Official USHPA Surface Towing Course
Towing a paraglider aloft is an excellent method for getting airborne when hills or mountains are unavailable, inconvenient, or not subject to an up-slope breeze. Paragliders can be towed aloft in any into-wind direction and simply require a strip of open land, road, or lake; a tow-rig, and a tow-operator to get airborne. This makes it an ideal and popular launch method for pilots who live in flat areas, or for maneuvers and SIV courses where they are towed over water.
Towing has an excellent safety record, though it may feel strange to pilots who are accustomed to foot launching. It is important to seek out a friendly tow environment that is free of hazards where the operators have systems in place, strong communication, checklists and good weather awareness.
Please remember that we have done our best to provide a comprehensive and thorough presentation of the most important concepts for new pilots learning how to safely launch with a tow operation. Do your best to prepare for each day by studying material available from other sources including the USHPA website and asking lots of questions. Always observe towing activity for a day before engaging in it yourself. So much can be revealed by watching and helping for a day.
Blue Skies and Safe Flying! ~ GliderTraining.Org Content Development Team