Lol at 8:18 when you say "push onto the chest strap" then fly by with yours unbuckled. Sorry, really helpful video. I'm learning some exciting new things here, thank you.
Think what you’re referring to isn’t the “chest strap”. The chest strap is the heavy duty one that runs across your body connecting to the leg straps. It is confusing, the one you’re seeing is to stop the shoulder straps sliding off and it should be loose during takeoff to allow you to lean forward. You can tighten it later during flight.
Just about to go and redo my PCP after 5 years. This time in sunny Bavaria and not rainy Wales! This video was a great reminder, not having been flying in five years.
Man! i am doing a paragliding course now in real life with Russian teachers, and i don't speak russian so your videos are life saver! thank you so much!
As I return to Paragliding I find myself re-learning all the basics again, much enjoyment in learning the basics! This is one of the best Froward Launching Techniques, and modality that promotes a positive attitude and successful Launch. It was of course the first launching technique that I learned when I started, however, it was never presented in such a manner as this. Over the years I have notice students learning the Risers to the Shoulder technique, and prefer the Riser at the Shoulder technique, as it is more stable and sure way to successfully launch. With myself as well, I became lazy with my launches, as I put too much trust in the Wing, and relied on the wing; to always correct the little errors, that comes along with over confidence when gaining experience. Thanks for this great tutorial, and when I go kiting or flying, will be more attentive to the reminders of a simple launch, yet secure technique to get you going.
@@action-nerd Just my 2 cents How do i teach it: positions of the hand/A risers is more passive during inflation not only to the the side but even slightly backwards (if shoulders allow to to do so), then the risers go in a straight line towards the glider and the force comes from the harness and not the hands (the hands can feel the direction of the risers and can help to identify when the wing is coming up). The body position during accelartion is more upright, only slightly leaned forwards, and the arms are not in this awkward straightened backwards position but more in the natural position (like if you put your hands next to your head/shoulders) you have better ergonomics to feel the brake pressure and can use all of the brake range especially when you need to raise your hands all the way up, (for example @8:03, its impossible to fully release the brakes without dislocating your shoulders) In order to be able to have this natural arm position (elbows down) your upper body shouldn't be almost horizontal, this way the shoulders are way ahead of the risers and the elbows are subsequently forced to go back. His technique and the shown videos show IMO a bit more the oldschool torpedo style (many pros e.g. X-ALPS tend to do that because it looks cool but they can handle it anyway). wouldn'trecommend that for beginners. This whole torpedo style tends to let beginners go "kamikaze" instead of a relaxed controlled takeoff. When I'm the instructor having the responsibilty for the safety and life of my students, I do what I think is the safest way to go, but every instructor should do what he himself feels most comfortable with in terms of safety, thats not my right to decide, and anyway after license every pilot can do whatever they want.
@@XC_Tom Pulling through the hips and simply supporting the A risers is a good idea. Ultimately the important thing is to keep the wing loaded, so bending the knees, leaning forwards are all valid if that's what the end result is, though holding your hands in a W shape so you can better release the brakes sounds good to me.
Fully agree. I’ve seen too many strained ankles and turning the wrong way with reverse launches. I only reverse launch when there’s so much wind that I have to run towards the wing on launch. Two comments: I’ve got the same wing (Gin Explorer, fantastic wing btw), it likes to be pulled up by the inner A’s. However some wings (especially A and low B) like to be pulled up by all A risers. Just do some ground handling and you’ll find pretty quickly what works best. The other comment is a mistake I made in the beginning. Keep full tension on your risers between your hands and the carabiners; as in hold the A’s and try to pull up the harness. If you have slack here your wing loading will disappear as you let go of the risers.
Paramotor is my thing (22 flights), forward take offs are not on my “got it” list. Thanks for the video!! I appreciate it. Your description for lifting the wing was very helpful.
I was a like a dry sponge as I began watching this. Now I am completely saturated with knowledge. Learned a great deal from your video. The pointer to hold off on accelerating for a half a second to allow the wing to cup the air was like having an epiphany. You and your production crew are to be commended for your video here. Positively lovely. 💋💋💋
I trained a lot in a shallow coastal takeoff with nil wind. As well as the reverse launch with nil wind. Chances of landing in the trees with a bad takeoff are pretty big when you don't get it right. One won't usually fly on such days at a coastal site, so it is a good day to train as there won't be many people there. Take a buddy and have fun landing at the beach and getting an açaí after the exercise
Student from Switzerland here: Nice video, great insights. I definitely learned something! There's two for me important points not stressed enough: - The visual check of the wing before committing to accelerate and leaving the point of no return behind. It gets out of focus as you statistically get more success with launches but stays as important for that one fail because of whatever unfortunate previously unnoticed circumstance. - You can easily rush and go too fast. I myself usually rush(ed) forward launches having no hesitation in mind. But especially rushing at the initial inflation which is tempting for a beginner will make corrections, brake input and possible abortion so much more complicated because it requires quicker and more accurate timing. While if you get to appreciate to take your time to not only run but do a smooth slow to normal paced inflation you'll have it under better control and it gets so much easier.
What I found helped me was to keep the risers tight from the waist like you showed. but have your arms back instead of out to the sides, that makes less uneven or forward pull on one side or the other. Also tell the pilot to feel the pull on the waist carabiner once the glider is overhead so he knows which brake to pull and how much brake-just think to pull the high side down.
Thanks for another great video Toby. I found it very interesting that you stress 'not' looking up to check the wing once it's overhead. Perhaps it's changed since I was a student but, standard practice in German schools used to be: release the As, quick brake, and then take a quick look up to ensure 'alles in ordnung'. I like your method better because, (especially for us old guys) in order to really see your wing, it's necessary to stand straight up and crane your head back and by the time you get back into a forward leaning run, things might be going wrong!
Thanks for your kind post. Each country seems to have their own systems. There are often both positives and negatives. My thoughts about "looking up" are exactly as you described : it looks good, BUT "by the time you get back into a forward leaning run, things might be going wrong!"
The USHPA pilot proficiency system, 12~02.14, Section B, Paragraph 2.c under “P2 Skill & Knowledge Demonstration” states: (Pilot candidate) “demonstrates 5 consecutive forward inflations with a visual check of the canopy each time.” Then if you read the book “Paragliding, The Beginner’s Guide, published by Cross Country International in 2021, page 86, 87, a photo shows someone practically stopping with a bent neck looking up while the text states “..check the canopy by looking straight up: is it completely filled with air? Are the lines and risers free of knots, loops, twists or sticks? Now let go of the A-risers and put some tension on the break lines.” My comments: first, can’t you feel if the canopy is filled with air and loaded? second, isn’t that a little late to be holding the As? third, by this point the wing is likely not as heavily loaded as if the forward motion would not have been interrupted by looking up with what looks like a broken neck. It seems a meticulous wing layout and preflight should minimize picking up sticks or hitchhikers from the ground and a sharp eye should have caught knots, loops and twists prior to pull-up. Finally, if the wing begins veering off to the side and in a persistent way and doesn’t respond normally, a sideways peak to the wingtip for assessment and/or followed by an abort seems like a reasonable alternative to the stipulated neck break with chance of unloading… my instructors at our steep mountain launches (Mexico and California) do not teach to look up. In fact we are told not to look up because they have seen too many launch site shit shows by people doing it. Yet official sources still require / teach it….
@@larssorenson9916it's a matter of control over the wing. There are many pilots which are not able to do this check view without endangering themselfes. In my opinion, If you are not able to to do this, you are not able to start in a controlled manner. Then you should not start but go groundhandling and learn to control your wing. If you start in high grass there is always the possibility that something ist between your lines and without it, it's still possible that something different ist wrong, even If you don't feel it because of wind etc
It is a great video ! Thanks ! I will share it across friends. But I would like to add one very important moment. It is possible to look behind the shoulder(s) and visualy check the glider before launch. Because sometimes forward launch is performed with null wind or even slight backwind.
Fly school in Slovakia where i learned to fly, teach exactly the same method, which is VERY GOOD. Also in my opinion :) I m always saying "You cannot forget about forward launching" its very useful in hike & fly. Greate job :)
Great video Toby and a good reminder to practice my forward launch. Went up my local hill today and it took me 3 attempts to get right. More practice required! Cheers.
Great and extremely detailed analysis as always Toby. I especially like your emphasis on the prelaunch procedures. The usually unsheathed lines of higher aspect wings make it sometimes hard to detect any knots so that emphasis makes a lot of sense to me. Keep up your splendid instructional work ! Take care and stay healthy until March👍🦅
Thanks Thomas. To be honest with wings getting more and more high aspect, the forward launch is getting trickier. With an aspect of 6.2 or above usually I'll go for the "running reverse", but that's another video. See you soon!
Great video but not sure if I agree with not looking back over your shoulder and checking the wing once in the air. I've taken off with a pressure knot twice (without serious consequnce luckily) and I am a bit paranoid about NOT checking the wing before taking off. I find I can maintain sufficient speed to keep the wing flying and check at the same time.
You say to load the chest strap, and that is correct. But a detail at 08:30 your chest strap is loose 😝 no loading there. Thanks for a very good and informative video, although I’m in doubt about ‘not looking up to check the glider’ because sometimes it’s the only chance you got to spot an entangling in the lines, cravatte, or asymmetric position. All this is relevant if, like me, you’re a beginner. I just throw a very fast look at both ends. Thanks for the educational video 👌
Hi Klaus. Thanks for your comment. The detail you point out is the "Breast strap" or "Shoulder keepers". The "chest strap" is these days closer to the belly, but we still call it the chest strap (100 years ago the chest strap really was a lot higher up and near the chest) Some harnesses have these shoulder keepers but they're definitely not essential. Whilst I advocate not looking at the wing, a sneaky peeky at a wing tip to one side or even both if you suspect a cravate is in reality what often do. So I agree with you. Generally we don't teach this to beginners. It is seldom necessary for EN A wings or low EN B wings.
Really enjoy your instructional videos, like how you break it down in phases. I recently got my P2 in Santa Barbara and at sky port there is literally only about 6’ in front of you when set up before the cliff drops away, I chose to do my first two launches there forward because the wind was really light and the experienced pilots where all shocked that the new guy was doing forwards there, I didn’t want to do a light wind reverse launch when the cliff drops away 6’ behind me, so the instructor helped make sure my wing was placed properly and both launches where perfect
@@markmcgoveran6811 well now that I’ve got more experience I would never think about doing a forward there, but at the time I wasn’t really good at ground handling so I pulled up forward and if the instructor said go I just went.
@@SkidzFPV that's not too bad an idea, if you got somebody there who knows what he's telling you on go or no go. I saw a video of a guy doing a forward launch jumping off a cliff and the wing was way out in front of him when he left the edge of the cliff he dropped aways was swinging like crazy. I'm going to a school that's 250 mi away from where I live and there's nobody else here but me that's going to fly paragliders.
@@markmcgoveran6811 yea, I had total trust in my trainers, the guy that sent me off that first mountain launch was an X-Alps veteran. I also drove over 200 miles for my training. Like I said I wouldn’t do a forward there now, I’m also a lot better at reverse inflation, at the time I didn’t want to be walking backwards towards the edge while doing a reverse so to get off safely I put all my trust in the instructor
Thanks for the video Toby, I have always done my best to avoid a forward launch in the past as I've never been confident with them and because they are generally not needed them in the UK. On a couple of occasions on trips abroad, I've not flown because the forward launch was the only option and I just wasn't confident enough with the takeoff due to lack of practice. I will be practicing over the winter to nail this so it's not an issue for me.
Great video Toby, you're a natural! Perfect viewing for a cold and windy January in Dorset. Let's hope it's not to long before we are in the air and putting your tips into practice. Charles CS
This is just the video I needed! Thanks so much for putting together, I know it's a lot of effort. Just a few weeks ago I was at Skyport in Santa Barbara with no wind and had to do a forward. The wind was super light but kept switching and so I and some other pilots struggled for about 40 minutes and many aborted attempts to do a forward. Finally got off the ground just fine, but realized how rusty I was and how I need to practice. Maybe it's something I can do while kiting; it would become a good workout very quickly!
Thank you so much Toby. I would like than you are my instructor . Sorry for my english is not too good. But i learn much with you . Since i learn with you i'm taking off better I no longer dread my takeoffs.
Brilliant Toby I could have done with this video before a recent trip to Tenerife. Us Uk pilots do get very rusty with the forward launch it is something I will be shaking the cobwebs off from on a regular basis from now on.
Great video! I appreciate that you say not to look up to check the canopy because saying that is heresy in some circles. But I have always held the belief that if it's coming up square you can feel that and if it isn't then you can feel that too. In that case, with our modern higher aspect ratio wings, you can rotate your head (as if to look at your shoulder) and see what's happening at the tip and whether it's worth aborting for. I also appreciate your comment about spanwise tension. If the winds are truly calm and the slope is shallow, then your run and the slope are providing a given amount of power to inflate the wing and you don't want to waste any of that power unfurling the wing laterally. Regarding leaning forward, I give the example of an American football blocking sled drill (where you're trying to push a heavy sled with your shoulder). The only way to do it is to have a strong forward lean so that your center of mass is inline with your shoulder contact point and your thrust point (feet). If you try to thrust forward in an upright position (even with bent knees) nothing happens. A paraglider launch is similar except you are pushing with your chest and not your shoulders. Lastly, I too, like holding the risers out to the side and letting them come up naturally. I find that those that hold them at shoulder height can subconsciously push/pull on them and cause strange things.
Stck4ger. Everything you say is spot on. Couldn't agree more, and the way is explain it is perfect! I've added comments to the pinned post (yes, I occasionally look at a wing tip). Thank you for your comment
Another wonderful demonstration and explanation! Greatly appreciate all the effort you and your team put into these videos. Cheers! I always remind myself to create a low centre of mass athletic stance. This allows me to move more smoothly laterally and gives me some ability to depressurize my wing just by moving into a more vertical stance if required. This maybe more apparent when the wing is initially brought up and over. Bent arms along with a low athletic stance further prepares us to potentially depressurize our wing should a gust of wind arrive unexpectantly. Cheers, Michael From beautiful BC
As always very good Video thank you so much Toby. Without looking up to your wing you would still not pass the swiss practical paragliding exam. But I personally completely agree with your point: what is it that you can see in such a short glimpse. Rather prepare well and feel what's happening and as you said have somebody else telling you if things get wrong.
Hi Roland. Thanks very much for your kind comment. I realise that the "not looking" idea is controversial. Some national training bodies have recently changed their recommendations. Of course there might be some value in looking (if you know what you're looking for), but more often than not I see students take-offs as more controlled (and safer) when they don't look. Always open to ideas. (If I had to look to pass an exam my neck isn't so rubbery these days but I could probably manage a glance. :)
Great video. We should (at least me lol) be practicing forward launch anytime low wind permits. I recently botched a fwd launch on a mtn site so next day went to my training hill to put in lots of reps so I wouldn’t make the same mistake again. What I did was I rested the risers over my arms with just the brake lines in my hands...no A risers. makes it difficult to load the wing and get it even lol
Greetings from across the Pond. I truly appreciate your clear descriptions with explanations and video that superbly demonstrates your instruction. You mentioned a modified technique for old shoulders. Would you do an instructional video demonstrating this? Thank you for this post. -Jim
Thank you Jim for your kind comments... and we're always looking for new video ideas. It might take a long time to make, so in the meantime maybe a couple of suggestions: Keep your hands (holding the As) up by your shoulders. You can keep them in a fixed position to avoid moving the shoulders. As you run (First 3 phases) keep your body reasonably upright. The most common error is pulling the As down so try to think about keeping A's high as if you're pulling the harness up. This ensures tension on the risers between your hands and the carabiners. Finally if in doubt, get a friend to watch and unless you can run super fast, maybe maybe avoid nil wind conditions. Having even a little bit of wind helps no end. Good luck. Stay safe. Enjoy.💪💪
Great video for a very new pilot. Question: In the video at 8:28-8:30, it looks like the chest strap is not connected, yes? I ask merely so I can learn to identify all of the parts and their correct configuration. Thank you for your videos.
7:25 is there no reserve? Looks like the reserve compartment is open? Great video, still wonder how much of a difference the arms position will make. More spread out or more of a W shape. I'm also a bit puzzled by the following statement: "The wing should fly parallel to the hill when on steep terrain. " As the wing flies relative to the air not to the hill.
Hi Paul. Not quite. That's the shoulder strap keepers - it's a plastic thing that's far from essential. The so called chest strap is down by the waist. A long time ago the chest strap used to be higher up on the harness. These days it's much closer to the waist. Still, glad it made you laugh 😉
Good practise. Not all harnesses have the shoulder keepers. They can break quite easily (which kind of hints at how important they are, or NOT). I think they're generally a good idea! Bit sloppy of me really. 😊
Hi Cliff. Thanks for your kind comments. The Chest Strap has a misleading name (from years and years ago when it was generally situated higher up). The Chest Strap is now located nearer to the belly and its definitely closed (and should be part of free flight checks) That's what needs "loading up" during the forward launch. What you spotted is the Shoulder keepers (a little plastic clip that's far from essential - though probably a good idea)
@@passionparagliding3994 Thanks Toby that makes sense re the loading up part. But this is from my Woody Valley GTO Lite manual; (just extracts) "The chest strap which controls the distance between the two karabiners has a maximum opening of 50 centimetres. An excessive distance between karabiners does not improve glider performance and tightening the chest strap excessively may exacerbate the ‘‘twist’’ effect that may follow an asymmetric collapse of the wing." So I think at least some manufacturers refer to the strap between the shoulders as the shoulder strap.
@@Cliffie You've confused me. What Woody Valley says is exactly right and how they label the straps (Chest Strap (VERY important) and Shoulder Strap (not so important) is also how pretty much all manufacturers label things. The point remains (and this is very important and all pilots who have any qualifications at all should know this!), the chest strap is the one nearest the carabiners (which is also adjustable - and you should check!). It affects the geometry of the harness and the wing. The shoulder keeper strap is of little consequence. On Woody Valley harnesses the Chest strap is often integrated with the leg straps What you said in your initial comment was that the Chest Strap was open. It wasn't. The Shoulder Strap was. Sorry for repetition, I don't want to labour the point overly, only for safety this is super important.
@@passionparagliding3994 Priceless! I would never have thought of having a chest strap over my abdomen but it makes perfect sense that the adjustment being referred to has the effect described. Thanks Toby
Hi Tobi that's really good instructional video, I'm from San Diego Ca by the way Happy New Year 2022 On January 17 - 26 . I gonna take paraglider lessons on Valle de Bravo Mexico
Great video Toby 👍 I’ve recently taken up Paramotoring too and, before this, I rarely used the forward launch and didn’t practice it as much as I should have. One tiny observation ... your chest strap seemed to be undone. Whenever I forget to do this, and because of my small frame, the shoulder straps tend to fall back off my shoulders which can cause problems.
Hi Gary. Thanks for your comment. I think you're refering to the "shoulder keeper" (sometimes called "breast strap"). The "chest strap" is always done up. The "shoulder keeper" I sometimes have loose or undone. The chest strap (so called - though its closer to the belly on modern harnesses) is obviously absolutely essential and part of any pre-flight check. I sometimes find I prefer the shoulder straps quite loose for thermalling etc, but you're absolutely right - with respect to the forward launch having the shoulder keeper a bit tighter helps avoid the straps falling down to the elbows. Well spotted!!
@@passionparagliding3994 glad you clarified - I was going to make the same observation.... Does the Shoulder keeper maintain the riser distance? I understand that makes the glider respond differently. Awesome video with calm clear narrative and excellent presentation. Please keep them coming.
@@Cr0way Thank you! We'll do our best. The shoulder keepers are probably best done up. For me, if they're done up I like them not too tight - a bit of slack on the shoulder straps in general allows for easier weight shift (for thermalling etc) They won't change the riser distances - thats the chest strap. The chest strap is super important. It's width changes the geometry of the harness and wing behaviour. It's s very important that we check the chest strap distance (essentially its a distance between the hang points (carabiners)) that's super critical. Very simply having the chest strap wide (more than 42cm) will make the wing more tippy (easier to fall into a collapse), too tight (more than 42cm) and esaier to get a twist. (Maybe another video idea)
I would suggest that you mention that the student pay attention to the riser pull on his hips so he can tell which side of the wing is higher and pulling. Also to be more aware of that feeling I would suggest going to a big flat field with a 10-12 mph wind and practice forward launch and continuous run to feel the pull on the hips, he can even practice a running turn.
Excellent video! I’ve used forward launches for a couple years, and learned a few new things from this video. Question: in the acceleration phase, you talk about rotating and pressing on the chest strap, but your chest strap is undone! Why?
Great Toby, I thought you were talking about me at the start !!🤪 hate those forwards! I have been practicing with them to help with my paramotoring launches 🚀 just can’t do swept back arms Keep well and keep it up 👍
Thanks for your vidéo tutorial it usefull. Please could you make another one for ground handling and another for an "happy landing" or how to read the approach and final 😅. I m a French beginner so forgive me for my english and for my requestes 😊
![Learning to Paraglide [What it's REALLY like]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/uhnUE-Bt5KM/mqdefault.jpg)
![Learning to Paraglide [What it's REALLY like]](/img/tr.png)
Probably, the best tutorial video for the forward launch I've seen.
Lol at 8:18 when you say "push onto the chest strap" then fly by with yours unbuckled. Sorry, really helpful video. I'm learning some exciting new things here, thank you.
Think what you’re referring to isn’t the “chest strap”. The chest strap is the heavy duty one that runs across your body connecting to the leg straps. It is confusing, the one you’re seeing is to stop the shoulder straps sliding off and it should be loose during takeoff to allow you to lean forward. You can tighten it later during flight.
Just about to go and redo my PCP after 5 years. This time in sunny Bavaria and not rainy Wales! This video was a great reminder, not having been flying in five years.
Man! i am doing a paragliding course now in real life with Russian teachers, and i don't speak russian so your videos are life saver! thank you so much!
As I return to Paragliding I find myself re-learning all the basics again, much enjoyment in learning the basics!
This is one of the best Froward Launching Techniques, and modality that promotes a positive attitude and successful Launch.
It was of course the first launching technique that I learned when I started, however, it was never presented in such a manner as this.
Over the years I have notice students learning the Risers to the Shoulder technique, and prefer the Riser at the Shoulder technique, as it is more stable and sure way to successfully launch.
With myself as well, I became lazy with my launches, as I put too much trust in the Wing, and relied on the wing; to always correct the little errors, that comes along with over confidence when gaining experience.
Thanks for this great tutorial, and when I go kiting or flying, will be more attentive to the reminders of a simple launch, yet secure technique to get you going.
I'm a paragliding instructor from germany, it's interesting to see quite some differences.
Such as?
@@action-nerd Just my 2 cents
How do i teach it: positions of the hand/A risers is more passive during inflation not only to the the side but even slightly backwards (if shoulders allow to to do so), then the risers go in a straight line towards the glider and the force comes from the harness and not the hands (the hands can feel the direction of the risers and can help to identify when the wing is coming up). The body position during accelartion is more upright, only slightly leaned forwards, and the arms are not in this awkward straightened backwards position but more in the natural position (like if you put your hands next to your head/shoulders) you have better ergonomics to feel the brake pressure and can use all of the brake range especially when you need to raise your hands all the way up, (for example @8:03, its impossible to fully release the brakes without dislocating your shoulders)
In order to be able to have this natural arm position (elbows down) your upper body shouldn't be almost horizontal, this way the shoulders are way ahead of the risers and the elbows are subsequently forced to go back.
His technique and the shown videos show IMO a bit more the oldschool torpedo style (many pros e.g. X-ALPS tend to do that because it looks cool but they can handle it anyway). wouldn'trecommend that for beginners.
This whole torpedo style tends to let beginners go "kamikaze" instead of a relaxed controlled takeoff. When I'm the instructor having the responsibilty for the safety and life of my students, I do what I think is the safest way to go, but every instructor should do what he himself feels most comfortable with in terms of safety, thats not my right to decide, and anyway after license every pilot can do whatever they want.
@@XC_Tom Pulling through the hips and simply supporting the A risers is a good idea. Ultimately the important thing is to keep the wing loaded, so bending the knees, leaning forwards are all valid if that's what the end result is, though holding your hands in a W shape so you can better release the brakes sounds good to me.
In light wind you do need to put some additional pressure on the A risers it would appear, so sometimes you can't be too lax in holding them.
@@XC_Tomin Germany nobody would tell you as well, that you should not be tempted to check your wing...😅
Fully agree. I’ve seen too many strained ankles and turning the wrong way with reverse launches. I only reverse launch when there’s so much wind that I have to run towards the wing on launch. Two comments: I’ve got the same wing (Gin Explorer, fantastic wing btw), it likes to be pulled up by the inner A’s. However some wings (especially A and low B) like to be pulled up by all A risers. Just do some ground handling and you’ll find pretty quickly what works best. The other comment is a mistake I made in the beginning. Keep full tension on your risers between your hands and the carabiners; as in hold the A’s and try to pull up the harness. If you have slack here your wing loading will disappear as you let go of the risers.
Good points well made
Well done sir! What caught my attention was your emphasis on priority for wing center to ascend first! Thank you!
Thanks Bill. Hope it was helpful
Paramotor is my thing (22 flights), forward take offs are not on my “got it” list. Thanks for the video!! I appreciate it. Your description for lifting the wing was very helpful.
I was a like a dry sponge as I began watching this. Now I am completely saturated with knowledge. Learned a great deal from your video. The pointer to hold off on accelerating for a half a second to allow the wing to cup the air was like having an epiphany. You and your production crew are to be commended for your video here. Positively lovely. 💋💋💋
I trained a lot in a shallow coastal takeoff with nil wind. As well as the reverse launch with nil wind. Chances of landing in the trees with a bad takeoff are pretty big when you don't get it right.
One won't usually fly on such days at a coastal site, so it is a good day to train as there won't be many people there.
Take a buddy and have fun landing at the beach and getting an açaí after the exercise
Student from Switzerland here: Nice video, great insights. I definitely learned something! There's two for me important points not stressed enough:
- The visual check of the wing before committing to accelerate and leaving the point of no return behind. It gets out of focus as you statistically get more success with launches but stays as important for that one fail because of whatever unfortunate previously unnoticed circumstance.
- You can easily rush and go too fast. I myself usually rush(ed) forward launches having no hesitation in mind. But especially rushing at the initial inflation which is tempting for a beginner will make corrections, brake input and possible abortion so much more complicated because it requires quicker and more accurate timing. While if you get to appreciate to take your time to not only run but do a smooth slow to normal paced inflation you'll have it under better control and it gets so much easier.
Very true.
Do you need to do Groundhandling while you are in Flight school in Switzerland?
@@passionparagliding3994Do you need to do Groundhandling while you are in Flight school in UK?
@@JayCRossi Depends on the school. I did many times. Also went to de dunes after the exam where I learned even more.
What I found helped me was to keep the risers tight from the waist like you showed. but have your arms back instead of out to the sides, that makes less uneven or forward pull on one side or the other. Also tell the pilot to feel the pull on the waist carabiner once the glider is overhead so he knows which brake to pull and how much brake-just think to pull the high side down.
Thanks for another great video Toby. I found it very interesting that you stress 'not' looking up to check the wing once it's overhead. Perhaps it's changed since I was a student but, standard practice in German schools used to be: release the As, quick brake, and then take a quick look up to ensure 'alles in ordnung'. I like your method better because, (especially for us old guys) in order to really see your wing, it's necessary to stand straight up and crane your head back and by the time you get back into a forward leaning run, things might be going wrong!
Thanks for your kind post. Each country seems to have their own systems. There are often both positives and negatives. My thoughts about "looking up" are exactly as you described : it looks good, BUT "by the time you get back into a forward leaning run, things might be going wrong!"
The USHPA pilot proficiency system, 12~02.14, Section B, Paragraph 2.c under “P2 Skill & Knowledge Demonstration” states: (Pilot candidate) “demonstrates 5 consecutive forward inflations with a visual check of the canopy each time.” Then if you read the book “Paragliding, The Beginner’s Guide, published by Cross Country International in 2021, page 86, 87, a photo shows someone practically stopping with a bent neck looking up while the text states “..check the canopy by looking straight up: is it completely filled with air? Are the lines and risers free of knots, loops, twists or sticks? Now let go of the A-risers and put some tension on the break lines.” My comments: first, can’t you feel if the canopy is filled with air and loaded? second, isn’t that a little late to be holding the As? third, by this point the wing is likely not as heavily loaded as if the forward motion would not have been interrupted by looking up with what looks like a broken neck. It seems a meticulous wing layout and preflight should minimize picking up sticks or hitchhikers from the ground and a sharp eye should have caught knots, loops and twists prior to pull-up. Finally, if the wing begins veering off to the side and in a persistent way and doesn’t respond normally, a sideways peak to the wingtip for assessment and/or followed by an abort seems like a reasonable alternative to the stipulated neck break with chance of unloading… my instructors at our steep mountain launches (Mexico and California) do not teach to look up. In fact we are told not to look up because they have seen too many launch site shit shows by people doing it. Yet official sources still require / teach it….
@@larssorenson9916it's a matter of control over the wing. There are many pilots which are not able to do this check view without endangering themselfes. In my opinion, If you are not able to to do this, you are not able to start in a controlled manner. Then you should not start but go groundhandling and learn to control your wing.
If you start in high grass there is always the possibility that something ist between your lines and without it, it's still possible that something different ist wrong, even If you don't feel it because of wind etc
Looks like great information, I’m starting my first lesson in Santa Barbara in two days, couldn’t be more excited ive wanted to do this for 20 years
Enjoy!
It is a great video ! Thanks ! I will share it across friends. But I would like to add one very important moment. It is possible to look behind the shoulder(s) and visualy check the glider before launch. Because sometimes forward launch is performed with null wind or even slight backwind.
Thanks Max. Sorry I didn't really understand your point.
You are an excellent instructor that is very passionate about the safety of your sport. Great video!
Fly school in Slovakia where i learned to fly, teach exactly the same method, which is VERY GOOD. Also in my opinion :) I m always saying "You cannot forget about forward launching" its very useful in hike & fly. Greate job :)
Yeah! Thank you Lukasz!
Spot on Toby. Thanks
Thank you Craig!
Beautiful. I don't like forward launching but this I can totally go practice right now.✌🏽❤️
Thanks Umar. Happy practice.💪💪
Great video Toby and a good reminder to practice my forward launch. Went up my local hill today and it took me 3 attempts to get right. More practice required! Cheers.
Neil! Good to hear from you. Stop working so hard and go flying!
Thank you for providing the basic knowledge about Paragliding.
Greetings from Morocco! Thank you very much, sir! This is very clear and helpful!
شكرا
GOOS TIPS Toby!! looking froward to meeting you in Morocco !
Thank you! I hope we're going! Eeek!
Great and extremely detailed analysis as always Toby. I especially like your emphasis on the prelaunch procedures. The usually unsheathed lines of higher aspect wings make it sometimes hard to detect any knots so that emphasis makes a lot of sense to me. Keep up your splendid instructional work ! Take care and stay healthy until March👍🦅
Thanks Thomas. To be honest with wings getting more and more high aspect, the forward launch is getting trickier. With an aspect of 6.2 or above usually I'll go for the "running reverse", but that's another video. See you soon!
Enjoyed the 4 phases of launch.
Great video but not sure if I agree with not looking back over your shoulder and checking the wing once in the air. I've taken off with a pressure knot twice (without serious consequnce luckily) and I am a bit paranoid about NOT checking the wing before taking off. I find I can maintain sufficient speed to keep the wing flying and check at the same time.
You say to load the chest strap, and that is correct. But a detail at 08:30 your chest strap is loose 😝 no loading there. Thanks for a very good and informative video, although I’m in doubt about ‘not looking up to check the glider’ because sometimes it’s the only chance you got to spot an entangling in the lines, cravatte, or asymmetric position. All this is relevant if, like me, you’re a beginner. I just throw a very fast look at both ends. Thanks for the educational video 👌
Hi Klaus. Thanks for your comment. The detail you point out is the "Breast strap" or "Shoulder keepers". The "chest strap" is these days closer to the belly, but we still call it the chest strap (100 years ago the chest strap really was a lot higher up and near the chest) Some harnesses have these shoulder keepers but they're definitely not essential.
Whilst I advocate not looking at the wing, a sneaky peeky at a wing tip to one side or even both if you suspect a cravate is in reality what often do. So I agree with you. Generally we don't teach this to beginners. It is seldom necessary for EN A wings or low EN B wings.
nice man,I still learn something from your video ,though I have been flied over 8 year.thanks for sharing,how to put my wing make me new learn
Thanks Joe. We're all always learning in this sport. Have fun.
Thanks for your knowldge share. I’m learning so much. A hug from Brazil.
Really enjoy your instructional videos, like how you break it down in phases. I recently got my P2 in Santa Barbara and at sky port there is literally only about 6’ in front of you when set up before the cliff drops away, I chose to do my first two launches there forward because the wind was really light and the experienced pilots where all shocked that the new guy was doing forwards there, I didn’t want to do a light wind reverse launch when the cliff drops away 6’ behind me, so the instructor helped make sure my wing was placed properly and both launches where perfect
Thanks Skidz
Oh my God are you confident or what. So much for that open area in front of you for aborting the launch you've got two steps to make a decision....
@@markmcgoveran6811 well now that I’ve got more experience I would never think about doing a forward there, but at the time I wasn’t really good at ground handling so I pulled up forward and if the instructor said go I just went.
@@SkidzFPV that's not too bad an idea, if you got somebody there who knows what he's telling you on go or no go. I saw a video of a guy doing a forward launch jumping off a cliff and the wing was way out in front of him when he left the edge of the cliff he dropped aways was swinging like crazy. I'm going to a school that's 250 mi away from where I live and there's nobody else here but me that's going to fly paragliders.
@@markmcgoveran6811 yea, I had total trust in my trainers, the guy that sent me off that first mountain launch was an X-Alps veteran. I also drove over 200 miles for my training. Like I said I wouldn’t do a forward there now, I’m also a lot better at reverse inflation, at the time I didn’t want to be walking backwards towards the edge while doing a reverse so to get off safely I put all my trust in the instructor
Thanks for the video Toby, I have always done my best to avoid a forward launch in the past as I've never been confident with them and because they are generally not needed them in the UK. On a couple of occasions on trips abroad, I've not flown because the forward launch was the only option and I just wasn't confident enough with the takeoff due to lack of practice. I will be practicing over the winter to nail this so it's not an issue for me.
You can do it! Good luck with the practise. If nothing else, it'll keep you warm. :)
Thanks Toby for an excellent effort. Great of you to consider shoulder pain addicts 🤗
Great video Toby, you're a natural! Perfect viewing for a cold and windy January in Dorset. Let's hope it's not to long before we are in the air and putting your tips into practice.
Charles CS
Dr Charles!!! Thank you. Yes indeed, fingers crossed!
This is just the video I needed! Thanks so much for putting together, I know it's a lot of effort. Just a few weeks ago I was at Skyport in Santa Barbara with no wind and had to do a forward. The wind was super light but kept switching and so I and some other pilots struggled for about 40 minutes and many aborted attempts to do a forward. Finally got off the ground just fine, but realized how rusty I was and how I need to practice. Maybe it's something I can do while kiting; it would become a good workout very quickly!
Thanks so much for your comment Clay.
Thank you so much Toby. I would like than you are my instructor . Sorry for my english is not too good. But i learn much with you . Since i learn with you i'm taking off better I no longer dread my takeoffs.
As usual....excellent.
Thank you!
Great video. I will use it with paramotor. Afraid of chopping up a brand new wing. Great instructor.
very clear explaining & instructions thank you for that
Brilliant Toby I could have done with this video before a recent trip to Tenerife. Us Uk pilots do get very rusty with the forward launch it is something I will be shaking the cobwebs off from on a regular basis from now on.
Thanks Nick! Hope Tenerife delivered.
@@passionparagliding3994 Yes had some good flight from Ifonche Taucho and El tanque. Its an interesting terrain as i am sure you are aware.
Great tutorial!
Great video! I appreciate that you say not to look up to check the canopy because saying that is heresy in some circles. But I have always held the belief that if it's coming up square you can feel that and if it isn't then you can feel that too. In that case, with our modern higher aspect ratio wings, you can rotate your head (as if to look at your shoulder) and see what's happening at the tip and whether it's worth aborting for. I also appreciate your comment about spanwise tension. If the winds are truly calm and the slope is shallow, then your run and the slope are providing a given amount of power to inflate the wing and you don't want to waste any of that power unfurling the wing laterally. Regarding leaning forward, I give the example of an American football blocking sled drill (where you're trying to push a heavy sled with your shoulder). The only way to do it is to have a strong forward lean so that your center of mass is inline with your shoulder contact point and your thrust point (feet). If you try to thrust forward in an upright position (even with bent knees) nothing happens. A paraglider launch is similar except you are pushing with your chest and not your shoulders. Lastly, I too, like holding the risers out to the side and letting them come up naturally. I find that those that hold them at shoulder height can subconsciously push/pull on them and cause strange things.
Stck4ger. Everything you say is spot on. Couldn't agree more, and the way is explain it is perfect! I've added comments to the pinned post (yes, I occasionally look at a wing tip). Thank you for your comment
Top-notch tips, right here. Great procedural address of the subject. Thanks!
Thanks Annette. You're most welcome.
Thank you Toby for the information. Happy Flying !
Excelent video with information well and clearly explained thanks for share it
Brilliant video, made everything nice.and.clear for me.
This video is so informative for beginners. Clearly demonstrate every movement and explain the tips of launch. Thanks a lot Toby!
Thanks. Great instruction
Great tips and techniques. Helped me master forward launch
Another wonderful demonstration and explanation! Greatly appreciate all the effort you and your team put into these videos. Cheers! I always remind myself to create a low centre of mass athletic stance. This allows me to move more smoothly laterally and gives me some ability to depressurize my wing just by moving into a more vertical stance if required. This maybe more apparent when the wing is initially brought up and over. Bent arms along with a low athletic stance further prepares us to potentially depressurize our wing should a gust of wind arrive unexpectantly.
Cheers, Michael From beautiful BC
Thank you! Thank you! Love how you describe the low centre of mass which allows you to add or release pressure as conditions dictate. Nice one!
Great job. Thanks for helping the community to learn.
Great Video Toby, See you on the next SIV
As always very good Video thank you so much Toby. Without looking up to your wing you would still not pass the swiss practical paragliding exam. But I personally completely agree with your point: what is it that you can see in such a short glimpse. Rather prepare well and feel what's happening and as you said have somebody else telling you if things get wrong.
Hi Roland. Thanks very much for your kind comment. I realise that the "not looking" idea is controversial. Some national training bodies have recently changed their recommendations.
Of course there might be some value in looking (if you know what you're looking for), but more often than not I see students take-offs as more controlled (and safer) when they don't look. Always open to ideas. (If I had to look to pass an exam my neck isn't so rubbery these days but I could probably manage a glance. :)
Very very useful, informative and helpful video as watching and commenting after second day on my paragliding journey 😊
Thank you for a very informative and pedagogically well-executed video. I will recommend it to all our students in my Danish paraglider club 👍🏼💪🏼
Yes! Thanks Lars
Amazing informative video
Thanks
Thank you for such a great high quality video. Very helpful
Nice and clear explanation.. thank you for posting this video.. I'm a newbie in paragliding sport
Superb. From a very rusty pilot. Thank you.
Thanks Edward!
Excellent!
Many thanks!
Thanks a lot 👍🏻👍🏻
You're welcome
Thanks Toby this kind of videos are very helpful.
Valuable tips, thanks a lot.
Thanks Robert. Glad it was helpful!
that was a great explanation foward launch. thank you fly baby fly
Glad you enjoyed it!
Super clear explaining Thank you !!!
Another wonderful demonstration and explanation! Greatly appreciate all the effort you and your team put into these videos. Cheers!
Thank you! Comments like yours fuel us to try for more
Great video. We should (at least me lol) be practicing forward launch anytime low wind permits. I recently botched a fwd launch on a mtn site so next day went to my training hill to put in lots of reps so I wouldn’t make the same mistake again. What I did was I rested the risers over my arms with just the brake lines in my hands...no A risers. makes it difficult to load the wing and get it even lol
90% of my flights are from forward launching cause we use tow winch for most of our flights 😄
Great video guy's 👍
Thanks!
Excellent. As usual.
Thanks Henry James!
Thanks Toby and i appeciated the translation in french . i learn too mutch whith you . im beginner.
Thanks Toby,
Just great as usual
Thank you!
Great video Toby!
Greetings from across the Pond. I truly appreciate your clear descriptions with explanations and video that superbly demonstrates your instruction. You mentioned a modified technique for old shoulders. Would you do an instructional video demonstrating this? Thank you for this post. -Jim
Thank you Jim for your kind comments... and we're always looking for new video ideas. It might take a long time to make, so in the meantime maybe a couple of suggestions: Keep your hands (holding the As) up by your shoulders. You can keep them in a fixed position to avoid moving the shoulders. As you run (First 3 phases) keep your body reasonably upright. The most common error is pulling the As down so try to think about keeping A's high as if you're pulling the harness up. This ensures tension on the risers between your hands and the carabiners.
Finally if in doubt, get a friend to watch and unless you can run super fast, maybe maybe avoid nil wind conditions. Having even a little bit of wind helps no end. Good luck. Stay safe. Enjoy.💪💪
Great video for a very new pilot. Question: In the video at 8:28-8:30, it looks like the chest strap is not connected, yes? I ask merely so I can learn to identify all of the parts and their correct configuration. Thank you for your videos.
7:25 is there no reserve? Looks like the reserve compartment is open?
Great video, still wonder how much of a difference the arms position will make. More spread out or more of a W shape.
I'm also a bit puzzled by the following statement: "The wing should fly parallel to the hill when on steep terrain. " As the wing flies relative to the air not to the hill.
So, what do you mean by parallel to the terrain and not vertical overhead on a steep launch?
I think He is referring to the angle of the terrain in relation to the wing once inflated
8:33 as we lean on the chest strap, cue slow mo footage with chest strap unbuckled lol
Hi Paul. Not quite. That's the shoulder strap keepers - it's a plastic thing that's far from essential. The so called chest strap is down by the waist. A long time ago the chest strap used to be higher up on the harness. These days it's much closer to the waist. Still, glad it made you laugh 😉
@@passionparagliding3994 well you learn something everyday :) As a rule I ensure all my whatever straps they are called are well secured ;)
Good practise. Not all harnesses have the shoulder keepers. They can break quite easily (which kind of hints at how important they are, or NOT). I think they're generally a good idea! Bit sloppy of me really. 😊
Great video! Lots of details and good tips. Love it! Thanks
oh well done , great vid
Nice and informative +
Thanks a lot
Thank you for making this 🙏
Great video!
Thanks James
Great video that will help me further improve fwd launches. Small point though. The chest strap you talk about leaning into is undone at 8:27 :o)
Hi Cliff. Thanks for your kind comments. The Chest Strap has a misleading name (from years and years ago when it was generally situated higher up). The Chest Strap is now located nearer to the belly and its definitely closed (and should be part of free flight checks) That's what needs "loading up" during the forward launch. What you spotted is the Shoulder keepers (a little plastic clip that's far from essential - though probably a good idea)
@@passionparagliding3994 Thanks Toby that makes sense re the loading up part. But this is from my Woody Valley GTO Lite manual; (just extracts) "The chest strap which controls the distance between the two karabiners has a maximum opening of 50 centimetres. An excessive distance between karabiners does not improve glider performance and tightening the chest strap excessively may exacerbate the ‘‘twist’’ effect that may follow an asymmetric collapse of the wing." So I think at least some manufacturers refer to the strap between the shoulders as the shoulder strap.
@@Cliffie You've confused me. What Woody Valley says is exactly right and how they label the straps (Chest Strap (VERY important) and Shoulder Strap (not so important) is also how pretty much all manufacturers label things.
The point remains (and this is very important and all pilots who have any qualifications at all should know this!), the chest strap is the one nearest the carabiners (which is also adjustable - and you should check!). It affects the geometry of the harness and the wing. The shoulder keeper strap is of little consequence. On Woody Valley harnesses the Chest strap is often integrated with the leg straps
What you said in your initial comment was that the Chest Strap was open. It wasn't. The Shoulder Strap was.
Sorry for repetition, I don't want to labour the point overly, only for safety this is super important.
@@passionparagliding3994 Priceless! I would never have thought of having a chest strap over my abdomen but it makes perfect sense that the adjustment being referred to has the effect described. Thanks Toby
Thanks.great vedio to learn.
Very good
Thanks!
Hi Tobi that's really good instructional video, I'm from San Diego Ca by the way Happy New Year 2022
On January 17 - 26 . I gonna take paraglider lessons on Valle de Bravo Mexico
Great video Toby 👍 I’ve recently taken up Paramotoring too and, before this, I rarely used the forward launch and didn’t practice it as much as I should have.
One tiny observation ... your chest strap seemed to be undone. Whenever I forget to do this, and because of my small frame, the shoulder straps tend to fall back off my shoulders which can cause problems.
Hi Gary. Thanks for your comment. I think you're refering to the "shoulder keeper" (sometimes called "breast strap"). The "chest strap" is always done up. The "shoulder keeper" I sometimes have loose or undone. The chest strap (so called - though its closer to the belly on modern harnesses) is obviously absolutely essential and part of any pre-flight check. I sometimes find I prefer the shoulder straps quite loose for thermalling etc, but you're absolutely right - with respect to the forward launch having the shoulder keeper a bit tighter helps avoid the straps falling down to the elbows. Well spotted!!
@@passionparagliding3994 glad you clarified - I was going to make the same observation.... Does the Shoulder keeper maintain the riser distance? I understand that makes the glider respond differently. Awesome video with calm clear narrative and excellent presentation. Please keep them coming.
@@Cr0way Thank you! We'll do our best. The shoulder keepers are probably best done up. For me, if they're done up I like them not too tight - a bit of slack on the shoulder straps in general allows for easier weight shift (for thermalling etc)
They won't change the riser distances - thats the chest strap.
The chest strap is super important. It's width changes the geometry of the harness and wing behaviour. It's s very important that we check the chest strap distance (essentially its a distance between the hang points (carabiners)) that's super critical. Very simply having the chest strap wide (more than 42cm) will make the wing more tippy (easier to fall into a collapse), too tight (more than 42cm) and esaier to get a twist. (Maybe another video idea)
I would suggest that you mention that the student pay attention to the riser pull on his hips so he can tell which side of the wing is higher and pulling. Also to be more aware of that feeling I would suggest going to a big flat field with a 10-12 mph wind and practice forward launch and continuous run to feel the pull on the hips, he can even practice a running turn.
Great instructions and brilliant edit... Cheers 🤙🏽
Excellent video! I’ve used forward launches for a couple years, and learned a few new things from this video. Question: in the acceleration phase, you talk about rotating and pressing on the chest strap, but your chest strap is undone! Why?
Great video. Cheers
Thank you! Just learning and at this step; what a great help! 😎
Excelente.
Great video 👊🏽
Great Toby, I thought you were talking about me at the start !!🤪 hate those forwards!
I have been practicing with them to help with my paramotoring launches 🚀 just can’t do swept back arms
Keep well and keep it up 👍
Neil!!! Thank you buddy! Yes, I was talking about you!!!! !🤪
Great tutorial, thanks 👍
Thanks Doug!
Great video Thanks
Chest strap???
Super helpful for improving the skills:)
Thanks for your vidéo tutorial it usefull.
Please could you make another one for ground handling and another for an "happy landing" or how to read the approach and final 😅. I m a French beginner so forgive me for my english and for my requestes 😊
Such great content and dedication to help others!!