Adventure sports may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you love trying new things, Paragliding may be your next adventure!
Paragliding is a firm favourite with both locals and visitors in the Mother City. You need only look to the sky on a clear day to get an idea of how popular it is. Common take-off spots include Lion’s Head and Signal Hill.
What is Paragliding?
The sport is centred around a lightweight, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid structure. It is flown by a pilot who sits in a harness suspended below the fabric wing. It’s often confused with parasailing, which involves being pulled by a boat while attached to a parachute.
A paraglider is basically an inflatable wing that inflates and gets its aerodynamic shape from the movement of air.
Paraglider flights cannot last many hours and cover hundreds of kilometers despite not having an engine. Though flights of one to two hours are more the norm, some can last only a few minutes depending on the conditions.
Is Paragliding safe?
It may all seem a bit haphazard, but paragliding accidents are a rarity when the proper training and equipment are involved. Pilots have great control over their gliders, and the sport requires a lot of skill.
Controls held in each pilot’s hands connect to the trailing edge of the sides of the wing and can be used to steer and adjust speed.
If you’re a rookie, you should start by flying tandem paragliding with a professional. However, weight, age, and medical health restrictions may prevent you from flying for safety.
Though the adventure sport is clearly not for the faint-hearted (or someone who can’t get to the top of the Ferris wheel without closing their eyes), it’s also an incredible experience that some find rather addictive.
Also Read: Explore Johannesburg Zoo
Weather dependent
The sport is very weather dependent, so your exact launch time, take-off spot, landing location, and flight time are often unclear until the day of. Therefore, it’s best to put aside at least two hours for the experience, depending on what you and the pilot choose.
If you fear speed, don’t worry; flights are usually relatively slow, and sometimes you’ll feel like you’re not moving!
Fun facts about Paragliding:
Though the history of the parachute has a few different versions, Leonardo Da Vinci is credited with having designed and sketched the first parachute in the 15th century.
Sebastien Lenormand is primarily credited for the invention of the first practical parachute and demonstrated the parachute principle in 1783.
NASA helped design and name the paraglider when it developed the sail wing to recover lunar capsules from space. Check out our paragliding deals page for more deals!
