Introduction

The man’s desire to fly like a bird is probably the cause for the genesis of aero sports. Paragliding is probably the most popular aero sport in the world. Although a new concept in India but the trend is now catching up here. It’s the exhilarated feeling which you get while paragliding is what makes it an addiction for adventure enthusiasts all over the world. India with such stupendous mountains and hills is now becoming a huge attraction for paraglider pilots from all over the world.

The paragliding gives us a wonderful opportunity to fly like birds and explore the world from their view. This sport requires minimum technical knowledge and with the help of an experienced pilot you can fly across the scenic grassland and rivers. The paraglider at times achieves the height of thousands of feet, sometimes even surpassing the height of their launch site.

The paraglider is an elliptically shaped wing made of special non-porous material usually rip-stop nylon. The paraglider wing itself is a mere 15 pounds of nylon or dacron cloth, fabricated into a series of ram air inflatable cells, to which is sewn an array of thin supporting lines which attach to the pilot's harness.

The paraglider pilot launches by inflating the paraglider canopy over his head and then running down the slope of the hill, into the prevailing breeze, until the canopy lifts him away from the surface of the earth. The smooth and calm air of early morning or evening helps the pilot in launching himself from any convenient hillside and glide smoothly and silently to a gentle landing thousands of feet below. During the midday the active air helps and experienced pilot to launch into soaring conditions, where the hot air carries the glider to thousands of feet.

In India paragliding is quite popular in Mumbai and Pune where the hills near the two cities provide perfect conditions for paragliding. The manali region in Himachal Pradesh is also a good option for paragliding. Ooty and Kodaikanal are the best destinations in Tamil Nadu where you can enjoy the activity of paragliding to the most. In the above mentioned places there are a few schools that impart training for paragliding.

Physical fitness is one of the essentials for paragliding moreover you need to be mentally prepared for it. The risk involved in paragliding is quite high and you should be careful and follow all the safety precautions. However if you follow all the instructions of the instructor/pilot, paragliding will be an unforgettable experience.