Paragliding is a sport where you focus on flying up on warm air streams or ascending air along mountain sides. It is natural to compare paragliding to hang gliding or gliders rather than parachuting.

Paragliding had its start in the late 80’s when eager parachuter’s started to run down steep hills after laying out their chutes on the ground. If they were lucky they could fly a couple of meters, if they were unfortunate the chute would collapse and the pilot would go down. After a while they started to develop the Para gliders. These chutes were meant to lift from the ground; they were bigger and more stabile for these activities. Today you can recognize a paraglider by its long oval wing that often looks like a half circle above the pilot.

How do you paraglide?

A typical paraglide tour starts by unpacking the wing at an approved spot that is called a take-off. This is mainly a hill on a mountain. When the wing is unpacked you check the lines and the rest of the equipment, put on the helmet and strap on the harness, which is a seat that you sit in when you’re up in the air. Like a plane you take of and land against the wind. Then you run out and fly! The goal is to find warm air streams, if you don’t you go down. The paraglider is controlled by two handles that changes the profile on the wing and makes you turn. The landing happens on landing fields, fields or grass fields.

On a good day in Norway it is not unusual to reach 2000meters, and further south where there’s more sun you go even higher. The requirements to be a paraglider are the same as driving a car and that you are in a good physical and mental shape. The majority of people doing paragliding are regular people and not suicidal adrenalin junkies. The goal is mainly to experience the fantastic nature.

Is it dangerous?

Paragliding is potentially dangerous, but if you fly in weather and at places that fit your personal level and skills, while you follow the rules and regulations that applies to your license, it is a relatively safe sport. Mostly you decide how far you want to push your limits and what risk you are willing to take.