Ten Years Ago

The theme for issue 72, whose sunny cover shows a hang glider in a steep turn over Hawaii. Readers were taken on a tour of the Canaries the Portuguese archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores and the Pacific Ocean’s Hawaii. Samll, volcanic landmasses in the sea, sun-drenched and battered by north-easterly trade winds, each island is a lure for sun-seekers and pilots looking for something different.

For instance, the “aggressive, almost violent” landscape of Tenerife is dominated by the 3700m Mount Teide, the highest landmass in Spain and third largest volcano in the world (the other two are in Hawaii). Most of the flying happens in the south of the island, which thus tends to breed very technical pilots with good lee-side flying skillson an island where take off is often at 1000m and cloudbase at 1700m. The rewards are reportedly fantastic offering varied views of deep verdant gorges and seashore moonscapes.

In the Portfolio pages Welsh photographer Ray Wood captured some stunning landscapes, a dark red sky and black silhouettes of a summit cross and a lone walker descending a rocky ridge, sadly uncaptioned. Ray’s images ranges from beautiful compositions filled with the lurid purples and fluorescent pinks of early 1990s paragliding, to some telling reportage shots. In one Bob Drury stands on in amusement as an angry Welsh farmer marches straight across his laid-out glider in protest, on the summit of Snowdon. In another the viewer can only look in horror, grateful that the picture suspends time, for what happened next must surely have been unpleasant. Pilot Patrice Bonnefond is mid-fall beneath a glider that is a total mess, a few metres above the ground just after take-off at the 1993 Worlds in Verbier. I hope Patrice was not too badly injured.

Competitions still had a bad reputation when it come to accidents. The competitive flying world at the time was digesting CIVL’s announcement of new pilot entry requirements for the 2001 paragliding World Championships. It said pilots had to have an FAI Gold Badge, have flown 100 km and also to have finished in the top 2/3 of a PWC. CIVL said it was a necessary move to make competitions safer, as inexperienced pilots were “maiming or killing themselves far too often.

Posted by: Lets Go Paraglide

All you need to know about paragliding

Learning to fly like an eagle may not be possible, but soaring like an eagle is. For those people who have the dream of flying, now is the time to make it happen. Paragliding will probably be the easiest way, and the quickest way to learn to fly. The big question is how do you get started?Before You Learn to Paraglide, realize that paragliding may not be for you. You may have fears that you cannot overcome. Occasionally, people just don't like it. However, the only way to find out is to get out and try. As they say, "it is better to have tried and failed than to have failed to try."

Benefits of Paragliding:  Paragliding is relatively safe, easy to learn, and affordable. Buying a paraglide is a lot cheaper than buying an airplane or a glider plane. In fact, you don't even need a license to fly a paraglider.  You can carry it easily and it doesn't require special equipment to transport. Most paragliders weigh only 30 pounds and pack away easily into the car.Easier to Learn than Hang Gliding.

From a safety standpoint, learning paragliding will give you more control of the take off and landing. Not only will you have control of the take off, you can choose how high you will fly. Knowing this will ease your thoughts and give you the confidence to learn like an eagle.Practicing from a low to moderate altitude will build your confide when first beginning to learn. You will glide slower than a hang glider thus giving you more time to react. When a hundred plus feet up, panic is not your friend.Since you are not required to jump off a cliff or a mountain, leaving your fears behind is a whole lot easier. Although, it does give you time to back out, unlike hang gliding. When hang gliding, once you start running, you cannot stop.

Receive a USHGA Rating. For the most part, it will only take 5 to 10 lessons to achieve a novice rating. Yes, you are rated based on your skill. Therefore, you don't have to guess or allow your ego to judge your capabilities.Paragliding is governed by the USHGA (United States Hang Gliding Association). This association sets the rules for safety and gives guidelines for learning and teaching. While paragliding is a self-governed sport, which does not require a license, safety should be your first priority.The Cost of paragliding on average, it will cost you about $1,200 to learn if you wish to receive a novice rating.

This will cover the cost of lessons and equipment rental, which is normally provided by the school.If you are still interested, the instructor will help you find the right paraglide to fit your needs. Buying your own equipment is the next and final step and it will run about $3,600.If you would like to learn to paraglide, all the information you need can be found on the USHGA website at USHGA dot Aero. Good luck and happy flying.

Want to fly? Learn how to paraglide.

Flying is a wonderful feeling. Most people experience flying at sometime in their life. This experience usually take place in a large commercial jet aircraft. People use this type of transportation to get from one location to another in the quickest form possible. There are however other forms of flying which may offer people a higher level of satisfaction.  Paragliding: This is an outdoor sport where people have the opportunity to fly while keepeing close to nature. You get to feel the wind blowing through your hair while soring through the air supported only by a harness, some lines and a parachute know as a paraglider.

Paraglidng offers more control than hang gliding does. This sport is an inexpensive way to fly. It does require some training but can be learned in a relatively short period of time.  Hang Gliding: This sport also entails flying high above the ground while maintaining a tight connection to the element. This sport uses a hang glider as a mode of flying. The hang glider is a great way to fly with out a motor. This sport has been gaining popularity over the past 20 years. Hang Gliding was invented before paragliding. 

Power Paragliding:

Power paragliding is similar to paraglidng but does not require wind to create lift. Instead the power paraglider creates it's velocity and lift with a small gas powered motor which powers a propeller. The motor and propeller are either strapped to the pilots back or attached to a small go cart type vehicle called a trike or a quad. When using a trik or a quad the motor and propeller are attached to the rear frame of the vehicle. There is then a parachute know as a paraglider attached with long lines the the vehicle which allows the quad or trike to glide through the air while the motor provides thrust.

The other option pilots use when paragliding is the solo method. This is when a pilot attaches the motor and propeller to their back using a back pack type device. They then sit in a harness which attaches to the lines which lead the the paraglider.  These forms of flying require some training and effort. To become a pilot in any of these sports it is important to understand how the sport works as well as how the air and weather work together. Once someone becomes a pilot and begins flying in these extreme sports they will immediately understand why these forms of flying are becoming more popular in the United States and all over the world.

Why you should try paragliding

Few sports share the freedom in 3 dimensions that a paraglider does. A paraglider pilot is at one with his or her wing, exposed to nature and her elements. Paragliding is complete freedom in the air, soaring like a bird. It is an individual sport in the air (except tandem of course), but on the ground pilots enjoy a close common bond which bridges cultures and language.Age is no barrier to this great sport. Guys and Girls can fly from age 16 to over 80 years. Only 0.001% of the population fly paragliders, what makes them do it? A strong thrist for adventure and a taste for adrenalin.You may have considered other forms of light aviation, but most have drawbacks due to portability, storage and expense. Paragliders have many advantages, most notably cost and size, with a complete set of modern equipment fitting into a medium backpack.

Paragliding can only be done in fine weather, as rain adversely affects the wing. You can paraglide pretty much anywhere in the world, in France and Germany alone there over 60,000 paragliding pilots all enjoying the feeling of free flight, whether its smooth coastal soaring, thermalling in the Alps alongside birds of prey or acrobatic flying. Paragliding involved one of the lowest investments for equipment of all aviation sports, adding to its growing popularity. From Europe to Nepal, from Israel to Thailand, Bali to Hawaii, Australia to Brazil, Canada to Chile. I cant think of anything I would rather do on a fine sunny day. The world takes on a different feel from the air, the feeling of freedom is indescribable.

And when you have flown enough, touch down, pack your equipment into its backpack and hitch-hike home, or call your retrieval team.Over the last few years paragliders have improved in safety and performance. Paraglider flights have been made of over 500km All without the use of mechanical propultion. Thermic activity is harnessed by paragliders to gain altitude. Once sufficient altitude is gained, we glide off searching for another free ride to the clouds.The wings are extensively tested to ensure safety.

Making paragliding safer for all. Paragliding organisations around the globe govern the training and licencing of pilots. A great way to get a feel for the sport is to take part in an introductory flying day. If its something that you enjoy, you'll need to do licence training and then youre off. Some new pilots have commented that this is the best thing they have ever done in their lives! Go on, have a go. For more details, goto http://www.LetsGoParaglide.co.za

Discover paragliding in India

Thrilling, true, but not everybody can be a paraglider.They say, "There are no old and bold pilots," which means only luckyones live to grow old. This isn't meant to scare you, but to say that it needs a lion's heart to be able to fly high up in the sky - like a bird.Welcome to the exhilarating sport of paragliding. If theidea of flying like a bird over pristine countryside and making theskies your playground grabs you we recommend you give PARAGLIDING a try!Nirvana Adventures:Mr. Sanjay Rao,CEO of flynirvana.com quoted "We quit our jobs,bought a house in Kamshet and started a paragliding institute calledNirvana Adventures,".

Native Place is a paragliding base for NirvanaAdventures, Kamshet. Conceptualised as the Nirvana AdventuresHQ it houses all the school facilities and infrastructure such as adebriefing zone, audio video training aids and mockups as well asaccommodation for instructors, students and visiting pilots.Nirvana Native Place.TATA INDICOM celebrates Moksha with Nirvana Adventures andNative Pace, Kamshet. MOKSHA ' with Nirvana Adventures &Native Place. After months of searching for the perfect place to get together TATA Indicoms Regional Sales Heads zeroed down onNative Place with its great atmosphere and spell binding monsoonvistas to celebrate.

Native Place - Paragliding base for NirvanaAdventures, Kamshet. The oldest and the only paragliding schoolaccommodation located in the middle of the flying zone at Kamshet,Native Place is a vibrant and a positive energy radiating retreat tonature. Designed as an eco friendly guesthouse to compliment an ecofriendly sport, this warm friendly place is a bright and airy piece ofarchitecture with charming features around a central, open to skycourtyard, custom made for our paragliding pilots and students whoenjoy their stay here and, within a few days come to identify it as ahome away from home, a place that will keep calling them back.Nirvana Adventures - Paragliding INDIA is on Facebook. Sign up forFacebook to connect with Nirvana Adventures - Paragliding INDIA.Paragliding.They are also providing paragliding equipmentsmanufactured globally.

Best season for the paragliding are the months from Octoberto February. The peak season starts from February and continues tillthe end of May.So Your wish of flying free as a bird dream can be fulfilledby joining Nirvana Adventures. Just log onto http://www.flynirvana.comfor more information.

Are you a paragliding or hangglider pilot?

For those people who had a dream of flying but really are not sure about jumping off the side of a mountain, paragliding might be your answer. Paragliding is not to be confused with parasailing. Paragliding is soaring through the air freely. You soar thru the air like a bird on the wind.Not to be Confused with Parasailing
Parasailing is where you are tethered to a boat, or car or some other moving vehicle. Parasailing is more like a kite. You are fixed to it and it is the equivalent to a boat flying you.Difference Between Hang Gliding and Paragliding.

The main difference between two is, hang gliding has a fixed wing that you fly like a glider while a paraglider is more flexible and slower.The fixed wing on a hang glider will be the plane and you will be hanging down from it in a prone position, thus the name hang gliding. Faster and more rigid, hang gliding gives more of a rush.While both paragliding and hang gliding will have almost the same capabilities of soaring, you do not have to jump off a cliff, mountain or structure to paraglide. In order to take off, you will pull back on the cords that will allow the flexible chute to fill with air and lift you off the ground.The Power to Choose Liftoff
With paragliding, if you something feels "off," you have the option to abort launch.
Hang gliders, on the other hand, once you start, you are committed and have to take off. As a general rule, gravity doesn't reverse itself. Therefore, once you jump off the cliff, it does not matter what you see, you got to go.

Safety Rules Fall Under the USHGA
Both sports are governed by the USHGA (United States Hang Gliding Association). Neither paragliding nor hang gliding requires a license since both sports are self-governed.They both have ratings that will allow you to know how you are developing and thus keep you safe. Biting off more than you can chew could be deadly. The ratings also give you an idea on how difficult a particular area is to glide in.Take lessons and establish a rating before you buy either of the equipment for hang gliding or paragliding. Safety first is the best solution for a sport that will give you the opportunity to soar like a bird and see the world from a perspective you could only dream of.

Slow Paced and Easy to Learn
Paragliding is slower and generally is easier to learn than hang gliding. Either the hang glider or the paraglide will cost you about $3,600 to $5,000 to get your own equipment. Properly taken care of it will last approximately four years or more. I would suggest checking both of them out before you make a commitment. After checking them out, you can make an informed decision on which you prefer.

If you havent tried powered paraglding, you missing out on some great fun.

You may have heard many great stuff about a motorized paraglider from aircraft enthusiasts. If you've never flown an aircraft before, you may have just given the idea a shrug thinking that paragliding alone is too hard to learn and only daredevils would like to try it. This article aims to banish that misconception and give you an idea about the joys of flying this aircraft.If you've had experience with flying already and seek to add a little more adventure in this field then getting a motorized paraglider is the first step. Powered paragliding offers a great opportunity to see and observe the lansdcape from the top.

Flying on a commercial airline may be an option but it flies so fast that you only get a fleeting chance to view one portion through a tiny window.If you are a photographer then this is your chance to take breathtaking landscape photos. With a motorized paraglider, you can move closer to an area of interest and spend much longer time getting the best aerial view, as opposed to flying on an airplane where altitude and speed is high and give you awkward shooting angles.But if you're not really interested in aerial photography, you can simply fly and enjoy the view! It's not everyday that we are given this opportunity and in fact there are so many people in the world who would want to fly but just have very little knowledge or resources to do so.

You don't even need a pilot's license so this is an opportunity for everyone to try it!Now you may wonder about the safety of flying these aircrafts. Sometimes accidents just happen in even the most unexpected circumstances. "Unsinkable" ships sink, advanced aircrafts crash and high-tech cars aren't always accident-proof. But if you just digilently follow all the safety rules then you should be fine. In fact, statistics show that flying a motorized paraglider is safer than driving a motorcycle. But if you looking for more a challenge, you can also try paragliding without the motor. Its great fun,take my word for it.

Discovery paragliding in New Zealand

Wind, Air and Water sports in New Zealand are extremely popular.With the wind coming off the sea, we are a windy country. This lends itself to a plethora of activities reliant on good winds.Combined with our many waterways and coastline, along with the scenic delights from the air, these wind inspired adventure activities provide plenty of fun.Yachting or Sailing are major national sports. School children learn and compete in the small Optimists, and progress through the ranks to the America's Cup, and many classes of yachting. There are many sailing opportunities for tourists to New Zealand, from crewing on an old Tall Ship in the Hauraki Gulf of Auckland, to chartering a yacht and sailing the Bay of Islands or Marlborough Sounds.

Wind Surfing or Board Sailing is a sport enjoyed by many, and New Zealand has always excelled on the world stage in this competitive sport.You will usually see windsurfers in the harbours, and on lakes, taking on the waves and wind at a great speed of knots! If you are keen to try windsurfing, there are several popular tourist locations where you can hire windsurfers.Kite boarding is quite new, but is fast taking off. Inexpensive, and combining the skills, spills and joys of surfing, it is the perfect combination for those who love the sea, and tricks of surfing.Hang gliders have certain spots around the country where they love to soar above the crowds in solitude and peace, taking in the magnificent views below.

Simple machines steeredby the users feet and body, it is probably the nearest to flying like a bird anyone can get. It is actually a very old sport. The first known hang gliders originated in the 4th century in China! Tourists keen to try hang gliding can do a tandem hang glide. There are restrictions on those bringing their own.You do need a permit, and there are specific areas where you are permitted to hang glide, for safety reasons.Paragliders, like hang gliders, float above us with their wide sails making a colourful arch across the sky. Unlike hang gliders who face downwards, paragliders sit, harnessed into a seat. Tandem paragliding is one of the most popular tourist air adventure activities. Queenstown, Wanaka and Canterbury offer the most choices, but Taupo, Auckland and Nelson are also good locations to try this exciting activity.

Age is no barrier.The oldest person to paraglide celebrated her 100th birthday with a session!Paragliding is a simple version of Parasailing. Attached to a parachute, you are towed by a boat.You can experience the airborne nature of paragliding at a more comfortable height.Blokart Sailing is land yachting. Looking rather like a wind surfer with wheels, these land yachts race along the long wet sands.Another safe, fun activity anyone could try, there are a few rental companies where you can hire one and give it a go.Hot Air Ballooning must surely be one of the most romantic air activities you can engage in. It is also a great family activity as children over 5 years are considered old enough, and the whole family can enjoy the experience together. The ideal conditions are usually early morning, when weather is more settled, so it may mean an early start. But watching the sunrise from a hot air balloon would surely be the ultimate!Skydiving is big!

Found in most major tourist locations around the country, thousands try tandem skydiving every year. Solo skydiving is also an option for those with more experience. But by going tandem, anyone can try a sport that they would otherwise not do, due to lack of experience.With the magnificent views of mountains, lakes, rivers and coastline to soak up, the rewards when experiencing these air, wind and water sports is twofold.

We have 3 good reasons to start power paragliding

You might have heard of paragliding and how popular it is among aircraft enthusiasts. While it sure is great, it has a lot of limitations. For example, you can't control your direction as you are free-flying. In this article, you will learn how power paragliding solves these limitations.First, the added engine brings more power and navigational advantage. It allows you to take off even from a level ground - no need to look for higher elevation where wind speed is sufficient. You can just climb and glide higher with the help of the motor. Of course this means you will have to shell out a little on fuel but ask any pilot and they would say the cost far outweighs the accomplishment you feel about flying your own aircraft.Second, the simplicity in the design allows anyone to build a motorized paraglider. Just remember that if you already have a paraglider wing then you only need a paramotor to start power paragliding.

If not, looking for a canopy isn't hard at all. The purpose of the paramotor is to give you additional thrust when you are up in the air.Third, the cost. It's true that if you already do paragliding as a hobby, buying or building a paragliding would cost at least $2000 or more. But this is just the initial cost, which really depends on where you buy the needed materials. Fuel and maintenance is relatively affordable so the total cost wouldn't hurt that much compared to other ultralight aircrafts.

What's even more enticing is that you don't need to get a special license to fly a motorized paraglider, so that's less money and paperwork to worry about. It may seem like using an engine to help you fly is controlled by the government. For other ultralight aircrafts, it's true but power paragliding doesn't have much requirements to get you started.

Make your homemade rc paraglider - For real!!

Well, it's possible to 'build own paraglider'. But it's been pretty hard in the past to find a paraglider kit or a set of decent paraglider plans. So you have to admire the small number of enterprising companies on the web that have now made it possible to 'build own paraglider', and dirt cheap at that. Let's look at a few now... knitted-paragliders.com. I found this paragliding website about knitted paragliders quite useful, but only with a lot of help from my sister. Mum pitched in too. Thanks Mum! And it was good to know that those hours spent learning to knit as a 6 year-old weren't entirely wasted too.

The site offers the following information, materials and services so you can knit up your very own knitted paragliders. It's a total package, even the lines and harness are knitted from the supplied massive skein of wool. Ordering online is straight-forward, with the usual secure credit card facilities available on the order page. - Knitting patterns for all the latest DHV-1 paraglider designs (downloadable PDF) - 570 km (354 miles) of premium-grade, low-porosity sheep's wool (delivered to your door) - A knitting needle set (machined alloy, delivered to your door) - Supporting documentation for the trickier bits (downloadable text files) The beauty of knitted paragliding is that when you are confident in the air, you can unravel your DHV-1 design, download a DHV-2 pattern, and knit up your first cross-country wing! Fantastic! Yes, there are patterns for some of the higher-rated wings, but naturally the prices are a little higher. Because many pilots choose to unravel/re-knit, the knitting patterns are available separately. Good to know. Whatever you do, stick to the manufacturer's recommendations for the ratio of Pearl stitches to Plain stitches over the upper surface of the wing. Failure to do so adversely affects the low-speed performance of knitted paragliders, since it thickens the boundary-layer airflow. Here's something else to be careful about.

If you fly through some rain showers, the wool will shrink badly. But only in the fore-and-aft direction. So your wing area will go way down, and at the same time the aspect ratio goes up. So when you reach the Landing Zone, you will discover you are flying one hot racing wing buddy.. Don't say I didn't warn you. I've still got grazes on my knees. Honest. oragami-paragliders.com.jpAnother paragliding website you can try, this one offering oragami paragliders. This site has a secure order page through which you can order their CD. It costs $120, which I thought was a bit steep, but anyway.. The CD features a polite Japanese gentleman with a faint French accent who takes you step by step through the process of folding your paraglider. The design is AFNOR Standard rated, and requires just a single sheet of glossy paper! A fairly heavy grade mind you.

Why glossy paper, you ask? Turns out it's quite important for reducing the depth of the boundary layer airflow over the upper surface of paper-based paragliders. Bottom line is you get an extra 2 points of L/D. If you don't know what L/D is, you need to explore my website a bit more.:-) I must admit I had some trouble locating a stationery outlet that could source sheets of paper the size of my house roof. But really, despite this hassle, what a great idea. A shorter materials list than even the knitted paraglider, beats trying to work with dozens of fiddly bits and pieces that can roll off under the sofa and so on. Viva oragami paragliders! A warning. Quite a serious one actually. I was doing some coastal soaring, and didn't take much notice of the rain squall approaching. I should have. The handling became, you know, sort of soggy as the rain drops starting spattering my face. Next thing I knew, I was in the drink, with the sodden remains of my wing plopping down all around me. Splooosh. Plip-plup... Plop, Plip. Pip-pip-pup. Back to the living-room table, another sheet of paper. Man, folding oragami paragliders takes forever.

Not to mention the paper cuts. I'd really hate to have to re-do a tandem design, with all that wing area. wearable-paragliders.com.frWell, trust the French to come up with wearable paragliders! In a surprise fashion hit, an almost unknown French fashion house, Para-parel, has successfully blended the long French tradition of fine fashion with the more recent French obsession with paragliding. So this paragliding website also doubles as a fashion website. Yes, a whole line of para-apparel is available for sale after the success of Para-parel's first airing (no pun intended) of their colorful togas, sarongs and shawls. Naturally, some compromises are evident in the resulting line of clothing. The main compromise is that when used as paragliders, these creations have a rather small wing area. Chief designer, Claude S'ucke, has considerable experience in Alpine paragliding, but deliberately chose to go with very small wing areas for these wearable paragliders. In fact, half the clothing range is designed to be used as training wings only.

You know, for practicing 'kiting' of a paraglider canopy. The other half are the winter collection which are more heavily constructed. Hence they have the structural strength to be used as special heavy-weather paragliders. It was not unusual last summer to spot slope-soaring pilots braving 35 or even 45 knot breezes on the western French coast, in their colorful Para-parel wings. Everyone else was on the ground of course. Heck, even some airliners were grounded on those days. Sorry, I've ignored those of you who are much more interested in the clothes. Ok, where do I start. Let's start with the shawls. These are really stuff bags for wearable paragliders. But with carefully chosen textures and shaping, Para-parel has done a lot to revitalize the popularity of this traditional concept in clothing. In a clever move, Claude managed to use a variety of special clasps to transform most of the detachable paraglider lines into underwear.

Very daring underwear, even by French standards. Ooh la la. Similarly, clasps and brooches are used to transform the canopies of wearable paragliders into loose-fitting togas for men and flowing sarongs for women. For the wearer's convenience, thin colored strips are sown into the fabric which highlight the most important fold lines to get the wearable paraglider look 'right'. As a final touch, some of the shorter detachable lines are brightly colored and double as headbands, belts and even shoelaces. Shoelaces with outrageously large and floppy bows mind you. Wearable paragliders! What a concept. Viva le para-clothing! silken-paragliders.com.chFinally, let's check out the Silken Paragliders crowd from Shenyang Province in China that exclusively uses low-quality silk. Yup, a visit to this paragliding website will get you a package delivered to your door with canopy, lines, harness, everything in one lovely soft bundle.

The only reason it's 'build own paraglider' is because you do have to attach the lines, risers etc yourself. Takes nearly three hours to put together, it's quite fiddly. The instructions are terrible, they should fire their translator. On the other hand, some parts are hilarious. Found myself searching the Silken Paragliders Instruction Book for the funniest bits actually! The whole package is only US$99. How is that possible, considering the entire paraglider + harness is pure silk? Well, remember I said it was low-quality silk they use. I emailed the webmaster and he says that only rejected skeins of silk from some of the major silk factories in China are used. Sometimes silk-worms have 'off days'. Funnily enough, if one starts going off they all do. And for people who know their silk, it's just so obvious in the finished product. So the factories can't afford to include any below-par stuff in their output of raw silk. They have to practically give it away.

So it ends up in the mail-order paragliders from the sweatshops of this remote Chinese province. If I were you, I'd order one of these beautiful hand-woven paragliders today. With the incredible growth which is occurring in the sport of paragliding, the limited supply of rejected silk is sure to prove insufficient before long. Prices will soar as the Silken Paragliders company struggles to keep up with demand. ConclusionSo there you have it. All you need to know to get out there and 'build own paraglider'. Fly these contraptions at your own risk. Maybe strap yourself into some nice big fluffy pillows before you take off. Or flap your arms hard. Good luck. You'll need it.;-)

Who can be a paragliding pilot?

Just what is a typical paraglider pilot? The short answer is 'there are none'. The slightly longer answer might be 'well, a lot of them seem to be guys in their 30s or 40s'. Surprised? Isn't paragliding one of those scary, risky, over-the-top activities in vogue with the young and daring? No, it isn't really, although there is some potential for danger as in any form of flying.So don't expect to go to a paragliding location and find pilots fitting some sort of Extreme Sports stereotype. Being more of an aviation sport, and relatively cheap and easy to get into, paragliding does attract a wide variety of participants. You too could learn to paraglide and amaze your friends! Europe is where it all started, and it is there that you are more likely to spot some interesting people in the sport. In that corner of the world, children's camps sometimes include paragliding as an activity! At the other end of the spectrum, there are many older pilots.

That is, those well past retirement age! What better way to keep life interesting.Heck, I've even seen a video clip of a dog going for a ride, clipped into a special doggy harness alongside the pilot. Wonder how much flying time a German Shepherd needs to log before going solo. Hey, don't laugh, paragliding is almost that easy! Let's do a quick check of some possible categories for paraglider pilots.Age is one, definitely. I've already mentioned how the very young to the very old can fly. Weight is another. Little men or slightly-built ladies flying their bottom-of-the-size-range XXS wings. Sounds like a shirt size doesn't it. Right through to people of substance who are too much for anything but a tandem paraglider. Yes, a wing actually built for two. What else? Nationality of course, since this is a global sport. Although birthed in Europe, and most popular over there, every continent on the planet has its paragliding fanatics.

What about disability? Surely not! Oh yes, some companies are actively helping wheel-chair-bound people into the air. All it takes is a couple of working arms after all, to use the paraglider's brake toggles. Maybe just one more category, gender is an obvious one. As usual in flying sports, there are far more men than women in paragliding despite gender giving no special benefit for flying. If anything, women are quicker to pick up the required careful and precise style of using the controls.That just about covers the main angles on the variety to be found in paragliding pilots. Now for some real examples, some specifics.Age Particularly in Europe, you can observe people in a wide range of age groups flying their paragliders.

Even all the way back in 1994 there were some young pilots. In that year a 14 year old in Bulgaria became their youngest paraglider pilot. He had 29 flights to his credit at that tender age.In Israel, paragliding has some history, starting with the Zoom Club pioneering efforts of Yair Shachar. He in turn taught a certain Baruch Gurwitz to fly, at the age of 70! In fact, in 1998 Baruch earned an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest paraglider pilot. He was 77. That record has not lasted though! Since then, a short film has been made about the exploits of a 79 year old Polish pilot. Miroslaw Dembinski produced the film, winning a prize in the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Being a pilot is one thing, but of course age is even less of a barrier when you are only a passenger! I came across one paragliding school that recorded the names of two exceptional passengers. 95 year old Hannes Taugwalder for one.

Just to give you some idea of the weight range available to paraglider pilots, here's a couple of real paraglider designs to illustrate. Firstly, the Nova Rookie wing is available in 5 different sizes. The smallest is the XXS. Extra extra small. Just right for a featherweight pilot, most likely female, who weighs in at 55 kilograms (about 120 pounds) ready to fly. That's right, that weight includes harness, helmet and any other gear she may be wearing.At the other end of the scale, really large pilots can in fact use a tandem paraglider which is normally used for taking passengers. So, in theory, Big Bertha or Gigantic Joe who weighs 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds), could put on 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of flying gear and go for a gentle float in the Bio-Air Bi-Bio 42. This is a typical tandem paraglider.Now for a bit of trivia.

The biggest sports paraglider of all time was a one-off design with a 20 meter (66 feet) wingspan, used for filming a car commercial! This very special reinforced wing had to carry a whopping 600 kilograms (over 1300 pounds), after being dropped from a Lama heavy-lift helicopter. A real Audi A6 All-road vehicle was filmed floating through the sky under this paraglider, against spectacular mountain scenery.Nationality these days, it's hard to think of a continent that has no paragliding activity. There are excellent schools and flying locations to be found all over the world. Also, I know that my paragliding website attracts visitors from more than 60 countries!Paragliding is particularly well known and visible as a sport in England, France, Germany and South Korea. Of course there are others, but these 4 have stood out to me so far.Disability organized paragliding for the disabled exists in the U.K., Australia, South Africa, the U.S. and probably quite a few other countries as well.

Not surprisingly, tandem paragliders are used a lot in this area.The English seem to have done a very good job of promoting paragliding for the disabled. Just look at the activities of Airways Airports, they are not hard to find! This company sometimes uses specially modified paragliding 'chariots' to give access to flying to a very wide range of disabled people.Another notable company is Handiconcept, who provide a range of activities to the disabled, including paragliding. They operate from a Swiss Alpine resort and cater for both the physically and mentally handicapped.Moving across to the U.S., an innovative company called Team Thor have set themselves up as a public charity. They cater for the physically handicapped in particular, and focus on coastal flying in tandem paragliders. Not just any old coastal flying, but the very impressive and well-known ridge-flying experience of Torrey Pines, on the Pacific coast.

Gender paragliding offers no barriers at all to female participants. The minor issue of very light weight, in some cases, is easily fixed by carrying ballast. Some of the bigger paragliding schools even offer paragliding courses specifically for women. An example is Peak to Peak Paragliding which operate out of Boulder, Colorado in the U.S.Particularly in Europe, a select few women have reached the highest standards in the sport by becoming active competition pilots. Such is the participation rate over there, there are even women-only events on the CIVL sporting calendar. CIVL is an international body that governs aspects of paragliding and hang-gliding, like the FAI in general aviation.Now for a quick mention of 2 notable women in paragliding. Firstly, Azar Mazru'ii Farahani from Iran is the director of the Women's Air Sports Federation of Tehran.

A professional paragliding instructor, she glides through the air with the greatest of ease wearing traditional Islamic clothing. That's different.Secondly, one of the U.K.'s top female pilots is Nicky Moss. She was good enough to win the women's event of the British Open Paragliding Championship when it was held in Spain. Not only that, Nicky also holds a British record in paragliding. In Conclusion maybe you might never have the opportunity to become a professional pilot. But paragliding, even if only as a passenger, is surely within your reach!