Is Paragliding Dangerous? (Paragliding Safety Guide)

Paragliding is a sport that everyone should take part in at some point in their life. However, many people are worried that the sport isn’t safe, since it’s not as regulated as others, and because of the horrifying accidents that make the news. But what would you say if I told you that despite all of that, paragliding isn’t dangerous?

Paragliding, although risky, is not a dangerous sport as long as all safety steps are taken between safety protocols and equipment regulations. Choosing a reputable and experienced paragliding instructor is. your best bet when planning to do a tandem flight.

In this article, I’ll talk about some of the common safety practices you can take to ensure your paragliding adventure is fun, and worry-free! Furthermore, we’ll talk a bit about how to choose an instructor if you’re not flying solo. Let’s get started!

Are Paragliding Accidents Common?

Paragliding accidents happen; however, they are not common. As long as you are flying with an experienced pilot who pays attention to the weather conditions, condition of the equipment and follows their pre-flight checklist to a ‘T;’ you’re golden! With everything up to par, the chances of having an accident are slim to none.

How Many Paragliding Accidents Happen Each Year?

There are about 50 paragliding accidents on average per year. However, this number will fluctuate each year. But the number stays between 35 to 50, with fatalities happening with 1 in every 10,000 flights. However, keep in mind that these statistics only reflect the reported accidents.

Factors that Lead to Paragliding Accidents

To avoid any potential accidents, you must familiarize yourself with the factors that lead to the accidents in the first place.

Miscalculated Weather

Some pilots may unintentionally underestimate, or even overestimate the weather conditions, such as the wind speed or wind direction. Miscalculating the weather can cause them to launch from a poor starting point. Or, if they miscalculate the wind speed, this can cause them to paraglide when it’s unsafe, resulting in wind turbulence and loss of control of the glider.

Any accidents that happened due to weather miscalculations typically result in severe injury or fatality. This is why it’s so important that paragliding pilots know how to read the weather conditions.

There are training classes that can help teach how to do this correctly, and what to do in the event of a weather emergency.

Poor Take-offs and Landings

One of the most vital parts of paragliding is the take-off and landing. If a pilot makes a mistake during these procedures, it mostly results in a serious accident. For example, factors such as incorrect control outputs, or incomplete inflation during takeoff can cause a pilot to lose control and crash.

Likewise, misjudging the speed at which someone is coming in for a landing, or even something as simple as overshooting the landing can result in broken bones, or even death.

Meteorological Understanding

Meteorological understanding is an absolute must for anyone who is getting into the sport of paragliding. They need to understand how to identify hazards such as turbulence, atmospheric instability, thunderstorms, and intense winds.

Furthermore, they also need to have a deep understanding of the diverse types of turbulence a paraglider can run into such as lee side turbulence, and rotor turbulence. Lastly, they should know the correct protocols for what to do if they run into one of these situations.

Paragliding Competitions

Competitions aren’t ‘dangerous’ per se, however, they do raise the risk of injuries or death as pilots tend to push themselves a bit too hard, causing them to possibly overlook potential hazards.

The risks already exist with the sport itself, but because the pilots reach higher speeds and altitudes during competition, this raises the risk of injuries and accidents.

Not to mention during the competition the airspace can get crowded which may lead to mid-air crashes. Anyone who participates in a paragliding competition needs to be skilled at controlling their paraglider in high-stress situations.

What Weather Conditions Must Be Avoided When Paragliding?

As stated earlier, weather conditions are a huge factor in paragliding accidents. Therefore, there are some weather conditions you should avoid, such as:

Fog: It’s almost impossible to see where you’re flying through thick fog. If your airspace has obstacles or any other paragliders, you should refrain from launching even in slightly foggy conditions.
Rain: Rain also decreases visibility and can cause extra weight on your paraglider. This can cause the pilot to miscalculate launch and takeoff, resulting in an accident.
Winds: If the winds are higher than 25 miles per hour, you should not paraglide until the winds have calmed down, as it makes it difficult to control the paraglider.
Storms: Lighting is no joke and can pose a serious threat to paragliders. Also, storms tend to bring sudden gusts of wind, so it’s best to stay on the ground until the storm has passed.
Snow: You should not paraglide if it’s snowing. Snow will accumulate on your paraglider, making it heavier. This can cause you to have a rough landing and potentially result in an accident.

How Can Paragliders Improve Their Take-offs and Landings?

I previously mentioned that take-offs and landings are the most crucial point of a paragliding adventure, as everything needs to go perfectly to decrease the risk of an accident. So, below are some pointers for what paragliders can to do improve these procedures.

How To Improve Takeoff For Paragliding

Check the weather: It’s vital that you understand the wind conditions before you launch. When you do, make sure you launch directly into the wind so that you fly with it, instead of against it.
Check your paraglider: At any time, something can happen to your equipment. Therefore, it’s a good idea to check that everything is stable and centered before launch.
Run fast: During the launch, you will need to sprint as fast as you can. This will help so that you don’t lose any lift or run the risk of stalling.
Stay consistent: Make sure your pull-up is consistent to help keep the inflation of the canopy even.

How To Improve Your Landing For Paragliding

Check for ideal landing spots before takeoff: Always know where you’re going to land before you even take off. The area should be flat and open with little to no obstacles in the way.
Watch your descent: Your descent should be gradual instead of sudden. This will help to decrease the risk of any stalling.
Keep your speed consistent: Your speed should be ideal for landing conditions, so that you don’t overshoot, or you don’t come in too fast, running the risk of injuries.
Balance your weight: When coming in for a landing, keep your weight balanced so that your landing is more controlled.

How Do You Know Where to Land When Paragliding?

When considering landing zones for paragliding, there are a few different things that pilots need to take into consideration. These include topography, weather conditions, and more.

For example, your landing zone should be flat and clear. Look for a beach, or maybe a field. Landing on a hill can cause key issues, especially if you aren’t prepared to come in on a slope. Make sure you know about the area you’re landing in before doing so.

And of course, wind direction, speed, and weather conditions matter! If you’re flying while windy, this will affect where and how you land. For instance, you’ll need a headwind to land softly. To get this, you need to know the direction and speed at which the wind is blowing.

How Can Pilots Improve Their Meteorological Understanding?

While it’s not required for pilots to have formal schooling when it comes to Meteorology, they should at least take some steps to help improve their understanding of it. Here are a few things that pilots can do:

Utilize technology: There are a wide variety of apps that pilots can use that will show radars and real-time weather updates. This helps ensure they make the correct calls pertaining to their flight for the day.
Take a course: There are meteorology courses that are open to the public that can help enhance understanding of weather patterns. You can choose from in-person or online courses, and there are even ones designed specifically for pilots.
Check weather reports: Anyone who decides to paraglide should always check forecasts and reports to ensure they’re up to date with the most recent weather patterns in the area. This is where you’ll find the most essential information like wind direction, speed, rain expectancy, and more.

What Resources Are Available for Paragliders to Learn About Safety & Stay Up to Date On New Developments?

There are many different resources to stay up on the new developments regarding safety standards. Below are just a few of the best ones:

Paragliding Forum: This is a suitable place to ask any questions you might have and also share your knowledge with fellow pilots.
United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA): The USHPA can be used to look up different training programs and safety classes for anyone interested in paragliding.
Paragliding Magazine: This magazine covers everything from events and news to safety topics. There are plenty of tutorial videos too.
International Association of Paragliding Pilots and Instructors (IAPPI): This organization has many different certification programs and training available for pilots and instructors alike.
World Air Sports Federation (FAI): This is the oversight of air sports. You can keep up with the safety standards and guides for paragliding. There are plenty of resources for both instructors and pilots.

How to Choose a Good Paragliding Instructor

Just because there are a lot of various places to paraglide, doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily safe to just do it with whoever. Therefore, you need to be precise about who you paraglide with. It’s important to choose a good instructor.

Check reviews: Reviews tell a lot about a company, but they also reveal a lot about an instructor. You can look up your instructor on Google and see if anything pops up before you book with them.
Ask how many flights they’ve had: Experience is everything! Now, that’s not to say that a new instructor is ‘bad’ per se. However, it is best for someone who has several flights, and tandem flights under their belt.
What does their training look like? Instructors should be certified, but it’s even better if they’ve taken additional safety courses. Don’t be afraid to ask what their training entailed, and if they have taken any continuing education courses.
Check their safety ratings: Accidents are reported, and they count against your instructor’s safety rating. You should always look into this before choosing an instructor.
Ask about their training: Always check that the school they went to when becoming an instructor was accredited and geared toward updated safety regulations and standards.

Paragliding Safety Tips to Follow

Be aware of air traffic. You should always be aware of who is in the airspace with you, which includes other paragliders, hang gliders, drones, and more.
Stay away from water if you are not experienced. A crash landing in the water while strapped in a hang glider is a recipe for disaster, and most likely, death. So, make sure your route does not cross over any large bodies of water.
Make sure you’re in good physical condition. You rely on your body and mind to launch, fly, and land safely. Therefore, it’s important that you stay out of the air if you’re sick, tired, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Stay up to date on the weather. I know we’ve pushed this fact throughout the entire article, however, it’s vital! If there are any storms, high winds, wind gusts, or unstable conditions, keep your feet on the ground.
Always check the gear. The gear is what keeps you in flight! Any faulty equipment can be the cause of an extremely dangerous, and sometimes fatal situation. By ensuring the gear is up to par before each flight, it can save you a world of trouble.
Check local regulations. You want to stay within your authorized airspace. So, make sure you know the area in which you’re going to glide and stay out of restricted airspace.

Is Tandem Paragliding Safe?

Tandem paragliding, like any other extreme sport, has its risks, but overall, it’s pretty safe as long as you take the necessary precautions.

For example, you should always fly with experienced pilots, and make sure their equipment is up-to-updated. The weather conditions should be monitored as well to ensure that flying is optimal at the time of flight.

Also, check to see how many tandem flights the instructor has under their belt, as a tandem is a little different than a solo. As long as everything aligns well, tandem paragliding is perfectly safe.

What to Know Before Booking A Paragliding Tour?

When you book a tour there are some things that you should know beforehand, to ensure that it’s the tour that you want.

The amount of time to get to the spot may be longer than the actual flight itself. Depending on where you’re going paragliding, the travel time to the spot might be longer than the experience. Always check with the office to see the best time to show up so that you know when to leave.
You’ll most likely meet your instructor at the takeoff point. A paragliding experience is a bit different than, let’s say a ziplining or parasailing experience as you will most likely meet your instructor at the launch site. Whereas with these other types of tours, you meet them in the office.
You need to be able to sprint. A lot of people don’t realize how fast you need to run for takeoff. You can expect to sprint between 5 to 15 meters to pick up enough wind strength for launch.
Look for a tour company with high ratings. Ratings are everything when it comes to choosing the best tour company for you. You need to ensure you’re going to have a wonderful time, but that you’re also going to be safe while doing so.
Choose a tour company that has clients. If a tour company doesn’t get a lot of clients, there is always a reason. Stay away from anyone who doesn’t have the traffic coming through.

How to Prepare for a Paragliding Tour as a Tandem Flyer

When you go for your tandem flight, there are a few things that you need to do to prepare for your tandem flight. Below are a few of the most important:

Wear Appropriate Clothing

For a comfortable and safe flight, you need to ensure you wear the appropriate clothing for paragliding. This usually consists of a t-shirt, leggings, or jogger pants for warm weather, or fleece-lined pants, and a long shirt for colder weather. Here is an article that goes more in-depth on what to wear paragliding!

Make Sure You’re in Shape

Paragliding takes a lot of endurance as you need to run and hold your body in certain positions as you glide with your instructor.

Be Free of Injury

This is part of being in shape! However, even if you’re physically fit, paragliding with an injury is not a promising idea as it can worsen existing injuries, and also distract you from what you should be paying attention to.

Not to mention, if you have a mid-air emergency, there’s no way to seek immediate medical attention until you land.

Go Sober

Under no circumstances should you ever go paragliding under the influence of drugs or alcohol, even if it’s with an instructor. These substances impair judgment and can cause you to make unsafe calls that might put your life and your instructor’s life at risk.

Communicate With Your Instructor

Communication is key! If you have a question, make sure you ask it before takeoff, especially if it has to do with your flight. That way, you’re clear on the expectations and procedures from launch to landing.

What Gear is Required for Paragliding?

Of course, with paragliding, some gear is required for a safe, yet fun, flight. Here are some of the pieces you can expect to use:

Reserve parachute
Gloves
Harness
Helmet
Flying suit (depending)
Variometer
Maillons
Compass
Paraglider

The gear may change depending on your instructor. However, you should always ensure at the very least that you have a reserve chute, gloves, helmet, and harness as these are all safety equipment.

Safety Tips for Buying a Paragliding Wing & Harness

If you decide you want to start participating more in the sport and want to buy your equipment, there are a few things that you should pay attention to, which include:

Stay away from used equipment with a questionable history. If you can’t track exactly what brand something is, the safety ratings, or whether or not they’ve been in an accident, then you should stay away from those particular pieces. This doesn’t pertain to flight suits or gloves, but moreso gliders, harnesses, and helmets.
Stick with reputable sources. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is buying gear off of a site like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, as anyone can sell from these platforms and can claim that the gear is in better shape than it truly is.
Be knowledgeable about the maintenance and upkeep of equipment. Equipment maintenance is going to be one of the most important aspects of paragliding. There are courses available that you can take to teach the correct way to care for your equipment and how to spot when there is an issue.
Check that the harness is whole. Not only should the harness be whole, but it should also include an attachment for a reserve parachute, and airbags to help with the landing.

What are the Most Common Paragliding Injuries?

The most common paragliding injuries are bone fractures, however, they’re relatively serious. In a study of data done, between 2004 and 2001 there were 82 patients who were injured in accidents, and 18 of them died from their injuries.

Many of the injuries also include organ injuries, making it difficult to fix any of the damage done or save the life of the person.

Final Thoughts – Is Paragliding Safe?

Paragliding, like other extreme sports, can carry risks. However, it’s mostly safe as long as protocols and precautions are followed correctly.

Make sure when you go on a tandem glide, it’s with an experienced instructor. Also, if you decide to go to a paragliding school, check to ensure they’re up to date on their safety protocols as this will make all the difference in the world.

Overall, as long as you wear the right clothing, follow instructions in the event of an emergency, and are careful during takeoff and landing, you should be good to go! Just remember that the biggest step you can take in the safety of any sport is practicing preventative measures to reduce the risk of an accident.

Heather Wright

When Heather is not participating in extreme sports you can find her working the events across the country, or writing about these amazing adrenaline rushes. She loves to go skydiving, snowboarding, parasailing, hang gliding, dirt boarding, off-roading and hiking.