The Art of Paragliding
Quotes and Reviews

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QUOTES:

  • "I just bought your Art of paragliding and it's great! I wish that it had been around when I was first learning to fly 3 years ago... lots of good stuff, for everybody!"
    - Jeff Chrisope, P3, Seattle, Washington
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  • "Your new paragliding book rocks! I want to use it as the main text for my students."
    - J.C. Brown, Paragliding Instructor, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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  • "'The Art od Paragliding' - abundant illustrations and lucid text make this a "must" book. It reinforces everything I've learned from P1 to P3, and fills the gaps left by other student manuals. The sport needed this book... thanks for writing it!"
    - Doug Cannalte, P3, Colorado
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  • "Great looking book!"
    - David Glover,USHGA Regional Director
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  • "I want to congratulate you on your excellent book: The Art of Paragliding.
    I have studied it from cover to cover. I appreciate the clear complete text and the excellent and plentiful illustrations.
    I just passed the P3 test as a result of the information I gleaned from the book. I am a better pilot as a result of your book and I am grateful."
    - David Salmon, P3, Maryland
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  • "The wait was worth it!"
    - Bruce Hamler, Paragliding Instructor, Anchorage, Alaska
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  • "The reason I am particularly impressed (with The Art of Paragliding) is that I have been flying fixed wing aircraft for over 26 years. I have two airline transport ratings (Canadian and U.S.) in single and multi engine land and sea aircraft. I hold flight instructor single, multi and instrument ratings as well. With about 15,000 hours in fixed wing, I have read dozens of training manuals, and have written a few, so I know quality when I come across it. I started paragliding almost 4 years ago and found a sad lack of training material suitable to this sport. There was lots of material published if you spoke German or French, but it took me a while to wade through. A few of the better English publications typically reference British rules and didn't apply to us in the U.S. I currently hold a USHGA P4 rating and an HPAC instructor's rating. I am an avid paramotor pilot and enjoy the freedom of free flight from a backpack immensely.
    ... You guys did a great job! It's concise, clear, informative, an easy read, and a simply must-have for every paraglider pilot, regardless of their skill level."
    - Stuart Caruk, P4, Ridgefield, Washington
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  • "There are lots of different ways to learn. Having an instructor who is a "Yoda" in the sport is one way. Experience is another, and probably more durable, alternative. But research in human learning consistently shows that learning from multiple different sources is essential for retention and understanding of a complex topic.
    Over the past two weeks, I've been reading the new book by Dennis Pagen "The Art of Paragliding: Learning Paragliding Skills for Beginner to Intermediate Pilots". I would like to HIGHLY recommend this book to pilots of all skill levels. The subtitle of the book describes me perfectly: I've been flying for a year but have enough hours and experience to have my P-3 rating. I'm smack dab in the middle of being a beginner and intermediate.
    I predict this book will become the foundation for the next 10-20 years of paragliding education. My principal text books as a student were: "Paragliding, The Complete Guide" by Whittall and "Paragliding, From Beginner to Cross Country" by Sollom and Cook. Both books are good basic texts but were lacking in several areas and often outdated. Pagen's new book exceeds both in terms of depth, clarity and organization. Pagen makes excellent use of drawings and diagrams to emphasize his points. The material is presented in a logical, stepwise fashion. For example, rather than launching into a detailed explanation of the polar curve the first time that "best glide" is introduced as a concept, he uses an easy to understand visual explanation of glide speeds. Later, a much more detailed explanation of the aerodynamics of paraglider flight builds on the previous examples. The detailed chapter on aerodynamics actually comes late in the book after the student has developed an understanding of the practical aspects of flight. The text is littered with detailed information about lift and rotor, and many fans of Pagen's book "Understanding the Sky" will recognize some of the diagrams. The text is frequently punctuated with "Pro Tips" that include helpful details to coincide with the topic being presented. The book doesn't take itself too seriously, though, and makes excellent use of humor to make reading more enjoyable. This book will never replace the hands-on education and tutorial of a skilled instuctor. But it does a great job of thoughtfully covering the critical aspects of paragliding and is a "must-read" for all students of the sport."
    - Jim Little, P3, Portland, OR
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    Review of The Art of Paragliding:

    August/September Issue of Airborn Magazine

    Reviewed by Grey Hamilton, Paragliding Instructor

    Dennis Pagen's comprehensive book "The Art of Paragliding" is the latest in his range of popular sport flying books. Dennis Pagen needs no introduction to current pilots but for new participants Dennis has a number of popular and highly regarded flying publications in print. For this book he has 10 years paragliding experience and did 2 years of intensive research on the latest paragliding techniques in the US and other countries. Top instructors (including Dixon White of Airplay, 1999 USA Instructor of the Year) participated in making this manual.

    Compliments to Dennis on his writing style. The book is easy to read and generally quite readable. It is large format 374 pages with soft cover. The general layout of the book is great with loads of detailed drawn illustrations and photos all well spaced out within each page. I don't like the angled key boxes though, maybe it's just me, but I prefer them vertically oriented.

    Besides actual flying skills and step-by-step training, it covers equipment, safe procedures, how paragliders work, as well as launching and landing in two special chapters. It has Safety Tips, Pro Tips, and special Caution notes where necessary. Quotes and stories from world-class pilots are also included. The 13 chapters are divided into three parts: Beginner, Novice and Intermediate levels. It follows the recommended USHGA teaching methods and is also designed to be used as a training manual.

    The Art of Paragliding includes ground handling, learning judgement, history of paragliding, equipment concerns, perfecting turns, avoiding dangers, flying in wind, troubleshooting common mistakes, parachute insights, learning to soar, thermal lore, flight rules, performance factors, USHGA rating guide, weather for paragliding, emergency procedures, and more.

    I do like the quiz at the end of each chapter. They give the reader the chance to go over hwta was covered especially if the reader is a student in training. Very handy for instructors and schools as well.

    I have some concerns or suggestions with some text and illustrations. Don't see this as criticism but items that might have been overlooked in such a huge publication or just differences in technique.

    Other than these minor notes I really enjoyed reading The art of Paragliding. I recommend it to all paraglider pilots (especially those in training or new to the game). The text is explanatory, concise and easy to follow. The illustrations and pictures are worth many times their equivalent in words.

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