What is a paraglider?
A. A Paraglider is actually the wing that gives us the freedom of unpowered flying. It consists of ram-air, aerofoil canopy and many lines (strong thin ropes/cords) and risers on which the pilot is suspended in his comfortable harness. The first paragliders were developed from parachutes and looked like a modern, steerable, skydiving canopy. Thus came the name paraglider (a gliding parachute), paragliding (gliding/flying with parachute). The shape, profile and characteristics of modern paragliders change and develop but will always use the same aerodynamics’ principles as the wing of any airplane. Q.
A paraglider is a foot-launched aerofoil canopy made from nylon material, about 10m wide and 3m deep. The pilot is suspended in a harness some distance below the canopy. Most paragliders are flown with the pilot in a head up seated position (Supine). The wings aerofoil shape, necessary for the generation of lift, is maintained by air pressure. This pressure is created by forcing air to flow through restrictive compartments in the wing. The pilot uses a set of brake lines attached to the rear of the canopy to control the flying speed of the paraglider.
