Stall, spin and parachutal stall explained how a wing stops flying. This lesson is about the first seconds when it happens to you: what you feel, what you hear, and what your hands do.
Over-control — stall, spin and parachutal stall — is the second most common first event in paragliding accidents, mostly on the approach and landing1. Seven of 48 German paragliding deaths in 2018–2022 were stalls of one kind or another2. The warnings are your best protection.
Safety-critical Never practise stalls or spins
Stalls, spins and their recovery are practised only on an
Spin
A
The first response is to let the brake up — both brakes — immediately. An accidental spin stopped at once normally costs little height; be ready to damp the surge that follows34. A developed spin is different: releasing it at the wrong moment brings its own dangers, and that is SIV material3. If the wing keeps rotating and you are not back in control within seconds, it is a
Turns are the classic trap. The DHV names a stall in a turn as one of the commonest accident causes; its best prevention is releasing the outside brake as you start the turn, with weight shift3. Never start a turn from minimum speed with the brakes deep6.
Spin onset, first response
Notice one brake getting very heavy, its tip folding back.
Why These warnings come before the stall3.
Let that brake up — both hands up — at once.
Cue The rotation stops; the wing swings forward a little.
Why Stopped at once, an accidental spin costs little height3.
Damp the surge with a brief, symmetric brake as the wing comes forward.
Why Releasing lets the wing speed up and swing ahead47.
Still rotating and out of control? Throw the reserve.
Why See when to throw5.
Parachutal stall
A parachutal stall (deep stall) is easy to miss, because the wing looks open and may seem to have recovered. It has little or no forward speed and descends almost vertically, about 4–5 m/s780–980 ft/min on one EN-A wing. You hear the wind noise fade, the brakes feel soft and mushy, and your vario shows strong sink8.
Figure: The wing looks normal, but the path is almost vertical, the air comes from below, the wind noise fades and the brakes go soft. Switch variants to see what a little held brake does. Sink rate from one EN-A wing’s manual.
Wet, aged or porous fabric, out-of-trim lines, brake lines that are too short and the aftermath of a frontal collapse all make it more likely89; the theory lesson has the full list.
The common first response: release the brakes fully, hands up, which normally lets the wing recover. If it does not, the manuals use the
Parachutal stall, first response
Recognise it — open wing, quiet, soft brakes, strong sink.
Why The wing can look perfectly normal8.
Hands fully up, no brake at all.
Cue The wind noise returns and the wing picks up speed.
Why A few centimetres of brake can hold it in the stall10.
Still stalled? Speed bar or A-risers, only as your manual and instructor teach them.
Why Manuals agree on these tools, not on their order10.
Flying again? Check your airspeed before you use the brakes.
Cue Steady wind noise, firm brakes, forward speed.
Why Braking too soon can stall it again10.
Where the manuals differ
| Manual | If hands up is not enough |
|---|---|
| Ozone | Wait a few seconds, then speed bar or push the A-risers |
| Nova | Speed bar first, then the A-risers |
| Gin, skywalk | Speed bar or the A-risers; never brake (Gin), braking causes a full stall (skywalk) |
| UP | Warns that braking one side in a parachutal stall can start a spin |
One manufacturer’s manual also describes a brake technique. Most sources say never to brake in a parachutal stall: Gin forbids it, skywalk says it causes a full stall at once, and UP warns that braking one side can start a spin11. As a student, your response is hands up and no brake; use the speed bar or A-risers only as your wing’s manual and your instructor teach them10.
Close to the ground
Close to the ground, don’t force it out with the speed bar or A-risers: skywalk and Nova warn that the pitch swing that follows can be worse, and Nova prefers a hard landing in the parachutal stall. Never add brake; sit up and prepare for a
Rain and wet wings
Water on the canopy makes a parachutal stall much more likely, which is why rain is outside the operating limits of the manuals checked; one of the 48 German deaths in 2018–2022 was in rain122. If rain catches you, land as soon as you safely can, avoid anything that raises the angle of attack — big ears, deep brake, tight turns, especially on final — and keep your airspeed up. Sources disagree on the speed bar: Ozone even advises staying accelerated on final with a wet wing, while skywalk’s general rule is never to accelerate near the ground; follow your manual and your instructor12. Better still, do not fly when rain is likely.
Big ears and the brakes
Full stall: SIV material
Pull both brakes too far and the whole wing stops flying and falls back behind you. Release at the wrong moment and it can surge violently forward, even below you; manufacturers say full stalls belong only in supervised safety training and must never be induced otherwise14. That timing is exactly what an SIV course teaches, over water with an instructor15.
What you can do is catch it at the very start. If the brake pressure suddenly drops while the wing is still above you, hands straight up to the pulleys, held there for 2–3 s so the wing can fly again (DHV)16. If the wing has already dropped behind you and you are out of control, you are past the first response: out of control means reserve5.
Standards differ Stalls, spirals and SIV in training
Common ground: Full-stall, spin and spiral recovery belong to SIV or advanced training in the systems checked, and manufacturers say full stalls must be learned only there1417.
- USHPA (USA)
- Recommended P2 limits: avoid pulling either brake more than two thirds of the way from slack to the stall18.
- BHPA (UK)
- The post-Club Pilot syllabus treats B-line stalls and spirals as knowledge exercises, because practising them may not be safe17.
- APPI (international)
- Spirals are taught in APPI’s SIV safety-training certification17.
- FAI/CIVL SafePro (international reference)
- Stage 3 lists a spiral dive only as an option, flown tandem with an instructor17.
Summarised from each body’s published material, which changes over time. Check the current official documents and follow your school.
Common mistake Adding brake in a parachutal stall
- Symptom
- The wing is quiet and sinking; you pull a little brake to feel for it, and nothing changes, or it gets worse.
- Cause
- The habit of braking when something feels wrong.
- Fix
- Hands fully up. A few centimetres of brake can hold the wing in the stall10.
Common mistake Turning from slow flight
- Symptom
- You fly slowly on deep brakes, pull one side to turn, it goes light and the wing rotates.
- Cause
- That side was already close to the stall.
- Fix
- Speed up first, start turns with weight shift and ease the outside brake63.
Instructor's note Train your ears and hands
On every flight, notice the wind noise and brake pressure at trim, so that “quiet and soft” jumps out at you when it happens. A wing that has gone into a parachutal stall is telling you something: tell your instructor, and have its trim and
Questions students ask
Is a spin the same as a spiral dive?
No. In a spin one side is stalled and the wing rotates around it. In a
Will my school wing get stuck in a parachutal stall?
In certification an EN-A wing must leave a parachutal stall by itself within 3 s21. A wet, porous or out-of-trim wing can behave differently, which is why rain and overdue checks matter8.
The wind noise goes quiet whenever I fly slowly. Is that a stall?
Not necessarily. The wind noise fades whenever you slow down, and near the stall the brake pressure rises clearly22. Quiet, soft brakes and strong sink under an open wing is the parachutal warning8.
Key points
- Spin onset: very heavy brake, tip folding back, then suddenly light — let the brake up at once.
- Parachutal stall: open wing but quiet, soft brakes, strong sink and little forward speed.
- First response: hands fully up, no brake; then speed bar or A-risers only as your manual and instructor teach.
- Close to the ground: no bar or A-risers, never brake; sit up and prepare for a PLF.
- Do not fly in rain; with big ears, release gently, one side at a time.
- Full stalls and their recovery are SIV material; out of control means reserve.