Paragliding FAQs

“No”. Parasailing is what you do at a beach, in a modified round parachute tied to a boat, Parachutes are designed to be deployed during free-fall from an airplane and to then descend to the ground. Base-jumping is another form of parachuting. Base-jumpers open their parachutes during free-fall after jumping from bridges, buildings, etc. 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.

Paragliding has a faster learning curve than hang gliding due to the paraglider 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 60 to 100 lbs., you are committed. The paraglider folds up into a 20 lbs. backpack in about five minutes and can be easily transported – people commonly carry their paragliders to the top of peaks in the Cascades, Alps, Andes, and Himalayas. 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.

Paragliders are designed to soar. The duration record is over 11 hours and the distance record is 380 Miles. 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 15,000′ and travel cross-country for great distances. In addition, paragliders can be easily carried and launched off of most mountains or flatlands using a Tow System .Paragliders have been flown off of almost every major peak in the United States and Europe as well as off of Mt. Everest.

I/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.

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 a launch then you’ll need 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.

A new paraglider, harness and reserve will cost somewhere between $3200 and $6000. 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. 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 $500. 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 and behavior than older ones.

The best way to start is with a Tandem flyght or a one-day Introductory Course given by Proflyght designed to give you a taste of real flying. Under radio supervision, you will fly solo and progress to higher flights in the first day. The basic techniques of paragliding — launching, turning, landing — are fairly easy to learn. Please check Proflyght’s site for more info at: http://www.paraglidehawaii.com

First, you need to know how to fly (P2 USHPA Lisence). 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. See our advice on buying equipment for more information.