tip A), one to feed out the arranged ‘spread’ Halfway up: Left hand anchors taking the strain of 12kt, pilot’s feet scarcely move, wing rises slowly and smoothly Ready for launch: It took 8 seconds, the pilot has rotated left to suit the launch angle – worry free for passenger and friends The only ‘fumble’ I saw out of many, but truly frightening. Onlookers were at risk, but unhurt this time