Active flying

Feel the wing through the brakes, damp pitch with well-timed brake, keep it overhead in roll with your body, and catch a softening wing early, using as little input as the air needs.

In this lesson you will

Your first flight in moving air feels busy. The wing nods forward, tugs back, and one side goes soft for a moment. The instinct is to grab the brakes and hold them down. Don’t. Active flying is a conversation: the wing tells you through the brakes what the air is doing, and you answer with small, well-timed inputs.

Collapses are by far the most common first event in paragliding accidents. Over-control (stall, spin, parachutal stall) comes second¹. Active flying sits between the two: enough input to keep the wing open and overhead, never so much that you stall it.

Feel the wing through the brakes

In moving air, keep a light, constant contact on both brakes: about the weight of your arms in one manual, about 20 cm7.9 in of brake in another². On that second wing, 20 cm7.9 in is already its minimum-sink setting³; in smooth air, hands up, just feeling the lines, is enough. Hands fully up with slack lines feel little; hands held deep feel everything as heavy. The brake pressure is the message.

You feel	What to do
Pressure goes light; the wing moves ahead	It is pitching forward: brake briefly⁴
Pressure rises; you swing forward under it	It is dropping back: let the brakes up⁴
One side goes soft	Apply that brake promptly; release as pressure returns²
Heavy brakes, fading wind noise	Close to the stall: ease up⁵
Heavy, then suddenly light	The wing has stalled: hands straight up at once⁵

You feel the air through the harness too: one side of the seat lifts or drops, or you go light, then heavy. Brake pressure and what comes before a stall have more.

Pitch: keep the wing overhead

If the wing pitches forward (surges), brake briefly to slow it. If it drops behind you, for example as you fly into a thermal, let the brakes up so it can speed up, and be ready for the surge that follows⁴.

Timing matters more than strength. Brake as the wing starts forward, and release as it comes back overhead; held longer, the brake pushes it behind you and starts the next swing. Timing the damping input explains the pendulum.

Figure: The same bumps flown twice. Dashed, hands quiet: the wing swings well ahead and behind. Solid, flying actively: let it fly as it drops back, brake as it comes forward, release as it returns overhead.

The same bumps flown twice. Dashed, hands quiet: the wing swings well ahead and behind. Solid, flying actively: let it fly as it drops back, brake as it comes forward, release as it returns overhead.

Figure: A surge damped in one small swing. Watch the brake trace against the wing’s position.

A surge damped in one small swing. Watch the brake trace against the wing’s position.

Roll: stay centred, steer with your body

The pendulum also swings sideways, in roll. Sit relaxed and centred; many instructors find a stiff or twisting body feeds the swing. Small, early inputs against a swing, released as the wing comes back over you, keep it overhead².

If the air pushes the wing into a turn, hold your heading with weight shift away from the turn and a little brake on the side away from it⁶. A wider chest strap gives more feedback and easier weight shift, but makes it easier to fall towards a collapsed side⁷.

Anticipating collapses

Expect rough air at the edges of thermals, in sink, in the lee of hills and close to the slope; stay out of the lee altogether. Rotor and turbulence explains why. Nearly all UK fatal accidents involve flying in turbulent or thermic air and suffering a collapse⁸. Before you get there: a light contact, the speed bar off⁹, and plenty of room from the terrain¹⁰.

The warnings are a wing surging ahead and pressure going soft. Catch them early: brake promptly on the soft side, then release as soon as normal pressure returns². Once a side has actually collapsed, the job changes. The wing turns towards the collapsed side, so you stop the turn with weight shift away from it and brake on the open side¹¹.

Active flying makes collapses rarer; it does not stop them all. Every wing collapses eventually¹². Asymmetric collapse covers the full response.

Safety-critical Fly the wing first

If part of the wing collapses or it turns unexpectedly, stop the turn, look where you are going and fly away from the ground and other pilots. Only then deal with the cause. Pilots who fixate on the problem miss the wing turning back towards the hill⁶. Do not over-brake the open side: a part-collapsed wing stalls more easily¹¹.

How much, how little

Too little, too late, and a surge runs far ahead of you. A wing far in front meets the air at a low angle of attack, which makes a collapse more likely¹³¹⁴.

Too much is just as bad. Holding deep brake in rough air takes you towards the stall zone⁵. Late, oversized inputs feed the swing instead of damping it, a pilot-induced oscillation (when your inputs make it worse). Manuals warn against over-reacting².

On a school wing most small movements need nothing from you. Class A wings are built for maximum passive safety and very forgiving behaviour¹⁵. Many instructors sum it up as “as little as possible, as much as necessary”.

Flying actively through a bump

Keep a light contact on both brakes.
Cue About the weight of your arms.
Why You feel pressure changes early².
As the wing drops back and the pressure rises, let the brakes up.
Cue You swing forward under the wing.
Why It needs speed to come back overhead⁴.
As it starts forward and the pressure goes light, brake smoothly and briefly.
Cue The surge stops not far in front of you.
Why A well-timed input stops the swing early⁴.
Release as it comes back overhead.
Cue Normal pressure; the wing settles above you.
Why Holding on pushes it behind you again.
If one side goes soft, brake it promptly, then let it up.
Cue The pressure returns.
Why You restore that side before it collapses².
Then quiet hands again.
Cue The wing stays put; nothing to do.

Common mistake Pumping the swing

Symptom: Each surge is bigger than the last.
Cause: Inputs half a swing late, braking as the wing falls back and releasing as it comes forward.
Fix: Stop, go back to a light contact and let the wing settle, then try smaller, earlier inputs⁴.

Common mistake The death grip

Symptom: The wing feels slow and mushy, the brakes heavy, and it surges hard when you finally let go.
Cause: Holding brake on through the bumps, out of nervousness.
Fix: Release as soon as the wing is back overhead, and keep normal flying in the upper brake range⁵.

Common mistake Fighting every movement

Symptom: Busy hands, a rocking wing and a tiring flight.
Cause: Reacting to small movements a school wing would settle by itself.
Fix: Keep the contact, and act only on clear surges, soft sides or swings¹⁵.

Instructor's note Learn the timing with height

Pitch exercises are flown when your instructor sets them up, with plenty of height⁴. SafePro suggests basic elements of an SIV course at this stage, where a site and instructor are available¹⁶.

Instructor's note A bumpy final: hands up or a touch of brake?

Manufacturers differ. Nova suggests about 20% of brake travel through a turbulent approach, for feel; Ozone keeps trim speed but flies actively all the way down¹⁷. Both say never fly the approach slowly. Follow your instructor’s briefing.

Questions students ask

Do I need to fly actively in smooth air?

Hands up, just feeling the lines; there is little to do. A school wing settles small swings by itself¹⁵.

Is doing nothing better than doing the wrong thing?

For small movements, usually yes; over-reacting is a bigger danger². But do catch clear surges and soft sides.

Will active flying stop every collapse?

No. It makes them rarer, but every wing collapses eventually¹². That is why you also learn the first response.

Key points

Keep a light, constant contact; the brake pressure is your main instrument.
Wing ahead, pressure light: brake briefly. Wing behind, pressure heavy: let it fly.
Brake as it starts forward, release as it returns overhead. Timing beats strength.
Roll: stay relaxed and centred; small inputs, weight shift away from any turn.
Expect rough air at thermal edges, sink, lee and near the slope; bar off, room to spare.
If it collapses, fly the wing first. As little input as possible, as much as necessary.

Ground to Solo is a study aid. Paragliding is learned in person with a qualified instructor at a recognised school; nothing here certifies you to fly.