Théo de Blic's Tutorial - Basic Ground Handling : Cobra Launch/Throw&Go/Kiting... - Paragliding

Théo de Blic's tutorials is a free web serie where I give a few usefull tips on various aspect of paragliding. The tips I give are coming from an already long career as a professional pilot in acro paragliding.

In today's episode I will talk about basic ground handling technics and exercises. Ground handling is one of the most important aspect of paragliding and it's of the utmost importance to train it and to master it in order to fly safe. Unfortunately it's rarely done and many pilots lack a lot of ground control. Most of time because they feel it un uninteresting to ground handle. In this tutorial I am trying to give you a fun way to train ground handling through fun exercises that will both increase your ground handling skills and your general ground control.
Of course it is hard to give all the advices I'd like to give in such a small format. I would have liked to talked further about killing the wing, how not to get dragged etc but this will be for another video.
Due to some technical issue my sound recording system failed, therefore sometimes there are some wind noises and voice over. I apologize in advance for that!

Pilot : Théo de BLIC
Wing : Mentor7-LIGHT S
Camera : BimagineFilms - Augustin Binet

00:05 Intro
00:59 Basic notions
03:50 Cobra Launch
05:29 Sideway kiting
07:03 Precision kiting
09:14 Kiting
12:06 Moving along with inflations
14:20 Step and go
15:43 Throw and go
18:05 Conclusion

[jonathancallewaert]

Really nice to see that one of the best acro pilots is also making basic ground handling videos like this. Thanks, Théo 🙏

[cumuluslibre]

Groundhandling is awesome.. love it even after 15 years.

[Geoff-sp]

Thank you for sharing. Bravo! I enjoyed watching while in office at work 😜

[neerajkulkarni]

More tutorials like this please. This is awesome.

[diggingaussiedirt]

Thanks Theo ❤ I love your content. It’s helping a lot 😊

[gekill]

당신은 정말 기술적인면도 쉽게 이해할수 있게 말해주지만 이번엔 정말 우리가 배워야할 효율적인 글라이더 운영법을 알려주네요. 고맙습니다.

[insaninsano]

the video is perfect, thank u a lot
I just finished the paragliding course, it took me a few days, I learned very little because most schools here teach the towing method, I'll try to learn on my own because I can't afford to spend more money thx again from poland

[MaEtUgR]

I definitely learned multiple things from this video. Can't wait to try out how it helps me in practise. You never stop learn- I mean groundhandling 😉

[huepix]

I enjoy groundhandling.
I sometimes take the wing for a walk between trees, down the beach etc. Lean forward until my nose is nearly touching the ground, then brake to haul myself up.

[Affenrotze]

Theo‘s first tutorial where even I can say that some of the maneuvers are „that easy“. 😄

[markmcgoveran]

You make it look so easy I'm not sure you're from the same planet I am.lol (). Thanks for mentioning the difference between the large wing in the small weighing in the long lines in the short lines when you do these techniques. I'm flying heavy on and epsilon 9 on the biggest size they got and it would be very hard to throw that Wing hard enough to have it all puff up and catch wind like it should. It looks like a circus tent flying over you.

[ulfmarten]

Thx for these valuable tips- Groundhandling IS fun, now I have learnt some more to test!!

[WalidOfNow]

Thanks Theo! I have been waiting for you to release a ground handling video and you definitely made a good!

[TheGeordietheWitchandtheWench]

I have 20 years of kite surfing, ran my own school for a few years :-) I also sail and fly RC soaring wings from the nearby ridge. It is very expensive here in Australia to get training, license and insurance. I just want to fly some small sand dunes. IF i take my time, and do lots of ground training in light wind days, what is my chances of survival? 🙂 I really fancy the 18 or 22 Moustache or the Flow Mullet kite... thanks for your inspiring video!!!

[huepix]

The video producer in me needs two cameras so you can cut from mid shot, (showing hands on risers etc), to wide shot (showing the whole wing so we can see what's happening), and better sound.
A lapel mic with radio transmitter costs a bit I guess, or you could do the voice over in post (as you did near the end).
But I'm still grateful for the free advice and encouragement.

[ujindaddy]

Thanks for the great tips you mentioned. You influence me a lot these days.😊

[joshuaclark]

I think the Mentor 7 light is my next glider. I was torn between the PHI Maestro and the Mentor 7 light.

[afacxdx]

Thanks to this video, 🙏 I succeeded to realise my first cobra launch 🖕 Surprisingly, it was not as easy as it looks to be on the video🤣 However, after several failures and few succefull launches, it started to be as easy as Théo said.... well ALMOST as easy😁 I'm stil not so gentle with the chair !!!
Thank you very much for all your videos !

A question/suggestion, Could you plan a video about the buterfly landing ? Would you recommand to master the stalling point of the gliders before learning the buterfly landing ?
I look forward for you answer

[Vl]

What is the location? Very beautiful background.

[PolyActif]

Some people stay for the total video, including acknowledgment and bonus 😉
Excellent tutorial !
More groundhandling tips and exercises please ! 😃

Question :
If I practice a lot of backfly on the ground, will it help me for stall, backfly and helico maybe (one day...) in the air ?
I haven't try in the air for now but I can keep a long time my wing in backfly on the ground.