ABOUT US
Welcome to Letsgoparaglide.co.za - Like most paragliding pilots out there, i have a passion for paragliding and decided to start this website to bring you braking news such as glider reviews, competitions happening locally and international, videos and lots of exciting videos. Each pilot will be able to register and share their experience with other paragliding pilots and upload there photos and videos of flights they had. They can go onto the forum and give their comments on different topics.
The intention with this website is to give local and international pilots information on what paragliding in South Africa has to offer. You can find information on flying sites, all the different glider manufactures with the specs of each glider, how to execute arco maneuvers, articles to widen your knowledge of paragliding. For new pilots who is thinking of starting paragliding (you not gonna make a mistke) and find qualified instructors in their area. After studying the different wings available, you have to option to purchase a new or secondhand glider, depending on your budget.
But most important of all is,we would like to hear from you and your stories you have. You can email us your photos, videos and articles you think we should publics on the website. And your suggestions are important to us to let us know what you think of the website and how we can improve and things you would like to see on the website.
Some Background:
Paragliding is the simplest form of human flight. A paraglider is a non-motorized, foot-launched inflatable wing. It is easy to transport, easy to launch, and easy to land. The paraglider itself is constructed of rip-stop nylon from which the pilot is suspended by sturdy kevlar lines. The pilot is clipped into a harness and oriented in a sitting position for maximum comfort. With a paraglider, you actually fly like a bird, soaring upwards on currents of air. Paraglider pilots routinely stay aloft for 3 hours or more, climb to elevations of 15,000 feet, and go cross-country for vast distances.
Paragliding and hang gliding are very similar in terms of the pure joy of flight.
A paraglider is a bit faster to set up and put away, backpack in about five minutes and can be easily transported in the trunk of a car, whereas a hang glider requires a roof rack for transport and takes at least twice as long to set up and take down, they generally weigh twice as much as a paraglider
Paragliders are designed to soar. The duration record is over 11 hours and the distance record is over 500 kilometers. In training you will start out just skimming the ground.
You can make paragliding, like most adventure sports, as safe or dangerous as you want. It is of course crucial that you receive instruction from a certified professional and use safe equipment, professional schools will create as controlled a learning environment as possible. But paragliding is still an outdoor sport and Mother Nature is unpredictable, the primary safety factors are personal judgment and attitude.
Paragliding is the simplest and most serene way to fulfill humankind's oldest dream, free flight! The pilot runs down a gentle slope and glides away from the mountain.
Paragliding is about finesse and serenity, not strength and adrenaline. As in rock climbing, women often do much better than men because they don't try to muscle the paraglider around.
A new paraglider, harness and reserve will cost somewhere between R6000 and R10 000. After four years of fairly active usage and exposure to UV light from the sun, a paraglider is generally in need of replacement.
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