USHPA Paragliding Novice (P-2) Practice Exam

In a prolonged spiral turn, the speed you gain mainly comes from the bank angle you hold. A steeper bank makes the turn tighter and increases the turn rate. That tighter turn means you descend more quickly because the lift is tilted more toward turning than supporting vertical weight, so gravity pulls you down faster along the curved path. As you lose altitude while turning, that potential energy converts into kinetic energy, raising your airspeed along the flight path. So the steeper the bank during turns, the more the airspeed tends to build in a sustained spiral. That’s why the option describing a steep bank angle during turns is the best answer. The other choices don’t describe the mechanism that drives speed up in a prolonged spiral: unexpected sink refers to vertical speed, not the forward speed gained from a spiral; flying a certified canopy isn’t about speed dynamics in spirals; and deep input on the glider isn’t the standard factor responsible for accelerating in a sustained spiral.