The reverse launch

Launching facing the wing in a breeze — bring it up and check it where you can see it, turn back the way you came so the risers unwind, then run — and what to do if the wind starts to lift you first.

In this lesson you will

On a breezy morning, forward launches get hard: the wing kicks up fast and you are running before you have had a proper look at it. Facing the wing changes that. You watch every cell fill, fix a problem before it leaves the grass, and launch only when the wing sits quietly over your head.

The price is a turn you must get right every time. Of the four deaths the DHV put down to launch accidents among German pilots in 2018–2022, three were recorded as turning the wrong way after a reverse inflation¹.

When to launch in reverse

As the wind strengthens, the reverse launch takes over from the forward launch². No training body publishes one crossover speed. Ozone says the reverse works in surprisingly light winds, and the BHPA’s post-Club Pilot exercises split reverse practice at 19 km/h12 mph only to organise training²³. Your instructor decides on the day.

In a breeze, facing the wing lets you see it all the way up, step towards it to take energy out, and check it before you commit⁴. On a steep launch, the DHV advises pilots who are not yet confident reverse launchers to launch forward instead⁵.

Standards differ Reverse launches in the syllabus

Common ground: No body sets a single wind speed for switching to the reverse; your instructor does. All teach it on the ground first.

USHPA (USA): P2 tasks include 5 consecutive controlled reverse inflations with surge damping⁶. Every P2 holds at least one launch endorsement; the Foot Launch one adds 2 clean reverse inflations before launch and 2 high-wind launches in 16–24 km/h10–15 mph⁷.
BHPA (UK): The pre-flight check ends with T, turn direction, before a reverse launch⁸. Post-Club Pilot exercises cover reverse inflations and control below 19 km/h12 mph, and inflation, control and deflation above it⁹.
APPI (international): Student ground-handling tasks are done in wind of up to 15 km/h9 mph¹⁰. Before a reverse launch the instructor double-checks the direction of rotation¹.
FAI/CIVL SafePro (international reference): Limits in words only: Stage 2 students fly in light to moderate, smooth winds and take off roughly into wind¹¹.

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

Before you inflate: say your turn

Clip in facing into wind, as for a forward launch, then turn in to face the wing: one complete set of risers passes over your head and the risers cross in front of you¹².

The rule for the way back is the one you say out loud before every reverse launch. Turn back the way you came: you turned in to your left, so your right risers are on top — turn to your right (that shoulder goes back) and the risers unwind. Turned in to your right, everything is mirrored. This is the BHPA’s T check and the DHV’s upper-riser rule, and APPI makes it an instructor check⁵¹. You drilled it in reverse inflation.

Say it again after every abort, because a hurried re-lay is exactly when it gets muddled⁵¹³. If your harness lets you clip in while already facing the wing, the risers must end up crossed exactly as if you had turned in: a Swiss pilot who clipped in that way without crossing them was lifted off facing the trailing edge and could not turn round in the air¹².

Bring it up, control it, check it

This is the reverse inflation you practised on the flat. Build a wall and check the lines, then bring the wing up with your body, knees bent and hips back, stepping towards it as it rises in a breeze⁴¹⁴. As it arrives overhead, let the A-risers go and stop it with the brakes.

Then check it exactly as in the launch sequence: overhead, fully open, level, clean and steady. Facing the wing makes this easy, so use the time. Decide before you turn: never turn round under a wing that isn’t fully inflated and under control¹⁵.

Figure: A reverse launch. Facing the wing, the right risers are on top; the wing comes up and is checked; the pilot turns back to the right, the way they came, and the risers unwind before the run. Lines shortened; the run is seen from the side.

A reverse launch. Facing the wing, the right risers are on top; the wing comes up and is checked; the pilot turns back to the right, the way they came, and the risers unwind before the run. Lines shortened; the run is seen from the side.

Turn the right way

With a checked wing overhead, turn back the way you came, as you said you would. Turn the other way and you add a second half-turn: the risers twist a full turn and the steering is compromised, and pilots who take off twisted often pull the wrong, crossed brake and turn towards the slope¹¹⁶.

Many schools teach the cross-hands grip: each hand already holds the brake it flies with, so nothing changes hands during the turn. With a straight-handed grip you swap brakes as you turn¹⁷. Your instructor’s grip is the one to learn.

Once you face forward, feel for three things: risers straight, each brake on its own side, and the wing still overhead. Then run. Your stop line still applies: if anything is wrong before it, kill the wing and start again¹⁵¹⁸.

Figure: What a wrong turn does. Turned in to the left, this pilot turns left again: the risers wind into a full twist and the brakes cross. Still on the ground? Kill the wing and start again.

What a wrong turn does. Turned in to the left, this pilot turns left again: the risers wind into a full twist and the brakes cross. Still on the ground? Kill the wing and start again.

Then run

Facing forward with straight risers, you are in the forward-launch run: lean into the harness, light brake, eyes ahead, and keep running until you are clearly airborne¹⁹; see the run. In a breeze the wing may take your weight after a few strides. Keep your legs moving and stay forward until you are well clear of the slope²⁰.

The reverse launch

Turn in to face the wing and say your turn direction out loud.
Cue Turned in to your left, so your right risers are on top and you will turn right.
Why Decide it now, not with a wing over your head⁵.
Build a wall and check the lines.
Cue An open leading edge along the span, nothing snagged.
Why A tangle is easy to fix now and dangerous later⁴.
Bring the wing up with your body; in a breeze, step towards it.
Cue A steady pull through the harness, easing as it nears the top.
Why Taking energy out stops it overflying you⁴.
Release the A-risers, stop the wing with the brakes and check it.
Cue Overhead, fully open, level, clean and steady.
Why Never turn under a wing that isn’t ready¹⁵.
Turn back the way you came.
Cue The risers uncross, each brake is on its own side and the wing is still overhead; if not, kill it.
Why The other way leaves you twisted¹.
Run, leaning forward with light brake, until you are clearly airborne.
Cue Your strides lighten, then run on air.
Why Stopping or sitting early drops you onto the slope¹⁹.

Getting light before you turn

In strong wind a reverse inflation can pluck you off your feet before you have turned. The usual chain is a hard pull on the A-risers, an abrupt release, then heavy braking; the cure for each link is in reverse inflation¹⁴.

On launch, the first sign is feeling light while you still face the wing. Add no brake and step towards the wing; don’t dig in your heels¹⁴. If it still pulls harder than you can hold, kill it and stay on the ground (killing the wing).

If your feet do leave the ground while you still face the wing, add no brake: braking is what lifts you¹⁴. What to do next depends on your wing and the site, so your instructor briefs it before any stronger-wind session — and a day when it happens is a day beyond your limit.

Many instructors teach that if it lifts you mid-turn, you finish the turn the way you planned; with cross-hands you already hold the flying brakes¹⁷. Ask your instructor what applies to your grip, and fly the wing away from the slope first²¹. Practise stronger-wind reverses only with your instructor, on flat ground first¹⁴.

Common mistake Turning the wrong way

Symptom: You face into wind, but the risers are wound together and the brakes feel crossed.
Cause: The turn direction was guessed under pressure instead of decided before the inflation.
Fix: Say it before you inflate — turned in to your left, turn right — and stick to it. Twisted on the ground? Kill the wing and start again¹⁶.

Common mistake Turning too early, or running straight after the turn

Symptom: The wing drops to one side or falls back as you turn, and you run under a wing that isn’t flying.
Cause: Rushing the turn, or treating the turn as the point of no return.
Fix: Stop it and check it, then turn; after the turn, feel for straight risers and the wing overhead before you run¹⁵.

Instructor's note Exceptions you will meet

Some harness and riser systems are designed to clip in already facing the wing¹²; make sure the risers are crossed and say your turn just the same. The cobra launch is a specialised reverse method; one school notes it needs steady, strong wind and warns that a cravatte can drag the wing back into the power zone²². And schools disagree about helpers on a windy launch: USHPA’s Foot Launch skill includes briefing a ground crew, while Flybubble argues a helper pins you in place and speeds up the wing²³. Follow your instructor.

Questions students ask

Should I always turn in the same way?

Many pilots build a habit, which helps. But say your turn every time; a habit is not a check⁵.

The wing is up and I’m no longer sure which way to turn. What now?

Don’t guess. If you can’t tell which risers lie on top, kill the wing, check and start again⁵.

Can I launch in reverse in light wind?

Yes, it can work in surprisingly light winds², but you have to give the wing energy yourself. Your instructor will say which suits the day.

What if I find I’m twisted after lift-off?

Stay calm. Stop any turn mainly with weight shift, remembering that crossed brakes may act on the side you don’t expect, look where you are going and fly into open air before you sort it out¹⁶.

Key points

Reverse as the wind strengthens; no single speed decides it, your instructor does.
Say your turn before every reverse launch and after every abort: turned in to your left, right risers on top, turn right.
Bring the wing up with your body, step towards it in a breeze, stop it, check it — then turn.
Turn back the way you came; the other way twists the risers a full turn.
After the turn, feel for straight risers and the wing overhead; anything wrong before your stop line, kill it.
Getting light while facing the wing: no extra brake, step towards it. Can’t hold it? Kill it.

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.