So many ways to Fly: Parasailing vs Paragliding vs Hang gliding vs Jet-Powered-Wingsuit-Flying
So many ways to Fly: Parasailing vs Paragliding vs Hang Gliding vs Jet-Powered-Wingsuit-Flying
Who doesn’t itch to fly? When Wright brothers invented the first aircraft it was a landmark invention not only because of the ease in transport it was going to bring but also because it satiated the deep human desire to fly. We humans kept inventing newer ways of flying and ways of making them commercial enough to allow anybody with the desire and guts to try them. Today, the most extreme way of flying in my knowledge is ‘Wingsuit Flying’. Wikipedia describe Wingsuit Flying as, “the sport of flying through the air using a wingsuit, which adds surface area to the human body to enable a significant increase in lift.” This may be difficult to grasp so just look at this picture and you know what they are talking about.
What-is-Wingsuit-Flying
Wingsuit Flying – Superhero for REAL!
Wingsuit flying is a very specialized sport, and hopefully one day I will have the courage and means to try it out. Johan is brave enough to add it to his Itch List here. I haven’t got there yet. As of today, not all of us can have these Superhero-like flights. But there are many other relatively easier sports that allow you to (almost) soar like a bird. You may have heard about Paragliding, Parasailing or even Hang gliding before, but aren’t quite sure how they compare against each other. If you are wondering how different they are and which one of them is for you, I have put down the definite differences between these activities. The experience that you get with each differs, just as the guts and effort needed differs.
So here, the fundamental differences between Parasailing, Paragliding and Hang gliding. If you have any questions, please shoot I will try my best to clarify.
What it is
Parasailing is a recreational activity. The person pursuing it is towed behind a boat while attached to a specially designed canopy (parachute-like) called Parasail wing.
Paragliding is a recreational and competitive adventure sport. The pilot flies a light-weight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft called Paraglider.
Hang gliding is an aerial adventure sport. The pilot flies a light and non-motorized foot-launch aerospace craft called a hang glider.
As seen from a distance: (L to R) Parasailing, Paragliding, Hang gliding
Basic Operating Principles
Parasailing: You are fastened to a parachute tied behind a boat. The boat accelerates across the water and lifts you high into the air. The parasailor has little or no control over the parachute. Paragliding: The 3 basic principles are: How to launch, turn and land a paraglider. Hand brakes are used to control speed, elevation and direction with the paraglider. If however you do a Tandem Paragliding you are strapped to a Pilot and have little to no control over the Paraglider.
Hang gliding: The basic principles here are similar to Paragliding. The maneuvering is particularly different while Hang gliding as pilots have their body strapped into the craft, and change direction by shifting body weight. Again if Tandem Hang Gliding, you don’t need to bother with the launching or turning.
Effort: Physical and Mental
All the three sports are more relaxed than you might think, and require very little in terms of pilot strength, flexibility, and just activity in general.
Parasailing is the least demanding of the three sports. You are tethered to a boat, where you go is totally determined by the driver of the boar towing you. Parasailing actually requires more effort by others and additional equipment beyond the parachute. That’s why it is more recreational.
Paragliding also does not require much physical effort by the Pilot. Pilots change direction and pitch by pulling on the cords connecting you to the Paraglider, changing the wing shape and therefore how the wind interacts with it. It may sound mentally strenuous but it’s simpler than it sounds – and knowing how the glider will react to your input eventually becomes second nature. Hang gliding can become slightly tiring on long flights because the pilot is in a relatively less-comfortable position and changing direction requires shifting body weight. The pilot should have good core strength.
As seen up close: (L to R) Parasailing, Paragliding, Hang gliding
The Jet-Powered Wingsuit takes off from the Ground for High-altitude Flight
2020 Feb. 18 (UPI) -- The Dubai-based creators of a jet-powered wingsuit said they marked a new milestone for Iron Man style flight: taking off from the ground for a high-altitude flight.
Vine Reffett, the Jetman pilot who conducted the demonstration, showed off the suit's ability to hover, stop, turn and maneuver in the air.
The approximately three-minute flight saw Reffett fly at an average speed of nearly 150 mph before parachuting to the ground from a height of about 5,000 feet.
"One of the next objectives is to land back on the ground after a flight at altitude, without needing to open a parachute. It's being worked on," Reffett said in a statement.
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