Paragliding in Lahore

A lot of people tend to believe that paragliding is running off the edge of a cliff with nothing but a parachute. Although parachuting and paragliding both involve being suspended in the air, they are very different. Paragliding makes use of a paraglider: the paraglider wing is a fabric aerofoil holey shape that allows air to enter, inflate and pressurise the wing. The daredevil who has opted to ride on the paraglider dangles below via multiple lines. The harness acts as a seat, with some more advanced ones supporting rear back protection and a backup parachute.

Lahore is not all about food and eating out; the city is quite a hub of adventuring as well. Home to shopping districts like Fortress and Pace, it has also decided to include extreme sports like paragliding in its agenda. Institutions like the Gliding Club of Pakistan and EMAC (Extreme Manoeuvres’ Adventure Club) are beginning to offer services like flying courses, with special attention being paid to paragliding. EMAC boasts being the first of its kind that initiated the concept of paragliding and other extreme sports back in 2011. To date, it has had zero incidents and maintains internationally recognised safety standards.

Located in Johar Town, EMAC offers an elementary pilot course, which is a five day programme. On successful completion of the course, you qualify for para-motoring, or power gliding. EMAC doesn’t only serve civilians – it also provides its top notch services to army personnel.

Accessible to all ages and fitness levels, paragliding courses can take as little as nine days to complete. Once you get your paragliding license, you can keep practising to hone your paragliding skills to perfection. The concept of paragliding is pretty recent, an alternative of which is hang gliding. Paragliding is a truly unique sport that offers tranquillity and keeps those adrenalin levels soaring. You can enjoy the scenic beauty below while keeping your daredevil side satiated too.

Here are a few little-known facts about paragliding:

• Paragliders have brakes and gas. You can steer and adjust speed as well. Pilots have direct control over the ascent; they find rising columns of thermal air to guide the glider even higher.
• You can travel cross-country on a paraglider. However, you have to be somewhat of an expert to do this. While most flights last 15 to 25 minutes, experts can manoeuvre their gliders across vast distances.
• It’s not one of the most dangerous extreme sports out there. In fact, it may be one of the safest airborne sports.
• It was christened by NASA. The organisation also helped design the glider – they developed the ‘sail wing’.
• The seat is very comfortable – perhaps even more comfortable than the chair you’re sitting on now!