The parachute landing fall

When a landing is going to be hard, a PLF (parachute landing fall) spreads the impact along your legs and the side of your body instead of driving it up your spine.

In this lesson you will

Most of your landings will end with a few running steps. Sooner or later one won’t: a flare that came far too high, a wind that switched on final, a field rougher than it looked, or a landing under your reserve. In that moment there is no time to think, only to do what you have practised.

Landing is where most paragliding injuries happen, and the spine is badly exposed¹. The PLF (parachute landing fall) turns a hard arrival into a roll, and every training system in this guide includes it².

Why your spine needs protecting

Arm, leg and spine fractures are the commonest serious injuries in paragliding, and most injuries come from stumbling or losing balance on launch or landing³. A German first-aid series states that more than half of seriously injured paraglider pilots have spinal injuries; it is a paramedic’s summary figure rather than a study⁴. Older research shows the same pattern: in one study, 181 of 218 accidents happened during landing and spinal injuries made up about a third of all injuries, and a Norwegian series of spinal-cord injuries found every pilot had broken the spine where the upper and lower back meet, after landing problems¹.

Landing seated drives the impact straight up your spine. A back protector only reduces the injury when a landing goes wrong; landing seated or on your back is dangerous even with one⁵. Your first protection is standing up early in the landing position. Your second is the PLF.

Myth vs fact

Myth: My harness has a big airbag, so landing seated is safe.
Fact: A protector reduces spinal injury in a bad landing. It does not make a seated landing safe.

Manufacturers say landing seated or on your back is dangerous even with a back protector⁵.

When to PLF

Use a PLF whenever a landing is likely to be hard⁶:

you are landing downwind, or far too fast to run it out;
the wing has dropped you from a flare that came too high, or you flared too late (see too high, too late);
the ground is rough, sloping or unknown;
turbulent or strong thermic air is throwing you around close to the ground⁶;
you are coming down under your reserve (reserve parachute), where you never try to land standing⁷.

Decide early. The moment you know the landing will be hard, get into position while you still have a second or two. On your wing, keep flying it all the way: keep it level and straight, and still flare⁸.

The PLF position

Many schools teach the PLF as it was adapted from paratrooper training⁶:

feet and knees pressed together, knees slightly bent;
the balls of the feet pointing down, leg muscles firm but not locked;
chin tucked to your chest;
elbows in, hands up in front of your face, still holding the brakes or risers.

Each part has a job. Feet and knees together make your legs one strong unit, so a single leg can’t catch and twist on its own. Slightly bent knees let your legs absorb the first part of the impact. A tucked chin keeps your head off the ground as you roll, and tucked elbows stop you reaching out and breaking an arm.

The roll

The idea is to spread the impact over time and over the big muscles along the side of your body. Instead of fighting to stay upright, you let your body twist and roll as you land, so the ground meets you in this order⁶:

the balls of your feet;
the side of your calf;
the side of your thigh;
your hip and buttock;
the side of your back.

This sequence rests on one school’s description of the paratrooper technique, and other schools may teach some details differently. Learn your instructor’s version⁶.

Figure: Slow motion, from the side, moving forward with the wing above the picture: take the position, touch down on the balls of the feet, then go down forwards and onto your side through the five contact points. The inset shows the roll from behind. The other variant shows a seated landing, never to copy.

Slow motion, from the side, moving forward with the wing above the picture: take the position, touch down on the balls of the feet, then go down forwards and onto your side through the five contact points. The inset shows the roll from behind. The other variant shows a seated landing, never to copy.

The PLF, step by step

Decide that the landing will be hard, and get ready early.
Cue You are too fast, dropping from a high flare, downwind or under your reserve.
Why Your body needs a moment to get into position.
Feet and knees together, knees slightly bent, balls of the feet down.
Cue Your legs feel like one firm spring.
Why Both legs take the load together.
Chin tucked, elbows in, hands up.
Cue You see your knees, not the horizon.
Why Your head and arms stay out of the way of the roll.
Touch down on the balls of both feet at once.
Why This is the first of the five contact points.
Let your knees bend and roll along your side, calf, thigh, hip, then back.
Cue A sideways roll, not a thud.
Why The impact spreads out over time and over big muscles.
If the wing or reserve is pulling you, deal with it first; then lie still and check yourself before you get up.
Why You must not be dragged, and after any hard impact you assume a spinal injury until you know otherwise⁹⁴.

Practise on the ground

You learn the PLF on the ground with your instructor, long before you need it. USHPA P2 pilots must demonstrate a proper PLF, SafePro lists it among its first-stage skills, and APPI teaches it with the reserve¹⁰; the BHPA tells pilots to practise PLFs regularly².

Start gently, on soft ground, the way your instructor shows you. Practise rolling to both sides, because you can’t choose which way a hard landing carries you, and keep practising until the position is automatic.

Standards differ The PLF in the syllabus

Common ground: Every system teaches the PLF as an emergency landing skill².

USHPA (USA): P2 pilots demonstrate proper and effective PLF technique¹⁰.
BHPA (UK): Adopt the PLF position under a reserve, and practise PLFs regularly⁹².
APPI (international): Taught in APPI Pilot theory, together with the reserve parachute¹⁰.
FAI/CIVL SafePro (international reference): A proper PLF emergency landing is a Stage 1 skill¹⁰.

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

After a hard landing

If the wing or reserve is pulling you, deal with it first: kill the wing, or get away from it and collapse the reserve, so you are not dragged⁹. Then check yourself before you stand. After any hard impact, assume a spinal injury: if your back hurts, or your legs tingle, feel numb or won’t move, stay still and wait for help; you can stay in your harness⁴. If a friend has had the hard landing, see responding to an accident.

Common mistake Feet apart, one leg first

Symptom: One foot hits the ground first and the ankle or knee twists.
Cause: Reaching for the ground with one leg, or legs apart.
Fix: Feet and knees pressed together, so both legs land as one⁶.

Common mistake Landing seated

Symptom: You hit the ground bottom first and feel the jolt run up your back.
Cause: Sitting back to cushion the landing, or never standing up.
Fix: Stand up early on every final, and PLF if the landing will be hard¹¹⁵.

Common mistake Reaching out with an arm

Symptom: A hand goes down to catch the fall, and the wrist or arm takes the impact.
Cause: Instinct, when the position has not been drilled.
Fix: Elbows in, hands up. Practise until it is automatic⁶.

Instructor's note Upright, or on the back protector?

Sources differ on one edge case. Gin’s school-wing manual says always land upright, never seated, because landing on your back is dangerous even with a protector. The German federation’s 2024 analysis notes that in a fast downwind landing an experienced pilot may judge the back protector the better choice, while warning that in seated landings a lower leg often gets caught under the seat board and breaks¹². For students the answer is simple: stand up early and PLF.

Instructor's note Two faults I watch for

The first is deciding too late: trying to run out a landing that is already lost, then tumbling. The second is a hand going out to catch the ground. Practise the decision as well as the roll: when in doubt, PLF.

Questions students ask

Is the PLF only for reserve landings?

No. Use it for any landing that is likely to be hard, on your wing or under a reserve⁶.

What do I do with the brakes?

Keep flying the wing until you touch down, keeping it straight and still flaring⁸. As you roll, keep your elbows in. Your instructor will show you what to do with the brake handles.

Will practising hurt?

It shouldn’t. Start gently on soft ground with your instructor, and stop if anything hurts.

Key points

PLF whenever a landing will be hard: downwind, far too fast, a high or late flare, rough ground, or under your reserve.
Decide early, and keep flying the wing until you touch down.
Feet and knees together, knees slightly bent, chin tucked, elbows in.
Roll through the balls of the feet, calf, thigh, hip and side of the back.
Never land seated: a protector reduces injury, it does not prevent it.
After a hard impact, check yourself first; if your back hurts or your legs tingle, stay still.

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.