10 MISTAKES NEW PILOTS MAKE ADVICE FROM MILE HIGH S CAZ AND ISY
You ve just booked your first paragliding flight with Mile High, met the crew Ian, Adam, Caz, and Isy and now you re buzzing with excitement. But before you launch, listen up. Caz and Isy, two of Mile High s most toughened pilots, have seen it all. They ve watched aegir beginners make the same mistakes over and over, mistakes that can turn a flight into a Wobbly, whiten-knuckle mess. Here s their insider advice on what not to do, straightaway from the pilots who ve spent thousands of hours in the air.
—
YOU RE TOO STIFF IN THE HARNESS
Picture this: you re in the tackle, legs hanging, and you re riveting the risers like they re the last handhold on a sinking feeling ship. Caz sees this all the time. New pilots tense up like they re brace for a car crash, she says. But the harness is studied to cradle you. If you re strict, every little bump feels like a quake.
The fix? Relax your shoulders. Let your back sink into the tackle. Think of it like session in a sack lean back, not forward. Isy adds, Your body should move with the sailplane, not fight it. If you re stiff, you ll overcorrect every thermal or gust, and on the spur of the moment you re swinging like a pendulum.
—
YOU IGNORE THE PRE-FLIGHT CHECK(OR DO IT HALF-HEARTED)
You wouldn t drive a car without checking the brakes, but new pilots skip the pre-flight like it s nonmandatory. Caz s face darkens when she dialogue about this. I ve seen people miss a convoluted line or a worn riser because they were too busy pickings selfies. That s how accidents happen.
Mile High s pre-flight is non-negotiable. Check the wing for twists, ensure the carabiners are bolted, and control the reserve jump is jam-packed aright. Isy s pro tip: Do it out loud. Saying each step forces you to actually look. Lines . Risers untwisted. Carabiners bolted. It s not just tick boxes it s your life on the line.
—
YOU LAUNCH LIKE A BULL IN A CHINA SHOP
The run aground crew gives you the signalise, and on the spur of the moment you re sprinting like you re late for a bus. Caz groans. A good set in motion is smooth over, not a mad-. If you yank the brakes or run too fast, you ll either the wing or trip over your own feet.
The key? Controlled zip. Start with appease hale on the A-lines(the face risers), let the wing amplify viewgraph, then take small, steady steps. Isy compares it to pulling a kite: Too much force, and it horse barn. Too little, and it flops. Find that sweetness spot where the wing lifts cleanly, then perpetrate.
—
YOU FORGET TO LOOK WHERE YOU RE GOING
Your first fledge, and you re so fixated on the sailplane above you that you forget to manoeuvre. Caz laughs. I ve had students fly straight into a tree because they were staring at the wing instead of the purview. The sailplane follows your body if you re not looking where you want to go, you re not going there.
Your body is the rudder. Turn your shoulders in the way you want to go, and the glider will follow. Isy s pull a fast one on: Pick a landmark before you launch a farmhouse, a rock, anything. Keep your eyes on it. If you , correct your shoulders, not just your manpower.
—
YOU OVER
AKE IN TURBULENCE
Thermals are the imperceptible elevators of paragliding, but to a new navigate, they feel like a rollercoaster. Your inherent aptitude is to yank the brakes to stabilise the sailplane. Caz shakes her head. Overbraking in Sturm und Drang is like slamming the brakes in a skid. You ll drag one’s feet the wing, and suddenly you re dropping like a stone.
The rule: manpower up. Let the sailplane self-correct. Isy explains, Paragliders are premeditated to wield upheaval. If you keep your men at shoulder tallness, the wing will sort itself out. Only pasture brake if it s oscillating wildly and even then, conciliate inputs.
—
YOU LAND LIKE YOU RE TRYING TO STICK THE LANDING
You ve seen those microorganism videos of pilots landing absolutely on their feet. Now you re trying to replicate it, and you re flaring too early on or too hard. Caz s advice? Forget the hero landing. Your first goal is to walk away.
Start your flare(pulling the brakes smoothly) about 3 feet off the run aground. Isy s analogy: Think of it like a beach ball. You don t smack it you it. Same with the run aground. Let the glider kiss the , then run it out. If you flare out too high, you ll procrastinate. Too low, you ll faceplant.
—
YOU DON T TRUST YOUR INSTRUCTOR S,NDS
Mile High s tandem flights are a team elbow grease. The pilot is in control, but newbies often help by lean the wrong way or grabbing the brakes. Caz s pet peeve: I ll say lean left, and they lean right like they re dodging a puddle. Trust me, I ve got this.
Your job is to relax and watch book of instructions. Isy adds, If we tell you to shift your angle, do it. If we say hands off, keep them off. We re not just barking orders we re retention you safe.
—
YOU PANIC WHEN THE WING COLLAPSES
A collapse when part of the wing folds in is paragliding s version of a flat tire. Most are nipper, but new pilots treat them like a disaster. Caz s voice gets sharp. A isn t an emergency unless you make it one. If you suspend or yank the brakes, you ll make it worse.
The fix? Hands up, look where you want to go, and let the glider reinflate. Isy s seen students turn a 2-second into a 200 https://milehighparagliding.com/.
