Episode 133- Malin Lobb and Wing Control

Malin Lobb is the co-owner of Flyeo paragliding in Annecy with Fabien Blanco. He was one of the founders of the British Racing Academy, is a keen world cup comp pilot and an experienced SIV and paragliding instructor. In this information-packed episode that our editor called “One of the Best Episodes EVER!” Malin discusses wing control from A to Z- how to approach SIV; what to be thinking about when choosing a wing; the pitfalls of wing certification and relying on “passive safety”; the required skills to fly a 2 liner; the dangers of object fixation and why it occurs; why we freeze under stress; learning spirals correctly to prevent black-out; why the 360 to clean exit tells an instructor what skills you have; the 4 SIV/ piloting fundamentals (these will surprise you!); totally avoiding ALL cascading events; utilizing the FEAR acronym (feeling, eye, affirmation, relax) to decrease stress; mitigating your flying currency after even very short breaks; the reason most accidents happen; how much SIV is “right”; what makes a good pilot; NO, it’s not just “putting your hands up!”; when a pilot is ready for a 2 liner; “cleaning” a glider; efficiently clearing cravats; why you should see every collapse; building the foundation early; aggravating and cancelling roll and why it’s important; misconceptions of wing control, misconceptions of wing certification; how an ingrained culture of ignorance in our sport leads to so much mayhem and a ton more. This episode is jammed with really critical information for pilots at every level. Show Notes:  * The ethos of Flyeo and how Covid has affected the business and plans for the future * The art of instruction * Learning spirals * The four SIV/pilotage fundamentals- 1) trust your harness, 2) disassociate your arms from your body, 3) brake range, 4) situation awareness * The FEAR acronym * Flying currency and the dangers of even very short breaks * The most common cause of accidents * Becoming an autonomous pilot * What makes a good pilot? * There’s no blanket response * Regardless of your wing control, there are certain situations that there is no recovery * 2 Liners- there’s the skill side, and the confidence side * How much bar? * Experience in wing control and experience in XC- they are NOT the same * “Cleaning” a glider * Cancelling roll and active flying * The gateway to acro- the wingover * Misconceptions of SIV and specific maneuvers * The right thing to do is the right thing at the time. ADAPTION is key. * The massive problem of relying on certification and passive safety   Mentioned in the Show: Fabien Blanco, Pal Takats, Theo De Blic, Valle De Bravo, Cody Mittanck, Jeff Shapiro, Charles Cazaux, Seiko Fukuoka, Russ Ogden, Jocky Sanderson, Stefan Bernhard, Alex Robe