You are learning to paraglide. Obviously, you are not the type of person to play it safe in life. Good for you. Life is short and you want to ride it for what it’s worth. But let’s not make it too short. Sometimes paragliding can be deceptively easy. When things go wrong, they go wrong very fast. With this in mind, here are some rules for the new paraglider pilot, learned from my close calls and those of others:

I. Although I will not be the first to jump. Experienced pilots love newbies. They have a name for the overly ambitious green riders who can’t wait to get off the hill: wind dolls. It is like the food tasters that medieval kings used in their day. If the taster did not die, the king ate. If the wind dummy is not hit, the other pilots will launch. Don’t be the fool of the wind. If there are more experienced pilots waiting, there is usually a good reason. Nobody likes to wait to wait.

II. Although you will not be tempted by the camera. You’re in the air and you can’t wait for everyone to know on social media. Who can blame you? It’s exciting and you want to share that rush with your friends. However, flying is a multitasking business. Where is the next thermal? Where are the other pilots in relation to me? What is my wing doing? Am I adrift? What are my landing options right here if I sink? You have enough balls to juggle. Don’t add another when bringing a camera with you. Increased 50 hours first and then consider it. Along the same lines, your friend is at the launch or LZ with a camera, consider him a mermaid singing on the rocks. You’re going to get too close, push your glide too far, or lose focus at the wrong time so they can get the perfect shot. They can take pictures, but don’t fiddle with the camera. You are new Stick to your flight plan and forget about the lens. The photos will surprise you later.

III. Although you will have to buy your first equipment from your instructor. Paragliding is not like handball or frisbee. It is an elite sport that costs money. In exchange for what you put in, you will have experiences that most people will never have. You already paid for the lessons, now you pay for the right equipment. It can be tempting to search online or ask for something used to save a few bucks, but the buyer needs to be careful. Until you have mastered paragliding, you may end up with the wrong gear for your weight and experience level. Sellers desperate to move old and unreliable equipment will be happy to turn it over to an unwitting buyer like you. I made this mistake and almost took off with a glider that could have ended my life … too advanced, too light on the wing. You will have the name of your first instructor on your card for the remainder of your flying career. He or she is part of your team. They have guided you from the training hill to the mountain. They will be there for you when you need advice as you progress in the sport. Support your business and trust them to set it up with the right equipment.

IV. You will trust your instinct though. “If you go straight, you can glide straight ahead,” said the local pilot on top of the boat on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. He wasn’t flying yet. I was hoping the day would get hotter and more thermal. It was new and he was eager to get off the hill. Enough talking and waiting! But that LZ sure looked 3 times farther than my pure glide ratio. “We have straight slide … no elevator? Can I do it?” I asked again. “Yes,” he confirmed. So I jumped in. First. I was halfway to the LZ when I had to set up a landing on a thin strip of grass at a train station. The options were not good. The landing was worse. My instincts said I couldn’t do it. It was good.

V. Although you will have fun and delight in its novelty. Whether it’s surfing, snowboarding, or paragliding, most of the laughs and the brightest eyes seem to be on the beginner waves and rabbit hills. A good percentage of the advanced crowd travels with a scowl on their face, rushing to poop the new guy, and playing down their experience as nothing. They rode a wave bigger than you, flew higher than you, created tracks more treacherous than you. Don’t let it rain on your parade. They are jealous. It is the principle of diminishing returns. You will never win the first time and you are embarking on a series of novelties. The first time your feet leave Rabbit Hill, the first time you launch from 300, the first time from the top, the first thermal, the first place to land, the first cloud base, the first XC . Delight yourself.

Paragliding is wonderful. It is a sensation like no other. Although not as safe as shuffleboard, it is much more fun and we can minimize our risk if we stick to the fundamentals learned from a solid paragliding school and are always wrong on the side of caution. Have fun and see you in heaven.