What is a Paraglider Speed Bar and how does it work?

Learning how to paraglide can be complicated sometimes. There are so many different names and techniques that beginners can feel lost at some point. This is why today in Overfly we will cover all you need to know about what is a paraglider speed bar and how does it work.

Paragliding is not only about letting the wind move you over some hills, there are lots of other things that are involved in this aerial sport and that, if you are interested in starting flying your first paraglider, you should know.

A speed bar is an instrument that can be very useful and that will help you to make the most out of your flights. If you want to learn more about what is a paraglider speed bar and how does it work, keep reading to find out!

If you want to know more about paragliding and how to make the best out of this experience, you should take a look at all some of these posts. Improve your skills and fly like a bird thanks to our blog!

• Which are the parts of a paraglider? Everything you need to know!
• Thermalling techniques: How to thermal your paraglider better
• How to identify a good paragliding site → find the best ones

What is a paraglider speed bar? → Everything you need to know

A speed bar is a part of the paraglider that will help you to increase the speed. It is like a strap or foot control that is attached to the risers or harness. In the same way, this foot control is connected with the wing so you can control its position and use it to your advantage.

In order to improve the speed of the paraglider, the pilot will have to push the speed bar with the feet, using the right pressure so the wing changes its position and the flight also changes.

How does the speed bar work?

To really know what is a paraglider speed bar, you should also know how does it work and why some pilots prefer it when flying. It can turn out to be very useful at those times that the wind is not so strong and you are taking the risk of collapsing your paraglider.

Once you push down the speed bar, the angle of attack of the wing will also change and be reduced so the lift becomes weaker. Thanks to this you will get more speed and power and it will make the wing more stable in difficult flights.

When can you use a speed bar?

Knowing what is a paraglider speed bar also includes knowing when you should use one. Many beginners do not know exactly when is better to attach a speed bar to their glider or when they could use it.

Do not worry, from Overfly Tenerife we will explain to you the best times to use your speed bar.

What is a paraglider speed bar: just another way to improve your technique!

If you are willing to grow as pilot and to learn as much as possible about paragliding, then, knowing what a paraglider speed bar is and how you can use it will be very helpful for you.

It is another flying tool that will give you the opportunity of increasing the possibilities of flying in most of the situations. Speed paragliding is another paragliding technique that will help you to feel more comfortable with your glider.

Get out of strong winds

We all know that finding strong winds can be really inconvenient and sometimes getting out of them can result difficult for those who are starting to fly. This is the time when having a speed bar attached to your glider can be very helpful.

This is the best advantage about speed bars. When you get caught into a strong wind, the speed bar will give you a security speed of about t 13 mph that will avoid that your ground speed gets reduced to zero.

Use the speed bar for thermaling techniques

When a thermal is too strong and is seems difficult to enter it, using a speed bar will turn up to be the help you need. You can use it so when you are starting to get closer to it and you try to get inside of it, you wing is not rejected by the thermal.

Perfect for cross country paragliding or competitions

Cross country flyers or competition pilots usually like to perform their flights with the use of a speed bar because these types of paragliding require being at a certain point in a limited or specific time. In order to arrive to their destination as fast as possible, using a speed bar can be very helpful.

Learn more about your paraglider

An experienced pilot will know what a paraglider speed bar is and how to read it in order to know the situation of the glider or the wing. All the elements that are part of a paraglider can tell us something different about our environment.

The harness will help you to know the pressure and movements of the glider and the handles will give you pressure while you are flying. In the same way, the speed bar will let you know what is going on with the angle of attack of the wing during thermals, strong winds or while you are descending.

Do paragliding pilots really need a speed bar?

Once you finally learn what a paraglider speed bar is, you might think: do I really need one? Many pilots wonder whether they need it or if they can still fly without one.

Actually, it depends on their personal preferences and the way they like to glide. You do not need one if you style of gliding is less risky or if you prefer to stick to your old habits. And, in addition, some paragliders are not even made to have a speed bar attached, so if yours does not have one, you will be alright!

And that was all for today! If you are interested in paragliding but you haven’t tried it yet, you should check all the paragliding flights we have for you!

See you folks! And remember that you can call us if you have questions or you need more information about paragliding in Tenerife.