[Closed] Anyone done any paragliding?

Have a friend who did loads, switched from hang gliders as its much safer. He alsodid thr version where you stick a big fan on your back. Another who is doing a course in Chamonix. Plenty of opportunity to break bones on bad landings and worse if you fly into stuff but generally its pretty safe. Find a club and get some tandem flights 🙂

Director in our office has been off work since before Christmas - stalled the thing at about 5 metres up while coming in to land apparently. As I understand it, he will walk again.

His view of the matter is that, like diving, there is a large irreducible component of very serious risk, and a much larger component of risk that can be introduced by incompetent instructors and shoddy equipment maintenance. If someone is teaching you to do it who you don't have total confidence in, walk away.

🙂

Yes. Am trying to post piccies but photobucket is broken. I did a tandem in turkey off a very large hill. Hit 60 mph during 1 spiral which was great, could really feel the g force. Instructor said a lot of people felt sick during it so i would do a couple of tandems to ensure you get on ok before lessons. Good fun and felt safe but obviously a lot can go wrong

Yes, me and a mate learned at the same time, it's a very expensive hobby in some ways. Spending a day sat in a field discussing why it's the wrong kind of wind..

My mate qualified I gave up, he did a but but gave up after one of those really close calls.

I used to have a pilots licence a few years back. Wonderful sport. Equipment improved and canopies pretty stable and safe. Like most things it depends how far you pushed it and how sensible you were. Inevitably the consequences of bad decisions/luck are high - it that's obvious.

The stalling issue was an interesting one. In the licence tests, there was a requirement to land accurately a number of times. There was a tendency for people to panic if they missed/were going to miss the X, to try to stall the canopy and make a rapid drop. Don't do it, you are further up than you think and it hurts a lot was the great advice I got and stuck to it.

I used to fly in the Lakes but was going past Butser Hill in S Downs the other day and was tempted to start again. The feeling of soaring and/or being in equilibrium with thermals and just sitting still in the air is awesome.

did a course to get the necessary qualification. Did all the theory then out to start practising. First person we saw mucked things up and hit some power lines with a flash and bang, guy was alright (ish). Half the group I was with got in their cars and left!

Hang-gliding many years ago. Took too much time and money for me to really get into it at that time. It is fabulous though, surely everyone dreams of flying, and this makes it real. Always meant to go back to it, but not yet.

I did a course in the Pyrenees last summer that culminated in solo flights. Was awesome, one of the best things I've done.

The only thing putting me off buying all the kit is the accessibility of it as a hobby. So much of the skill is knowing where to go in what wind conditions, and I think you would need to be able to drop everything and head for the hills if conditions were right.

For someone like we with a normal day job this isn't ideal, I could end up doing as much paragliding as I do snowboarding (not very much).

But yea, it's awesome so at least give it a go!

Edit: would recommend these guys, top notch tuition: [url= http://www.kymaya.com/ ]Kymaya Parapente[/url]

I tried to start, even got as far as paying a well respected instructor up front for the lessons to get qualified.

Before my first lesson (with him), My instructor was involved in an accident, and broke his back.

I took that as a sign, and moved on...

(And when you're not breaking your back, there seems a fair bit of sitting around, waiting for the 'right' wind speed/direction/etc. A few friends who still dabble even call it 'para-waiting' for this reason)

I got my club pilot license 2 years ago but haven't flown since. It's amazing when you're up there, but there is a lot of waiting for the right conditions even in more favourable locations like the alps and Spain etc, to the extent it labelled "parawaiting".

I get more of a buzz from biking to honest, and when I was waiting for the right wind up a mountain for hours, all I could think of was how I would bomb down it on two wheels.

When I'm retired I might return to it.

I can highly recommend flyspain for training.

I learnt and got my license when living in Nepal. Took 9 days straight, but the flying conditions were ideal. Also Jeep up then flights where upto and hour on the way down. Did some flying there as had access to kit, never flown since returning to UK, doesn't appeal to me hear with the weather and the cost of getting kutted out for very few days flying a year. It is amazing when ur flying.

Link to the video OP? I did a taster day with a guy who had done something like that.

I got to fly solo a few times - not mega high but a great feeling.

I still toy with the idea of getting the gear and qualified but haven't so far.

I used to be very into paragliding. Every weekend was spent sitting on a hillside in Wales or a holiday in a mountainous part of the world. I have some great memories of getting thrown around in Alpine thermals or tranquilly floating in summer evening breeze. It was great.

Why did I stop? In the UK it's very time consuming as you can literally spend all day waiting for the wind to be a bit stronger or a bit lighter. An understanding boss also helps when you have to duck out of work just because the wind is a steady 12mph from the north west. I also looked around at my flying mates and realised that every one except me had been hospitalised by the sport. When a friend was killed and left behind a wife and young kids it was time to re-evaluate the risk/benefit ratio.

I now fly gliders. It's not much more expensive and you can probably fly 300 days of the year even in the UK. Everybody is also a lot more safety concious than those jokers I met while paragliding.

It was good fun though......

My brother does it and really enjoys it. Picked up a second hand kit and did what was required to play solo. He does the one with an engine strapped to his back for maximum rad.

Has conveyed some nasty stories of accidents. Not for me.

A chum of mine does loads, and is a qualified instructor.

He tells a tale of sitting atop some hill and a chap turning up and getting his kite out and laying it out in a slapdash fashion.

He reasons if you can't handle your wing on the floor you'll struggle in the air. So he has a chat.

This guy has bought a glider on eBay, and is about to launch himself into the air 'to have a go'. He managed to talk him into going home and getting some lessons.

So get some real intruction. It'll save your life.

I still toy with the idea of getting the gear and qualified but haven't so far.

Blimey, grum this is starting to get a bit too close for comfort!! 😉

The weather thing is an issue though (a bit like snow and ice climbing) as you have one day off and your feel the need to do something.

My first weeks attempt at stage one in the Lakes - no flying. Secons attempt - no flying - so 2 weeks gone, Third attempt no flying fr two days and then perfect. So everyone was really excited which was good, not so good was maiden flights (all solo) were off Souther Fell which has a slightly tricky landing for a first timer!!!!

🙂

I was pretty keen until I spoke to another couple on the day course. It was my first attempt but their 7th before actually getting to fly!

Souther Fell is a tricky landing for a first flight with a wood on one side of the landing field and and wire fence on the other. We had radios to guys in the ground but still quite a first attempt. But to cut a long story short, I had to ignore the instructors advice re turning over the wood. Had I listened to them I would not have had enough height to get over the trees and that is REALLY bad. They were a bit sheepish when I landed safely under my own choices!!!

Actually bloody scary "running" across the top of pine tress hoping not to get entangled.

But there is a lively little spot N of Bassenthwaite with easy walk but great thermals. My fourth flight - perfect balance between thermal and sink rate of canopy, Just sat in perfect harmony/equilibrium without moving for several minutes. magical feeling, just "sitting" in mid air. Edit for google- bewaldeth.

Just googled paragliding at Butser. Hmmm.....,tempting.

I've been paragliding since 1987, back when canopies were essentially modified parachuting ones and harnesses were adapted climbing ones. Sport has changed considerably since then. Back then it was 'go climb a big hill and fly to the bottom', now it is 'go to a small hill, climb to cloudbase and fly 100 miles' (I wish !).

Currently taken a couple of years off due to family and other commitments, but this will be my comeback year 🙂

It takes a lot of commitment in this country (UK), due to weather - although some people can get lucky.

Modern kit is safe - if you buy the right wing for your experience level.

A few simple rules - get instruction from a recognised school (google 'BHPA school')

don't buy kit off ebay unless you really know what you are doing - there is some real old tat out there.

Nothing wrong with modern second hand kit for learning or for the first few years being dragged around hills

If you get any flying on a paragliding holiday - it's a bonus 🙂 Choose somewhere you want to be if the weather isn't suitable.

There are no rich paragliding instructors

If other people aren't flying - there is usually a very good reason!

Most accidents are caused by people flying unsuitable wings in marginal collisions or due to collisions with other people or the ground.

Here endeth the lesson 🙂

Here's a link to one of the Pyrenees videos, browse from this to find the rest. There is also a good Himalaya Red Bull film.

Whilst looking for that, I also found this involving an eagle!

TBH without having to read between the lines too much it sounds a bit risky so I may take Salsa classes or something for a new hobby!