Techniques

The perfect cloud on a perfect day in Espírito Santo, Brazil. The clouds are well developed but not growing too tall, and they don’t have a lot of wind distortion, showing it is a light wind day. They have good dark bases and fluffy tops. In places you can see the bases are concave or even have a stepped base, indicating strong lift. Best of all, they go on for miles Photo: Jérôme Maupoint

Cloudbase: All you need to know

“Get to base” newer pilots are told – but what do you do when you get there? Bastienne Wentzel gets the experts to explain
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How to observe in paragliding. Photo: Marcus King

How to: Observe more and fly smarter

Observation is not just a beginner skill. It’s a lifelong discipline – and it might be the most important upgrade any pilot can make
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The five senses of thermalling. Photo: Nicolas Cochet

Fundamentals: The five senses of thermalling

Mathilde Chivet explains why – and how – good pilots use all their senses to get the most out of every thermal
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Flow paraglider in the air. Photo: Marcus King

How to: Pee in the air (yep!)

It is critical we keep hydration levels up to maintain good focus when we fly, but how do we manage the need to pee while airborne?
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How to: Get a Flying Start

Do you nail your launches every time? Felix Wölk has some top tips to help make every take-off a perfect one
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How to deal with valley winds

How to Deal with Valley Winds

Caught out by the valley wind? Here are some tips to help you get down safely – hopefully without being blown back
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Flying 50km by paraglider. Photo: Andy Busslinger

‘Fly 50km or Bust!’

Flying 50k is a landmark achievement in a new pilot's cross-country career, but it can seem elusive at first. Nigel Page explains how to make it happen
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Reserve parachute

Throwing your reserve: Théo’s ten tips

Nobody wants to throw their reserve parachute in anger but if you have to, you have to. Théo de Blic shares his top tips for ensuring it all goes smoothly
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How to thermal a paraglider

How to enter a thermal

Kelly Farina's Top 5 tips on thermalling a paraglider, from how to enter one properly to how to core correctly and efficiently
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Paragliding-Thermalling-Tips-Jerome-Maupoint

Five tips for flying windy thermals

Learning how to thermal? Keep falling out of them? Here are five things you need to know about flying thermals in the wind.
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