PROPER TAKE OFF

You will now lose the drag of the parachute and begin to speed up. Reduce power to about 50% or 10-15 mph. (Remember you must reduce power here or you will go airborne, reducing too much power here and parachute will begin to fall back behind you).

Look up at the end cells of the parachute. Are BOTH sides fully inflated? If not, push both foot bars all the way out and hold. In effect you are pushing a flare or putting on the brakes to help pressurize the parachute and open the end cells. While pushing a full flare or putting on the brakes as some people call it, the parachute may want to fall back behind you. If this happens you need to add a little more throttle. Once parachute is fully inflated release the foot bars to their neutral position against the foot bar stops.

Look up at the right and left flying cables and suspension lines making sure there are no twists, kinks or tangled lines.

Look down the runway. Do you have plenty of runway to the left to the right, straight ahead. If there are trees at the end of the runway do you have enough room to clear them.

This is the final step in your adventure to fly. Only you can now make that decision. Are you confident in the previous 5 steps? Did every thing go smoothly? Did things happen to fast? Did you get confused and skip a step or two? If so, start over. If during this step you say to yourself, “I think I can make it” you’re brain is already forewarning you that it doesn’t think you do. These 6 little words have been the source of many accidents and fatalities in aviation. If you ignore the “I think I can make it” warning, sooner or later you will have an accident.