What is winched paragliding?
Winching is a technique used in paragliding to take off in places with little difference in altitude, generally in flat areas. There are two methods. The fixed winch, a long Dyneema cable which is rewound to allow the pilot to climb (Sébastien Kayrouz, who holds the world record for paragliding distance with a flight of 613km in the United States, took off with a winch near the town of Del Rio), and the reel; which we tested; which consists of towing the pilot (by rolling), while gradually releasing the long cable wound around a spool.
As you can see, we're going to talk about a reel rather than a winch.
The reel, a team effort
The reel and its spool are installed on a pickup or a boat and the team chooses a place where it will be possible to take off facing the wind (because we always take off facing the wind in paragliding).
Three people are needed to ensure a winch: the winch operator, the driver and the starter. The winch operator, as its name indicates, is the one who will take care of the unwinding of the cable. The winch is equipped with several safety devices: cable cutter, circuit breaker, tensiometer, etc. which will allow the winch operator, who has undergone complete training to ensure safe winching, to react quickly in case of a problem. The winch operator will communicate permanently with the driver of the car, to tell him the speed at which he must advance. The starter stays with the driver. He will make sure that the pilot is well prepared, that the cable is attached to the pilot's release system, he will direct the operations with the pilot (clear take-off area, placement of the paraglider in the winching axis, safety instructions, briefing, pre-flight, release, radio link, emergency handle...). In short, he checks all the parameters, before giving his agreement for the winching.
The pilot, with a nod, will signal to the winch operator that he is ready to take off. At this moment, the car can start, the winch operator lets the cable unwind, the pilot inflates his wing, and if everything is ok, the winch operator brakes the unwinding of the cable to start towing the pilot.
Then, it's like a big kite, the pilot just has to keep his course, and wait to be as high as possible, or to meet a thermal he could use during the winch. At this point, he can release.
Once the pilot has released the cable, it is immediately rewound by a small motor before it reaches the ground, thanks to a mini parachute that slows it down.
And off you go, the paraglider is free to fly as you please.
Generally, during a winching, a paraglider drops between 250 and 500 meters. If the wind is a bit strong, it will be possible to climb higher, thanks to the same length of runway.
Winch flying is accessible to all paragliders who have validated the FFVL green level (Brevet initial: first level of autonomy). It is a great tool to fly quietly, work on exercises in flight and progress quickly. For the more experienced, it is a good way to work on certain acrobatic figures or to go cross country.
The advantages of winching :
Even if you don't have the beauty of a landscape in relief, the mountains and puys of Auvergne or the pleasure of hiking, the winch still has many advantages:
- No aerological traps linked to the relief
- No problems of impossible or complicated landings, there are only flat fields
- If you don't go cross country, you land where you took off, or not very far. The take-off becomes a very nice base camp, and you find the "club" atmosphere of an airfield
- No valley/slope breeze
- You can land and fly directly back (if there are not too many people at the take-off)
The Pitroux Club and the Summer Camp:
For many years, during the first two weeks of August, Pitroux club have been offering the Summer Camp, a gathering at Jarzay, near Poitiers in the Vienne. In the middle of a large plain almost closed to traffic, they operate two routes allowing them to offer take-offs, whatever the wind direction. The conditions are perfect for all levels of pilots, and the two equipped cars even allow pilots to take off simultaneously, to facilitate the exploitation of thermals.
At the crossroads of the 2 roads, an island of greenery has been preserved. The club installs all the necessary comfort (large collective space, sanitary facilities, ...), and everyone can set up his camp there. Warm evenings by the fire allow everyone to renew acquaintances and discuss the next day's plans. Welcome to a place where everyone feels at home and can share moments of fun and, of course, paragliding.
A great event organised in a friendly, joyful atmosphere where everyone can participate: from the recreational pilot, to the cross-country flyer and even the one who would like to do a first flight. A permanent winch service is available from 10am to 6pm to enjoy the pleasures of paragliding all day long.
