PPG in the mountains

[joelcorreia]

hi! i'm from portugal
i live near douro's river and i practice paragliding but far from my home because here i only have a place to land, but i don't know if i can reach that!
then i'm tkinking to try ppg !
but i whant to know what is your opinion about fly in the mountains?
I have a good take-off place on the top of a mountain i can fly over that but i'm not sure if above, i have glide ratio to land in a safe place!
thanks
aeronautical greetings

[Beery]

If you don't know if you have a safe LZ to reach based upon your PG skill level, then the launch site is not one you should be using for PG. Launch sites increase in ratings to match a pilot's skill and abilities.

Also, if you can't reach a safe LZ without a motor, then it's probably not a suitable LZ with a motor, unless you hover over the area increasig altitude until you sufficient altitude to glide to the next safe LZ. That's assuming you can safely top land at your existing LZ.

Keep in mind that launching with a PPG at this LZ, always think along the lines of "what if" I have a motor out, including the aspect of immediately after launch.

I just went through an exercise yesterday with a student in training advising him what is good technique to avoid water landings. We have a PPG Launch site 150 feet from water. On good days, we launch parallel to the shoreline. On other days, we have low wind conditions where we have to launch straight at the shoreline. In that 150 feet, you have to be up in the air, as well as making a 90 degree turn at minimum to avoid a hazardous situation should the motor die.

Sooner or later, the motor will die on you. If you think and always plan with safety in mind, you will walk away to always have another flight. If you take risks, then one of those days, you won't.

Back 3 years ago, I was flying with a friend. He was flying low out over water and just barely, by a couple of feet, had enough glide to make it to the shoreline. He had to walk away from the shoreline before he could turn to drop his wing. Had the wing dropped in the water, he would have likely drowned.

Apply the same kinds of concepts to flying over forrests and trees.

Beery

[joelcorreia]

thank you barry
i'm thinking on take an adaptation course