You are learning to paraglide. You are obviously not the type of person to play it safe in life. Good for you. Life is short and you want to take it for what it’s worth. But let’s not make it too short. From time to time paragliding can be deceptively easy. When things go wrong, they go wrong very quickly. With that in mind, here are a few rules for the new paraglider pilot, learned the hard way from my and others’ near-skin calls:

I. The thought will not be the first to launch. Experienced pilots love rookies. They have a name for overly ambitious green racers who can’t wait to get off the hill: wind dolls. It is something like the food tasters that medieval kings used in their day. If the taster did not die, the king ate. If the wind doll is not hit, the other pilots will launch. Don’t be the windman. If there are more experienced pilots waiting, there is usually a good reason. Nobody likes to wait to wait.

II. Don’t be tempted by the camera though. You’re up in the air and you can’t wait for everyone to know about it on social media. Who can blame you? It’s exciting and you want to share that excitement with your friends. Flying, however, is a multitasking business. Where is the next thermal? Where are the other pilots in relation to me? What is my wing doing? Am I drifting? What are my landing options here if I sink? You have enough balls to juggle. Don’t add another by bringing a camera with you. He first increased 50 hours and then considered it. Along the same lines, his friend is on the launch or LZ with a camera, consider him a siren singing on the rocks. You’ll get too close, plan too much, or lose focus at the wrong time so they can get the perfect shot. They can take pictures, but don’t play camera. You are new. Stick to your flight plan and forget about the target. You will be surprised by the photos later.

third I thought you will buy your first equipment from your instructor. Paragliding is not like handball or Frisbee. It is an elite sport that costs money. For what you put in, you will have experiences that most people will never have. You already paid for the lessons, now pay for the right equipment. It can be tempting to search online or ask around for something used to save a few bucks, but buyer beware. Until you have a great understanding of paragliding, you may end up with the wrong gear for your weight and experience level. Sellers desperate to move old, unreliable equipment will be happy to pass it on to an unwitting buyer like you. I made this mistake and nearly took off in a glider that could have ended my life…too advanced, too light on the wing. You will have the name of your first instructor on your card for the rest of your racing career. He or she is part of his team. They have guided you from the training hill to the mountain. They will be there for you when you need advice as you progress through the sport. Support your business and trust them to provide you with the right equipment.

IV. Thought will trust your instinct. “If you head straight, you can do it in a straight glide,” the local pilot said at the top of the launch outside Rio de Janeiro. He wasn’t flying yet. He was waiting for the day to warm up and become more thermal. I was new and eager to get off the hill. Enough talking and waiting! But that LZ sure looked 3 times farther than my pure glide rate. “We have a straight glide… no lift? Can I do it?” I asked again. “Yes,” he confirmed. So I launched. First. I was halfway to the landing zone when I had to set up a landing on a thin strip of grass at a train station. The options were not good. The landing was worse. My gut said I couldn’t do it. It was good.

V. Although you will have fun and delight with your newbie. Whether it’s surfing, snowboarding or paragliding, most of the laughs and brightest eyes seem to be at the beginner waves and bunny hills. A good percentage of the advanced crowd ride with a scowl, quickly shitting on the new guy and minimizing his experience as if it wasn’t for long. They rode a wave bigger than you, they flew higher than you, they carved races more treacherous than you. Don’t let it rain on your parade. They are jealous. It is the principle of diminishing returns. You will never win the first time and you are embarking on a series of firsts. The first time your feet leave bunny hill, the first time you take off from 300, the first time from the top, the first thermal, the first landing spot, the first cloud base, the first XC. Enjoy it.

Paragliding is wonderful. It is a feeling like no other. Although not as safe as shuffleboard, it is much more fun and we can minimize our risk by sticking to the fundamentals learned in solid paragliding school and always taking precautions. Have fun and see you in heaven.