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PARAGLIDING WHAT IS IT ALL
ABOUT?
Paragliding is the simplest
form of human flight. 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 from which the pilot is
suspended by sturdy kevlar lines.
The pilot is clipped into a
harness and oriented in a sitting position for maximum
comfort. With a paraglider, you actually fly like a bird,
soaring upwards on currents of air. Paragliders routinely stay
aloft for 1-3 hours or more, climb to elevations of 10,000ft,
and go cross-country for vast distances. In addition,
paragliders can be easily carried and launched off of most
mountains.
Most people think that
learning to fly a paraglider is a difficult thing to do and in
fact, it is really quite easy and safe.
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
certified 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.
Paragliders are designed to
soar. The duration record is over 11 hours and the distance
record is over 300 km. 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!
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 lesson, 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. |
