LIGHT WIND LAUNCH
Reversing in a light wind needn’t mean frustration and a flustered about-face. Jeff Goin explains one technique that gets him off the ground while others struggle. Photos by Tim Kaiser
You set up for a reverse in a perfect breeze, then the wind that was about to help you ease off the ground suddenly vanishes. Bummer! You try coaxing life from your limp canopy but it refuses to rise. You’re probably thinking the only way aloft now is to unclip and reset for a forward launch. But hang on, before you do, there is another way. The light wind reverse can save you time and effort, and get you cleanly off the ground while your friends are still unclipping and dragging their wings about.
The PPG bible’s cross-armed method works admirably, probably even a bit better than the light wind reverse, but it’s harder to master. The light wind reverse launch is more natural to most motor pilots, as it’s basically a modification of the common technique where your non-throttle hand holds the A’s leaving your throttle hand to control the brake on that side.
PREPARATION
As with every launch technique preparation is paramount to a clean and successful execution. Lay the wing out flat and sort the lines from D through to A, laying each set carefully on top of the last so they have less chance of tangling. Personally, I prefer not to lay the wing out in a sharp V-shape, as I often see done nowadays. True, inflating the centre cells first will stop the tips flying first and the wing climbing asymmetrically. However, the extra time it takes for the entire leading edge to meet the airflow and fly is longer than if you just lay the wing out in a gentle curve and allow the leading edge to inflate uniformly. In short, the V-layout means you’ll have to run backwards further to get the wing off the ground.
The direction you choose to rotate is very important. Phil Russman, creator of “Risk and Reward”, the best selling PPG DVD, suggests always turning away from your throttle hand. Other advocates of the reverse launch favour always rotating the same direction so as to establish a habit, making yourself less likely to get the direction wrong. This is an established paragliding technique, and one many paramotor pilots still use. However, experimentation has shown that rotating away from the throttle side really does make a difference
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