When a paragliding experience over Lake Annecy or anywhere else, you're always amazed by the flight itself, your feet in the air, perched there as if by magic. You soon realise that the pilot's skill is crucial to staying in the air as long as possible, avoiding other pilots, performing aerobatics if necessary and landing smoothly. But before anything else, and even before leaving the ground, a good pilot needs to perform the inflating a paraglider so that it rises above the head and gains speed. And while this phase may seem easy for a beginner, it does require a certain amount of experience and special inflation techniques depending on the weather conditions.
What is paraglider inflation?
With the exception of a specific single-surface construction, a paraglider is made up of an outer fabric surface facing the sky: the upper surface, and a fabric surface facing the ground: the lower surface. These two fabric surfaces are sewn together to form boxes that are open towards the front, the leading edge, allowing air to penetrate inside, and closed at the rear. It's easy to see that with a design like this, all you need to do is create a relative wind in front of the wing so that the boxes inflate and tension the sail to give it its final shape. This is the inflating a paraglider.
What is the maximum wind speed for inflating a paraglider?
To inflate a paraglider, there has to be a relative headwind. This relative wind can be meteorological or artificial.
The weather wind: if the wind or the breeze is blowing over the set, you just need to turn it off.point the sail into the wind on the ground so that the wing inflates effortlessly.
Artificial relative wind: if there is no wind, you have to run with your back to the sail to create an artificial headwind that will inflate the sail in the same way. This is the principle of the kite, well known to children.
All in all, a paraglider can be inflated from 0 km/h to 30 km/h. Above this speed, not only will it be technically difficult and dangerous for the pilot to try to inflate the wing, but the glider will also take off in reverse. And yes, the forward speed of a paraglider in the air mass is of the order of 30 kph. As long as the wind is below this speed, the paraglider flies forward in relation to the ground. If the wind strengthens and exceeds this speed, the paraglider begins to fly backwards in relation to the ground.
In certain cases, you can also take off with a negative wind speed, meaning that the wind comes from behind the take-off zone. This is sometimes the case at the start of the day or at the end of the day when the fresh air suddenly drops in altitude: this is the katabatic breeze phenomenon. You then have to run even faster to compensate for the extra delta in speed. Beyond a few km/h of tailwind it is no longer possible to take off at all.
Inflating the back of the glider, the basic exercise of the introductory course
The inflating the back of the sail is the first fundamental step for every paragliding apprentice. This inflation technique is learnt progressively on flat ground with a gentle slope, under the supervision of an experienced instructor. This type of inflation is one of the classic slope training exercises in introductory course.
The learning process starts with simple exercises: positioning your body correctly, getting to grips with the controls and timing the glider over your head. Beginners start by practising with light winds of 5 to 10 km/h, or even no wind at all, to get a better feel for how their wing reacts and to learn how to re-centre themselves correctly without letting it pass them by.
A regular practice will enable you to develop the essential automatisms: reading the terrain, analysing the conditions, positioning the wing and coordinating your movements. These skills will be invaluable for future take-offs in the mountains or on official sites.
Inflating facing the canopy, facing take-off
When the wind on the runway exceeds 10 km/h, it is possible to switch to the face-sail inflation technique.
This method of inflation involves turning over in front of the glider and twisting the lines half way round.
Rather than running up the slope, simply put a little tension on the front risers so that the leading edge catches the wind and the cells inflate. It's important to keep the brakes in your hands in case you need to collapse the wing. The force exerted on the front risers must be proportioned according to the strength of the wind and the desired effect. A light action will allow a pre-inflation with the wing taking its final shape and falling back to the ground ready to fly, whereas a stronger action will cause the wing to take off directly.
The glider will then gain speed and will have to be stopped vertically above the pilot, otherwise it will fly past and enter a frontal collapse. So it's important to use the right timing to get the glider in the right place.
Once the glider is stabilised overhead, the pilot starts the crucial phase of the turnaround. The brakes remain in the hands while the body rotates 180 degrees to face the slope. This rotation is carried out gently to maintain the wing's balance. Before performing this manoeuvre on a real take-off, it is essential to practise with your glider on the ground on a training slope so that the turn becomes instinctive. Particular attention must be paid to the direction of the turn, because while pivoting the pilot to the correct side frees the risers and eliminates the half-twist, the opposite is true if you turn in the wrong direction, with the risk of a full twist on exit.
The success of this manoeuvre against the sail rests on three essential points:
- Precise timing
- A centred position under the sail
- Anticipating the flight path
This stage requires coordination and a good feel for the terrain to follow naturally with the run-up and take-off.
The window sill technique when the wind speed is high: the cobra
The cobra inflation is a solution for sustained wind conditions. This method involves positioning the wing perpendicular to the wind, starting by raising the stabilisers. The wing then gradually unfurls from the ground to the sky in the area with the least power. Once it is fully inflated and vertical, simply slide the glider over your head.
The major advantage of this cobra inflation lies in the significant reduction in traction exerted on the pilot that occurs in front of the canopy. The canopy rises progressively from the extremities, allowing optimum control even in gusts exceeding 25 km/h.
The precise movements of the pilot play a decisive role: a slight pull on the front riser on the windward side initiates inflation, while the other hand remains ready to delay. This approach ensures that the wing rises in a controlled manner, considerably reducing the risk of tearing off.
Where can I train to inflate?
To work on your inflation exercises You can use a school slope in your area or a landing with an area dedicated to inflatable games. You can also use other landings when unfavourable weather conditions prevent any pilots from taking off in the area.
Our advice:
The inflation phase is a crucial moment before taking to the skies. It's important to practise regularly in a safe environment so that you're confident during a real launch, whatever the wind conditions. With your back to the canopy, your front to the canopy or even a cobra, you should be able to manage the inflation of your canopy without being ripped off, with a stabilised canopy above your head.
