Fly Better

Helping you fly better with expert advice and know-how

Climbing in spring, from Fifty Ways to Fly Better by Bruce Goldsmith

How to Climb Faster in Thermals

Thermalling is probably the most important part of flying, as well as the most pleasurable. The feeling of using the natural energy of rising air
Read More
Airborne hinged batten

Safety notice: Airborne hinged battens

Airborne have released a safety notice relating to their hinged battens, following incidences of battens becoming unloaded during flight.
Read More
Cross Country Logo

How to thermal better. Period.

Sailplane ace Jay Rebbeck teaches us his thermal flying techniques and explains when to tighten up and when to turn flat
Read More
Launching in the Alps. Photo: Marcus King

Tight spot: taking off from Alpine launches

Read More

Mike Meier receives Jack Northrop award for safety article

The Jack Northrop Award for the Most Outstanding Technical Paper was presented at the 45th Annual West Coast Symposium of the SETP
Read More
Pyrocumumulus

Understanding fire thermals, pyrocumulus and pyroCb

The Paragliding World Championships in Colombia has already thrown up an interesting point of contention: flying in fire thermals.
Read More
Chrigel Maurer and Pat Dower

Chrigel Maurer: One Day Coaching

Learn what it's like to experience the ultimate in instruction, at the hands of the world's free-flight Yoda himself.
Read More
Woody Valley buckles safety notice

Safety Notice: Woody Valley chest buckles

Woody Valley have issued a safety notice about their lightweight automatic harness chest buckles
Read More
The three stages of pitch. Photo montage: Marcus King / Fifty Ways to Fly Better

Understanding Pitch on a Paraglider

Pitch on a paraglider: when you fly your paraglider, you sit in your harness at least seven metres below the wing – maybe as much as ten...
Read More
How clouds form, from the Met Office

Finding, tracking and flying thermals in mountains

Predicting where a thermal will travel after releasing isn't a skill that requires a missile guidance system, some simple 3D terrain analysis is enough
Read More