Avoid this #1 DANGEROUS MISTAKE when landing your paraglider!

#paraglidercrash #paragliderlanding #paraglidingsafety

For a more in-depth lesson about risk management, watch HOW TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT on

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[emmawrathall]

Hi, I’ve seen lots of pilots using this butterfly technique and when ive questioned them about it they all reply ‘yes, we use it but it’s not something we advise’. Can’t wait to see your video on it as I feel it may be useful.

[sandrainthesky]

I learned to figure 8 until the target is almost behind you for a brief moment, wide then narrower, and lean into it. It gets to be like riding a bike after a while. Can't wait for the next one Greg!

[ChrisNoye]

Good video although I feel more of a caveat is needed with this advice because for most pilots its many months to years before they get control and understanding of height loss due to the sharp turns, pendulum control as a result of sharp turns and stall point feel (butterfly). Many new pilots will be watching this channel and thinking I can just do Sharp 270' loopbacks (not thinking of extra height loss and pendulum stability control required) or with butterfly technique (Not understanding or knowing the feel of the stalling point of their glider).

The maneuvers being recommended are good but don't learn in the heat of the moment on your first out-landing, teach yourself at your local LZ/flying site with lots of room (and height) to learn just pick a point early into a big field and pretend that it's a small landing area and set yourself a goal to land before that virtual point.

Learn butterfly (and stall point) at the coast low over soft sand (or even better SIV Training) and understand the effect different conditions have on your wings stall point.

Great Video and explains things well.

[LaszloMegyeri]

Some years ago I set in for landing on a nice and large field. High voltage lines at the end. On 20m from ground I got a decent lift, hazard of hitting the line. Quickly pulled big ears to correct back on field. On the last meters you can release the ears to land soft.

[henrybartlett]

I’ve done exactly the same thing. Not testing sink and being too non comital on those approach turns to confirm your decent rate. A very apt reminder.

[frazerwilson]

You start with the question, "What do you do if you overshoot your landing field?", and provide some excellent, proven remedies - thank you Greg ... and James for the self-exposé ; ) Equally useful (IMHO) would be an addendum or sister video on pre-empting the many reasons why we might overshoot - it's not always last minute, lifty bubbles, especially in a small LZ with obstacles and trees around. We often line up for a landing, visualising what a perfect approach might look like, and when we pull it off, we mentally pat ourselves on the back - but this can blind us to other lurking gremlins that sometimes come out to play. My "favourite" overshoot cock-up, repeated more than once, includes late afternoon alpine valley landings, when the "bulk" of the valley wind is still being drawn 'upstream' by higher anabatic flow, but shadows have started to fall on some of the lower slopes, cooling the air to produce an early katabatic flow below or within the tree line. Result: you line up a nice into (valley) wind approach and get to 10-15m off the ground, only to find yourself accelerating forwards with extra 10+kph in this 'surface' or low level flow, already draining out of the valley. It's sometimes hard to spot this, especially if no-one has landed just ahead of you or there are no windsocks or rustling leaves. Thoughts?

[paraglidingflyer]

Greg, thx for your continued series. Important stuff you’re sharing with us.

[lkjxb]

Your background is our lake at home. Chrigel had to land there during the last XALPS, in the green slope left of your head. Quite fitting for the video

[CuttinChris]

From my limited AFF skydiving landing with downwind and finals I am glad that My thoughts were the exact same watching this footage

[peterphil]

Stress of running out of landing strip can have unwanted side effect of the inexperienced pilot suddenly increasing butterfly cadence with disastrous or backbreaking result. I like your deep slow n steady cadence.

[Nordi]

But one thing, butterfly approach can be very risky. If there is a wind gradient near the ground, you will crash and get injured. So try to avoid this and do the correct landing approach.

[drasimahassan]

This is such an important video bec it just explains safe landing in an easy way. Been through unsafe overshooting and crashing as a beginner. Before attempting paragliding independently one needs to know safety margins in landing. Glad found your videos 🙌

[dewibermingham]

Cheers Greg, this isn't just paragliders, hang gliders and even sailplanes can learn from this video! 🤞

[kenwilkinson]

Great video Greg, and the points are well made. I kept squirming in my chair! Loop back!!!
Not sure about landing in a river bed tho, unless you can see its pretty sandy, and you dont have to wade through deep water!

Good to see you last week!

[sonnyburnside]

With me been a skydiver we got told to loop my s turns to always keep the landing upwind of you, I was watching and screaming at him to turn back on himself super gud tip, and I finally got to use the butterfly technique excellent to spot landing great video

[LevelUpGuy]

This HAS to be the BEST possible way to explain landing approaches (or most other aspects of flying!)
This IS BRILLIANT!
I always thought about - WHY this isn't the most common way to teach vs using whiteboards or gestures to explain the concepts!
We do have LOADS of footage (good AND bad) to do most of it in such slick manner - as you do in most of your videos & especially so in this series.

Cheers!!

[xistsixt]

We call it something like downfigure8ing not S-inng (abachteln) in German. It is imo more accurate description, as you explain to holding the line before final approach.
Great video as always Greg 👍👍🍀

[adamedgar]

Nice Video Greg, love watching these...they are good learning tools and even better how to reminders for advanced pilots. It's interesting how one of the most fundamental mistakes pilots make is a failure to commit. This pilot failed simply because nothing he did involved commitment and actions based on that commitment.

Everything he did was way too tentative, he did not comitt to any of his turns, height loss requirements, the final result was being bitten and failure.

i am not a paragliding instructor, however I am a trained school teacher and success I believe has a direct correlation with commitment.

[David]

Very helpful no matter if its paramotor foot launchers or wheels it's about flying the wing, thanks man.

[tennesseecaldelari]

Nice video as always!!!! what about "big" ears for losing some altitude and release few meters before touch?
Thanks for helping us fly better!