Problems, strong wind and killing the wing

Sooner or later the wing will come up wrong. On the training field that is a lesson, not a failure. What matters is that you recognise the problem in a second, stop rather than fight it, and can make the wing stop pulling — now, whatever the wind is doing.

USHPA (P2), the BHPA’s post-Club Pilot exercises and SafePro (Stage 4) all deal with being dragged by the wing¹.

When it comes up wrong

The golden rule first: if the wing isn’t right, stop. Don’t try to fix it on the run²; an abort is good airmanship³. Then work out why, so the next inflation is better. The forward-inflation faults are covered in detail in the forward inflation; this is the quick diagnosis for both directions.

Figure: What you see, the usual cause and the fix. When in doubt, stop and lay out again.

One side comes up first

Usually you were off-centre or one A-riser was loaded more than the other, so the wing yaws and you end up chasing the low side⁴. Move your body under the low or lagging side rather than pulling a brake⁵. If it stays skewed, abort and lay out again³.

It overshoots

Too much energy: charging from slack lines, yanking the A-risers, or braking too late at the top⁶⁷. Left alone, an overshooting wing can fold at the front⁸. Pull steadily, then release the A-risers and stop the surge with the brakes⁹. In a reverse in a stronger breeze, step towards the wing as it rises¹⁰.

It hangs back

Not enough energy. In a forward inflation: you stopped moving forward, leaned back, bent at the waist or dropped your hands¹¹¹²⁷. Keep moving, with the pull in your harness, until the wing is overhead. In light wind facing the wing, step back to give it airspeed⁵. If it is lost, bring it down and lay out again.

Tangles, knots and line-overs

Launching with knots or tangles was the leading cause of Swiss launch accidents in 2025¹³. Sort the lines before every inflation¹⁴ and check the wing once it is overhead². If you see a knot, a line-over or a tip caught in the lines, kill the wing, sort the lines from the risers up, and run the whole check again¹⁵.

It bounces and the trailing edge flaps

In a stronger breeze, one school warns, too much brake makes the trailing edge flap and the wing bounce. Ease the brakes up; the same school suggests leaning back a little so the A-risers keep the wing filled. If rotor from an obstacle upwind is shaking it, bring it down and move to cleaner air; Flybubble notes that a step to the side can help¹⁶.

Why strong wind changes everything

The force on the wing grows with the square of the wind speed: twice the wind gives about four times the pull¹⁷. And the wing meets stronger air than you feel. Many schools warn that the wind at head height can be up to about 10 km/h6 mph weaker than the wind a few metres up¹⁸, so the wing can kick hard as it rises into it¹⁹.

The same schools treat more than about 20 km/h12 mph on the ground as strong wind for launching¹⁸. That is already beyond published student limits²⁰²¹, so strong-wind handling is something you learn later, with an instructor beside you.

The dangers

• Being dragged across the ground by a wing you cannot stop¹.
• Being lifted: a burst of lift plucks you off your feet, then drops you²³.
• Dust devils: small, violent whirlwinds on hot, light-wind days; one killed a German pilot who was ground handling²⁴²⁵.
• Rotor: turbulent air downwind of trees, buildings and hills²⁶.

Don’t brace against the wing. Digging in your heels and leaning back hard gives it something to pull against; move towards it instead²³.

If a gust lifts you

Don’t haul on the brakes: heavy brake is what makes the burst of lift²³, and in very strong wind a full brake can make the wing climb and carry you backwards²⁷. Get your feet and knees together, ready to land on your feet and roll; many schools teach the PLF for any landing that is likely to be hard²⁸. Once you are down, kill the wing. Your instructor will brief you on their own first response.

Schools also disagree about helpers on a windy launch. USHPA’s foot-launch skill includes briefing a ground crew, while Flybubble argues that a helper pins you in place and makes the wing accelerate harder²⁹. Follow your instructor.

Killing the wing

Killing the wing means collapsing it on the ground so it stops pulling. It is your main tool for aborts and strong-wind landings, so practise it until it is automatic, including on your instructor’s command³⁰. Which method works best depends on the wind and your wing:

• Light wind: pull both brakes fully and smoothly, staying on your feet, and turn to face the wing and move towards it if there is a breeze³⁰.
• Stronger wind: turn to face the wing and pull both rear risers down firmly and evenly, moving towards the wing if it pulls. In very strong wind, Ozone prefers the C-risers, which collapse the wing quickly with less drag than the brakes³¹.
• One brake: pull one brake in hard and keep it coming, while you turn to face the wing and move round towards it as it swings to that side and falls³². Flybubble’s method is to wrap it: rotate your wrist to loop the line over your hand, and keep wrapping. It calls pulling the line in hand over hand bad advice, because it is hard to do³³. Other schools teach other ways; your instructor will tell you which your school uses.

Figure: Seen from above, wind from the top. Rear risers pulled, the pilot walks towards the falling wing. Other variants show the one-brake method, and a pilot who braces and hauls both brakes and gets dragged. Not to scale.

Common mistakes