How is a paraglider different from a parachute?
top A Paraglider is similar in construction to a modern, steer able skydiving canopy, but different in several important ways. A paraglider is a foot launched wing without the “terminal velocity deployment” of a parachute. (again, you won’t be and shouldn’t be jumping off of stuff) Consequently a paraglider is designed to have a descent rate of about 200 feet per minute while a parachute descends at 600-1200 feet per minute. This means not just that a paragliding landing is much more gentle but, that a paraglider descends more slowly than a mild current of warm air (a “thermal”) rises. Thats why paragliders soar upwards while parachutes descend. A paraglider also has a more elongated rectangular or elliptical shape than a parachute and, with more cells, which increases its gliding performance.
