Patent ID: 6962308

Claim:
A control assembly for controlling a paraglider aerodynamic control surface to influence flight characteristics utilizing gravity forces acting on a load carried by a paraglider upon relative movement of the load and the paraglider, said control assembly comprising: a rotable load bearing roller with a load bearing strap wound thereon which in use supports the load, a rotatable flaring strand roller with a flaring strand wound thereon which flaring strand in use is connected with an air foil control section of the paraglider, said load bearing roller and said flaring strand roller being coupled to one another such that when rotated together in one rotational direction, the load bearing strand is unwound from the load bearing roller and the flaring strand is wound onto the flaring strand roller whereby the distance between the flaring strand roller and the air foil control section of the paraglider is shortened to thereby move the air foil section for flaring the paraglider when the load bearing roller is rotated in said rotational direction by load forces from the load acting on the load bearing strap, a latching mechanism operable to selectively latch the load bearing roller and flaring strand roller to prevent rotation thereof, and unlatching apparatus for unlatching the latching mechanism, and a controller responsive to a signal indicative of a distance between a local ground surface and the load to control unlatching of the latching mechanism.