Setting up and the pre-flight check

Lay the wing out in an arc, sort the lines, clip in in the right order and run a full pre-flight check — every time, without interruptions.

In this lesson you will

On your first morning at the training hill, laying out and checking the wing can feel like the dull part before the fun starts. It isn’t. Knots in the lines, open leg straps and wrongly clipped risers keep turning up in accident reports¹. A careful check, the same way every time, catches them before they matter.

Lay out the wing

Lay the wing on its top surface in an arc, a crescent. The centre of the leading edge is furthest from you (highest on the slope) and the tips curve slightly towards you. The centre lines then come tight first, the centre cells fill first, and the tips don’t rise ahead of the middle².

Line the centre of the wing up with the wind and stand in the middle, facing directly into wind. Stand off-centre and the wing comes up unevenly and swings to one side, and you end up chasing the low side³.

Open the leading edge so the cell openings are clear, and empty out anything inside: sand, stones, leaves, snow or insects. Debris that collects at the trailing edge can brake or even stall the wing⁴. While the wing is spread out, look over the fabric, leading edge, lines, risers and seams, and check that it is dry. Never launch with a defect, even a small one; show it to your instructor⁵ (care, inspection and packing).

Figure: A forward-launch layout seen from above, with the wind coming from the top of the page. Notice the arc (centre furthest from the pilot), the open leading edge, and the pilot standing in the middle, facing into wind. Lines shortened to fit.

A forward-launch layout seen from above, with the wind coming from the top of the page. Notice the arc (centre furthest from the pilot), the open leading edge, and the pilot standing in the middle, facing into wind. Lines shortened to fit.

Sort the lines

Sorting the lines means making sure every line runs free from its riser to the canopy: no knots, no twists and nothing caught under the wing, with the A-lines lying on top and each brake line running freely from its handle through its pulley⁶.

In light wind take extra care, because a tangle is less likely to show itself during the inflation⁶. The German federation adds that a forward launch needs an especially thorough line check, because a glance at the wing after a forward inflation usually cannot reveal knots⁷.

Colours help: lines and risers are colour-coded, often with red A-lines, but every maker has its own scheme, so learn your wing’s from its manual⁸. Schools sort in different orders too; one manufacturer clears the brake lines first and the A-lines last, so that they end up on top⁶. Your instructor’s order takes precedence.

Sorting the lines

Separate the left and right risers and lay each set out on its own side.
Cue The left and right riser marks are on the correct sides, and no riser crosses another.
Why A riser set that starts crossed or twisted crosses its lines all the way to the wing.
Lift the A-lines and follow them from the front riser to the leading edge.
Cue They run clean and lie on top of the other lines⁶.
Why The A-lines bring the wing up, so a tangle there spoils the whole inflation.
Trace each brake line from its handle through the pulley on the rear riser to the trailing edge⁹.
Cue Nothing is wrapped round the riser or caught in other lines.
Why You must be able to steer the moment the wing is up.
Check the B-lines, C-lines and stabilo line, then look along the whole span.
Cue No knots, twigs or twists, and no line looped over the top of the canopy.
Why One Swiss launch accident followed a check of only the A-lines and brakes, which missed a big tangle between the B- and C-lines¹⁰.

Figure: Sorting one side of the lines, seen from above. Each colour group runs from its own riser to its own row, with the A-lines on top. Colours vary by maker; lines shortened.

Sorting one side of the lines, seen from above. Each colour group runs from its own riser to its own row, with the A-lines on top. Colours vary by maker; lines shortened.

Clip in: leg straps first

Put your helmet on and fasten it before you clip in to the wing¹¹. Then close the harness in a fixed order: leg straps first, then the chest strap, and undo them in the reverse order. The BHPA recommends this because an unexpected inflation with only the chest strap done up can drag you over by the throat¹².

Give every buckle a “pull apart and wiggle” check, because quick-release buckles can wear, corrode or be faulty¹³. Some harnesses link the leg straps to the chest strap, so that one cannot be closed without the other or an open harness lifts away as the wing rises. These systems reduce the risk, but they do not replace your check¹⁴.

Clip the risers in without twists, with the carabiners fully closed and locked, the maillons tight and the speed bar connected¹⁵¹⁶. Check the reserve too: container closed, pins in place, handle secure and within reach, and no bridle showing¹⁷. Take the brake handles last: left handle in your left hand, right in your right, each brake line running straight from its pulley and not wrapped round a riser¹⁸⁶.

Figure: A correctly connected pilot, seen from the front as a buddy or instructor sees them. Notice each item you check by hand. In a front view, the pilot’s left is on your right.

A correctly connected pilot, seen from the front as a buddy or instructor sees them. Notice each item you check by hand. In a front view, the pilot’s left is on your right.

The pre-flight check

Just before you inflate, run a structured pre-flight check. Every training body and manufacturer teaches one, but the memory aid and the order differ¹⁹. The content is the same everywhere: you, your connections, lines and brakes, the wing, the wind, and a clear launch and airspace²⁰. Learn your school’s version by heart and use it every time.

Standards differ Pre-flight check memory aids

Common ground: Every version covers you, your connections, the lines and brakes, the wing, the wind and a clear launch. Manufacturers’ five-point checks list pilot, risers and lines, wing, wind and airspace²⁰. SafePro, the international reference, lists connections, conditions, visualising the run and a clear area²¹. Use the check your school teaches.

USHPA (USA): No published memory aid. P1 and P2 pilots must lay out and pre-flight the wing and make a connection check (properly connected, lines and risers clear) before every inflation²²¹⁵.
BHPA (UK): ‘Will Geordie Have His Cat Aboard (Today)’: Wind and weather, Glider, Helmet, Harness (both leg straps, chest strap, both maillons or carabiners, plus speed system and reserve), Controls, All clear, and Turn direction before a reverse launch. Mandatory before every launch, and restarted if interrupted¹⁸²³.
APPI (international): B.E.S.A.F.E.: Buckles (leg, waist and chest straps, helmet, carabiners); Equipment (reserve, wing, lines, brakes, speed bar, radio); Stop line (visualise your limits and technique); Airflow (wind direction, strength, cycles); Free airspace and runway; and Enjoy your flight²⁴.

Summarised from each body’s published material, which changes over time. Check the current official documents and follow your school.

The last things you check, just before you inflate, are your radio if your school uses one²⁵, the wind (strength, direction and cycles, inside your limits), and a clear launch area and airspace in front, above and below²⁰²⁴.

If anything interrupts you, start again from the beginning²⁶. The same goes after every aborted launch. Accident analyses describe a recurring chain: a launch is aborted, conditions change, the hurried pilot skips or shortens the second check, and the next launch goes with an open leg strap or a knot²⁷.

Distractions and the buddy check

Many missed checks start with a distraction: other pilots chatting, passers-by asking questions, someone filming²⁸. In a few months of 2023 the German federation (DHV) received four reports of accidents with unclosed harness buckles, three of them after a distraction, and pilots have died falling out of their harness minutes after launch²⁹.

So let nothing and no one interrupt your preparation. In a group, add a buddy check: another pilot looks over your straps, connections and lines, and you look over theirs. In 2024 two buddy checks caught serious errors, an open leg strap and a riser clipped to the speed bar. But a buddy check supports your own check; it never replaces it²⁸.

Your last line of defence comes during the inflation: if the harness rides unusually far up your body as the wing rises, your leg straps are open, so abort at once³⁰ (aborts and launch accidents).

Common mistake Picking up the check where you left off

Symptom: After a chat or an aborted launch you carry on with the check, but you cannot be sure the leg straps were done.
Cause: The interruption broke the sequence, and items get skipped without you noticing²⁸.
Fix: After any interruption or abort, start again from the very first item²⁶.

Common mistake Laying out flat or off-centre

Symptom: One tip comes up first, the wing swings to one side and you chase it across the hill.
Cause: No arc in the layout, or you stood off-centre or not facing into wind²³.
Fix: Lay out in an arc with the centre furthest from you, line the centre up with the wind and stand in the middle.

Common mistake Checking buckles by eye only

Symptom: A buckle looks closed but has not engaged, or a strap is threaded wrongly.
Cause: A quick glance, often while talking.
Fix: Touch every buckle, pull it apart and wiggle it¹³. On a harness with a leg cover, check the hidden buckles by hand³¹.

Instructor's note Learn one check and use it every time

Schools teach different memory aids, and some students try to combine two. Don’t: learn your school’s version, run it the same way every time, and touch each item as you check it. If you change school or fly abroad, learn the new version properly rather than mixing them.

Questions students ask

Do I really have to start again just because someone said hello?

Yes. Distraction is a main reason checks get missed, and an interrupted check is a classic way to launch with an open strap²⁸.

My harness links the leg and chest straps. Do I still need to check the leg straps?

Yes. These systems reduce the risk of launching with open straps, but they do not replace your check¹⁴.

Which memory aid should I learn?

The one your school teaches. They all cover the same items; what matters is using one consistently¹⁹.

Key points

Lay out in an arc, centred into wind, with the leading edge open; stand in the middle, facing into wind.
Sort every line group from riser to canopy and look along the whole span, not just the A-lines and brakes.
Helmet on before clipping in; leg straps before the chest strap; pull and wiggle every buckle.
Risers untwisted, carabiners closed and locked, speed bar connected, reserve handle secure.
Run your school’s check every time, and after any interruption or aborted launch start again from the top.
Use a buddy check in a group, but never instead of your own.

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.