Warning - Addictive Sport Just a little warning so you know what you're letting
yourself into: flying is addictive, its an inexhaustible romance with your free
spirit.
Just about anyone can learn to paraglide. Training classes are not very strenuous,
and it doesn't take any unusual strength or skill to learn to fly. In fact it requires
about the same effort as you need to learn driving or cycling. But the pleasure
of flying is to be experienced to be believed.
Paragliding is more about finesse than fitness. More about skill than strength which
is why women often do much better than men because they don't try to fight the paraglider
around. More important than physical conditioning, is being physically and mentally
alert and prepared. To be a successful paragliding student and pilot, you need to
be able to think clearly and to listen well.
What you also need is ‘time’. You might have a strong inclination to fly but to
commit time to it is essential, and then the returns you get are phenomenal. To
begin with the ‘Introductory course’ will take 3 days, a Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
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Is there an age limit?
There is no age limit, but it's important to have the maturity to respect the risks
involved. Participant ages range from students in their teens to seasoned pilots
in their 70's. Most of the active pilots are from the age group of mid - twenties
through mid – forties. Although it is not uncommon to see senior citizens as paragliding
pilots.
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Finally, The Suitability Check...
Physical Fitness:
- Should be able to jog and run
- Should be able to walk up a hill
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In the learning phase you will need to do a bit of hill climbing and ground handling
calls for some exertion, especially the first few sessions.
The learning is so fun, you won’t mind the effort :
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Medical Fitness:
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- Should not have heart ailments, asthma or epilepsy
You will need to consult your doctor if you have any doubts before taking up this
activity.
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- To be able to judge distances, motions and orientations as you move in 3 dimensions
This means if you can drive a car or ride a bike without having frequent near–misses,
than you very likely have reasonable spatial judgment.
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Mental Aspects:
the final useful attributes are mostly mental
- A good judgement
- A concern for personal safety
- Ability to make reasonable decisions
- A positive attitude
- And most importantly the will or desire to fly
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In our 13 years of training experience, we have realized that most of us tend to
understimate ourselves with taking up a new skill, and something as awe inspiring
as flying seems a far away dream... but it is actually simple and therein lies its
beauty
If you have ever dream to fly... paragliding is for you.
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