Prepare for a new adventure - Hill Tandem Flight
We can only give short notice of suitable weather conditions, we will contact you by text message giving you as much notice as possible.
Important Items to include for tandem flying.
Boots or shoes with ankle support and traction are required.
Wear layered clothing and wear full pants (no shorts).
Fluids to drink and a lunch are a good idea .
Cameras can be brought for in flight pictures.
General Instructions for a Tandem Passenger
You will need to follow the instructions of the Tandem Pilot. Do not grab any of the lines or webbing above your head unless the Pilot is instructing you to. Make sure you are clear on the instructions for how to transition from the launch position to the flying position and visa versa for landing.
How a Paraglider Launches and Lands
A Paraglider is a parafoil wing. It launches similar to how a kite is launched. In light winds, Pilots normally do a "Forward Launch", and in strong winds, pilots do a "Reverse Launch". In either launch technique, the pilot and passenger accelerate together to reach a good flying speed for take off.
Forward Launch
The Pilot and Passenger are lined up under the wing both facing forward. The Paraglider wing is laid out behind in a horseshoe shape. When the conditions are good and the Pilot in charge decides to take off, both the Pilot and Passenger must run forward together. At the start , as the wing rises overhead, both pilot and passenger will feel resistance from the glider and it may be difficult to move forward, but, as the wing gets fully overhead, the Pilot and Passenger will be able to accelerate together down the slope.
They must run efficiently together until the glider is well clear of the ground. Sometimes the wind can gust a little during the launch run and then die slightly, so you create your own wind by running with the glider through the air until it starts to create lift. That is why it is so important to keep running until well clear of the ground.
Once in the air the passenger will need to slide their arms under the tandem spreader bars and get well back into the harness for comfort, this is done by holding on to the base of your harness with both hands and pushing yourself back gently.
Reverse Launch
When there is wind above about 12 or 15 KPH, reverse launches are generally preferred. This is always the case for Ridge Soaring flights. In a reverse launch, the pilot will turn to face the wing, but the passenger will be facing straight out in direction of the flight path.
The reason the pilot faces the wing is to have more control for pulling the wing overhead. When the pull-up begins, the passenger will try to aid the pilot in pulling the wing up, by leaning forward and using their legs to push forward. If the wind is stronger, as the wing comes up, both the Pilot and Passenger may be forced to take a few steps backward by the glider. Both are trying to resist this and maintain their position. Once the wing is overhead, the backwards motion will stop.
The Pilot will then turn around and face forward with the passenger. Both can then proceed to run off the Launch area. Sometimes because of the wind, running may be a little difficult and the take off will normally occur at a slower pace. It is very important to keep the forward motion going all the time until well clear of the ground. The passenger can now put their arms under the tandem spreader bars and sit back in the harness and enjoy the view. Sometimes when launching I will need to have the passenger move slightly to the left or right while running forward in order to get into the right position for take-off.
At all times you must keep the forward motion unless instructed otherwise.
Preparing for Landing
Well before making your approach for landing, the passenger must ease forward to the front of the harness onto their leg loops. This is done by straightening the legs and back. You must be in an upright position when coming in to land so you are able to run if it is necessary.
In light winds, running is sometimes necessary. In stronger winds, landing may be just two steps, but on every landing the Pilot and Passenger need to be ready to run