Strong Wind Depower: Rear Riser Control 

Beginner pilot here. I absolutely LOVE this video!! It seems like you're weightless going up and down. And the demonstration is just great, it's easy to see the difference in glider response between C's and brakes.Can't wait to try this some day. I did learn to fly by using C's only to steer in the air, sort of learning what to do when a brake line has broken. I was amazed by how very little input is needed with C's to steer, maybe 1-2 centimeters only. I can image how easy it is to kill a glider with that group. So, it also need finesse compared to the toggles.

By far the best high wind launch control technic I've seen, I'll definitely be adding this to my tool bag of tricks. Once I start flying that is. :/

That was a masterful display, thank you for posting.

Greg, we have now used the rear-riser inflation in strong conditions, and it's brilliant! Works like a charm. Feet stay planted, steering is easy. When ready to fly, just go to trim and voila! Off we go. And, it really doesn't require crossed hands. We turn left after inflation, so the left risers cross over the right. Just get brake toggles in hands as usual, but after that just grab the rear riser with the usual hand; left hand will be on top of the lines on the left side, right hand underneath the lines on the right. Usually rules for kiting apply, step toward the low side and pull with pull with that hand. It's super simple and foolproof!

How can anyone give this video a thumbs down? It's honest, well done, and accurate.

very well done, perfect explanation..i love how you show us so many variations, really leads to a complete understanding of the concepts. THANK YOU!

Lovely, butterflying down with D's... makes my day. Ty Greg!

Very well explained and well done. Thank you for these insightful tips!

Really looking forward to trying this on my OXA instead of As and Cs. Thanks for a great vid!!

Really enjoyed that, thank you, can't wait to have a practice

Great clip, thanks for posting.

Another useful video, thanks!

Very good Greg!

Fantastic control. Thanks for the lesson!

Thanks for the video, Greg! I need to try this while kiting.

Excellent video. Will be giving this some practice.

Nice one greg!

very nice control, well done!

Just subscribed to your channel, and love the advice! Could you give a definitive answer to the question about where your brakes are while using the rear riser control/launch technique?

I fly in B wing. Until now I have been using A & C to launch. As you mentioned, steering response during ground handling was not very good so I was doubtful of my skill, I now know that it is the case. I will try C controls in separate hands when I am out next time. Thank You.

That's really cool Greg never thought about that. Will definitely try it on the Base next time it's windy and see if it likes it. I think it's particularly useful to be able to ease it up slowly in strong wind. Rosing up the glider seems a lot more time consuming and probably results not as consistent. Also to stay on the ground instead of flying C's vs brakes looks quite interesting. Shows that pulling on the rear risers probably kinks the wing somehow and spoils it, creating less lift than by pulling on the brakes

With a glider with a BC system would you suggest having your hands near the mallions on the C's, or already on the bc interconnect/toggle? Otherwise if you bring the wing up with the Cs hands near the mallions should you transition to the BCs after bringing the wing up for better control? Can't wait to give it a go next time it starts to blow!

We learned a lot from this video. Been using A's and C's, and the problem, as you mentioned, is the difficulty steering, and the transition to facing forward.... must to let go of the C's and go for the brakes. Must try the pure rear riser, first kiting and see how we like it.

Nice video Greg will give it a go. Just one thing I presume that you put your hands through the brakes then hold back risers to launch?

I’ve been shown to pull up using A and B risers to depower the wing in high wind. Basically a partial B line stall, makes a huge difference. Just hold all A and B lines together just above the mallions, with brakes on wrists you can then swap hands on the A/Bs and use the opp hand to brake if required for steering. Try it…you’ll never get dragged or plucked!

Class video a. Pleasure to watch 😊👍class music also

Love it!

Hi Greg I was just wondering how come you don't mention the big ears launch...my friend showed me this from South Africa, I find it great for strong conditions.

awesome video, thanks! never liked the As/Cs approach either!

Awesome technic.question i did my pg2 on bolero 6 which wing should i choose to spend next few years learning to thermal on thx buddy 4 all your vids which got me in to this lovely pass time

I see no detailed view of what one should do with the hands in this technique ?

How much of a difference in control is there, using this technique, between a two liner or three liner?

Also the wing loading should be done leaning back rather than forward, facing forward?

Now that's what I was talking about. This is THE WAY to launch in strong conditions. Greg, does this work well on 2 liners also? I wonder none of the pilots taking off at Quixada use this technique, except a few

My wing is an old dinosaur from early 2000's. I was out all afternoon practicing this in about 20-25km wind but on mostly flat surface. Also I haven't flown in 10+ years. I need to put in A riser to bring it up on the flat surface. Tested both brake and D riser input for control. Brakes had be sprinting after the wing until I could grab the D and kill it. (I managed to get a pretty awesome rope burn when I was grabbing for a D riser and got a hand full of lines. Holding A's and D's allowed me to get the wing up and control it. I held the brakes at all times so there was no fussing about when i wanted to turn and practice the launch. Then I find your video demonstrating it tonight. Great vid.

Hey Greg. How do you think this will work on the omega x alps 2, where the back risers also pull on the b’s? I’m wondering if it’ll be less effective as the profile is less disturbed?

That looks like magic, but I know it's simply physics!

Very nice video. I'll try this on my own during the next windy groundhandling session. As Paul already asked, where do you place the brakes during rear riser control? Are they still in your hands? Or do you leave them completely untouched during the initial phase?

Have you ever tried The cobra launch? Its way easier to take off on strong wind.

thanks

Seems like the schools only teach the A’s and brakes method, or maybe just the school I went to, wondering why that is? I’ve since taught myself the A’s in one hand and C’s in the other and definitely prefer that method to A’s and brakes only, but I’m going to have to try this method out, would definitely have better directional control over A’s and C’s method.

Yay, another excellent video! I'm a big fan of front risers in one hand and back risers in the other. Total authority of the speed and stalls of the wing. Agree with you about how physically demanding or impossible it can be to use one hand to depower both sides of the wing. Like you did in the video, I find that stalling one side of the wing so that it bends back helps with rolling the wing back above your head if it goes over to the side. If you're able to stall and dampen the surge with a lot of authority without creating lift/drag (rear risers), there any benefit to depowering the wing as it reaches the zenith vs starting the depower earlier? In other words, do you ever find the need to bang the wing up quickly in strong winds to get it out of the power zone faster? Invoking a slide and resisting the power rather than running towards the wing is basically doing this? At many of our launch sites, getting plucked into the air in reverse is way preferable to losing too much ground and finding yourself behind the takeoff. Getting plucked into the air aint so bad. I suppose my wing is a little out of trim and difficult to pull it up by stepping backwards. Any position 30-45 degrees from the ground requires A's to bring it back up :( When things get gusty (I think where front & back risers excels), having the A's in one hand keeps me from ever falling into the power zone.

hi what do u mean back risers? riser C?

Wow. He's got skills

Does the back riser control work with the new 2/3 lines ACR like Delta/Alpina 4? What do you pull?

question: can you be more specific about how you let the wing down? I think that actually is the most dangerous part. It appears you pull the 'd's to nearly a stall are you then pulling 'a's to slow the descent right before hitting the ground or just letting off the 'd's? also noted is that it appears really hard to stall that wing, you had brakes to your butt and it was still flying...

I am quite new to all this and only had a handful of powered paragliding flights in low winds. What scares me with wind is how I would collapse the wing if it dragged me up the hill? And when you are saying back risers, is that your C's+brake? I fly a Ozone Spyder 28

Hey Greg, sry may be a stupid quest but mentioned the "backrisers" you mean the "c-risers" ?

rear riser means Cs?

Hi Greg, Thank you for the video. Will this technique work on a EN-A wing like the Ozone Mojo 5? Cheers!

Super, Super, Super

Is this technique suitable for an EN-A wing (Koyot III)? I've been taught to launch off-centre with inner A's and one brake, and have been experimenting with A's and C's. Is there one universal best method?

Do I need to keep the brake in my both hand or release the brake during using the Rear Riser control ?

Greg, I have tried the C control kiting, and the SECOND I grab the lines I lose control. I am not getting the steering control. Should I pull the risers or can I use the lines, or does it matter? Any suggestions?

great topic! because getting dragged actually is not as fun as it sounds

Interesting technique, and something I've never thought of doing. "Inner As + Ds" was a godsend when I finally learned it, and works every time for me. Like you say, though, maybe it won't work so well for other wings. Just to clarify, where are your brakes when you're on the rear risers? Have you completely dropped them, or do you have your hands through the toggles? (I guess it's the former)

Что за крыло ???

What are rear risers? You are so far. I can t see. Month ago I learned A and C launch and now I dont understand what is wrong with it and what is rear riser control. A/C launch allows me to build the wall, set right direction and also wait for the right moment to launch. There shouldn't be a problem.

rear risers in strong wind is a terrible technique. To kill the wing it's good, but that is what the rears are there to do. to kill the wing, not to help you bring it up. there is no reason to use the rears to bring up your wing. you are disconnected from your wing and on launch being disconnected is dangerous. Watch maurer's takeoff video in insanely strong winds. All you need to do is pull up on the wing and run under it to dissipate the energy vimeo.com/136343414