A pre-flight check should be executed...
Before you take off, you should check at least these things: pilot, lines, canopy, wind, airspace.
What happens when you brake a paraglider so much that the air speed falls below the minimum speed of about 25km/h?
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.
A paraglider glides down through the air. But at what speed?
These are all speeds relative to the air!
For a paraglider in the mountains, what wind speeds are considered safe to fly?
Wind results in turbulence in the mountains. While soaring on a ridge or at low dunes or flying in flatlands may be safe up to 4 Bft or a bit higher using a smaller mini-wing, in the mountains a wind speed up to 3 Bft (a maximum of 20 km/h) is the maximum for most pilots to fly safely. Strong winds are considered 25 km/h or over.
How tight does the chest strap of the harness need to be?
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.
Why are the cell openings slightly pointed down?
The cell openings are positioned where the air flow hits the profile of the airfoil.
You are standing on take-off and you feel the wind coming a bit from the side. Is that a problem for a safe launch?
B is the only correct answer for an Alpine or forward launch in the mountains. When you choose to execute a reverse launch, C is a possibility as well. For a tow launch, sometimes a 90 degree crosswind can be safe to start for more experienced pilots.
Despite a good flare, you have a lot of speed just before touching down, because you landed with the wind in your back. What do you do?
A is the safest option if you're not familiar with a PLF (parachute landing fall) which needs practise. Your legs are much stronger than your back or arms.
Although on a flat grassy surface, you could get away with answer B, it can be very dangerous when stones, holes or other objects are hidden in the grass.
Using the protection in your harness as a landing option is not safe - would you park your car against a wall at full speed because the airbags will catch the blow?
Which pre-launch check is the most important?
Even though all newer harnesses have a safety feature to prevent you from falling out of the harness if you forget your leg straps, this is very uncomfortable and on an older harness it may be a fatal mistake. Checking lines and canopy is of course very important as well.
See the section on Launching in the Basic techniques chapter.
What part is indicated by C (the orange line)?
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.
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