I’ve just returned from a paragliding week in Switzerland. The scenery was stunning, the atmosphere was fun, relaxed and supportive, and the flying was; well, a bit different to the courses and holidays on which I teach. This was a safety course where we learned about ‘unstable flight regimes’.

 

Security In Flight (SIF) is all about taking your paraglider out of its normal flight envelope. The purpose of this is to learn more about your wing, how it feels before it stops flying, and how to avoid and recover from a mishap. The course also offers the chance to learn acrobatics.

 

Suffice to say we were all a bit nervous. Arriving above the lake at about 4000ft, and then putting your glider into a full stall/ spin somehow doesn’t feel natural. The calm, experienced and reassuring voice of Tomas Lednik on the radio soon put us at ease and every landing was accompanied by a feeling of elation and surprise that it really wasn’t as bad as we had thought it would be.

 

Many thanks to: 

Flight Culture staff and students for an exhilarating, professional, and supportive learning environment. www.flightculture.co.uk/trips

Airways for providing me with an Ozone Buzz paraglider (DHV1-2) and Woody Valley Peak 2 harness. The equipment performed admirably. www.airways-airsports.com