PARAGLIDING

Paragliding started in the US and in Europe with the idea of launching skydiving parachutes off steep mountains slopes and gliding down to land at the bottom. The first few pioneering flights were made during the 1960's and 1970's. The sport of recreational paragliding as we know it today was born in Mieussy, France, in 1978 and grew rapidly during the mid 1980's.

Paragliding is a recreation and competitive sport that is best described as a hybrid of hang gliding and parachuting. A paraglider is a flexible and ultralight gliding wing, not a parachute, but a genuine aircraft wing in every sense of the word. The pilot inflates the glider, raises it above his head and ensures that it is fully open before taking off from any suitable slope.

Paragliders do not jump off mountains, but run down a slope in order to get airborne, using the slope exactly like a regular aircraft uses a runway. The pilot then uses a combination of ridge lift and thermic lift to stay aloft, and can choose to land at the bottom of the very same hill or mountain, or sometimes cover vast distances.

Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring, is where the pilot wears a small motor on his/her back (a paramotor) and runs into the air with lift from a paraglider wing.

Paragliding in South Africa
It is a legal requirement to have a license in order to fly. The South African Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association (SAHPA) is the only organisation allowed to issue a paragliding license in South Africa, through dispensation from the Civil Aviation Authority. Licenses can only be obtained through SAHPA approved schools with SAHPA rated instructors.

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