Dealing with the passenger
The launching place should be chosen away from the big hustle and bustle. It is advisable to car
-
ry out warm-up exercises with the passenger before the start and to practice the take-off run in
succession or side by side, depending on the chosen technique. It is especially important to point
out that the start consists of two phases: the lifting phase and the acceleration phase. Practical expe
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rience has shown that many passengers get into their harness far too early because of the brake
during the take-off run and thus provoke a false start. It has therefore proved to be a good idea to
explain that the paraglider must first be lifted with slow steps in order to have correction possibilities,
but that it must then be brought up to speed like any other aircraft before it can take off.
Exception: In case of strong headwinds, the passenger and the pilot have to push themselves
against the wind during the wind-up phase (preferably by grabbing the T-bar) in order not to be
knocked over backwards.
Equipment
Passenger’s clothing should be adapted to the temperature and include ankle-high shoes with a
non-slip sole and a helmet. Gloves are also recommended. Integral helmets offer better protection,
but should be equipped with a removable or wide chin strap because of the possible danger of
suffocation in case of vomiting (panic). Please remember to inform the passenger in good time, not
only on the mountain, about the necessary equipment.
Terrain
When choosing the launch site, special attention must be paid to the special requirements of tan
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dem flying, i. e. a possibly longer take-off phase and a limited correction possibility must be taken
into account. In addition, care must be taken to ensure that the run-up section is completely free of
obstacles. When choosing the landing site, a longer glide distance has to be taken into account due
to the generally higher speed of double-seaters, as well as the limited manoeuvrability at ground
level. The landing site should be free of obstacles and turbulence.
Instruction of the passenger
The following commands are defined for the start run:
•
Lifting (better: 3-2-1 go)
• run
•
stop
• right
• links
INFORMATION FOR TANDEM PILOTS
