This is a draft of thoughts about paragliding safety.
- Compare the habits of paragliding pilots with commercial air travel
- Commercial air travel has an attitude of minimizing risk constantly
My own history with paragliding safety
'Significant incidents' in my flying career
- 2002 On my first cross country flying trip, got stuck in a valley venturi in Annercy on an EN-A glider, 5km forward speed and 4-5m/s descent over a rocky and treelined canyon.
- 2002 On the same trip, a pilot died in a launch accident in crowded, mid-day thermic conditions
- 2004 first big collapse (80%) while flying in Piedrahita, Spain
- 2005 Upgraded to a EN-B glider. Another big collapse and cascade also in Piedrahita
- 2006 Broke wrist while flying in Governador Valedares, pushing to hard to get a low save
- 2007 SIV course in Slovenia. Got 'brain freeze' in a spiral and had to be screamed at by the instructor to remember to exit the spiral
- 2011 Flying the week before the tragic 2011 World Championships in Piedrahita, where two pilots died - basically in identical conditions to which I was flying
- 2013 First paragliding competition on a new EN-C wing. Witnessed reserve throw on the first day.
- 2014 A Rat Race pilot narrowly escaped fatal accident sprialing into a tree without being able to deploy his reserve due to bag lock on his Impress 3 harness.
- 2014 Experienced pilot who I watched fly tandems for kids at Woodrat died in launch accident at Chelan
- 2015 Friend and fellow pilot died in a SIV accident in a locked in spiral, with no reserve thrown. Equipment inspection showed both main and second reserve would not have deployed correctly even if they had been deployed, raising numerous questions about reserve packing protocols and pilot decision making.
- 2015 First two days of US Nationals had serious accidents. I was in the air, in the same flying conditions, within 1-2 km of both accidents. Both accidents were lucky to not have been fatalities. Two days in a row I landed wondering whether our sport had just lots another of our own
- 2016 USHGPA insurance situation escalation due to 2015 safety record
Takeaways from my experiences:
- Paragliding incidents are unfortunately ongoing
- If you fly more than a few years in popular flying locations, there is a high probability that someone you know will have a serious accident or you will witness or be around one
- Is this really acceptable?
- Experienced pilots appear just as susceptible to accidents as beginners
- I still have occasional pain in my wrist where I broke it nearly a decade ago. The metal plate will be with me for life.
Why do we fly? Is the reasons we fly a contributor to accidents?
- Is it adrenalin rush?
- Floaty sunset flights?
- Easy soaring on your local hill?
- Challenging cross country by competing with a group of friends?
- Hike and fly to just enjoy nature?
- Taking on solo challenges to test yourself?
- Stretching the absolute limits, breaking records, flying previously unflown routes etc.
- Non-serious competion (B and C class gliders, flying for fun rather than glory, flying conservatively even while competing)
- Serious competition (Comp class gliders, international competition, US team etc.)
Diversification of the sport and popularization of extreme sports in general
- Rapid evolution of Acro paragliding
- Influence of wingsuit proximity flying through viral GoPro footage
- Powered Paragliding rapid popularity gains
- Mini Wings
- Light weight equipment enabling hike and fly
- Huge technology improvements in paraglider design has led to low, middle and 'hot' gliders within every category, making glider choice very challenging
Safety Concerns driven by diversification in the sport
- Does all this diversification makes choosing equipment a distraction?
-Do all the different wing style and ways to fly increase tendancy to take risk or not master any one type of flying?
Looking at our attitudes towards safety:
- Do we glamorize the dangerous moments in our sport, or the safe, inspiring ones?
- Are the memorable moments the dangerous ones or the safe ones?
- Are pilots motivated by the dangerous aspects of the sport or the safe ones?
- What is your personal history in paragliding safety?
- Ref. my initial obsession with reading hundreds of paragliding accident reports that no longer appear to be freely available due to legal issues.
What were your most magical memories from paragliding?
My personal magical moments:
- Flying on a deserted beach in laminar air in New Zealand shortly after getting my license.
- Flying 10km out and return in a perfect glass off in Piedrahita, dropping less than 100m in height
- Flying high and fast downwind in the Medford valley with a cumulus studded sky over vineyards and orchards
- Self questionning about these magical moments:
Social Normalization of Deviance
“Social normalization of deviance means that people within the organization become so much accustomed to a deviant behavior that they don’t consider it as deviant, despite the fact that they far exceed their own rules for the elementary safety. People grow more accustomed to the deviant behavior the more it occurs. To people outside of the organization, the activities seem deviant; However, people within the organization do not recognize the deviance because it is seen as a normal occurrence. In hindsight, people within the organization realize that their seemingly normal behavior was deviant.”
Article
Trends that have considered to the social normalization of dangerous piloting behavior.
1. Wingsuit Proximity Flying. GoPro footage of extremely dangerous wingsuit proximity flying has created viral video sensations and are amazing to watch. Do these videos glamourize and legitimize the 'its OK to die if you are doing what you love' mentality? This type of flying should be considered socially deviant, because there is almost no margin of error and fatalities are common. Is there a spillover from this attitude that increases complacency in everyday paragliding? "Paraglider pilots are not those crazy guys therefore what we do is more safe". But are we more safe, or just less attentive to the danger?
2. Acrobatic Paragliding. Seeing accomplished full-time acro pilots pull off complex, dangerous maneuvers on specialized equipment. Acro wings are dangerous for all but experienced pilots due to their reactive behaviour, which is designed into the wing in order to execute extreme maneuvers. Does easy access to video of acrobatic flying create social normalization about their own ability to pull off dangerous maneuvers on a normal paragliding wing, or how their wing may behave in a collapse.
- Compare the habits of paragliding pilots with commercial air travel
- Commercial air travel has an attitude of minimizing risk constantly
My own history with paragliding safety
'Significant incidents' in my flying career
- 2002 On my first cross country flying trip, got stuck in a valley venturi in Annercy on an EN-A glider, 5km forward speed and 4-5m/s descent over a rocky and treelined canyon.
- 2002 On the same trip, a pilot died in a launch accident in crowded, mid-day thermic conditions
- 2004 first big collapse (80%) while flying in Piedrahita, Spain
- 2005 Upgraded to a EN-B glider. Another big collapse and cascade also in Piedrahita
- 2006 Broke wrist while flying in Governador Valedares, pushing to hard to get a low save
- 2007 SIV course in Slovenia. Got 'brain freeze' in a spiral and had to be screamed at by the instructor to remember to exit the spiral
- 2011 Flying the week before the tragic 2011 World Championships in Piedrahita, where two pilots died - basically in identical conditions to which I was flying
- 2013 First paragliding competition on a new EN-C wing. Witnessed reserve throw on the first day.
- 2014 A Rat Race pilot narrowly escaped fatal accident sprialing into a tree without being able to deploy his reserve due to bag lock on his Impress 3 harness.
- 2014 Experienced pilot who I watched fly tandems for kids at Woodrat died in launch accident at Chelan
- 2015 Friend and fellow pilot died in a SIV accident in a locked in spiral, with no reserve thrown. Equipment inspection showed both main and second reserve would not have deployed correctly even if they had been deployed, raising numerous questions about reserve packing protocols and pilot decision making.
- 2015 First two days of US Nationals had serious accidents. I was in the air, in the same flying conditions, within 1-2 km of both accidents. Both accidents were lucky to not have been fatalities. Two days in a row I landed wondering whether our sport had just lots another of our own
- 2016 USHGPA insurance situation escalation due to 2015 safety record
Takeaways from my experiences:
- Paragliding incidents are unfortunately ongoing
- If you fly more than a few years in popular flying locations, there is a high probability that someone you know will have a serious accident or you will witness or be around one
- Is this really acceptable?
- Experienced pilots appear just as susceptible to accidents as beginners
- I still have occasional pain in my wrist where I broke it nearly a decade ago. The metal plate will be with me for life.
Why do we fly? Is the reasons we fly a contributor to accidents?
- Is it adrenalin rush?
- Floaty sunset flights?
- Easy soaring on your local hill?
- Challenging cross country by competing with a group of friends?
- Hike and fly to just enjoy nature?
- Taking on solo challenges to test yourself?
- Stretching the absolute limits, breaking records, flying previously unflown routes etc.
- Non-serious competion (B and C class gliders, flying for fun rather than glory, flying conservatively even while competing)
- Serious competition (Comp class gliders, international competition, US team etc.)
Diversification of the sport and popularization of extreme sports in general
- Rapid evolution of Acro paragliding
- Influence of wingsuit proximity flying through viral GoPro footage
- Powered Paragliding rapid popularity gains
- Mini Wings
- Light weight equipment enabling hike and fly
- Huge technology improvements in paraglider design has led to low, middle and 'hot' gliders within every category, making glider choice very challenging
Safety Concerns driven by diversification in the sport
- Does all this diversification makes choosing equipment a distraction?
-Do all the different wing style and ways to fly increase tendancy to take risk or not master any one type of flying?
Looking at our attitudes towards safety:
- Do we glamorize the dangerous moments in our sport, or the safe, inspiring ones?
- Are the memorable moments the dangerous ones or the safe ones?
- Are pilots motivated by the dangerous aspects of the sport or the safe ones?
- What is your personal history in paragliding safety?
- Ref. my initial obsession with reading hundreds of paragliding accident reports that no longer appear to be freely available due to legal issues.
What were your most magical memories from paragliding?
My personal magical moments:
- Flying on a deserted beach in laminar air in New Zealand shortly after getting my license.
- Flying 10km out and return in a perfect glass off in Piedrahita, dropping less than 100m in height
- Flying high and fast downwind in the Medford valley with a cumulus studded sky over vineyards and orchards
- Self questionning about these magical moments:
Social Normalization of Deviance
“Social normalization of deviance means that people within the organization become so much accustomed to a deviant behavior that they don’t consider it as deviant, despite the fact that they far exceed their own rules for the elementary safety. People grow more accustomed to the deviant behavior the more it occurs. To people outside of the organization, the activities seem deviant; However, people within the organization do not recognize the deviance because it is seen as a normal occurrence. In hindsight, people within the organization realize that their seemingly normal behavior was deviant.”
Article
Trends that have considered to the social normalization of dangerous piloting behavior.
1. Wingsuit Proximity Flying. GoPro footage of extremely dangerous wingsuit proximity flying has created viral video sensations and are amazing to watch. Do these videos glamourize and legitimize the 'its OK to die if you are doing what you love' mentality? This type of flying should be considered socially deviant, because there is almost no margin of error and fatalities are common. Is there a spillover from this attitude that increases complacency in everyday paragliding? "Paraglider pilots are not those crazy guys therefore what we do is more safe". But are we more safe, or just less attentive to the danger?
2. Acrobatic Paragliding. Seeing accomplished full-time acro pilots pull off complex, dangerous maneuvers on specialized equipment. Acro wings are dangerous for all but experienced pilots due to their reactive behaviour, which is designed into the wing in order to execute extreme maneuvers. Does easy access to video of acrobatic flying create social normalization about their own ability to pull off dangerous maneuvers on a normal paragliding wing, or how their wing may behave in a collapse.
3. Mini-wings.Seeing video of speedwing pilots flying low altitude barrel rolls and ground skimming rocky terrain at high speed . Does this create social normalization about flying dangerously close to terrain?
4. Pylon competition flying on powered paragliders. Big engines, ground proximity, small wings, high speed. There is nothing in this form of competition that doesn't seem dangerous. Fatalities appear to prove this.
5. Adventure and Vol Biv flying in extreme locations - Himalaya, Canadian-US Rockies, Andes, etc. These locations are camera and glory friendly. Are we downplaying the danger inherent in these types of adventures?
6. Owning and flying multiple wings, harnesses.
Ref. Salt Lake city SIV accident
7. The tandem spin phenomena.
4. Pylon competition flying on powered paragliders. Big engines, ground proximity, small wings, high speed. There is nothing in this form of competition that doesn't seem dangerous. Fatalities appear to prove this.
5. Adventure and Vol Biv flying in extreme locations - Himalaya, Canadian-US Rockies, Andes, etc. These locations are camera and glory friendly. Are we downplaying the danger inherent in these types of adventures?
6. Owning and flying multiple wings, harnesses.
Ref. Salt Lake city SIV accident
7. The tandem spin phenomena.
Ref cross country magazine article from Andy Pag
A possible new paradigm: Thinking about Paragliding as Aviation rather than extreme sport
1. Detailed mental flight plan
2. Detailed equipment and self check before every flight
3. Never break self-imposed safety rules and club/regional/national rules
4. Analyse accidents to relentless drive out unsafe piloting and increase safety.
A possible new paradigm: Thinking about Paragliding as Aviation rather than extreme sport
1. Detailed mental flight plan
2. Detailed equipment and self check before every flight
3. Never break self-imposed safety rules and club/regional/national rules
4. Analyse accidents to relentless drive out unsafe piloting and increase safety.
My own definitions:
Dangerously close to terrain is anything below the height needed to pull your reserve!!
Dangerously close to terrain is anything below the height needed to pull your reserve!!