Is there a hang/para gliding forum in SA or Australia ?. I want to ask some basic newbie questions. I can't find anything local on google.
Thanks.
J
I is a paragliding legend... and I has my Soaring Australia articles and the titanium in my spine to prove it 
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What would you like to know young grass hoper?
The #1 rule is, hight is your friend.
The #2 rule is, always land in to wind.
That's about it... as long as u've got hight the ground won't hurt you.
Water, the big blue paddock... usually your wing will stay there 
, but if I had opted for the water I wouldn't have the damn titanium in my spine hurting me right now .
Hi guys,
I am just enquiring at this stage. It would be good to find something else when there is no wind (it's been horse latitudes for a while here in Adelaide). If the cost of Paragliding is comparable to say Windsurfing or Kitesurfing, then I'll consider taking it up. Some questions:
What are the best conditions to do Paragliding ?
What is the process to become a Paraglider ?
What type of equipment do I need to get, and how much will this cost ?
If I want to go for a fly, what's the process ?
Where are good locations to do Paragliding around Adelaide ? (preferably north)
Tanks 
J
sites.google.com/site/sahpgahome/
www.alpineparagliding.com/index.html
www.activeflight.com.au/
www.paraglidingforum.com/index.php
It costs about $1200 to get a licence. You can do a tandem flight for $100 and there are two day courses that you get to fly high in for about $200.
A new glider is $3500-4500.
Harness $800.
Instruments $500.
Reserve parachute $600-800.
Radio $100-300
Used gear can be quarter to half the price of new.
For coastal soaring you want 8-15 knots. For inland thermalling 0-10 knots.
The cliffs at Myponga are fantastic.
can you buy a strap on backpack propellor thing and zoom around or is that a completely seperate sport? I fancy the idea of having a foil and the fan at the back and just flying around exploring/ pub hopping through the coutryside. is this doable or am i dreaming?
It's doable and the wings and motors are getting pretty good now.
Noise is a problem and so is wind.
People don't like dirt bikes on the ground so imagine how they feel when a noisy dirt bike sound comes chugging over their house.
Paragliders are not exactly fast so zooming does not really come into it. Flying into wind can be very slow, even with a motor.
I have a half size paraglider and that does zoom but that's a whole different story.
Step 1: www.safa.asn.au/ find an instructor
Step 2: Wait and wait some more; parawaiting
Step 3: Tandem
Step 4: Start your course, 2 day course??? I wouldn't fly off a high hill until I had done at least 2 days ground handling, then little hills, and then after around 7 days the 1st top to bottom... seriously flying from 500m and landing for the 1st time can make you nervous.
Take your time.
Once you've flown a number of times, get your restricted license, then buy some gear.
Cost is like Gordo says, but if your ridge soaring u don't need the reserve (no time to pull it)... don't fly inland until you've done 30hrs ridge soaring. Try some wing overs > spirals > SATs > reverse loops and soon you'll be wishing for lowish wind.
Also you may want a variometer, or u won't know where the lift is... also there's nothing like that bipbipbip vs boooopbooopboooop. And some boots so you don't break your ankles, specially if you opt for a 2-7 day course.
Paramotors are good with 2-10kt and are a little cumbersome.
I got in to paragliding cos I wanted higher boosts from kitesurfing... I would take all my gear, not enough for kitesurfing > paragliding and vice versa.
PS. I have managed to surf in the morning, paraglide in the late morning-early afternoon as the seabreeze comes in, and kite in the late afternoon when the wind kicks in. It's a great way to earn your evening beer.
Paragliding is dangerous. Several people I have know personally, or acquainted to, have died.
However, it also seems to be very forgiving of ignorance and downright stupidity. So many beginners, inept, incompetent and downright dumb people fling themselves off hills time and time again and actively put themselves in dangerous positions ... and get away with it.
Generally people get hurt once they have acquired a bit of experience and start pushing things.
This was my 1st and only injury:
My spine used to be perfectly straight .
The damn surgeon did the most damage, and look how effing wonky he made... 10hrs to do that pathetic job 
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Kitesurfing has given me more injuries, including ripping my rotocuff/Teres minor, which still hurts sometimes, 5 years later.
@sharkbiscuit: I can cure you of your desire to watch cricket, drink and have dinner too.
So while I was in hospital in the room up, there was a guy who got a blood clot while watching the cricket and had to have most of his right leg removed.
In the room down there was a 34 year old woman who was totally ****ed, completely locked in... she had a brain aneurysm while having dinner... she had to be winched out of bed... not talking, nada.
In the big room there was a guy who fell of the balcony trying to get from 1 window to another... was in a coma for 6 days... the bastard seemed normal, his friends and family said he was like a different person... so his personality had changed.
Anyway moral of the story is, doesn't matter what you do, something's gona get you... so just have enjoy your life experience 
Hi Flysurfer. I'm just curious to know what the surgeon fixed using a spring, washers and zipper?
That's an impressive x-ray 
Impressive X-ray Flysurfer
Thanks for info all. I'll definitely like to give it a go. Like windsurfing and kitesurfing, it's so minimalist . It's a bit more expensive then I envisioned, but the first step is beginner lessons and then take it from there. There is a school in the Adelaide Hills. I'll give this place a ring when I am ready to commit.
J
I've been flying 20 years. Had a few bingles. No serious injuries though.
A friend fell off a ladder in his backyard and ended up a temporary quadriplegic. To make matters worse his teenage daughters decided it was a perfect time to play up. When dad tried to discipline his daighters they just taunted him. He's learning to walk again and should be right in a couple of years.
Paraglidng can be minimalist ... or not. I have a lightweight kit flying the coast and a full kit for inland thermalling. I can use both in either conditions but it's more fun with the purpose selected gear.
The lightweight kit is just a mini-wing and a minimalist harness. It seriously adds to the fun to just turn up with a little day pack, flip it inside out and go flying.
..
It looks better from the side. When the incident happened I was given 2 choices.
1.- Go with Medicare and have a "registrar" perform the surgery.
2.- Use my medical insurance (pay excesses for x, y, z, a, b, c, 1, 2, 3 and D) and have the "Super" competent American neurosurgeon the hospital was soooo luck to have.
I elected 2, and when I woke from the surgery my f**king right leg didn't work and it felt like it was pressure wrapped with wood chips.
Oh and both my thighs felt like they had been whacked with wet Crickets bats for 11hrs. God damn did it hurt.
... anyway I'm still f**ked, legs still hurt, and are numb but as soon as I could walk properly (not dragging my right leg) I got down to the beach laid out my kite crawling now and again... went kiting. Pretty much do everything again apart from Brazillian Ju-Jitsu.
Oh and how did the whole thing happen? I was ridge/beach soaring lost some hight and tried to make it back to lift when my bum impacted on a rock @ around 40kmh... so don't fly low over rocks, turn in to wind and land.
I only had around 1m height to play with, so either way I was gona have a nasty landing, but turning in to wind would have killed my speed.
OR if I had made it back to lift, I would of had more altitude to play with .
qte: "I've been flying 20 years. Had a few bingles. No serious injuries though."
he he was thinking about getting into this sport - maybe i should stay away 
wholly **** Fly surfer. thanks for posting them pics. Man, that looks like it would cause heaps of trouble with pretty much all sports. You're a legend for kiting etc. That is one scary looking xray. Love your attitude man.
I posted this 3 months after the incident: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=33575&whichpage=-1
Its been interesting reading this thread
My experience of paragliding started with myself My wife my son and daughter all
taking it up under an instructor We started off by running down gentle slopes and lifting off a few metres and did this for a few weeks until we felt confident enough to launch off higher hills
Probably the biggest buzz I have ever had
It all came to an end for me when I had a canopy collapse on launch one day and
fell breaking a vertebrae in my back My own stupid fault I dont know what I was thinking
While I was recovering from that Our instructor got killed right in front of
my son who was flying with him at the time
His own stupid fault also Trying to do things with an unfamiliar canopy to test it out
An excellent guy and a very good friend
That finished us off from paragliding Knocked the stuffing out of us
It is a dangerous sport and needs to be treated with the utmost care
Very unforgiving to mistakes but it also gives great rewards
wow, all far too loopy for me I'll stick to the board , boat and diving gear for now ,had to many close calls on road bikes in younger days and now realise that am not bullet proof!!,, good luck to you all
I'm stickin to the wet spot for now
I thought about PG but went the safer option in HG when I saw they had a powered harness. Last month I flew 35 km down the coast, landed on the beach at a cafe for lunch then flew 35km back to the car after climbing to 6000 ft. weaving through the clouds on 6 litres of fuel, what a bargain!
This was my first launch with the 120cc rotary toenail clipper on the back and then a rear view;
