Paragliding in Pattaya, Thailand
Everybody dreams of being able to fly at some point in life, running across a grassy field and soaring over houses, streets and countryside. The wind in your face, cruising like a bird leaving all your worries and stress on the ground. It is no longer just a dream but a reality with the aid of a paraglider and paramotor.
Things have come a long way since the triangular Hang-gliders of the 1970s, the development of the Paraglider has made foot launched free flight an extremely popular sport today. The paraglider was first conceived in the late 1970s by parachutists foot launching Ram Air Chutes from the Alps in France, over the years these chutes have been modified and improved into a very Efficient wing giving the pilots performance more like a fixed wing glider.
Flights of over 200km are common just using thermals and the pilots skill to find lift and stay aloft for hours on end. Training in most countries will see you airborne, solo within a few days and it is possible to have a basic licence within a few weeks. The equipment is relatively cheap, a new glider, harness, reserve parachute, Boots, helmet and variometer will see you safely in the air for less than 4000USD! With many second-hand equipment available, less than 2000USD for an aircraft is not impossible!!
During the late 1980s motorised backpacks started to arrive on the paragliding scene and the name ?Paramotor? was soon adopted. These units gave paraglider pilots the opportunity to get in the air from a flat field rather than have to find a hill or mountain to start their flights. The also
gave these flyers the opportunity to stay airborne When all the thermals of the day had finished or even before they had started.
These units are very popular in Thailand, they development of paramotoring over the last 20 years has seen the Units get lighter, more powe
