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PARAGLIDING |
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Paragliding
What is paragliding, what is a paraglider?
Paragliding is the simplest form of human flight. A paraglider is a non-motorized, foot-launched inflatable wing. It is easy to transport, easy to launch, and easy to land.
The paraglider consists of a canopy (the actual "wing") constructed of rip-stop nylon from which the pilot is suspended by sturdy Kevlar lines called risers, and a harness. In addition, the brake cords provide speed and directional control and carabineers are used to connect the risers and the harness together.
The pilot sits in a harness for maximum comfort. With a paraglider, you can fly like a bird, soaring upwards on currents of air. Paragliders routinely stay aloft for 3 hours or more, climb to elevations of 15,000', and go cross-country for vast distances
Is paragliding the same as parasailing or parachuting?
ParaglidingNo, it is not the same as parasailing. Parasailing is what you do at a beach. You are in a modified parachute tied to a boat. You get dragged around the harbor by the boat. You do not "pilot" a parasail.
No, it is not the same as parachuting. Parachutes are designed to be deployed during free-fall from an airplane and to then descend to the ground.
By contrast, the paraglider is designed to be foot-launched from a gentle hillside with the canopy already opened for flight.
Since paragliders do not have to withstand the sudden shock of opening at high velocities during free-fall deployment, they are much lighter and aerodynamic and are designed to go up rather than down.
Is paragliding safe?
You can make paragliding, like most adventure sports, as safe or dangerous as you want. Ways you can make it safe are to receive instruction from a certified professional and use safe equipment -- professional schools will create as controlled a learning environment as possible.
Paragliding is an outdoor sport and Mother Nature is unpredictable -- weather is always a big consideration. The primary safety factors are personal judgment and attitude. You must be willing to learn gradually and use good judgment and have an appropriate attitude. If you don't, then you can get injured or killed; if you do, then you can paraglide until you're 90.
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FLY LIKE A BIRD |
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