What are /r/freeflight's favorite Products & Services?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

You can buy a battery compartment cover that will allow you to use disposable or rechargeable AA batteries in your radio: https://www.amazon.com/Vertex-Standard-Alkaline-Battery-FBA-25/dp/B003VS6YIU

I am going to say go with what you already have. you already have a smartphone and Bluetooth vario so why not utilise it. download and get to know XCsoar. it takes a little setting up to get maps, airspace, waypoint and settings to getting "feeling" right but it is a great bit of software. use your cash to buy an external battery pack for you phone/vario and you are good to go.

if you are doing tasks it will tell you how much height you need to get to the next waypoint, what speed you should be flying to make the most of the air, all the important info from the day like wind direction and speed, and what the average climb rate has been ect. it also marks the thermal when you are thermaling and will show you the centre including wind drift (great for when you loose a climb just look at the instrument to see where you have fallen out). the only downside is the maps arnt fantastic in some areas, when i am free flying and giving others reports via radio it is useful knowing what road/small town/area i am flying above particularly when flying somewhere new, the maps for Australia often dont have roads/small towns/ creeks marked which is why i also fly with a garmin gpsmap 76.

i have been using lk8000 on a holux gps, pretty much the same software just a little different layout, and i cant imagine flying without it (or xcsoar) again.

Check out groundhandlingchallenge.com by André Bandarra. The Portuguese pilot created this website for exactly what you are looking for, with 30 exercises in 5 levels of difficulty (including graphics and short descriptions).

Because looking at a website is not that convenient when you are outside with your paraglider, there is an app for Android called Ground.

I would highly reccomend this: https://www.amazon.com/Taisioner-Windslayer-Housing-Protective-Reduction/dp/B07JB582PB/

(of course it depends on your model)

Those are still very commonly used as air speed indicators for hang gliders, especially for lower hour pilots.

For actual wind speed measurement on the ground, far more accurate and reliable units can be had for $30 on amazon. I have one of these and it works great. It's within 1 or 2mph of my Davis Instruments anemometer that costs $300.

I use heated glove liners. They are liners so they are extra thin so I still have dexterity at launch. Once I'm in the air i slip a regular ski glove over on the extra cold days.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096X2CF6C/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

When I was in France for paragliding (I'm not a pilot but my dad is) we stayed in a little town called Doussard. There is a LZ with rides up to the launch within walking distance of the town plus many other sites within an hours drive in the surrounding area. There is a large community of pilots there as well. Here's the link to the Air Bnb we stayed at.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18121970?eal_exp=1524028474&eal_sig=beb1709648efa071c0b90ffd49dfef4e60a2779690b05f360a5e10707b8d1b35&eal_uid=179263459&eluid=2&euid=16bdbda5-828c-ab95-042b-ccbe838c17d2

I got a car cover for this reason, so I can keep my wing locked up while I'm skydiving. Look at the sizing chart in the images to find the size right for your vehicle.

I have quite a lot flight hours on one of these: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B08PK7ZXBX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Less than 2€ per piece and they have super strong velcro and rubber on the back so your "cockpit" doesn't slip off your leg. My xctracer fits perfectly. Haven't attached a phone yet but I don't see any problem with that.

I went on amazon and just bought some of the "tacticool" airsoft stuff and made my own. I used a molle drop leg attachment like this (the one I found isn't that big, it's just an example) Then a molle velcro panel, and a cheap iphone case with some velcro on the back. It works pretty well for what it is, but I moved on to a harness with a cockpit and I much prefer that.

Were I in your spot, I'd just get a cheap vario and attach it to the risers. I used my phone for a while in the beginning, but the battery dies so fast and it's less accurate than a dedicated vario. People always suggest the xctracer, but then you need three devices. Your phone, the xctracer, and a battery pack to keep your phone charged. I'd rather know I have my phone stowed away safely with some battery for emergencies.

I'm reading through Art of Paragliding, and in the initial part of the book, it specifically says: "...The wing with the pulled down trailing edge (i.e. brake) experiences more drag due to increased AoA, so it slows down and turns you towards that side. A more efficient turn is to pull down one brake and raise the other (assuming you're starting from a position where both brakes are slightly pulled".

And specifically about weight-shift: "The effect (of weight shift) is to pull down the risers on the side with more weight, and allows the opposite side risers to rise a little. This causes the wing to bank (i.e. roll)".

Kitty Hawk in North Carolina may be a good place to try. Not sure if you'd be willing to drive all the way down there, but it's beautiful out there. Plus there are tons of restaurants, beach as far as the eye can see, and a lot of other things to do family-wise.

As a minimal footwear runner. I needed to buy standard tennis shoes because at least learning you need to heel strike to slow down on landing. I am a PPGer so their is way more weight to deal with. (and probably less wind)

Maybe try running hard downhill with a mid-forefoot strike. Feel how knee forward and at least to me awkward and slippery it feels.

To me at least the ability to rock back on my heels a bit is worth it. At least in this very specific situation. (landing)

When you see Tucker Gott and Flybubble stick the landings.. you wont be doing that. You will have to run it out because you will be coming down way harder and faster. These guys are really experienced and it shows.

I bought a pair of Asics from Amazon. They are "X-Wide" giving me some room in the toe box.

For reference, new pilot with 10ish flights on minimal footwear. I have not landed on the new shoes but I expect a huge improvement from general wearing of the shoes.

https://www.windy.com/

always always always check the winds aloft. This website provides you winds aloft, and also has balloon sounding data. They shouldnt have flown with those wind speeds aloft.

I‘m putting on some ankle guards like this on top of my hiking boots with hooks: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B014EBZVA4

They a) protect the hooks, b) keep my ankles a bit warmer and c) help keep my trousers in place.

So far I can thoroughly recommend them.

Yeah for sure.

Flybubble has a lot of good resources including a good youtube channel. I've learned a lot watching their videos.

There's also a book called The Art of Paragliding that's quite a few years of print, and a little out date in some regards, but it's still a great resource for learning.

If you want something more barebones than XC track since it looks complicated, try out Paralog (uploads directly to paraglidinglogbook.com or you can access the files and upload to your choice of logbook), downside is it has no vario or much tracking you can use in flight, only speed.

A different app, Paragliding Altivario, it can be a bit fidly, but has vario and will start tracking as soon as you move fast enough. It will save the tracks and you can upload them manually.

I'm still playing with all 3 apps and trying to decide, some days XCtrack is best, but there's just too many options, avario sometimes is just annoying if I crouch too fast and accidentally activate the flight

No. It was sold by the reseller(AxPower) but shipped by Amazon from their warehouse. The Reseller wants the reviews so their item ends up ranked higher in searches. This is the listing. Ordered Tues, got it Wed.

Thank you. How about these? Reviews say canvas is the easiest to tear compared to polyester and nylon. Many complaints on Amazon about canvas bags being torn after first flight itself.

Heavy Duty Duffel Bag Large Sport Gear Drum Set Equipment Hardware Travel Bags Rooftop Cargo Rack Camping Bag 36 Inch Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UZP2TFE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NmOrBbQJSTQ3X

Ledmark Super Tough Heavyweight Cotton Canvas Duffle Bag, Black, Size XL, 36" x 20" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0757M2YSR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ZnOrBbDS6AXZP

You need to find a qualified instructor, and the referral to the USHPA website is the best place to start.

A good reference is The Art of Paragliding. There's a lot to learn about gear, weather, physics of flight, and so on, and this book is a good introduction.

When you have access to gear, ground handling practice is important. When you have your instructor, dedication to getting out and flying at every opportunity will help you develop the skills you need to be safe and have fun.