Flying and Skiing: The Secret to Flying in Winter
With sub-zero temperatures in our mountains and snow-capped peaks, winter is definitely here. Wait—don’t put your paraglider away just yet! There are plenty of fun things to do in the winter. Have you ever heard of paragliding and skiing? That’s perfect—that’s today’s topic.
What is flying and skiing?
The title says it all: paragliding while still wearing your skis.
Taking off on foot in the snow can be challenging once you start sinking into the powder. Running is difficult, and gaining the speed needed to take off becomes nearly impossible.
The solution then becomes obvious: strap on your skis, unfurl your sail, and take off as you glide down the slope—isn't that fantastic?
More and more pilots are getting hooked on this sport every year, and spots in the flying and skiing competitions are filling up faster and faster. So why not give it a try?
What does "flying and skiing" involve?
Taking off and landing with your skis on is enough to qualify the activity as “flying and skiing.” However, when people talk about flying and skiing, they are often referring to challenges organized by various clubs and supported by organizations such as the FFVL, ParapenteMag, or Supair.
These challenges consist of various exercises that test your flying precision and your ability to handle low speeds: touch-and-go, slides, marker touches, precision landings, and much more. These exercises are excellent ways to hone your technique and get a feel for your wing.
Although these challenges conclude with a ranking, these competitions are friendly, open to all skill levels, and feature a warm and welcoming atmosphere!
Dates are available throughout the winter, from December through March, at numerous Alpine resorts located in France, Switzerland, and Italy. You can view the dates on the official 2024 Flight and Ski Challenge poster shown here or directly on the FFVL website.
Without further ado, here are our first tips for flying and skiing:
Learn to ski before you get started
That's right—let's start at the beginning. If you haven't learned to ski yet, this will be the first step before you get started.
Although you don’t need to be at a competitive level to get started, you do need to be at least somewhat comfortable on skis; otherwise, you risk getting hurt easily. Knowing how to ski in a parallel stance will help you keep your balance when your skis come into contact with the snow.
Also, be careful not to ski over your equipment. If you’re comfortable handling your skis, you’ll avoid damaging your bindings by accidentally running your edges over them, for example.
Stealing from official websites
Without practical experience, landing on skis is quite technical, and the landing approach can quickly become tricky. We recommend practicing at official sites equipped with facilities that allow you to fly in the winter. Ski resorts generally provide an area accessible by ski lift for takeoff, as well as a large enough area for landing on skis.
Whether it’s under the blazing summer sun or on a blanket of snow in winter, we recommend that you contact the local school to get the information you need to practice safely.
Is there a minimum skill level required to participate in the Flying and Skiing challenges?
As far as French regulations are concerned, you don’t need any kind of license to register. You simply need to hold a valid FFVL license and be capable of flying independently.
To fly in Switzerland, you must hold a paragliding license.
In general, familiarize yourself with the regulations in effect in your country to ensure your safety and that of other pilots.
What equipment should I use for flying and skiing?
As always, the answer to this question will depend on your skill level and your goals. However, here are a few tips that apply in all cases, regardless of your driving profile:
Which skis should I use?
There isn't a specific type of ski required for ski flying; the most important thing isto be comfortable with your equipment and to have warm, comfortable ski boots so that the flight is enjoyable.
Alpine skis or touring skis? In reality, it doesn’t really matter. Just keep in mind that alpine ski bindings are easier to use, while touring skis have the advantage of being lighter, which can be more comfortable on a flight—to avoid leg pain caused by the weight on the tips of your feet.
It’s up to you to choose whichever you prefer!
Warning: No matter whatpair of skis or boots you use, it’s very easy for a lanyard to get caught in the bindings and hooks on your equipment.
When you're taking off, make sure all your lines are clear and that they won't get caught on any obstacles.
When landing, try to maintain a little speed until you can drop your glider behind you. If you let it fall back on you, you risk getting tangled up and skiing on your lines.
If one or more suspension lines happen to get caught under one of your skis, try not to put any weight on that ski while you gently free the line.
Which sail should I use?
If you're new to flight and skiing, your priority will be tolearn how to manage your skis during take-off andLanding, while enjoying a contemplative flight between the two phases. In this case, equip yourself witha glider that you know well and that takes off easily. You can use your usual glider, whatever the model.
If you're a little more experienced and your aim is to get the skis to touch, you can opt for a more playful and maneuverable glider . A glider like theEIKO2 is perfect for the flight and ski program. As well as being compact, and therefore easy to take with you on the lifts, it will give you hours of fun on the snowy slopes.
2024 Zinal Bétrisey Reine Cup - Flying and Skiing in EIKO2
Which harness should I use?
You'll need to pay more attention toCaution when choosing your harness than when choosing your glider , as it will have to meet more criteria to be compatible with flight and ski.
– The locking system
First and foremost, avoid cocoon-style harnesses. Although this may seem obvious, it’s always worth pointing out: in addition to being bulkier, the speedbag hanging behind your legs will be uncomfortable and difficult to manage while skiing.
Next, we recommendavoiding harnesses that you slip on without opening them. This is because the bulk of your ski boots makes it more difficult to get your foot through the leg loop. The numerous hooks on the boot could snag the fabric and tear it if you don’t notice. Therefore, opt for harnesses that open for a more comfortable and safer experience (buckles or carabiners).
– Protection
Although many people fly and ski using a string harness, we strongly recommend that you wear knee protection for your safety. Since flying and skiing often take place close to the ground, it is important to protect yourself in case of an impact.
If you have the choice between an airbag harness and a foam bag harness, here are the factors to consider:
- Airbag protection takes up less space, which is an advantage for flying and skiing, where you’ll need to use ski lifts.
Be careful: just like sand, snow can seep in through the airbag’s vents, leaving you with snow inside it. This can affect the airbag’s effectiveness, so be sure not to drag your harness through the snow too much and check regularly to make sure your airbag is completely empty. - On the other hand, a Moussebag harness isn't likely to be affected by snow. However, it takes up more space, and you may have trouble getting on the ski lifts because of the protective foam.
In general, you’ll want to choose equipment that’s easy to handle for flying and skiing. Compactness is an advantage, but it shouldn’t be a priority to the point of compromising safety. Keep in mind that you’ll often be flying close to the ground, so it’s important to protect yourself.
The RADICAL4 is a great example of a flying and skiing harness: compact and easy to handle, it allows you to move freely while its airbag provides a high level of passive safety during flight.
Points to Note
No matter what equipment you choose, you should always be careful of snow and ice. As we mentioned earlier, snow can get inside the protective covering—but that’s not the only thing to watch out for.
After a day of flying and skiing, be sure to check the pocket of your reserve parachute: make sure no snow has gotten into either the pocket or the parachute. If you notice that your parachute is damp, unfold it to let it dry, and refold it once it’s dry, making sure the pocket is dry as well.
When you’re performing your preflight check and the harness is lying directly on the snow, ice may form on the carabiners, which could prevent them from closing properly. When you get into your harness, it’s essential to check that your carabiners are properly locked.
– What accessories are useful for flying and skiing?
The poufbag: Flying in a resort allows you to do one rotation after another using the ski lifts, but this forces you to repeatedly fold your glider in the snow, which isn't very pleasant. What's more, folding repeatedly makes the equipment damp and increases the risk of snow seeping into the Cells. For all these reasons, we advise you to use a poufbag like the STORAGE SOLO 2, which allows you to quickly and easily stow your glider en bouchon between flights.
If your harness is heavy or bulky, we recommend using a poufbag with shoulder straps so you can easily carry all your gear and keep it from getting in the way while you're skiing.
If you're equipped with a harness thong, you can make do with a small poufbag to store your glider and keep the harness on your back. Caution However, make sure that no Strap gets caught in a chairlift, for example.
No ski poles: That makes sense, since you won’t be able to steer with your poles in your hands. However, make sure you know how to ski without poles, because it’s not uncommon to have to ski down a section of the slope to reach the takeoff area from the top of the ski lifts.
Water: The cold tends to make us forget how thirsty we are. However, whether it’s summer or winter, your body needs to stay hydrated! So be sure to slip a bottle of water into your harness. Since temperatures are often below freezing at ski resorts, we don’t recommend using a hydration pack because the water may freeze in the tube.
What to Wear for the Flight and Skiing
Flying in the winter requires preparing for cold temperatures. The challenge of dressing for a flight and skiing is to protect yourself from the cold while choosing clothing that wicks away sweat. To do this, you can follow the 3-layer method, which is commonly used for outdoor sports:
- First layer: wick away sweat
The first layer is the one closest to your body, right against your skin. It’s usually made of a breathable technical fabric designed to wick away the sweat you produce during physical activity. This prevents you from ending up with a wet garment that makes you feel cold.
- Layer 2: Protect yourself from the cold
Once the first layer has wick away moisture, you now need to protect yourself from the cold. This layer works by trapping the air warmed by your body heat within the fabric; that’s why the thicker your second layer is, the warmer you’ll stay.
- Layer 3: Protecting Yourself from the Elements:
The final step in dressing appropriately for your flight and skiing is to protect yourself from the weather, whether it's wind or snow. So you'll need a waterproof and windproof layer to complete your outfit.
Once you've layered these three pieces, you'll be ready to handle the weather conditions you'll face while flying and skiing. You can, of course, adjust the number of layers depending on the conditions you encounter.
- Ski pants: Just like on your usual ski days, you can wear your regular pants—or even your ski suit. If the temperatures are expected to be very cold, consider wearing thermal tights under your pants to retain heat more effectively.
- Gloves: While they’re recommended year-round, regardless of the conditions, gloves are absolutely essential in the winter. The extremities—such as the hands and feet—are the first parts of the body to feel the full brunt of the cold. So be sure to choose gloves that are thick enough to keep you nice and warm.
Please note: Very thick gloves can make the preflight check difficult to perform and complicate flying if they are too bulky to fit through the brake handles. Be sure to bring a pair of undergloves so you can handle your equipment comfortably.
- Helmet and Beanie: If you’re flying with a helmet such as the Supair PILOT, be sure to put the helmet’s ear flaps up to keep warm. If you tend to feel the cold and your helmet is large enough, you might want to wear a beanie underneath to retain heat more effectively.
Important: After each day of flying and skiing, be sure to take your gear out to let it dry. Even if it isn’t covered in snow, the fabric retains moisture and needs to be aired out so that the moisture can escape.
This advice applies to all of your equipment: wing, harness, and reserve.
In conclusion, paragliding and skiing offer a fun and enjoyable way to keep flying even in the middle of winter. Thanks to the many events held at the resorts, you’ll have the opportunity to meet numerous pilots who share your passion and are eager to enjoy friendly moments together.
With snow-covered landscapes, precise handling, and a great atmosphere, there’s no reason not to give it a try yourself!
