There is just something about soaring high in the sky and getting a bird’s eye view of our world that gets the adrenaline rushing. Maybe that is why the adventure of paragliding is pulling in great crowds in India and abroad. If you are looking to learn how to paraglide, you are on the right webpage.
The need for proper paragliding schools in India is rising due to the increasing popularity of adventure sports like paragliding. There are very few places that provide paragliding training in India and fewer still are those that have a dedicated team of experts giving proper paragliding training. There are very few places that can be used for paragliding near Mumbai. Ravine Hotel is so conveniently near Mumbai, that eager paragliding students from all over India can easily fly to Mumbai and then move on to Hotel Ravine for their paragliding tuition.
In tandem flights, professional pilots take one passenger each with them, in specially designed gliders. This special glider is built with a larger wingspan to carry the weight of both passengers. Depending on wind conditions a passenger can be a child (30kg) or an adult (100kg). The passenger and the pilot sit in harnesses with the pilot at the back and passenger in front. Average flights durations are between 10 to 20 min and they generally end with a top landing. Top landing is when you land at the take off point. Price: 1500 per flight (tips and other fees not included)
Initially the beginner’s course includes a tandem flight to get the full feel of paragliding as a sport. After the first initiation flight, the training starts with an understanding of free flight theory and its dynamics. The next step is called ground handling, which includes packing unpacking, harnessing up, equipment checks, and glider inflation, alpine and reverse takes off. After 2 to 3 days of theory and ground handling training, the student is ready for a few short flights in which a professional trainer will help the student with the takeoff and the landing. On the fifth day the student is expected to have gained a full understanding and practice of paragliding and just requires more flying experience to be able to fly without a trainer’s assistance. Price: 14,000
The first day of this course again focuses on ground handling and the most important and dangerous parts of paragliding, namely take-offs and landings. The rest of the 4 days are spent in short 10 minute flights in which the student is taught to land at the bottom of a slope. The student is instructed in the air, via a 2-way radio. If the student has acquired the necessary skills the last day will have a long flight, complete with a top landing. Price: 16,000
This last course is focused on long flights. In the mornings, the flight lift is usually limited; so the flights are focused on take off flying to find lift and then on landing again. The evening flights have much more lift and students practice on longer flights with more soaring and better understanding of thermal lifts. On an average, the student will fly about 3 to 5 flights per day as a part of this advance course. Price: 18,000