Flying

Launching is usually done in anabatic wind, which blows uphill, or zero wind. Generally speaking, a launch in more than a very light tail-wind is not possible.

Paragliding offers many of the joys of gliding, hang gliding and parachuting in a less intimidating and more accessible package. It avoids the initial fright (but perhaps also some of the thrill) of the plane-jump of parachuting, and gives much of the exhilaration of the controllable gliding of gliding and hang gliding. There is a greater ease of control, (due to the lower speeds, greater stability, lower stall speeds and lesser physical demands) with correspondingly less acrobatic manoeuvrability and range. A paraglider can also be landed in a much smaller space than a glider or a hang glider and can easily be carried in a car, unlike a glider that requires a large trailer, or a hang glider that requires, at least, a roof-rack. It is also easy to climb a mountain carrying a paraglider to fly from the top to the bottom.