What is paragliding?

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=125 BGCOLOR="#996699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="145467d1erlcll.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Paragliding</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paragliding"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="my_contact.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="My Contact"><U>My Contact</U></A>   |   <B>What is paragliding?</B>   |   <A HREF="my_events.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="My paragliding events"><U>My paragliding events</U></A>   |   <A HREF="dynamic.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dynamics"><U>Dynamics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="weather.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Weather"><U>Weather</U></A>   |   <A HREF="photo_galery.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo gallery"><U>Photo gallery</U></A>   |   <A HREF="paragliding_sites.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paragliding sites"><U>Paragliding sites</U></A>   |   <A HREF="skydiving.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Skydiving"><U>Skydiving</U></A>   |   <A HREF="paragliding_links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paragliding links"><U>Paragliding links</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="history.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paragliding history"><U>Paragliding history</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="equipment.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paragliding equipment"><U>Paragliding equipment</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="technics.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paragliding technics"><U>Paragliding technics</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="faq.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQ"><U>FAQ</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="more_faq.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Other FAQ"><U>Other FAQ</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="aprenda_voar.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Learn how to glide"><U>Learn how to glide</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=355 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> What is paragliding?</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Paragliding is a quite recent gliding adventure sport with a lot of adrenalin. It started in 1978 in the Alps by 2 skydivers. <A HREF="history.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paragliding history"><U>SEE HISTORY</U></A>. It has evolved a lot and today there are a lot of competitions worldwide. Some are international competitions and they count for the world ranking for the best paragliders</div> <div> In Portugal it became more popular in 1988.</div> <div> It's very popular nowadays and it's becoming a sport with a lot of casualties and injuries because many people are trying to glide on their own or without the training of an unexperienced and qualified instructor.  Another reason for too many accidents are due to the design of very sophisticated gliders for competition capabilities rather than for safety.</div> <div> A paraglider is a light glider more like a parachute. It is very flexible for manoeuvring. The stings are made of kevlar or dynema. It can be used with or without an engine. It also can be used with a towing pulling system. More commonly it is used without any means of propulsion. In this case the pilot take off from a slope and the wind or the thermals do the rest to make it glide.</div> <div> To glide a paraglider, the pilot moves the body, crossing over the legs and rotating the shoulders while pulls down a series of stings attached to a single command on which side. To take more advantage of gliding the pilot uses instruments like a <A HREF="equipment_gps.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paragliding equipment"><U>GPS</U></A>, <A HREF="equipment_altimeter.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paragliding equipment"><U>Altimeter</U></A>, <A HREF="equipment_sonde.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paragliding equipment"><U>sonde</U></A>, a two ways radio and wind speed measuring device and other instruments. A reserve parachute is almost compulsory for gliding. And off course the harness is also the primary equipment as well as the glider. All equipment together can weight up to 20 Kilos or more.</div> <bR> <div> Take care, before gliding get some information and do a course approved by the right federation that regulates the sport.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>