Techniques and Skills

Helping you fly better with expert advice

Paraglider in high mountains

Flying in the Lee

Flying in the lee is commonplace for cross-country pilots, but there are a few things you should consider before diving in
Read More
Flying 50km by paraglider. Photo: Andy Busslinger

‘Fly 50km or Bust!’

Flying 50k is a landmark achievement in a new pilot's cross-country career, but it can seem elusive at first. Nigel Page explains how to make it happen
Read More
Reserve parachute

Throwing your reserve: Théo’s ten tips

Nobody wants to throw their reserve parachute in anger but if you have to, you have to. Théo de Blic shares his top tips for ensuring it all goes smoothly
Read More
Theo de Blic How to Groundspin

How to ground spin your paraglider

"You need 15-20km/h of wind" to start to learn how to ground spin, says acromeister Théo de Blic
Read More
Annecy-April-1-Jerome-Maupoint

How to get ready for spring in the mountains

It's April ... Red Bull X-Alps pilot Jon Chambers explains how to prepare for those first flights of the season in the Alps
Read More
How to thermal a paraglider

How to enter a thermal

Kelly Farina's Top 5 tips on thermalling a paraglider, from how to enter one properly to how to core correctly and efficiently
Read More
Andean condor

Understanding how condors fly

Emily Shepard and her team at Swansea University have been tagging and tracking condors for five years. They have learnt that condors almost never flap in flight
Read More
Competing on a serial class wing

Comp series: Competing on a Serial wing

'The truth is, I was really scared before the competition...' Hugh Miller on how to get the most out of your first paragliding competitions
Read More
Chrigel Maurer performs during the Red Bull X-Alps 2021 at Mont Blanc, France on June 26, 2021

Meteorology: Understanding mountain gap winds

Every pilot knows about the Venturi. But do you know about "gap winds", where the same effect happens on a much larger scale? Here's a serious primer.
Read More
Skywalk thermalling

Thermalling: how tight should you turn?

“Turn tighter!” is something paraglider pilots all hear at one point in their flying careers. But how tight? Martin Morlet has crunched the numbers
Read More