A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING
Paragliding A Quick Guide
Why We Fly • Crossover Sports • The Gear To Buy • How to Learn 1
THE BEGINNING
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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING WILD AT HEART Spectacular flying in the Italian Dolomites Photo: Gudrun Öchsl
Welcome to paragliding! Everyone remembers their first flight. The experience of leaving the ground under a paraglider is almost magical – like something from your dreams. You feel the energy of the wind take over, and you become like a surfer on a wave, connected to the elements. Only this element is the air and its waves and currents are invisible. From those first short flights you can progress in many different directions. If you want to climb a mountain and fly down, then there’s a specialist lightweight wing just for that. If you want to fly miles across country following the birds, then you can do that too. If you want to tumble your glider upside down then there’s a whole acro scene and lifestyle just waiting to welcome you in. Paragliding is many things – adventure, exploration, aviation – and pilots arrive at it from many different places, but everyone starts in the same way. With those first few steps into the air. In this guide for beginners we look at how you can get into the sport, what the gear looks like and how it works. Welcome to our wonderful world! Ed Ewing Editor, Cross Country Magazine
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WHAT IS PARAGLIDING?
What is paragliding?
LET’S GO! Taking off above Lake Annecy, France. Beginners often fly solo on their very first day, under instruction of course Photo: Marcus King
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Paragliding is the easiest, most accessible form of flight there is. Like gliding and hang gliding, paragliding is unpowered flight – there is no engine or propellor to get you into the air.
like most other aircraft. Instead they work on the pendulum effect – the pilot is the bottom of the pendulum and provides the aircraft with its stability.
Instead, paraglider pilots inflate their paragliders on the ground before launching into the air from either a hill or a tow launch. Once in the air the pilot uses control toggles held in their hands to steer the glider left and right, before they land safely and gently back on the ground.
Paragliders are easy to fly but do require the right training. Most pilots fly short solo flights on their first day and after that progression is at their own speed.
Paragliders fly in light winds: 0-30km/h (0-20mph). They do not need the wind to stay inflated. You will not fall out of the sky if the wind stops blowing or you ‘hit an air pocket’ (there is no such thing!). A paraglider is designed to simply continue to glide through the air, whatever the conditions. Paragliders don’t have tails to provide stability
The sport is lightly regulated in most countries, which means you do need to pass a short exam and get a licence to fly on your own, but it is not like getting a licence to fly a plane or a helicopter, for example. As well as flying the paraglider you need to learn about the weather and air law. Paragliding has been around for 40 years, and it continues to evolve. There are now around 125,000 qualified, active pilots worldwide.
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING
Where did it come from? The first paragliders were adapted, steerable parachutes. Skydivers used them to run off mountains in the Alps – the first flights happened in 1978 near Mieussy, France.
The paragliders of today are the best there have ever been. The wings of tomorrow promise to be even better still.
However, parachutes aren’t designed to fly from a hill. They’re supposed to slow down a fall from an aeroplane. So from those early, experimental beginnings a new sport was born: paragliding, or parapente in French.
Today most paraglider pilots do a lot more than simply launch from and fly down mountains – although lots do just that. They take off into the sky and fly thermals that carry them cross country.
Today, paragliders are miracles of modern materials. Advanced design software is used to improve the flight characteristics of paragliders, resulting in ever better, higher-performing wings.
Even a weekend pilot can fly 50km or more in a couple of hours. The world record stands at more than 500km.
PIONEERS In 1978 three French pioneers flew their parachutes down from a mountain near Mieussy, France for the very first time. It was the start of modern ‘parapente’. In 2013 Jean-Claude Bétemps, pictured, flew a replica Jalbert Para-Foil from the same hill to mark the sport’s 35th anniversary. Photos: Michel Ferrer
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“I do...”
WHAT IS PARAGLIDING?
What if you already do another outdoor or adventure sport? Can you combine your favourite passions? Find out why paragliding could be for you...
HANG GLIDING
You will have seen your paragliding brothers and sisters on your local launch. The gear is so much lighter, performance is good. Give it a try!
PARAMOTORING
The powered cousin of paragliding. Some techniques are different though, so do a short conversion course and you’ll be on your way
SAILING
Paragliding is 3D sailing in the air. Simply change the element and environment from water-and-sea to air-and-mountains. Your weather knowledge will be a big plus
SKI TOURING
Pack a lightweight paraglider (1.5kg) in your backpack and launch on skis to get back to the valley floor – especially late in the season when the snowline is high
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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING
KITE SURFING
A perfect combination of sports. Paragliders need less wind so when kites won’t fly anymore, we are just warming up. You will quickly get used to the handling
SKYDIVING
Paragliding flights last longer and the handling of a paraglider is more subtle but you’ll feel right at home. Learn to fly acro for the same adrenaline buzz as swooping
ALPINE CLIMBING
Bring your lightweight gear and fly from the summit. From day hikes to para-alpinism from 8,000m giants, it’s all possible
TRAIL RUNNING
Pack an ultra-lightweight paraglider (1.5kg) and fly back down from the summit of the mountain, cross a valley or link together a series of runs and flights
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WHAT IS PARAGLIDING?
Choose your passion Paragliding has diversified massively since its early days. New materials technology has made paragliders lighter, while designers are continually working on improving performance. Today, paragliders come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and can be used for many different activities in the mountains, on the coast and even where it is completely flat. HILL SOARING Learning to fly hills and stay up using ridge lift and thermals is the aim of the game at the start. Once you have mastered these techniques you can go on to learn to fly cross country. Paragliders need a wind speed of about 15km/h (9mph) to stay up in ridge lift Photo: Fred Gustafsson
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Everyone who flies a paraglider completes the same type of basic training, but after that where you go with the sport is up to you. You might join the many weekend pilots who chase distance by flying cross country, spending hours flying thermals and going far. Or you might want to kit yourself out with lightweight equipment and use it to head off into the mountains to fly off remote peaks.
You might join the talented few who commit themselves to learning the heart-stopping discipline of acro (aerobatics). Or you might be happy joining and competing in your local accuracy competitons. Paragliding is part of aviation, but it also crosses over into adventure sports, sometimes even extreme sports. As such it attracts people from everywhere, with greatly varying skillsets. Some want to bomb down a mountain on skis speedriding like James Bond, others want to soar the beach in Bali at sunset. Many climbers are attracted by the thought of combining big-wall or multi-day climbing with the new breed of ultralight paragliders for easy descents. Paragliding and its sub-disciplines is for everyone, and it’s as diverse as the people who do it.
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING
HIKE-AND-FLY Lightweight materials mean you can easily get a glider+harness package that weighs less than 5kg – even sub-2kg is possible. That makes it perfect for taking on hikes into the hills, and flying back home. This is known as hike-and-fly. Photo: Marcus King
SPEEDRIDING Speed wings are very small gliders. They are mainly used for speedriding with skis. Today, speedriding is an amazing way to combine serious off-piste skiing in super remote places, while making huge jumps and glides across the terrain on very small, responsive and fast gliders. Photo: Jérôme Maupoint
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WHAT IS PARAGLIDING?
TANDEM FLYING Tandem paragliding is the perfect way to let others who don’t fly themselves discover the beauty of flying. And some people simply enjoy flying together even if both are pilots. The pilot sits at the back and operates the paraglider, with the passenger sitting in front. To fly a tandem glider you must be an experienced solo pilot first and then complete extra training. You also need a larger wing to carry the extra load. Photo: Marcus King ACCURACY Accuracy paragliding is a discipline in its own right, with a vibrant international competition circuit. The aim is to land ‘dead centre’. A 30cm pressure pad is used to record how close you get. You need to be able to make perfect approaches and centimetre-accurate landings in a variety of conditions. Photo: Marcus King
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TOWING A tow launch is a way to take to the skies from a flat field. Connected to the tow line you are pulled up by a special winch, much like a kite in the wind. Once in the air, you release from the cable and you’re off. Photo: Erwin Voogt
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING HIGH WIND SOARING There are lots of pilots who don’t fly in the mountains nor from a tow launch. Instead they fly the dunes on the coast. Countries like Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Portugal have numerous options for dune soaring, and pilots use the strong winds blowing against the low dunes to soar for many hours and miles. Because the air is smooth and the dunes are often low, when the wind blows strongly we use smaller paragliders which allow us to fly in higher wind speeds – up to a maximum of around 40km/h (25mph) Photo: Nick Bisson
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WHAT IS PARAGLIDING?
VOL-BIVOUAC (OR SKY CAMPING) Vol-bivouac is French for ‘fly-camping’ and it’s exactly that. Pilots pack lightweight camping gear and head off into the wilds, often for days or even weeks at a time. Pilots have flown the length of most of the world’s mountain ranges like this – flying and hiking during the day and landing high to camp the night before taking off again the next day. Benjamin Jordan (pictured) flew and hiked 2,400 miles south to north across the USA like this, from Mexico to the border of Canada, while following the migration pattern of the Monarch butterfly. Photo: Benjamin Jordan / monarcaexpedition.com COMPETITION FLYING A paragliding competition is like a sailing race in the sky. Up to 120 pilots will race against each other and the clock around a set course tagging various turnpoints by GPS. The course varies every day depending on the weather, but typically will range from 40km to 150km and will take two to five hours to complete. Fun competitions last a weekend, serious comps a week, while the world championships and the highest calibre event in the sport, the Paragliding World Cup Superfinal, last two weeks. Photo: Paragliding World Cup Association CROSS-COUNTRY FLYING As you progress you will learn to climb in thermals, columns of rising warm air. You can climb up to the clouds using thermals before gliding off to find the next one. By repeating this you can travel long distances. This is known as flying cross country, or going XC. Experienced pilots can make flights of hundreds of kilometres, fly at up to 18,000ft (5,400m) or higher where allowed, and stay in the air for up to 12 hours. Photo: Daniel Gassner / Skywalk
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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING
FREESTYLE AND ACRO Aerobatic flying, or acro for short, requires a very high level of technical skill from the pilot, and is also visually appealing to spectators. You can learn basic acro with a standard paraglider, but there is also a wide range of specialised equipment. Acro wings are designed for speed and agility – they are smaller and more dynamic, and have longer lines than a standard paraglider. Fulltime acro pilots dedicate themselves to training as much as they can – often flying 250-450 hours a year. Photo: Marcus King
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EQUIPMENT
TRAILING EDGE
Where the air flows together again and the brake lines are attached
BRAKE REEFING
How the brake lines are attached to multiple points on the trailing edge through loops and rings for better handling
RODS
Plastic or metal sticks that retain the perfect shape of the aerofoil, from the leading edge sometimes all the way over the top
STABILO
or stabiliser panel is the last cell at the tip. It influences the tip vortices and the stability of the canopy in flight
HARNESS
A comfortable seat made of strong webbing padded with cloth and filled with side and back protection
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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING
The basic equipment
CANOPY
Made from strong and light ripstop nylon with an airtight coating so the air does not leak through causing turbulence over the surface
LEADING EDGE
An aerofoil shape with a rounded nose, the leading edge is ideally shaped to produce lift
A paraglider is an aircraft made entirely of fabric. For many it seems amazing that such a thing will actually lift us and carry us upwards. The reason is the shape of the canopy. When the fabric fills with air, it forms an aerofoil, a wing-like shape that can generate lift. A paraglider is an unpowered aircraft that is foot-launched by the pilot. It’s heavier than air, in contrast to a hot air balloon. Unlike a hang glider, it has no rigid main structure. Close up you will see a paraglider consists of a wing-shaped canopy made of ripstop nylon. This fabric is lightweight and very strong. Very strong, thin lines connect the canopy to the harness where the pilot sits.
CELL OPENINGS
Placed where the airflow hits the canopy. Many modern paragliders have a sharknose
LINES
Carry your weight and distribute it over the canopy. Totalling over 200m, the main lines split once or twice towards the canopy
The weight that a canopy can carry depends on its surface area. That is why gliders come in different sizes. Regular solo gliders usually have a canopy with a surface area between 20 and 30m2. A tandem glider that can carry two people may be 40m2 or more. A brand new beginner’s paraglider costs from £2,500/€2,900/$3,500. Buying a serviced, secondhand wing from a reputable school can make this a lot cheaper – from £1,000 /€1,200/$1,500.
LINES There are about 200 to 300 metres of line used in a single paraglider. These come together at the risers, which are in turn connected to the harness. Each line has a breaking strain of around 120kg.
RISERS
Where the lines come together and connect to the harness. Made of strong, often colour-coded nylon or Dyneema webbing
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EQUIPMENT
The basics of the harness
A paraglider pilot sits in a harness, which is attached to the risers and wing. Most harnesses are comfortable seats in which you can sit effortlessly for hours. A new beginner’s harness costs from £500/€600/$700
CLIP IN
STRAPS
Karabiners connect the harness to the paraglider. These are strong and usually rated to 2,200kg
Straps hold the pilot safely and also distribute the weight evenly. Adjust before you fly so the harness fits
THROW!
Reserve parachutes can be mounted left, right or in front. They are only deployed in an emergency
BUMP
Thick foam back protection in the back of a harness is there to protect the pilot in case of a bumpy landing
SIZE
Harnesses can come in several sizes, usually based on pilot height and weight. Choose the right size to be comfortable
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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING
You will also need...
These are some of the essentials that you will need to get once you get into the sport. When you are learning your school will provide you with a helmet and all the essential gear you need – you just need to bring your energy and enthusiasm
HELMET
There are special helmets for paragliding – look for one that has an EN966 Airsports rating. You should not use a bike or climbing helmet as impact forces are different
RESERVE
A simple parachute that can be thrown if you have an equipment failure or find yourself in an extreme situation. Most pilots will never have to throw their reserve
RADIO
Your instructor may give you a radio during training. This should be kept clean and dry. Switch off when not in use
GLIDER BAG
You will normally receive one of these with your wing. It’s a great place to keep all your kit so you can just grab and go. Some lightweight harnesses are reversible and can also function as a glider bag
INSTRUMENTS
At their most basic they tell you if you are going up or down. At the most complex they are full blown flight computers
FOOTWEAR
Wear boots or sports shoes with a good sole and ankle support. Avoid or cover hooks with tape
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HOW TO LEARN
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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING
How do you learn to paraglide? It takes about five days of good weather to do enough for your basic licence and learn to fly solo
Take a course
Sign up for a beginner’s course with an accredited school, for faster, safer learning and much more fun. Good training is fun and sets you up for life
Groundhandle
Kite your paraglider on a flat field or beach. This quickly improves your glider-handling skills and teaches you all about managing the power of the wind
Read the manual
There are lots of books out there about learning to paraglide. Buy an up-to-date textbook at the start of your flying course and you’ll be ahead of the game
Pass your exams
Exams! Ugh! Don’t worry, these are fun tests aimed at helping you learn the most important things about the sport to keep you and others safe. Nothing to fear!
Keep learning
Fly as much as you can. When not flying, read the websites, forums, magazines and books. Join a local club, make friends of all levels and go have adventures
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HOW TO LEARN
Your first training course The paragliding training system is designed to help you progress from Day 1 to expert pilot Just like a driving licence, a paragliding licence is accepted as proof of your knowledge and skills. It shows to others that you have sufficient capacity to fly a paraglider without causing danger to yourself or others. Importantly, it often also provides third-party liability insurance. Getting a licence often means becoming a member of your national paragliding association. This is the best place to start to find out more about the sport and to find a reputable school.
What do you learn?
When you join a school, qualified paragliding instructors will teach you practical skills and theoretical knowledge. In most countries you can start training at 14 years old and get your licence at 16. A typical training programme
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follows several stages. You can become a qualified pilot in as little as 15 training days. Stage 1. As a trainee pilot you will get familiar with the equipment and make your first short hops. Stage 2. To become qualified and allowed to fly on your own you need to learn to become an independent pilot, and log a certain number of flights. At the end of the course you will take a theory test in air law and weather and a practical exam. You’ll then get your first licence and be able to fly independently. Stage 3 and onwards. To fly further and longer you need advanced skills. You can also specialise, fly tandems, competitions or become an instructor.
What happens on your first day?
Depending on where you are training your course will differ, but all first days are more or less the
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING same. After showing up at your paragliding school (on time!) with your good outdoor shoes, gloves and comfortable clothing you’ll get a briefing from the instructor. He or she will run through some basic theory, and give you your training paraglider, harness and helmet. Don’t worry, you won’t be launching off a mountain just yet. Your first morning will be spent in the landing field familiarising yourself with the equipment.
FIND YOUR FAMILY National paragliding associations look after training, licences, insurance and sites. Most are run partly by volunteers. Some examples include: Australia (SAFA, safa.asn.au) Brazil (ABVL abvl.net) Canada (HPAC, hpac.ca) France (FFVL ffvl.fr) Germany (DHV, dhv.de)
You will learn the basics of how to lay out your paraglider, clip in to it, and the system of checks you need to go through before you fly. You will learn how to launch your paraglider by doing practice runs on the flat. You might even be handtowed into the air.
Hong Kong (HKPA, hkpa.net) India (Paraglidingassociationofindia.org) Italy (FIVL, fivl.it) South Africa (SAHPA, sahpa.co.za) Switzerland (SHV, shv-fsvl.ch) New Zealand (NZHGPA, nzhgpa.org.nz) UK (BHPA, bhpa.co.uk)
After that, you’ll head to the training slope. Your first low flights will follow. Very soon you’ll know if the sport is for you – it’s addictive straight away!
USA (USHPA, ushpa.org) Other EU countries (EHPU, ehpu.org)
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Managing the glider in the landing field – this is known as ground handling Photo: Marcus King
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HOW TO LEARN
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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING
How to launch a paraglider The number-one rule for launching anything, whether it is a kite or an aeroplane, is that you must launch into wind. You always land into wind too. There are several ways to launch a paraglider depending on the strength of the wind, but the forward launch is the first launch technique you will learn. It’s suitable for light or nil-wind days. 1. Lay the glider out in an arc into wind, making sure the lines have no twists or tangles. 2. Facing forwards, take the brake handles and the A-risers in your hands. Hold your hands loosely closed at shoulder height. Inflate the glider by taking a few steps forward. This puts tension on the A-lines, causing the cells to open and fill with air. The canopy will start to rise. 3. As soon as the canopy is straight overhead, check the canopy: is it completely filled with air? Are the lines and risers free of knots, loops, twists or sticks? If something is wrong, stop and re-set. If everything looks good, let go of the A-risers and put some tension on the brake lines. 4. Keeping your hands high, make sure your centre of gravity is in front of your toes by pushing your chest forward. Walk forward with large steps and increasing speed, while looking where you’re going. 5. That’s it! If you were on a hill, you’d be flying by now. Have fun!
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HOW TO LEARN
What happens next? Paragliding is not a teach-yourself sport. While the basic steps are easy to learn and talented beginners will pick up the skills easily, getting proper tuition right at the start of your journey will set you on the right track and will save you a whole heap of trouble later on. Trust us, we’ve been there!
SPREAD YOUR WINGS Once you have learnt the basics of paragliding you can buy your own kit and get out there. There will be a school and a club near you Photo: Jérôme Maupoint
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There are probably instructors, schools and a network of pilots near where you live. It’s just a matter of reaching out and finding them. Most schools offer a ‘guarantee to fly’ so if the weather is not good, you come back another day. You will soon discover if the sport is for you or not. Step-by-step, here’s what to do next:
Find your national paragliding organisation – see p21 for a list. Then find an accredited school near you and contact them to find out more. Book a course. In most schools you can do a oneday ‘Fun Day’ to see if the sport is for you. Buy the book. Paragliding: The Beginner’s Guide is the most up-to-date and easy-to-read textbook for beginners (OK, we would say that, we wrote it!) Dive deeper. Good places to start include Cross Country (xcmag.com), Fly With Greg on YouTube, and paraglidingforum.com. Thanks for reading this far – we hope you sign up to a course soon and start paragliding!
BEGINNER’S GUIDE TOinstructor PARAGLIDING “A must-have reference book for all budding pilots” – JockyASanderson, senior
All the gear you need
How to read the weather
Advanced techniques
Instruments and navigation
Paragliding The Beginner’s Guide
IS THE ULTIMATE TRAINING MANUAL FOR PILOTS WORLDWIDE Whether you are about to take flight for the very first time or have already completed your course, it pays to be informed. Paragliding: The Beginner’s Guide is the one book you need to help you learn. It contains everything you need to know to take you from your first flight to becoming a qualified pilot and beyond. More info at beginnersguidetoparagliding.com BUY NOW
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Paragliding A Quick Guide
Editorial: Ed Ewing and Bastienne Wentzel
This free guide to paragliding is published by Cross
Designer: Marcus King
Country Magazine. Established in 1988, Cross Country is
Published: May 2021
read by pilots worldwide in both digital and print. It has
Cover photo: Adi Geisegger
always been pilot-owned and created and always will be.
This page photo: Marcus King Find us online at xcmag.com Paragliding is not a teach-yourself sport – please seek
Join us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @xcmag
out proper instruction before launching into the sky
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In the core, since 1988