Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 2: February 2014 | Page 57

taking forever to launch, it reminded me of my earlier days
doing the exact same things. I had a patient instructor, but I
could feel a little of his exasperation watching me not quite
“getting it.” It took a while to visualize where all my lines
would be once I turned around from the reverse launch position. And there was also some fear that somehow lines may
have crossed up somehow since I had last flown. So, I’d take
things s l o w l y getting into position. Then, once overhead,
the wing would go to this side, then that side, then forward,
then backward, and I’d be staring straight up at what the
wing was doing rather than just feeling it and making the
slight corrections needed. Multiple times I was told to stop
looking at the wing, but didn’t have the faith/trust that it
would behave itself. Once we’d be in position, ready to launch,
the wing would again vacillate from side to side, then pull
backward, yanking me back and forcing me to turn around
and to try to kite it again back to launch. It took what seemed
an eternity to truly feel the paraglider overhead and to make
the slight corrections needed to maintain control. Since I’m
on a roll confessing my shortcomings, shall I continue and
cleanse my soul? Yes, you insist. OK . . . another difficulty was
initially figuring out how to make the wing go to either the
right or left while kiting. My instructor would say “left brake,”
or “right brake” as the wing dipped to one side or the other.
In my head I’d be talking to myself and asking, “Since I’m
reverse kiting, does he mean my right hand controlling what
is now the left side of the wing, or would it be my left hand
since it’s connected to the right side of the wing now?” It took
a while to sort it out, but a tip from another pilot came in
handy and immediately clicked. He suggested, “Don’t worry
about which hand controls what. If the wing dips to the right,
turn your hips to the right and apply pressure with the toggle
in your right hand. And if it dips to the left, turn left and use
the toggle in that hand.” It worked great and my feeble mind
grasped the concept right away (there I am, being self-critical
again). Actually, looking back at those first days helps me have
empathy in another way: realizing that pilots learn with varying inputs. Some are more visually oriented, others audible,
and some need hands-on experience to make an impression
that lasts and can be repeated. There is no right way or wrong
way. It’s just whatever works that matters. I’m grateful to the
pilot seeing me struggle and offering his advice.
That story brings me to my final point. We all have things
we can share with each other that will make us all better
pilots. When seeing someone struggling we may shy away
from saying something to them, worrying about hurting their
feelings. If the abovementioned pilot had done that with me,
I’d have missed out on a lasting and valuable lesson. So, take

“Self-criticism is an easy
offshoot of being a critical
person in general. If we find
it easy to criticize ourselves,
we most probably will find
ourselves criticizing others
around us. ”

a chance and go outside your comfort zone every once in a
while. With a tactful and friendly approach, you may just
offer a tip that can make a real difference. We all have varying
strengths and weaknesses, and there are plenty of pilots out
there who can shore up our weak points while we’re h