Paragliding in Australia

What is paraglidiog ?

Paragliding is a kind of flying, but instead of the wing being made of metal, wood or plastic, it is made of nylon or polyester. The w ing (known as a canopy) is attached to a harness by lines, not dissimilar to a parachute. The harness is where the pilots sit - and they report th a t it outperforms a parachute in terms of com fort.

Is it safe?

Like sailing and deep-sea diving, paragliding is as safe as the person doing it. The big advantage is th a t it's probably the slowest form o f aviation, so if you do crash you'll hit the ground quite gently!

Where do I learn?

There are lots of schools, mainly based inland by appropriate hills or mountains, and there are also schools on the coast near spectacular cliffsn These are very attractive, though the prospect o f landing in the sea seems to dissuade beginners! All schools will show you w ith in a couple of days how to inflate the canopy, launch and land. They use radio instruction, tandem flying practice and schoolroom theory sessions to help you get the most "from paragliding. It takes about seven days to get your basic licence; then you're free to fly independently at sites across Australia.

What do I need?

Pilots norm ally wear warm clothes, in case they get very high up, and a helmet in case they stumble on landing. In terms of gear, schools supply basic training, canopies, harnesses, etc. However, you’ll probably w ant to buy your own more sophisticated equipm ent, which you'll be able to choose much better once you've tried some out on your course.

Who can do it?

There's no upper age lim it provided your instructor deems you capable, but the youngest anybody can paraglide is 14„ Anybody w ith good eyesight and good balance is a potential paraglider pilot. It’s a very relaxed sport as you’re mostly sitting down. You'll probably experience pain in some muscles you d idn't know you had whilst learning, but many of those w ill be due to the walk up the training hill to launch. Flying a paraglider is a great sport. We hope to see you in the air w ith us this season!