Letters
Paragliding
The Editor:
I was disappointed to read, in the last issue of Northword, yet another portrayal of paragliding as an extremely dangerous adrenaline sport (Northwest Paragliding: Smithers wing-nuts take flight).
For most of its enthusiasts, paragliding is not about cheating death and breaking bones. It’s about flying—as simply and beautifully as possible. Who among us has never faced into the wind on a hillside and wished we could spread our arms and fly away? Well, we can.
Paragliding is also not about drifting aimlessly with the wind until you either crash or land somewhere flat by pure luck. People commonly fly paragliders a hundred kilometres or more, follow preset competition routes around GPS checkpoints, and land within a metre of a designated spot.
Some misinformation in the article contributes to the image that paragliding in the Bulkley Valley is especially dangerous. There is no unmapped terrain around Smithers, as was stated. Thermals are not smoother or more predictable in California than here; they are typically much more powerful and dangerous, due to more solar heating, and higher, rockier mountains. In fact, the Bulkley Valley is an ideal place to fly a paraglider, with smooth mountain slopes to launch from, strong but not extreme thermal lift on a summer day, and extensive agricultural fields in which to land safely.
I believe the deceased instructors mentioned were both from Alberta. One died paragliding in Washington State and the other, hang-gliding in California, was actually trying to pick up a bag of money from the ground while flying at high speed.
The Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada reports a total of seven paragliding fatalities EVER in Canada (2005 statistics). While I’m sure that, statistically, paragliding is more dangerous than driving a car, this could be partly because the public image of the sport attracts risk-takers. If virtually everyone flew a paraglider according to his own comfort level, I suspect it would begin to look a lot safer. In other words, like almost any activity, paragliding can be as safe or as dangerous as you want to make it.
Anyone who can run down the street can learn to fly. Wannabe pilots do not have to be committed. Contact the HPAC to find out about a beginner course; the equipment will be provided.
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