Paragliding FAQ

Q. What is paragliding, what is a paraglider?

A. Paragliding is the simplest form of human flight. Paragliding is done with the help of a paraglider. A paraglider is a non-motorized, foot-launched inflatable wing. It is easy to transport, easy to launch, and easy to land. The paraglider itself is constructed of rip-stop nylon or high stress polyester fabric. The pilot is clipped into a harness and is in a comfortable sitting position. The harness and the Paraglider attached by sturdy kevlar liners.

With a paraglider, one can actually fly like a bird, soaring upwards on currents of air. Paragliders are capable of staying aloft for hours together, climb to altitudes of more than 10,000 feet and go cross-country for vast distances.

Q. Is paragliding the same as parasailing or parachuting?

A. "No". Parasailing is what you do at a beach, in a modified parachute tied to a boat. You get dragged around the harbor like a sack of potatoes, not like a pilot. (If you want to offend a paragliding pilot, refer to their sport as "parasailing".) Parachutes are designed to be deployed during free-fall from an airplane and to then descend to the ground. By contrast, paragliders launch from gentle hillsides with their gliders already opened for flight; if the glider isn’t flying properly, the launch can be aborted before leaving the ground. Since paragliders do not have to withstand the stresses of free-fall deployment, they are much lighter and aerodynamic and are designed to go up rather than down.

Q. How is paragliding different from hang gliding?

A. Paragliding has a faster learning curve than hang gliding due to the paraglider’s slower forward speed and more forgiving design. Your launches are not "committed"; if you want to stop your launch, you just stop running and the canopy floats down behind you. By contrast, once you start your launch in a hang glider, which weighs anywhere from 40 to 50 kgs, you are committed. The paraglider folds up into a 12 kg. backpack in about five minutes and can be easily transported.The hang glider, due to its weight and rigid frame, must be transported on a vehicle with a roof rack and requires about 30 minutes to set up and again to take down. Because hang gliders fly faster, they can cover greater distances more easily. But paragliders, which have advanced rapidly over the last few years, can now cover distances almost as great and, due to their tighter turning radius, can often stay aloft in light lift when hang gliders can’t.

Q. What can I do with a paraglider?

A. Paragliders are designed to soar. The duration record is over 11 hours and the distance record is more than 300 kilometers. In training you will start out just skimming the ground. As you progress and become more skilled and confident you will probably want to go higher and use the wing for its designed purpose -- soaring! Average recreational pilots, utilizing thermal and ridge lift, routinely stay aloft for 3 hours or more, soar to altitudes of 10,000` and travel cross-country for great distances. In addition, paragliders can be easily carried and launched off of most mountains. Paragliders have been flown off of almost every major peak in the United States and Europe as well as off of Mt. Everest.

Q. Is paragliding safe?

A. You can make paragliding, like most adventure sports, as safe or dangerous as you want. It is of course crucial that you receive instruction from a professional and use safe equipment -- professional schools will create as controlled a learning environment as possible. But paragliding is still an outdoor sport and Mother Nature is unpredictable -- the primary safety factors are personal judgment and attitude. You must be willing to learn gradually and to think with your head not with your ego. If you don’t, then you can get injured or killed; if you do, then you can paraglide until you’re 90.

Q. Is paragliding scary?

A. Paragliding is the simplest and most serene way to fulfill humankind’s oldest dream -- free flight! The pilot jogs down a gentle slope and glides away from the mountain. There is no free-falling or jumping off of cliffs. The launches and landings are slow and gentle and, once in the air, most people are surprised by how quiet and peaceful the experience is. Even a fear of heights is rarely a factor, as there is no sensation of falling. The solo lesson requires more effort (physical and mental) than the tandem flights, but it lays the basic groundwork necessary to become your own pilot.If the idea of watching the sunset from a comfortable seat in the air, supported by the buoyant evening air, with perhaps an eagle or hawk joining you off your wing tip, appeals to you, then paragliding is for you.

Q. Who can do paragliding?

A. Paragliding is about finesse and serenity, not strength and adrenaline. As in rock climbing, women often do much better than men because they don’t try to muscle the paraglider around. In Europe, where the sport is immensely popular, you will see pilots as young as 10 and as old as 80. If you choose to hike to launch then you’ll want to be in good physical condition, but you can also drive to most popular flying sites. More important than physical conditioning, is being physically and mentally alert and prepared. To be a successful paragliding student and pilot, you need to be able to think clearly and to listen well.

Q. How much does a paraglider cost? How long does a paraglider last?

A. A new paraglider, harness and reserve will cost somewhere between Rs. 80,000 and Rs. 1,25,000 depending on what accessories you add up with your kit. After four years of fairly active usage and exposure to UV light from the sun, a paraglider is generally in need of replacement. This of course varies with how you care for your wing. It’s easy to test your lines and sailcloth for strength and thus determine your need to replace your paraglider long before it becomes unsafe. Harnesses and reserves should last indefinitely with good care. Most pilots who get into the sport also purchase a two-way radio and a variometer (which tells you whether and how fast you are going up or down) for an additional Rs. 15,000/- altogether. Good used equipment is often available for half as much though it will have a shorter life-span. In addition, because the sport is evolving rapidly, newer paragliders can have significantly better performance

Q. What do you need to know when purchasing your first glider?

A. First, you need to know how to fly. No would-be pilot should purchase a wing before learning at least the basics of paragliding. It is your instructor’s job to help you select your first wing. Different paragliders have different characteristics and require different skill levels; your instructor will match the glider to your particular interests, strengths, weaknesses, and skill level. Develop a solid relationship with an instructor you trust before purchasing equipment. "Good deals" generally end up costing the naive new pilot a great deal of money. Most instructors rely on referrals and repeat business so they are very determined to help you make the right decisions. .

Q. How do I get started?

A. The best way to start is with a Hill Launch Course designed to give you a taste of real flying. Under radio supervision, you will fly solo from the training hill and progress to higher flights, all in 3-4 days. The basic techniques of paragliding -- launching, turning, landing -- are fairly easy to learn. If after your Basic Course flights, you want to continue with paragliding, the next step is to enroll in a Intermediate Course which will teach you about micrometeorology, different launch and flying techniques, safety procedures, etc. You should try and complete the Intermediate Course in a concentrated period of time.

Q. How long does it take to learn to fly?

A. You’ll be flying solo during your first day of paragliding instruction, which is one of the advantages of the sport. However, in order to acquire the basic skills necessary to fly on your own without instructor supervision, you need to take a Basic Course, which generally takes a total of 3-4  days.

Q. What is motorized paragliding or powered paragliding?

A. With a motor unit attached to the pilot`s back by means of a special harness, it is possible to paraglide in areas where, and at times when, flying sites or conditions are limited or non-existent. With thorough training a backpack motor pilot can use the motor to launch and then spend the rest of the day ridge soaring or thermaling, using the motor only when necessary to keep from landing. All of the same general considerations discussed about paragliders apply to motor units.

Since the pilot will be launching and landing with 45 lbs. to 100 lbs. of additional weight, it is extremely important that the pilot be competent in evaluating the conditions and have the appropriate skillst. The information and a special paramotor training course is crucial to your long term success with a motor.

It is our opinion that you want the most lightweight, durable, and powerful motor you can purchase. Electric start is an unnecessary option that only adds weight and the potential for equipment failure. Large fuel tanks are heavy, yet are rarely filled to the brim due to the added weight. Portability is an important consideration. Although you will hear otherwise from some motor distributors, you do not usually need a larger glider than the one you would fly without a motor. We actually want you a little heavy on your glider. The glider you would normally fly without a motor should be fine for motorized flying. Some paragliders are more user friendly than others when combined with motors. Develop a solid relationship with an instructor experienced in motorized paragliding before purchasing equipment.

Q.   What are the stages a pilot go through in his flying career

Yes, paragliding works on a  rating system. Pilots attain different ratings throughout their flying career that should reflect the pilot skill level. The ratings are as such:

•     Para 1: Beginner Pilot - Student can only fly under instructor supervision and instructor radio contact.

•     Para 2: Novice Pilot - Student is now considered a full fledged pilot and can fly solo at nearly 50% of  flying sites nationally.

•     Para 3: Intermediate Pilot - Student has now passed a number of flight requirements and has aquired many logged hours. At this point you are considered a competent pilot and can fly almost every site safely.

•     Para 4: Advanced Pilot - This requirement is met only by logging hours and flights, also acquiring a good deal of knowledge regarding weather and FAA regulations. From this point you also may enroll in a certification course to receive your tandem rating.

•     Para 5: Master Pilot - Only a handful of them in the United States and few other countries, this is the most prestigious rating to be acquired in pg world. Still less than 20 in the U.S.A.