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 Can
you fly with a friend?
Yes you can. Whether you remain friends or not after the
flight usually depends on the landing. It tends to be more
difficult to land on your feet on a tandem wing and big wheels
on the base bar are a definitely a good idea. (see photo on
the left). Tandem gliders are constructed to take two people
and tandem flying can be a really enjoyable thing to do. You
can cruise around admiring the view together and talk about
it afterwards.
The glider itself is usually around 220 sq. ft in area compared
to around 150 sq. ft in a solo glider. The passenger hangs
in a seperate harness above the pilot and to one side. I always
fly my passengers on the left side. There's no reason for
this other than that's what feels comfortable to me. Other
pilots might feel better with the passenger on the right.
Can
anybody take their friends up?
No is the short answer. To be a tandem pilot you have to
be very experienced and reach an advanced level. You need
to be assessed and passed by another tandem pilot and have
undertaken coaching to pass the assessment. Taking a passenger
is a big responsibility and someone who is considering taking
a tandem flight should first make sure that the pilot is qualified
to make the flight and that he is using the correct equipment.
That should include a tandem rated parachute.
Any
good horror stories?
Well, there was a guy in America who thought he'd impress
a girl by giving her a tandem flight. They got all set up
and started the takeoff run. Just then the pilot realised
that he wasn't attached to the glider. The girl was attached
though and off she went into the blue. She screamed and screamed
and the glider flew quite nicely for a while but then turned
towards the hill where luckily there were some big bushes.
She survived the crash but was NOT impressed.
The moral of the story is, don't just fly with any old pilot.
Check him out first, ask to see his rating card, and if you
can, get another pilot's unbiased opinion. It's your skin.
Look after it.
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Annecy
