Torpedo
Launches for Paragliding
Back
in the day (late 80s to early/mid 90s) there was no such thing
as a torpedo launch. For forward launches most everyone launched
with their A risers in front of the shoulders and just leaned
into them as the wing ascended. Following this, the pilots would
run down the hill with a slight forward lean to the body, keeping
the brakes as high as possible. Following a reverse inflation
and turn transition (the turn from facing the wing to forward),
the run and position was the same.
Running
without a torpedo has tradeoffs. It is hard to lean
forward and keep the brakes up all the way. Without
the lean,
there is not as much power to accelerate.
Photo Credit to Andy Stocker
My
first perception of the torpedo position was that it seemed
unnecessary. I thought, since you are running down a hill and
can do long strides anyway, what good would this position do
to help you run faster. Gravity should do most of the work,
I though. I was stubborn in my perception of this for several
years. Then, at an instructor clinic several years ago, the
torpedo technique was thoroughly introduced to me. With this
introduction and practice, I soon learned the many reasons why
this technique is so much better than the old style launches.
The
goals of the torpedo style launch are:
•
To get the upper torso in front of your legs so that the legs
can better power and accelerate the body during the running
portion of a launch
•
To have the brakes in a position that will allow no pull during
the launch run. With the upper body leaning radically forward,
it becomes extremely difficult to keep the brakes near the
pulleys with the standard (arms up and above/near the head)
position. In the torpedo, the arm position is much better.
•
To keep the body's center of gravity close to the ground.
This allows the legs to be fully loaded and improve a pilots
ability to run during the launch.
Note
in the below photo:
Accentuated Forward Bend, Hands - Up and Back, Body Low to Ground...
Photo Credit to Andy Stocker
After
a forward inflation or turn transition in a running reverse
launch prior to dropping into the torpedo, make sure that the
wing is not off to the side and is pitch stable (not too far
forward or back). You can continue to steer and make minor adjustments
in the torpedo, but it is better to make primary adjustments
prior to dropping into the full torpedo position. In the torpedo,
it becomes almost impossible to visually check the wing.
When
you drop into the torpedo, you need to transition your arms
from a standard flying position to them being above and behind
your back. To do this, try to keep your hands up and roll your
elbows out and lift your hands behind as you bend your torso
forward.
To
get the full benefits from a torpedo, you have to really bend
forward at the waist. Don't just lean forward, it is more like
bending at the waist and hanging your weight on the waist belt
of the harness. This position is a bit uncomfortable, especially
at first. The goal is to fully load the glider and keep your
upper torso closer to the ground so that you can run longer
to gain more speed. Get your weight closer to the ground in
the beginning and this will allow you to better use your legs
throughout the launch acceleration. The additional benefit of
bending at the is waist is that this position allows for the
arms to raise higher behind you to allow the brakes to be released
fully.
The
hand position can be done a couple different ways in a torpedo.
I prefer to turn my hands so that the fingers hold the brake
toggles up, allowing the easiest access to getting the brakes
higher (for full release). I have also found that in this position,
I can bend my elbows slightly to help this. Once you get comfortable
with the body position, you can play with your hand positions
to see what works best for you.
Note
that the fingers are up in this photo.
To get the brakes up even further, you can grab the
bottom of the brake toggles with the tips of the fingers.
The
reason the torpedo works is really quite simple. Physics dictates
that to push a mass, you must have leverage to do so. Having
the upper body in front of the legs is how this is achieved
with a torpedo. Take a bowling ball and hold it straight above
your head and try to accelerate. This will demonstrate to you
need to have leverage to move a mass.
The
torpedo also works when trying to get to the cliff edge when
it is windy. I watch pilots all the time that basically get
stuck on a windy day and sometimes can’t make it forward
to the cliff. In this situation, they have little weight on
their feet so the combination of no weight and no leverage add
up to failure to be able to move forward. This situation is
perfect to practice the torpedo position. I can pretty much
guarantee you that in the torpedo, you will be able to go forward
much more easily than trying to do so in a standard, non-torpedo
stance. Of course, your kiting has to be good already before
trying this.
Once
in the air following a Torpedo launch, remain in the same
position, ready to run again should you come back down slightly.
Photo Credit to Andy Stocker
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