I share the following account of a flight I had as a learning tool for others to learn from my mistake.
“It’s too windy…………..”
I have decided to write this account of a paragliding incident years after it happened. I am no writer, so forgive me if it’s not as eloquent as it should be.
At the time of writing this I have been paragliding for 24 years with over a 1000+ hours flying.
I like many others have been consumed with this love of flying and the older I get the worse I get. My poor suffering wife (Moira) has to put up with me continually refusing to go anywhere because I can’t fly there. Our travels have taken us, or me, paragliding in places all over the UK and places such as France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Mexico and Austria to name but a few. It is the latter that will be the geographical location of this account.
I have been a skier all my adult life and recently discovered the joys of snowboarding. It was a natural progression to visit ski resorts with the intention of paragliding as well. Initially I flew solo until my wife started to complain about the amount of time I was flying. The solution was for her to fly Tandem with me! This I have been doing since 2008 with approximately 100 hours so far and rising…
Over the years I have sat on many hills listening to many pilots explain why it is not flyable.
The main reason being “it’s too windy”.
An all too common one in the UK as I am sure all pilots will probably be in agreement who live and fly here. This was starting to frustrate me so I decided to explore what I could do about the days that people were telling me “it’s too windy”.
I spoke to a friend of mine who is a fellow pilot from Australia and he explained that where he comes from they have a different technique for strong wind launches. After some instruction I started to practice and hopefully perfect the technique. I then started to experiment on strong wind days and found the technique to be perfect for days that were “too windy”. You might be wondering by now where is this story going but this is leading up to why I had a paragliding incident and ultimately made a bad judgement that could have cost me dearly.
So, many years passed and frequent comments of “its too windy” were followed by being able to launch successfully in strong conditions in my solo wing and look down at all my fellow pilots sitting in the compression zone unable to get off. That isn’t a criticism it is just an observation.
After many years of flying tandem in places such as the UK, Mexico, France, Italy, Turkey and Austria I found myself on a ski/paragliding holiday with my wife in Mayrhofen.
A fantastic week of weather followed culminating in a ski/snowboard session in the morning and some wonderful flying in the zillertal valley, which you can view in the video section of the NHPC website. https://youtu.be/gTcHXtov9uI
All good things come to an end and the holiday was nearly over. After my daily check with local pilots one of them told me there will be no flying tomorrow (my last day). I wasn’t too concerned about this as I was leaving mid-afternoon to catch my flight back and was grateful for one of the best weeks you could ask for as a tandem pilot. He told me the reason was due to the Foehn. This pilot had broken English and I subsequently found out this means “it’s too windy”!
As soon as I hear the words “it’s too windy” my immediate thoughts are” you might be right but I will check for myself and then decide”. The night before I was leaving a friend of mine asked me to take him flying on the day I was returning home so I explained to him that the advice is “it’s too windy”.
On the morning of the day in question we climbed on the gondala that took us to the top of the mountain to have a look. On arrival it was clear all the commercial pilots had taken the day off. I walked to the front of the mountain to asses conditions. Clear Blue skies and not a breath of wind. I did notice the bank of cloud on the other side of the valley that was rolling over the top but thought it was a long way off!
Conditions are good let’s get a flight in before this wind arrives. I had to launch from the other side of the hill and fly round into the Zillertal to head for the landing fields in Mayerhofen. Launch was uneventful and nice and easy but we immediately started to rise and within a minute of launching as I flew round the corner I suffered a huge asymmetric collapse. 30 seconds later another. Going up and up I could feel I was in trouble. Another huge collapse, and another, still going up and not penetrating. Collapse after collapse. At one point I was looking up at my wing which was in a posy formation, thinking “oh dear “ or words to that effect. I was now very focused! I Knew I was in deep trouble but had to focus on dealing with what is going on and not panicking. As I was looking up at the posy that was above me I was aware of thinking “come on baby sort yourself out” a mental note also popped into my head “don’t panic” remember it’s just like the numerous SIV courses I have done. The posy unfurled and it duly sorted itself out. I also thought about the advice I had been given……”it’s too windy”!! A moment later it took another collapse and rocketed behind me. As it re-inflated behind me the surge from the re-inflation had the glider pass over me and try to get below me. With the brakes buried I arrested its progress and it snapped back above me. This continued with me gaining height in spite of the numerous collapses. It was clear this is serious and I have to try and lose height, but how?
My tandem was an Advance bi-beta 4. It has a system of being able to hook your big ears into cleats and fly normally to lose height. I couldn’t even think of letting the brakes go as each moment brought another collapse that needed attending to. The nature of the collapses had me worried about how the glider might recover after a major collapse with my ears in therefore I decided not to try this. Among the brief moments of respite I was reviewing my options. Shall I throw my reserve and get down that way. I decided that wasn’t an option as I was directly above the hydroelectric power station that is in Mayrhofen. I headed away from the hill I was on and tried to get to the middle of the valley and head to the vast open area I could see down the valley where the mountains get lower and lower and eventually open into flat lands. Please bear in mind during all this I was dealing with collapse after collapse. Still going up!
My passenger at this point was speaking to me but I couldn’t hear him properly. I could hear him speaking something so when he stopped I remember saying “I am a little busy at the minute just enjoy the flight”. This was to re assure him, he didn’t say anything after this.
Collapse after collapse after collapse. I have got to try and get down; I entered into a spiral dive, very nervous! I don’t remember the manoeuvre on the SIV where I would induce a collapse in a deep spiral dive but it weighed heavy on my mind as I pulled it in, particularly on the tandem! As my point of view by this time had been continually looking up to translate what collapse had just happened and what input I should or shouldn’t do it was no different in the spiral dive. As it got steeper and steeper it was like time stood still. The overriding memory I have of this moment is a vibration. My wing was super loaded at this point so punching through the turbulence I remember thinking all my lines were vibrating and strumming like the strings on a guitar, a very surreal experience! I could take the mental strain no more, worried about a collapse in a deep spiral dive so I exited the dive bracing myself for the inevitable, but thankfully it didn’t come. I was much lower and I had managed to get further down the valley.
To my surprise there was no major collapses. Bleeding height off I got above a landing field on the outskirts of town. I explained to my passenger that when we land it might not be the type of landing I would prefer due to the wind strength. An understatement of monumental proportions but I was trying not to worry him unduly! I was hovering above the landing field struggling to get down now; very aware that if I get a big collapse it could have a very different outcome due to my much reduced height. This played heavy on my mind as I got lower and lower. As I got lower I could see that I was not penetrating also!
At a height of approximately 50 to a hundred feet there was a lull. Was I being sheltered from the conditions or was it the lull before the storm? I quickly turned left and right as quickly as I could and dropped like a stone touching down only going backwards slightly. Full brake to try and get her down and tripping over my passenger. We were down! I quickly shouted to my passenger to unclip as quickly as he can and jump on top of the wing after being dragged for a distance. He did so and I realised we were safe. After unclipping and securing my wing the reality of the situation suddenly hit home.
The responsibility I had of my friend’s life and the bad judgement of the weather.
The feeling of nauseous eruption started rising up in me.
The dry mouth….
Am I going to throw up?
My passenger said to me “are you alright? It seemed a bit jiggly up there”!
He was completely unaware of the drama going on and enjoyed the flight.
I however, was in turmoil trying to make sense of what I had been through.
I walked over to an adjacent stream in an altered state. I drank that water and was thankful to be doing so; my head was fizzing trying to take it all in….. I looked at my watch and it had taken me just under One hour and a half to get down. How many collapses had I dealt with? I can only guess. I think it must have been beyond compare as the fatigue in my arms lay testament to this.
After packing up and walking back I realised time was getting on. I had a flight to catch and we were a decent distance out of Mayrhofen. I met up with Moira in the centre of the town and she took one look at me and asked “what happened “? She knew instinctively something was wrong by the look in my eyes. After a hug and a beer and experiencing feelings of regret, self-doubt and recrimination I parted with my passenger feeling so much admiration for how calm he was.
I am not sure who will read this but as confirmation that I wasn’t exaggerating my account I have included this quote from paragliders who live and fly in the area;
“it was no local tandempilot, serveral people called me because of this stupid pilot. also nonflying people.
it was one of the most quickly föhn coming i´ve ever seen. and it was really really strong.
the pilot was then flying in the lee of zimmereben and had no chance to fly the wing safe and opened.
the cascades were dramtac, climbing while flying backwarts, megafronstall and collapses about80% huge, the pilot was lucky not to got twisted.
if all guest´d have seen this i wouldn´t be good advertisement.
lucky the pilot could land the wing noramlly.”
As I get older I realise it is good to share your mistakes .To this I doff my cap to everyone who puts a video on you tube showing what happens when things go wrong. Without them I for one certainly wouldn’t be as knowledgeable, as I think I am. Unfortunately I don’t have any video of the event as I was new with my gopro then but this is my attempt to help others learn from my mistake. Now wouldn’t that have been interesting to watch?
What are the lessons to be learnt?
Many years after the event I am a better pilot for the experience and I now understand the term “You cannot be considered a proper biker until you have fallen off “.
Research into the Foehn made me realise how important weather conditions abroad need to be clearly understood. An explanation by renowned pilot Kelly Farina can be found here; http://youtu.be/d_287Kf-GKc
I have often thought it would be great fun to try and do an SIV course on a tandem. I wondered what would happen pulling in asymmetric collapses and full frontals. Is it possible to stall it, spin it and how would it recover? I often wondered who I would ask to be my passenger.
All my questions have been answered, and then some…
I have heard other pilots say they don’t want to do an SIV or why would you spoil the flying of a perfectly solid wing. That is a personal choice but after many SIV courses and parachute chuck and repack events, they are all the same as putting a deposit in the bank. You can withdraw them when you need them. I remember looking up at that posy above my head and being patient, waiting on the design of the wing to do its job. This experience has been gained doing SIV.
To the people who say they can’t find the time to do it, there is an anecdote I quote called
“Sharpen your saw”….it goes like this -
A man walks into the woods and comes across a man who is trying to saw a tree down. He stops to watch and notices he is not getting anywhere and sweating profusely. After a while he says to the man sawing the tree, “why don’t you sharpen your saw? “ And the man replies “I’m too busy!”
As we taxied on the runway for our flight home the pilot announced that there will be severe turbulence due to a condition called the Foehn. As we flew through it listening to the screams from various passengers I felt very numb but very happy I was in an aeroplane not a paraglider.
I was a “broken” pilot for longer than I care to admit after this. Every time I flew I was frightened, however that has passed and I have returned to the place I like to be in.
I have had an experience that few will experience and the lessons learnt are immense. I hate to admit I made a mistake but from this I believe you only really learn something when you make a mistake, or from others who make a mistake, so I hope you can learn from mine.
The lasting lesson I have learnt is that when I fly abroad or at a new site is that you must do your research. Get local advice, information and err on the side of caution. I was at the Chabre open event in Laragne in France and recollect the weather interpretation from the organisers. I saw the same situation out there where it seemed flyable when they were saying it is too windy and they were correct. It was” too windy”!!!!
I would like to thank two individuals;
1. My passenger, you are a legend in my mind.
2. The designer of the Advance Bi-beta tandem. What an incredible piece of kit.
Best regards,
Brian.
It,s too windy
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ron freeman
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Good read
Good read Brian. Flew there back in 85.for 2 weeks and the thermals were something else. One day was very special flying to 14,000asl with mind blowing views for over a hundred miles ! The Zillertal valley demands great respect but boy what a place to fly. East hill also does it for me as well because I just like to fly.
Last edited by ron freeman on Fri Sep 30, 2016 6:18 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Maximise your time & dosh do both Hanggliding & Paragliding 
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gary stenhouse
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gary stenhouse
- Superstar
- Posts: 6288
- Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2005 7:21 pm
- Full Name: Gary Stenhouse
- Location: Company Director
