Brief Description of necessary equipment

Paraglider or Wing

                A little over a couple of decades ago, a few european alpine climbers wanting to conquer extremely high mountain peaks, but tired of the difficult and slow descent. Decided to use parachutes as a means of descending more quickly with their gear. Great Solution !!! They could now cross cliffs or obstacles with fewer detours; and the time they saved, was precious !!!, They also added more adventure to their trip.... Those were the original parachutes, from there the first Paragliders began. A flexible, inflatable, and ultralight wing. The incoming air enters the leading edge thru cell openings. Ribs within the wing, structure it. With a closed trailing edge, contained incoming air inflates the wing and thanks to its aerodynamic shape, it allows you to obtain lift.

                Thus, different from the parachute, once inflated, you begin flying. It's very compact & portable; once folded, you can store it inside a small sack or suitcase, weighing less than 10 to 20 lbs. The cords that support the pilot are called "suspension lines". They start out in bands, named alphabetically: "A" being the first band, "B" the second, "C" the third and "D" the fourth (if equipped). Branching out from the bands, the cords run from the leading edge of the wing to the trailing edge. These cords evenly distribute the weight of the pilot and equipment to the wing. This load is directly tranferred to the ribs. Which in turn are raised by the upper surface of the wing when suffecient speed is obtained to begin flying. This upper surface is just like the wing of an airplane, designed to give the best lift at leveled flight. One can conduct special maneuvers with certain bands in specific cases, but basic steering is accomplished by left or right brake commands. These inputs change the profile of the wing, allowing you to turn or brake. On an airplane, it is similar to using the flaps.

                The bands are connected to the harness, allowing the pilot to fly in a comfortable seating position. A pilot's weight-shift alters the pendular action of the Paraglider. Giving you precise feedback during flight. This adds to the freedom felt when flying. There are different size Paragliders for different size pilots. And different Paraglider designs for different piloting levels: from the most essencial, docile, and stable wing; to the most aggresive and sensitive speed wings for competitions. There are also specially designed Powered-parachutes to fly with Paramotors, slightly different from the paragliders. The pilot & engine are not vertically lined up with the wing, but they are thrusted slightly forward by the propulsion of the engine.

                The Chassis, Motor, & Harness are usually called the Power Unit. The purpose of this system is to ensure fit & compatibility. A propeller provides propulsion & the cage provides protection for the pilot from accidental contact with the prop. This combination allows us to maintain a constant flying speed during horizontal flight. Or we may accend or descend, according engine speed. These units come in many different styles, sizes, h.p., weight, & speed they provide. Props also come in many different styles, sizes, designs, # of blades. There are also one engine, two prop configurations. Generally these units are all designed to be carried on the pilot's back.