What is paragliding?
Paragliding is an air sport that has become increasingly popular over the last fifteen years. It is an activity for young and old people and is relatively easy to learn.
Paragliding descends from skydiving, there are however some distinct differences between the two air sports. When jumping with a parachute, you should slow down during your fall and land safely to the ground, while it is the goal of paragliding to stay as long as possible in the air, floating around with your wing. Some flights can take several hours and the distance covered could easily reach 30 to 40 miles. When you use the right lift, you could climb to altitudes of thousands of feet.
The paraglider sits in a harness below a wing made of polyester or nylon, using equipment like radios, GPS devices and vario meters. The equipment is tailored to the paragliding person, so it does not matter whether you are light or heavy, young or old; everyone is able to fly in the air with a screen.
Initially, paragliding was only practiced in countries with mountains, but thanks the so-called winch method it is now also possible to practice this beautiful sport in countries without mountains.
Paragliding Schools
To master the right knowledge and skills, it is advisable to take training at an experienced paragliding school. These schools should be registered with national associations. Certified and experienced instructors will give you the right theoretical and practical knowledge and before you know it, you will be flying all by yourself, under radio guidance, in the air.
Some schools also offer so-called tandem flights, where a passenger flies together with an experienced paragliding pilot.
Not a sport without danger
Paragliding is not a sport without danger, but if you are a well-trained pilot and you are able to respond to various situations in an appropriate manner and also are able to judge whether weather conditions are good, then paragliding is absolutely a safe sport. Years of research in the world of aerodynamics ensure that only lightweight hi-tech materials that meet the highest quality standards are being used.
