Hang gliding and paragliding are comparable to mountain biking, skiing, and climbing in that they may be as safe – or as risky – as you want them to be.
Hang gliding and paragliding are both kinds of aviation as well as sports. They might be physically hard, but they are also incredibly adaptive and approachable. How you approach hang gliding or paragliding will determine a lot of your experience.
We provide a variety of safety materials to assist manage the dangers that come with our sport. Experienced pilots’ articles, analyses of accidents and events, and studies of safety equipment and other gear all contribute to educating our members on how to reduce danger and increase pleasure of our sport.
When we opt to fly, there are a few key factors that are critical to minimizing our risk:
Weather
In our sport, there is a well-known book known as “Weather to Fly.” This pun nicely highlights the importance of weather for hang gliding and paragliding: it doesn’t matter if you’ve taken a week off work to fly; if the weather isn’t suitable, you won’t be able to fly. Learning macro- and micro-metrology is part of our training curriculum. You’ll never be able to look at clouds the same way ever again!
Equipment
One of the most exciting aspects of our sport is that our equipment is always improving in terms of performance (we can fly further and faster) as well as safety. Even after 25 years, performance and safety in paragliding continue to improve year after year. The nature of our flying vehicle, however, still exposes us to certain dangers. Hang gliders need assembling before each flight, and a lack in concentration during this procedure might result in disaster. The wind inflates the cloth into a wing, but the wing is not rigid, making paragliders a dynamic mechanism.
Judgment
Judgment is one of the most important abilities a pilot learns. Is today’s wind too strong? Will the thermals be enough to keep me warm? Is it safe to launch with a tree nearby? Your whole flying career will benefit from developing solid judgment about your own competence and the elements that will affect your flying.
Decision-making
It is ultimately up to you, the pilot-in-command, to make your own flying judgments. You must have the confidence to determine when and where to fly based on your knowledge of the weather, the limits of your equipment, the soundness of your judgment, and proper consideration of the advice of other pilots around you. If you can accomplish this, you’ll be able to handle the hazards of hang gliding and paragliding and take to the skies!