Here are some interesting facts about paragliding :
1. THE PARAGLIDER IS ONLY PROPELLED BY WIND
The sole propellant of a paraglider is the wind. It’s a an engine-free, non-motorized form of aircraft. There is no fuel, no electricity, no battery involved – nothing!
The basic paragliding equipment consists of an inflatable fabric wing and a harness attached to the wing by lines. With these, all you then need is a hill and some wind and you are good to go.
2. YOU CAN COVER HUNDREDS OF KILOMETERS
Although no engine is involved in paragliding, when conditions are favorable the flight can last a couple of hours and cover hundreds of kilometers. In fact, on 10 October 2019 Marcelo Prieto, Rafael Saladini and Rafael de Moraes Barros covered a distance of 588 kilometers in eleven hours.
3. WEIGHT LIMIT
The tandem paragliding equipment weighs about 20 kilograms that you can pack it all into a special bag and carry it like a backpack. But this paraglider can support a weight load of up to 240 kilograms. Yes, that fabric wing can lift up into the air an adult sable antelope or an adult Atlantic white-sided dolphin.
This means that in a tandem flight the maximum total weight of the pilot and the passenger is about 220 kilograms. In this way, the maximum passenger’s weight is about 120 kilograms.
4. PARAGLIDING IS ADDICTIVE
Despite the fact that it is the simplest and purest form of human flying, paragliding is addictive.
Paragliding is so funny, so exciting, so thrilling and so enjoyable that once you learn how to fly you’ll always be looking for another chance to share the sky with birds. Most paragliding people admit that since the day they started flying they are always thinking and looking for the next chance to fly. The urge to go up and gently float in the air is always irresistible!
5. PARAGLIDING IS WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY
Although classified as an extreme adventure activity, paragliding (particularly, tandem paragliding) is wheel – chair friendly. In other words, any person with any physical disabilities can enjoy a paragliding flight as long as the pilot is experienced.
Interesting, isn’t it?
Written by Trymore Mukoko
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