SIV/SFI Simulation of Flight Incidents & Towing Seminar ($1,247)
2-Days Paragliding
August 31 to September 2, 2024
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A paragliding first: done at stunning Pitt Lake, only 1 hour from Metro Vancouver.
When paraglider pilots first begin extended soaring and thermalling during mid-day conditions, or leave the comfort of known terrain of their home flying site to venture to unknown bowls and ridges: they immediately expose themselves to the possibility of encountering sudden unexpected turbulence.
It is our conviction that it is essential for paraglider pilots at this stage to undergo a SIV/SFI (Simulation of Flight Incidents) paragliding course, also sometimes termed Advanced Maneuvers Training. Why SIV? The French initially coined the term SIV (Simulation d'Incident de Vol) and it still enjoys majority usage. It is essential for paraglider pilots to know how to prevent and/or correct for paraglider collapses and other non-standard flying configurations, prior to exposure to this risk.
iParaglide Hydraulic Payout Winch Advantage:
We use a specialized hydraulic payout winch, mounted on a high speed boat, to tow your paraglider as high as four thousand feet above the lake, depending on conditions and pilot performance, where you will release and begin your routines while guided from the shore by your paragliding instructor.
This has a number of advantages over conventional paragliding mountain based launch clinics:
- You acquire a unique new skill: towing over the water is the safest environment to learn in and will serve you well in the future. When documented in your logbook, it will allow you to immediately para-tow elsewhere, if you intend to become an acro pilot or to fly flatlands. We will be issuing recommendations for HPAC Towing Endorsements as well as SIV Endorsements to participants who perform well in the Seminar.
- You enjoy a unique paragliding flight on the way up to start altitude, as opposed to driving up, increasing your flight time, learning and enjoyment.
- Use of this specialized paraglider towing equipment allows us to not be dependant on wind direction and good cycles like other mountain launch based paragliding clinics. This means we can operate in almost any wind direction and strength up to 18 km/hr. The result is that you will get more flights and more maneuvers per day.
- You will learn more and enjoy during your brief wait for tow, at ground zero, as you watch each participant directly above you doing their maneuvers in sync to the SIV instructors directions. From this improved perspective, you will learn from the team and the entire event, as well as being greatly energized and entertained.
- Hanging out at the beach is more fun than driving up a mountain over and over!
Simply, a more efficient and productive way of doing paragliding SIV.
Paragliding SIV/SFI (Simulation of Flight Incidents):
We teach you recovery and prevention techniques for possible unintentional, non-standard paragliding flight occurrences. We begin in the comfort of custom designed paragliding simulator. Here you will have the opportunity to rehearse the moves in precise and deliberate fashion, until they become motor memory, so you can perform them with grace under the pressure and g-forces of the actual moves.
We will emulate the series of test maneuvers that are used to certify your paraglider, depending on the individual pilots comfort zone and/or learning progression. These may include the following categories:
- Inflation/take-off;
- Landing;
- Speeds in straight flight;
- Control movement;
- Pitch stability exiting accelerated flight;
- Pitch stability operating controls during accelerated flight;
- Roll stability and damping;
- Stability in gentle spirals;
- Behavior in a steeply banked turn;
- Symmetric front collapse;
- Symmetric front collapse in accelerated flight;
- Exiting deep stall (parachutal stall);
- High angle of attack recovery;
- Recovery from a fully developed stall;
- Asymmetric collapse 45-50%;
- Asymmetric collapse 70-75%;
- Asymmetric collapse 45-50% in accelerated flight;
- Asymmetric collapse 70-75% in accelerated flight;
- Directional control with a maintained asymmetric collapse;
- Trim speed spin tendency;
- Low speed spin tendency;
- Recovery from a developed spin;
- B-line stall;
- Big ears;
- Big ears in accelerated flight;
- and Alternative means of directional control.
In this manner, you will gain valuable insight of the certification agencies paraglider CEN / LTF test process and see first-hand how your paraglider reacts at the limits of the flight envelope. You and your paragliding SIV instructor will fill out a sample paraglider test form during the seminar: after each flight, for each maneuver done. This way you can establish your independent results to compare to the actual test report for your paraglider.
Emphasis during the course will be on: deliberately inducing the particular non-standard paragliding flight configuration to understand how it may occur inadvertently; maintaining the configuration to be able to see and recognize when it has occurred; and then learning the most efficient techniques for rapid recovery to normal paragliding flight.
Intro to Paragliding Acro
For select paragliding pilots demonstrating the "right stuff" - clean, precise, low drama moves during the SIV/SFI components, and dependent on the individual pilots comfort zone and learning progression: we may move ahead with the following possibilities:
- weight shift wing-overs
- deep spirals
- asymmetric spirals
- high bank wing-overs
Safety First
For your safety, the Paragliding SIV/SFI, Towing & Intro to Acro Seminar will be conducted over a lake, with the high speed boat ready to pick you up should you splash down. Pilots will be required to have:
- Paraglider with good trim and porosity and commensurate with their piloting skill
- Back Protection in their Harness
- Repacked Reserve that has been repacked no longer than 1 year previous (preferably 1 week previous at our Reserve Seminar)
- Helmet
- Life Vest
- Tow-Assist Bridal equipped with a Weak-Link
- Hook Knife
- Safety Glasses
- TWO FRS or Ham Radios
- Gloves
- Boots with good ankle support
SIV/SFI Simulation of Flight Incidents and Towing Seminar
2-Days Paragliding
August 31 to September 2, 2024
($1,247)
Students must have their own complete set of paragliding equipment: Paraglider, harness with back protection, reserve parachute within a year of repack, helmet, safety glasses, thick leather gloves, life vest, tow-assist bridal equipped with a weak-link, hook knife, TWO FRS or ham radios, and boots with ankle support. Full payment of the Paragliding SIV/SFI course must be received prior to commencement of training, with no refunds for partial course completion. 3 days must be reserved with flights done on the 2 best weather/wind days. We reserve the right to discontinue training any paragliding student not following directions or conducting themselves in a manner that may endanger themselves or others. Price includes paragliding winch boat tows. Hook knives may be purchased from us with advanced notice. Life vests may be rented with advance notice. Tow-Assist Bridles are recommended to be purchased while at the paragliding SIV Seminar, or may be rented with advance notice.