The motorbike is used to pull the line from the winch down to the other end of the field where the paragliders are waiting to take off. The length of line used depends on the weather but is normally between 800 and 1200 meters. Each pilot gets their glider ready in preparation for the flight. The glider is laid out facing into wind, the harness is buckled on, the helmet fitted and all the paraglider lines are checked and free of tangles. The winch release, which is attached to the harness, is connected to the towing line.
Tension is applied to the towing line by the winch operator.
The pilot then inflates the glider. Once the glider has been inflated, the pilot and the winch marshal check that the lines are free of tangles. The pilot controls the glider while waiting for the tow to begin. The pilot, winch marshal and winch operator are all communicating by radio the whole time. If the pilot or winch operator is not happy with the gliders status then the glider is dropped and the procedure will start again.