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A pre-flight check should be executed...

...before take-off. ...after every flight. ...every six months or as often as the manufacturer recommends. ...only by your instructor.

Before you take off, you should check at least these things: pilot, lines, canopy, wind, airspace.

We lay out the canopy in a semi-circle before take-off. Why?

This reduces the tendency of the lines to tangle. This ensures that the canopy will fill from the middle cells towards the tips. This ensures that the outer cells will fill with air first. This is the only way you can separate the brake lines from the main lines properly.

When the center cells fill first, the canopy will rise steadily and straight.

It's sunny on launch and you're ready to take off, but the wind has been from the back for quite a while. What do you do?

Stay there and be ready to go. Parawaiting is part of the sport and it's not uncomfortable in the sun. Hold on to the brakes and risers but sit down on your harness. The reserve parachute under your seat is a comfortable seat. When the wind turns you're well rested and ready to go. You disconnect the wing from the harness and pack up the glider. The vulnerable material suffers from the sun. As soon as the wind turns you unpack and get ready again. You bundle up the glider in a 'field pack', take off the harness and lay your equipment in the shade. That way, the materials aren't damaged, you can rest a bit and you will be ready quickly when the wind turns.

Gliders suffer the most from direct sunlight. The airtight coating is damaged by the UV-radiation. Don't leave your glider out in the sun unnecessarily.
Additionally, sitting on the reserve parachute may damage it without you noticing, so it might fail if you ever need it. Never sit on your harness.

During daily inspections you notice a tear of about 2.5cm or one inch in the canopy of your paraglider. What do you do?
1. You fix the tear with ripstop tape on both sides of the fabric.
2. You take the glider to a dealer or manufacturer to have it professionally repaired.

1 is correct. 2 is correct. Neither 1 nor 2 are correct. 1. is a temporary solution, go for 2. as soon as possible.

You can fix a tear smaller than about 5cm (2 inches) yourself. Larger repairs should be done by a professional.
See the chapter on Equipment.

When is the best time to put your legs down during the landing approach?

As soon as you can see the landing field. After you have burned off excessive height and start your landing circuit. At the last moment during the landing flare. When you are on the final leg of the landing circuit.

D is the safest option. The others are either uncomfortable and unwanted because you can't use weightshift anymore, or unsafe if you are too late and land on your bum risking a back injury.

What part is indicated by C (the orange line)?

A cell A top line A diagonal rib A stabilo

A diagonal rib connects the upper left corner of a cell with the lower right, or sometimes runs across two or more cells.
This allows the use of fewer lines, reducing the weight and drag of the paraglider.

What happens when you brake a paraglider so much that the air speed falls below the minimum speed of about 25km/h?

The glider stalls, ie it doesn't fly anymore. The glider will fly on as slow as you want. The glider collapses.

The photo shows what happens when you pull so much brake that the air speed of the paraglider falls below its minimum speed. The glider stalls. Therefore we sometimes call the minimum speed of a paraglider the stall speed.

Don't do this while flying! Unless you are on an SIV- or acrocourse.

Older gliders can also enter a deep stall when you brake too much - see the chapter on Aerodynamics.

How tight does the chest strap of the harness need to be?

As tight as possible, so you can't fall out of the harness and you will be stable in your harness in a turn. There needs to be 42-46 cm between the karabiners, about the length of your arm from elbow to fist. Most paragliders are designed and tested with the chest strap of the harness at that width. It doesn't matter, as long as the buckles are secure. It doesn't matter. The chest strap is only needed during take-off, but you may as well leave it open as you are secured in the harness by your leg straps.

A short distance beween the karabiners results in a stable flight but enhances the risk of twisting, for example after a collapse.

A large distance between the karabiners results in a higher sensitivity to weight shift but also to more dynamic reactions of the paraglider.

You're on a straight course and you don't need to change direction any time soon. What do you do with the brake handles?

Let go, because holding them all the time is unnecessary and tiring. Hold them at all times, because the wing will shoot in all directions if you let go. Hold the handles lightly and relax your arms. This ensures a bit of pressure on the brake lines. Hold the handles and pull them down quite a bit. The wing will fly slower and more stable that way.

Modern paragliders fly best without any brake applied - at the so-called trim speed.

But by applying a little bit of pressure, you take out the slack in the brake lines. You feel better what the wing is doing and you can react quickly and subtly to keep the wing straight overhead. This is called active flying.

If you have some more experience it doesn't hurt to let go of the brake handles and relax, but only if it's safe to do so.

You just landed. What do you do?

You bundle up the glider in a 'field pack' and take the shortest way to the designated packing area. You bundle up the glider in a 'field pack' and take the shortest way to the edge of the field and from there to the designated packing area. You report to the instructor. When he or she says it's ok, you bundle up the glider in a 'field pack' and walk to the designated packing area. You pack up your vulnarable glider on the spot and then you report to the instructor.

Directly after landing, look around for other gliders that are about to land and clear the landing area as quickly as possible, without disturbing others.

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