Ridge Soaring conditions & Speedflying

Ridge soaring is one of the most fun aspects of speedflying, it requires windy conditions of about 18-25 mph depending on your wing size, this looks very similar to what paragliders do, except its a lot faster and much more aggressive due to wing size and wind conditions, the sport of speed flying involves many aspects and variables that you need to have in consideration in order to perform safely. Being smart means to kite a lot, get a good feel for your wing and learning weather conditions.

Speed wings are capable of very quick maneuvering and have a tendency to climb out of steep turns giving the pilot more of the feel of a hawk swooping along a ridge diving and then climbing upward to do it over and over again.

It’s own sport:

Skydivers and paragliders are not automatically qualified, however, it does help quite a bit, speedflying is its own sport and should be treated as such until substantial experience is accumulated.

Conditions for ridge soaring:

Atmospheric conditions can mean a world of difference between a successful flight or an accident, in this case, if you feel like the conditions are not quite right for your level of experience, the type of site that you are flying in, it’s always better to put your flight on standby until they get better, or just cancel for that day. There will always be an opportunity to fly next time if this is the mindset and idea that is applied when in this type of situations.

Protection

Lastly it’s always a good idea to have good protection, first wear helmet, I choose and  recommend the Tonfly ICE, multi-sport, lightweight, full impact protection and 100% customisable, back brace, elbow and knee pads, gloves, and hi-top hiking shows, this type of gear will provide a feeling of extra security and in case of any type of misfortune they will protect you and most likely enable you to walk away and come back another day.

Enjoy, fly safely be mindful