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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
How
much does the gear cost?
Gear ranges from $3000-$6000
new. This amount includes your wing, carrying bag, harness, reserve
parachute, and helmet. Good used equipment can be found from $1500-$3000.
Does
paragliding require a lot of strength?
Paragliding requires finesse. Trying to muscle the wing around
will only get you tired. If you are not putting in the right control,
you may get out of control. It requires practice to develop the
skills. In time the glider will become an extension of your body
and operating it will be like dancing.
Where
do you train?
In the Anchorage area we use a variety of sites depending on weather
and the skills we need to work on. Hatcher Pass, Wasilla, Eagle
River, Flat Top and Alyeska all offer something different. The
first day will most likely take place in a park on a sled hill
or football field.
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Do
you jump off cliffs?
It may look like we jump but this is not the case. Most
launches are smooth sloping hill tops. Unlike
parachuting we must have our gliders producing lift prior to leaving
the ground. If not, we have a cut off point and stop. We inflate
the glider overhead and just like an airplane, we then run forward
until the glider produces enough lift to pull us away from the
hill. If there is wind then the runway is only a few steps. If
no wind, we may have to run hard to get lift in a short distance.
Is
paragliding dangerous?
Like
many things we do like driving our cars, Paragliding is inherently
dangerous. Yet paragliding can be done safely. There are thousands
of pilots around the world that have thousands of hours without
injury. A pilot needs to be patient and yet wanting to fly really
bad, must use good judgment in deciding if flying is a safe option
for that day. We have a saying, "It is better to be on the
ground wishing you were in the air, instead of being in the air
wishing you were on the ground". If you make safety your
ultimate goal in flying and not how long you can stay up or how
far you can fly, you too may enjoy years of fun safe flying.
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