get up in the clouds and Paraglide your way down

Paragliding Tandem Flight

If you've ever dreamt of soaring though the sky or wondered what it is like to fly like a bird on the thermals, then a tandem paragliding flight over beautiful Stanwell Park is the ultimate in freedom flights. Soar with ease and comfort underneath a paraglider, fly over the sea cliffs, forests and along beautiful South Coast beaches. On the day, after a safety briefing, you are seated in a secure harness in front of your instructor. You'll take a few steps forward and in an instant you'll finally experience the freedom of flight

Paragliding Tandem Flight

If you?ve ever wanted to soar like an eagle and get a bird?s eye view of the world, well, the closest thing to this type of silent flight is with a tandem paragliding flight high over the Victorian alpine high country! On the day of this extraordinary experience, we?ll meet you at the allocated landing zone. Your tandem flight will be with a six times Australian paragliding champion, so you can feel safe in knowing that you?re in the best possible hands. We?ll take a short and very scenic drive to the launch site which overlooks the township of Bright. From this stunning vantage point you can enjoy the spectacular views while your qualified tandem pilot sets up the paraglider and straps you in for a breathtaking experience. What?s more, your experience will be recorded onto a video so that you can watch your paragliding experience and share it with friends and family for many years to come! Once you?re ready to go, you?ll take a few steps forward towards the face of the hill and then suddenly, your feet are no longer in contact with the ground. You?re finally experiencing the freedom of silent flight as you soar like a bird for approximately 30 minutes, riding the thermal air beneath you.

Paragliding Tandem Flight

Paragliding tandem flights don?t require previous flight experience and can be enjoyed by just about anyone! Tandem paragliding is easy. It takes only a couple of steps before you are gently lifted off the ground and into the sky, embarking on a journey that will provide you with excitement and unforgettable memories! Tandem gliders are designed to carry the weight of two people. You are seated in a secure harness in front of your instructor and connected to the glider and to each other by spreader bars. This seating arrangement allows you full unobstructed vision of your flight. Under the supervision of your instructor you?ll get to take the controls and experience the sensation of flying a paraglider yourself! Towards the end of your flight we will fly over a beautiful South Coast beach and descend over lower sea cliffs and by a lovely lagoon. Touchdown is on the soft sand. Again, you will only need to take a few steps before gently greeting the earth.

Paragliding Tandem Flight Introductory Course

If you?ve ever wanted to soar like an eagle and get a bird?s eye view of the world, well, the closest thing to this type of silent flight is with a tandem paragliding flight high over the Victorian alpine high country! On the day of this extraordinary experience, we?ll meet you at the allocated landing zone. Your tandem flight will be with a six times Australian paragliding champion, so you can feel safe in knowing that you?re in the best possible hands. We?ll take a short and very scenic drive to the launch site which overlooks the township of Bright. From this stunning vantage point you can enjoy the spectacular views and also learn how to prepare to launch the glider from your qualified tandem pilot, who?ll show you how to set up the paraglider. Before long, you?ll be strapped in and ready for a breathtaking experience. What?s more, your experience will be recorded onto a video so that you can watch your paragliding experience and share it with friends and family for many years to come! Once you?re ready to go, you?ll take a few steps forward towards the face of the hill and then suddenly, your feet are no longer in contact with the ground. You?re finally experiencing the freedom of silent flight as you soar like a bird for approximately 30 minutes, riding the thermal air beneath you. This introductory course not only includes your tandem paragliding flight, but is also includes a ground handling session, where you?ll learn how to launch and land the paraglider, which is perfect for anyone looking for a hands-on experience of a lifetime!

Tandem Paragliding

Have you ever dreamt of soaring through the sky or wondered what it's like to fly like a bird? This paragliding instructional tandem flight will see you soaring with ease and comfort underneath a paraglider, flying over the sea cliffs, forest and along the beaches of the beautiful NSW South Coast! Paragliding tandem flights don't require previous flight experience and can be enjoyed by just about anyone! Tandem paragliding is easy. It takes only a couple of steps before you are gently lifted off the ground and into the sky, embarking on a journey that will provide you with excitement and unforgettable memories! Tandem gliders are designed to carry the weight of two people. You are seated in a secure harness in front of your instructor and connected to the glider and to each other by spreader bars. This seating arrangement allows you full unobstructed vision of your flight. Under the supervision of your instructor you'll get to take the controls and experience the sensation of flying a paraglider yourself! Towards the end of your flight we will fly over a beautiful South Coast beach and descend over lower sea cliffs and by a lovely lagoon. Touchdown is on the soft sand. Again, you will only need to take a few steps before gently greeting the earth.

History of Paragliding

In the 1960s and 1970s, parasailing was used to train landing techniques for parachutists. This was a cost effective method of practicing the critical landing method.

As parachutists mastered the landing, they wanted to spend more time in the air practicing the skills needed to navigate. This involved staying in the air for longer periods and gaining more height through the use of thermal winds.

This interest opened the door for paragliding to develop as its own sport.

A picture appeared in the 1982 edition of British Hang Gliders Association's magazine of a man descending from hill using a parachute. This photo was the cause of many people to investigate the possibility of free-flying of a mountain and the design requirements.

A pioneer of paragliding was Gerald Williams. Inspired by the photo, he designed his own parachute and performed many launches from mountains. By 1985, he had completed over 3000 launches.

By this time, paragliding had quite a following and the designs of parachutes changed to cater for land based launches.

Today, there are competitions and associations for the enthusiasts. Modern technology such as GPS and variometers are used to find the best source of thermal winds for launch.

Paragliding competitions are usually based on how far, how high or the quickest pace around a pre-determined course.   © MAS 2007

Interesting Paragliding Records

Gain of Height: 4,526m (14,850ft)
Date of flight: 06/01/1993
Pilot: Robbie Whittall (UK)
Location: Brandvlei (South Africa)
Paraglider: Firebird Navajo Proto

Straight Distance: 423.4 km (262.9 miles)
Date of flight: 21/06/2002
Pilot: William Gadd (Canada)
Location: Zapata - South of Ozona, Texas, in the U.S.
Paraglider: Gin Gliders Boomerang Superfly

Straight Distance to a Declared Goal: 368.9 km (229.2 miles)
Date of flight: 07/12/2006
Pilot: Aljaz Valic (Slovenia)
Location: Vosburg (South Africa) - Jamestown (South Africa)
Paraglider: Mac Para Magus 6   © MAS 2007