Anatomy of a paraglider

Name every part of your wing, trace each line from its riser to the canopy, and see why the openings sit at the front.

In this lesson you will

On your first morning the instructor tips a wing out of its bag, and what lands on the grass looks like a heap of fabric and a tangle of string. By the end of the week you will lay it out in minutes, sort every line and spot a twisted riser at a glance.

That starts with names. Your instructor will say “check your A’s” or "you’ve got a line-over", and you need to know exactly what they mean.

The canopy

The canopy is the fabric part of the wing. It has two skins, the upper surface and the lower surface, joined by fabric ribs that divide it into tubes called cells¹. Current EN-A school wings have between 35 and 50 cells, most often 36 to 40².

The front is the leading edge and the back is the trailing edge. Each wingtip ends in a stabilo, a small panel shaped like a winglet on some wings³. A label sewn to a rib, usually in the centre cell, shows the maker, model, class, weight range and inspection interval⁴. Read it before you fly any wing for the first time.

Figure: The parts of a paraglider, from in front and slightly below. Notice the openings along the leading edge and the rows of lines. Colours here are ours; your wing’s line plan has its own.

The parts of a paraglider, from in front and slightly below. Notice the openings along the leading edge and the rows of lines. Colours here are ours; your wing’s line plan has its own.

Why the openings are at the front

Just under the nose is a row of openings, the air intakes or cell openings. As the wing moves forward, the oncoming air pushes into them and pressurises every cell. That pressure turns a floppy sheet of fabric into a firm wing¹. The openings are at the front because that is where the oncoming air presses into the wing. How the pressurised shape makes lift is in The ram-air wing and lift.

Whatever gets in tends to stay in. Sand, leaves, snow and insects collect inside; sand wears the fabric, and debris at the trailing edge can brake the wing or even stall it. Empty the cells before you pack and before you launch; the openings at the wingtips help⁵.

Inside the wing

Diagonal ribs run from each line attachment point to the neighbouring ribs, spreading the load so the wing needs fewer lines. Holes in the ribs, called cross-ports, let air move between cells, which helps a folded section refill⁶. The leading edge is stiffened with flexible rods of nylon, plastic or nitinol that hold the nose in shape and make inflation easier. Never bend or kink them when you pack⁷; Care, inspection and packing shows how.

Lines: three rows, the brakes and a cascade

The lines hang from the lower surface in rows, from front to back: the A-lines near the leading edge, then the B-lines and the C-lines. Some wings add a few upper D-lines that join the C lines⁸. The brake lines form a separate fan along the trailing edge⁹.

Each row branches like a tree, the cascade. A thicker main line leaves the riser and splits into middle lines, which split again into thin upper (gallery) lines sewn to tabs on the lower surface. Some wings skip the middle level⁸. So a handful of main lines on each riser holds dozens of attachment points.

Most school-wing lines are sheathed: a woven polyester cover protects a core of aramid or Dyneema from sunlight and rubbing⁸¹⁰. They are longer than they look: from your carabiner to the canopy is about 6.6–7.15 m20–25 ft on school wings¹¹, roughly four times your height.

Every maker has its own colour scheme for sorting lines. Nova, for example, uses red A, yellow B and blue C lines, a green stabilo line and orange brake lines¹². The stabilo line runs from the wingtip to the outside of the B riser³. Your manual has a labelled drawing and full line plans for your wing¹³.

Figure: The three rows and the brakes, one at a time. The A, B and C rows each meet on their own riser; the brake lines run through a pulley on the C riser to your hand.

The three rows and the brakes, one at a time. The A, B and C rows each meet on their own riser; the brake lines run through a pulley on the C riser to your hand.

Risers

At the bottom, the main lines of each row are looped onto small screw links called maillons (quick links), held in place by a rubber or plastic insert. Each maillon tops a webbing strap, the riser, and the risers of one side join in a main loop that clips into your harness carabiner¹⁴.

School wings have three main risers per side: the A riser at the front, then B, and C at the rear. The A riser is split: a small outer strap, often called the A’ or baby A, carries only the outermost A line and is used for big ears. So some makers count three risers per side and others four¹⁵. Left and right sets are marked, for example with red and blue stitching¹². Check before every launch that neither set is twisted¹⁴.

Figure: One riser set laid out flat, not to scale. Follow the green brake line through the pulley on the C riser to the handle.

One riser set laid out flat, not to scale. Follow the green brake line through the pulley on the C riser to the handle.

Brake lines

The brake lines carry none of the wing’s load. The thin upper brake lines along the trailing edge join into one main brake line per side, which runs through a pulley or low-friction ring on the C riser to your brake handle. A mark on the main brake line shows where the handle is tied⁹. Some risers have magnets to park the handles¹⁶.

With your hands fully up, the trailing edge is not pulled down at all: makers leave some free travel, about 7–15 cm2.8–5.9 in and most often about 10 cm3.9 in, so check your wing’s manual. Never shorten your brake lines yourself; any change is made symmetrically, in small steps, by a qualified person¹⁷. How the brakes control the wing is in Controls and brake ranges.

The speed system and trimmers

The speed bar is a foot-operated bar under your seat. Its lines run up the harness and clip with small Brummel hooks to pulleys on the risers. When you push it, the A risers shorten most, the B risers less and the C risers not at all. That tilts the wing to a lower angle of attack, so it flies faster¹⁸. On EN-A school wings full bar shortens the A risers by about 11–15.5 cm4.3–6.1 in; your manual gives the figure for your wing¹⁸¹⁹.

It works only through the risers; the brakes’ free travel keeps the trailing edge clean even at full bar¹⁷. Using it is taught in Speed bar and big ears.

Trimmers are riser adjusters that change the hands-off speed without the bar. Free-flight EN-A school wings normally have none. They appear on optional paramotor risers, and the EN-A rating then applies only with the trimmers closed in the slow setting. Open, they make the wing fly faster than its EN-A test setting²⁰.

Trace your lines

Trace the lines on your wing, with your instructor

Hold one riser set with the maillons at the top. Name the C riser at the rear, then B, then the A riser and the small A’ at the front.
Cue The brake line runs through a pulley on the rearmost riser.
Why Your instructor will use these names in every briefing.
Follow one A main line up through the middle lines to the upper lines.
Cue The lines thin at each split and end at tabs near the leading edge.
Why That is the cascade⁸.
Run the brake line from the handle, up through the pulley, to the trailing edge.
Cue It runs freely through the pulley and fans out along the trailing edge.
Why They must run freely before every launch²¹.
Follow the stabilo line from the wingtip to the outside of the B riser.
Cue Its colour differs from the lines around it.
Why Pulling it is one way to clear a cravatte (Part 9)³.
Check that every maillon is screwed shut and that the risers are not twisted.
Cue No lines cross just above the maillons.
Why You check them before every launch¹⁴.

Common mistakes

Common mistake Clipping in with a twisted riser

Symptom: The coloured stitching on a riser set is not where it normally sits, and lines cross just above the maillons.
Cause: The riser set was clipped into the carabiner with a half-turn in it.
Fix: Unclip and clip in again the right way round. Check for it before every launch¹⁴.

Common mistake Adjusting the brakes yourself

Symptom: The wing seems to fly slightly braked even with your hands fully up.
Cause: Brake lines shortened by someone untrained, or shrunk with age; checks have found brake lines up to 11 cm4.3 in shorter than new²².
Fix: Leave the brake setting to a qualified person, and have the wing checked at the intervals in its manual¹⁷.

Myth vs fact

Myth: The brake lines help hold you up.
Fact: The brake lines carry none of the wing’s load. The A, B and C lines carry you⁹.

The brakes only change the shape of the trailing edge.

Instructor's note Names and colours vary

Makers do not agree on names: one manual’s A2 is another’s baby A or A’, and colour schemes differ from brand to brand¹⁵¹². When you change to a different wing, sort its lines with your instructor before you fly it.

Questions students ask

The lines are so thin. Are they really strong enough?

Yes. A sample of each model is load-tested to more than 8 times its maximum flight weight²³. Aramid lines can weaken with use, often with no visible damage, which is why lines are strength-tested at each periodic inspection¹⁰.

Is the thin coloured line at the wingtip a brake line?

No. It is the stabilo line, which runs to the B riser³. The brake lines come down through the pulley on the C riser to the handle⁹.

Do I need to learn line names like A1 or B3?

Not yet. Know the rows and the risers. Manuals number each line on their line plans, and service centres use the numbers when they measure your wing¹³.

Key points

The canopy’s upper and lower surfaces are joined by ribs into cells; the intakes at the leading edge let ram air pressurise it.
Lines hang in rows, A at the front, then B and C, with the brake lines along the trailing edge; each row branches in a cascade.
Each row has its own riser: A at the front (with a split A’ for big ears), B, and C at the rear with the brake pulley.
Brake lines carry no load and run through the pulley on the C riser to the handle. Never shorten them yourself.
The speed bar shortens the A and B risers through pulleys; school wings normally have no trimmers.
Maillons closed, risers untwisted, carabiners locked: check them before every launch.

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.