Paragliding

Intro: You carry your paraglider in a rucksack up a hill, unroll the material step forward into the wind and a wing forms above your head, your feet leave the earth and your shadow flys beneath you over stunning scenary . A different prospective on life. You circle up in invisible air currents centering on the strongest core of the thermal with birds staring at you as they fly wingtip to wingtip.
You chose your site to fly depending on the wind conditions sometimes hovering above a ridge in stable air blowing in from the sea. Other times launching from a hill to circle up to the clouds and fly cross country in a three dimensional game. You look , lean and turn banking your wing with your harness steering with your hands, you take off and land gently facing into the wind.
Paragliding – The Essential Skills Guide to the essential skills every Paraglider Pilot needs to improve and develop within the sport.
Want to get started? If you have always dreamed of flying then do the elementary pilots course which takes 4 to 5 days. You can also try aTandem or a funday with friends, where you learn the basic controls starting at the bottom of the hill having small solo flights which are extended higher as confidence and ability grow. Tandem flights you go up with an instructor which lets you feel the thrill of flight with someone experienced at the controls.
Paragliding is very easy to learn but takes time to master. It is best to do the training as close together as possible or you keep having to relearn the same thing. Paragliding is weather dependant it needs to be dry and the wind less than 15 miles an hour. You work through a series of exercises which teach you how to fly but everybody learns at a different pace. The second stage is the club pilot course which teaches you to stay up and judge conditions for yourself. Equipment is provided but during training most pilots purchase their own paraglider so they can get used to flying it in a school environment. Once qualified you join your local club to fly with more experienced pilots.