All paragliding topics

67 free lessons, from ground handling to your first solo flight.

Part 0: Start here

How this guide and the simulator work, what training looks like, and the mindset that keeps pilots safe.

• How to use this guide and the simulator
• What paragliding training looks like
• The safety mindset

Part 1: Your equipment

The wing, harness, reserve and personal kit — what every part does and how to look after it.

• Anatomy of a paraglider
• Wing certification and sizing
• The harness
• The reserve parachute
• Personal kit
• Care, inspection and packing
• Choosing your first wing
• Choosing your harness, reserve and helmet

Part 2: How a paraglider flies

Lift, glide, wind, the polar curve, controls, turns, pendulum effects, stalls and spins.

• The ram-air wing and lift
• Forces, glide and stability
• Airspeed, groundspeed and wind
• The polar curve and speed-to-fly
• Controls and brake ranges
• Turns and load factor
• Pitch and roll — surge, dive and the pendulum
• Stall, spin and parachutal stall

Part 3: Weather and air

Reading the wind on site, gradient, turbulence, ridge lift, thermals, clouds, local winds and forecasts.

• Reading the wind
• The wind gradient
• Rotor, venturi and compression
• Ridge lift
• The atmosphere and stability
• Thermals
• Clouds and weather hazards
• Local winds
• Forecasts and the go/no-go decision

Part 4: Ground handling

Laying out, the pre-flight check, forward and reverse inflation, kiting, and handling the wing in wind.

• Setting up and the pre-flight check
• Forward inflation
• Reverse inflation
• Kiting
• Problems, strong wind and killing the wing

Part 5: Launching

Assessing the launch, the launch sequence, forward and reverse launches, and aborting safely.

• Assessing the launch
• The launch sequence
• The forward launch
• The reverse launch
• Aborts and launch accidents

Part 6: Flying the wing

Straight flight, turns, active flying, speed bar and big ears, airmanship, ridge soaring and first thermals.

• Straight flight and speed control
• Turning: look, lean, pull
• Active flying
• Speed bar and big ears
• Airmanship and the glide cone
• Ridge soaring
• First thermals

Part 7: Landing

Choosing the field, flying the approach, the final glide and flare, the PLF, and difficult landings.

• Assessing the landing field
• The landing approach
• Final approach and the flare
• The parachute landing fall
• Difficult landings

Part 8: Rules of the air

Right of way, airspace and the law in different regions, and site etiquette.

• Right of way
• Airspace and the law
• Site etiquette

Part 9: Emergencies and incidents

Awareness of collapses, stalls, the reserve, unplanned landings and accident response. Manoeuvre training is done with an instructor.

• Priorities and the reserve
• Asymmetric collapse
• Frontal collapse, cravatte and line twists
• Stall and parachutal stall
• Blown back and cloud suck
• Trees, water and power lines
• Responding to an accident

Part 10: Decisions and human factors

Go/no-go judgement, personal minimums, hazardous attitudes, accident lessons and staying current.

• Go/no-go and personal minimums
• Hazardous attitudes and human factors
• Accidents, currency and the logbook

Part 11: From student to pilot

How training progresses, radio procedures, the ratings compared, and your first flights as a rated pilot.

• Training progression, day by day
• Radio procedures
• The ratings compared
• Your first flights as a rated pilot

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.