How to Practice Paragliding Site Etiquette

Whether or not you use a motorized vehicle when you paraglide, it's always important that you practice good paragliding site etiquette. If you know and practice the etiquette, you'll prevent a lot of unnecessary accidents and keep the area clear so that others can launch and land safely.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Call ahead to find out the regulations if you're going to a new site. Check to find out what ratings you need to fly. See where you can fly at that site and where you can land.
2. Set up away from the launch area. Keep the area available for those that are ready to launch. Set up before you go to the launch site and only take your equipment over when it's ready to launch if you want to demonstrate good paragliding site etiquette.
3. Land and move away from the area immediately. Keep the area open for others that land. Move your equipment to another area to tear it down so the space is left open.
4. Give the lower pilot the right of way. Watch for the person below you that's trying to get height. You need to give him some space to rise. Move to the side so that he can do it.
5. Check to the right on a ridge. On a ridge, the pilot with the ridge to the right has the right of way in paragliding site etiquette.
6. Decide which way to turn if you're the first to arrive on a thermal since you have the right of way. Even though the first arrival at on a thermal has the right to decide the way that she turns, if someone comes up from below you need to move to the side so that he can climb higher.