Paragliders & Paragliding. It’s a Passion!

A paraglider is man’s answer to wings. Well one wing anyway. It’s actually an inflatable wing and it’s made from ultra strong rip-stop nylon. Rip-stop nylon has actually been around for quite a while and has been used in parachutes, kites, hot air balloons, light weight tents, flags, and all kinds of other applications where a strong rip resistant or tearing material is needed. A whole chapter could be written on the history and benefits of this versatile fabric.

A paraglider has no motor and the wing is fixed with Kevlar lines that secure the pilot’s harness. Once secured into the harness the pilot launches the vehicle by foot. This is done by simply running off of hills, mountains, or other inclines that enable the pilot and his paraglider to become airborne. Once taken to the skies the happy flier is paragliding, and that has to be one of the most free and wonderful feelings a human can experience.

Flying the Paraglider. Like any extreme sports or leisure activities, paragliding requires education, training, and a degree of skill to give the pilot the best paragliding experience. He or she steers the wing above by weight shifts, and appliance of brakes so as to change the shape of the rear edge of the big wing which is where the control comes from. Paragliding is not for the faint hearted and no one should ever attempt to paraglide at any level without seeking a course of professional paragliding lessons.



Paragliding (also known as parapenting in some countries) is both a recreational activity and competitive flying sport, but whether you’re doing it for fun or fierce competition, one thing is certain – It’s very addictive! So be warned and only seek out professional paragliding lessons if you can commit your time. I’ve seen enthusiasts (or should I say fanatics?) choose paragliding over their marriage, so think on.

When folks first here about paragliders and paragliding, on of the fist questions they have is ‘what’s the difference between this and hang gliding?’ Well, the 2 are closely related in as much as they’re a form of free flight, but hang gliders are built with a rigid aluminum frame to which a cloth wing is attached, therefore you can’t fold a hang glider up and stuff it into a backpack. Hang gliders are also much heavier than paragliders in comparison. At a guess a hang glider would weigh in at between 60-100 lbs whereas a paraglider just 25 – 45 lbs. Also, hang gliders offer improved performance and can fly higher and further than paragliders. However, there’s a steeper learning curve to flying hang gliders.

Other high-in-the-sky pursuits include parasailing/parascending but these do not involve free flight. Paramotoring, (which needs a powered paraglider), has the same equipment as a paraglider but with the addition of a propeller mounted behind the pilot and this makes it a form of ultra-light aviation as opposed to free flight. You may have seen these powered paragliders passing high up on a mid summers afternoon. It makes for a very unusual spectacle.

Paragliding has got to be one of the most gentle ways to experience personal free flight and for those that do it, it’s not just a mere hobby or passing fad, it’s a passion.

Article By Andy Maingam