Are paragliders the same as parasails?
Most people have a tendency to confuse paragliding with parasailing. Parasails are large parachutes generally pulled behind a boat at the beach or at a lake. Paragliders are launched from hills, mountains, cliffs, or from tow winches. Paragliders dynamically are closer akin to the wings of a 747 than to a parachute. A parachutes purpose is to bring you down to the ground slowly. The purpose of a paraglider is to go up higher into the air allowing you to fly for hours at a time, covering miles of terrain, by utilizing the upward movement of air to keep you afloat.
Most people have a tendency to confuse paragliding with parasailing. Parasails are large, very stable, round parachutes generally pulled behind a boat at the beach or lake. They are very inefficient which is why it takes a powerful boat to pull them – but they are stable which is why tourists can go up in them. Paragliders are aircraft that require pilots who are skilled at controlling them.
