About Paragliding
Paragliding is a sport of assisted human flight. A paraglider is a motorless, inflatable wing, superficially resembling a parachute, made of rip-stop nylon and Kevlar connected to a pilot’s harness. The pilot sits in the harness and launches the vehicle by foot, running off inclines, hills, or mountains. He or she steers the wing by weight shift and application of brakes that changes the shape of the rear edge of the glider.
This flying device is made to soar on wind currents. These are either formed by wind pressing against mountains and rising up, or warm air streams rising off hot roads, parking lots, or rocky areas. The record for staying aloft is over 11 hours, and the distance record is over 400km for a tandem paraglider, and well over 500km for a solo flight. Most flights are just above mountains and ridges, but it is not unheard of flights above 5000 metres in some parts of the world. The average solo flight is about 2 hours long, though first-timers usually go for tandem flights of about 15-20 minutes, as any more than that can easily be a sensory overload for most people.
Often mixed up with parasailing, parachuting, and hang-gliding, paragliding is very different. A parasail does not soar freely on the wind, but is pulled behind a motorized boat, while a parachutist jumps from a plane to free-fall to the ground, as do basejumpers who jump from fixed objects like bridges, mountains, or buildings.
One of the advantages of paragliding is that the entire wing and harness fold up into a 12-16kg backpack (for a solo kit). This makes it easy for a pilot to hitch-hike back from a flight, or to transport the wing by checking it in as baggage on a bus or even an airline. This is in stark contrast to hang-gliding, which uses identical principles of flight on rising air currents, but utilizes significantly heavier and more cumbersome equipment.
People who are interested in purchasing their own glider should start with a tandem flight with a certified pilot. Once they have had an introduction to the sport, they can make a decision whether they want to pursue it with a proper course and purchase their own equipment.
Courses in paragliding are essential for anyone taking up the sport. Basic techniques and a solo flight can be achieved in a relatively short introductory course, although here in Hong Kong extra patience will be required due to unpredictable weather. After the basic course, if a person wishes to continue with the sport, it’s recommended to follow it up and get certified through more advanced training. When selecting a school for instruction in Hong Kong, individuals should look for instructors who are certified by the Hong Kong Paragliding Association and authorized by the Civil Aviation Department. The association can provide more information about reputable schools.
