Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 3: March 2014 | Page 33

frequent these moments are, and this is highly dependent
on the conditions. In smooth conditions we might easily get
a long enough moment to rock our body upright, transition
one hand, and still have time to transition our other hand.
In more turbulent conditions, we might need to rock upright during one balanced moment, switch one hand during
another, and need yet a third moment to get the other hand
up. If it’s really turbulent, those three moments are far apart,
which means starting while up higher and giving ourselves
more time—and a better chance—to complete the transition
smoothly. Occasionally we don’t get the balanced moments
we need, and we have to create one—which might make doing
part of our transition AFTER we’ve pulled in for speed suddenly sound like a less-bad option than nearing the ground
with both hands still on the basetube. A trick I was taught to
keep the glider balanced while letting go with the first hand
while there is still bar pressure is, before letting go, slide the

hand that is staying on the basetube over to the middle. This
way you can use that hand to pull in without pulling your
weight asymmetrically and telling the glider to turn.
“The Transition” is, like much in aviation, something that
SEEMS simple in concept, but proper execution is a real
challenge. It is a time when a lot of landings go wrong, and
one way to spot a truly skilled pilot—someone who is able
to fly his or her glider though the entire approach, managing
heading and airspeed, and making a complete body and control configuration change invisible. It is a skill that can always
use more practice, and any improvements made improve
our landing quality and overall safety. This spring, as I work
off the winter rust, I will make a conscious commitment to
focusing on my transitions, and I will practice them up high
first. I’d encourage you all to join me, and encourage your
friends to do the same.
Smooth transitions and soft landings in 2014!

OPPOSITE Steve Pearson shows us the upright position a cocoon harness allows, which makes pulling in
and flying the approach from the uprights much simpler. ABOVE Expert pilot Dave Gibson starts his late
transition by moving one hand to the uprights before he even rocks his body upright. Not an easy feat—
doing this smoothly requires a lot of practice!

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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