The Most Common Launch Mistakes

🔑 Key Takeaways:

1. Biggest Mistake? Not Moving Your Feet

• Staying static leads to uneven line tension, collapses, or glider surge.

• Your job during inflation is to stay under the glider — not behind it, not next to it.

2. Move Toward the Low Side

• Always step under the low side of the wing. This slacks the lines, helps the glider re-center, and gives you control.

• Anchoring your feet = glider imbalance.

3. Dynamic Kiting = Real Progress

• Kiting isn’t a static drill. Learn to move dynamically with the glider across the slope.

• Treat it like a dance — fluid and responsive, not stiff and reactive.

4. Box Drills Build Precision

• Practice the "box drill" on flat ground to coordinate movement with pitch and yaw changes.

• This translates directly into launch success — especially in strong or variable winds.

5. High-Wind Tip: Run Toward the Glider

• In strong conditions, running forward as the wing comes up helps slack the lines, prevents overshoot, and gives you time to control the surge.

6. The General Rule: Stay Centered

• Your body position should always stay aligned under the glider’s center during inflation.

• Adjust quickly with small, precise steps — hesitation or overstepping both cause problems.

✅ Action Steps for Pilots

• Practice box drills on flat grass to build foot/glider coordination.

• Use dynamic kiting sessions to develop natural movement with the wing.

• Review your own launches (or film them) to spot footwork habits that need improving.

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Final Word from Para Clinics

Good footwork = clean launches, safer flying, and more confidence on the hill.Master the ground, and you’ll master the air.

Want to improve your launch skills and glider control? Join Ground Handling Clinics at Para Clinics Aotearoa and get hands-on coaching designed to level up your flying from the ground up.