After more than 25 years of yearning to fly, I finally earned my private certificate in 1975. Until active noise-canceling headsets came on the market, however, I was bothered by the noise in piston-engine airplanes. I envied hot-air balloon pilots for their ability to glide quietly and peacefully across the countryside, not realizing how often the burners (virtual blow torches) have to be activated to keep a balloon airborne and how noisy they are.
Five years ago, while skiing in Switzerland, I became intrigued by the number of paragliders quietly sailing from the top of the mountain into the valley below. I promised myself that if I ever got the chance to go back, I would try it. March 1997 presented that opportunity when my wife, our son Ralph, and I went skiing in Arosa.
Arosa, Switzerland, is a quiet, unpretentious resort town 18 miles southwest of Chur. By car or narrow-gauge railroad, it takes about 45 minutes to climb from Chur to Arosa, elevation 5,690 feet. The Weisshorn cable car is just one block from the railroad station and takes you to the top of Weisshorn Mountain, elevation 8,700 feet.
Besides a magnificent view, there are two ski runs from the top of the Weisshorn, one on the east side and one on the west side of the mountain, each offering an ideal runway for launching paragliders. At times there were as many as four pilots laying out their parachutes, awaiting their turn to glide down the mountain.
The parachute comprises two layers of nylon sewn together from front to back to create tubular spaces, open in front. The preflight procedure consists of laying the parachute on the ground with the top side down so that all the lines to the connecting straps are on top. The pilot makes sure that none of the lines are tangled, particularly those that connect the control surfaces to their handles. After getting into his harness (which also contains an emergency parachute) and putting on his crash helmet and gloves, the pilot attaches the parachute's connecting straps to his harness. He faces downhill with the chute lines over his arms and the parachute behind him, takes a last look over his left and right shoulders to be sure that everything is in good order, takes a last look at the windsock — and the ski run to be sure that no skiers are in his way — and then goes.
Although each pilot has his own variation of the takeoff procedure, the basics are the same. As the pilot starts to run downhill, the lines pull the parachute off the ground and into a large arc above him. When the chute comes off the ground, the tubular spaces fill with air, making it look like a giant air mattress. It is at this point that the pilot must pull and run the hardest in order to get the parachute into the horizontal position and to move forward downhill. Eventually the ski slope drops off faster than the sink rate of the chute and the paraglider is airborne. Wind gusts and crosswinds are the greatest cause for aborted or unsuccessful takeoffs. Fortunately, deep-powder snow does a great job in cushioning falls.
Once in the air, the pilot controls his chute by means of the left and right control handles. Tugging a handle pulls down an area at the rear of the chute, much like a one-way aileron, thereby creating drag on that side, slowing that side while the other side moves forward, affecting a turn in the direction of the pulled handle.
The sink rate produces a forward speed of about 22 mph. The view in flight is magnificent and, except for the wind and the beeping of the variometer — the rate of which indicates rate of altitude change — it is really quiet. Gliding down the 3,000-foot vertical drop from the top of the Weisshorn to the landing on a frozen lake in the middle of Arosa can take between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on whether the pilot finds any thermals. Dual flights are usually limited to half an hour, since paying customers are scheduled at half-hour intervals.
Companies offering dual rides with experienced pilots abound. The company with the most advertising around town is Sky Rider Taxi. Marco Kalt, the pilot operator, instructed us to wear good boots and windproof garments when he scheduled our flights. We met Kalt at the top of the Weisshorn. Ralph went flying first. After some basic instructions concerning the takeoff, Kalt snapped Ralph into his harness and gave him a helmet. The back of the harness is an interesting design in that it appears to be a flat board while you are standing. Once you are airborne, it unfolds into a seat.
After he was satisfied that Ralph was properly harnessed, Kalt connected himself to our son. With the chute and lines in good order, Kalt started the countdown. "Three, two, one, go ... run, run, run" were the instructions, and then they were airborne and floating over the valley.
When I had my turn, the procedure was the same. No noise, just the wind in my face. Kalt told me to pull my knees up, and shortly I was sitting in my seat just as though on a swing. I removed my camera from inside my jacket while Kalt was looking for a thermal. When he found one, we flew in a relatively small circle in order to gain or maintain altitude. Shortly we were joined by other fliers above and below, as in a holding pattern at Chicago O'Hare in bad weather.
Since my wife had volunteered to wait for us at the landing site to take pictures of our landing, Kalt left the thermal after about 20 minutes and headed for the middle of town. Over the frozen lake Kalt started "fun flying." Rocking back and forth when you are hanging 26 feet below the parachute feels like a roller coaster. I could have done without that.
The lake's frozen surface has a machine-made cross-country path also used by the paragliders as a landing strip. For the landing, the pilot pulls both handles full down, and a good landing requires nothing more than a few steps. As soon as there is no load on the chute, it collapses and falls to the ground.
I paid Kalt the $100 fee, my wife helped him to fold the parachute like a bedsheet, and in 15 minutes Kalt walked off the lake with all his gear stowed conveniently in one backpack, ready for the trip back to the top for the next customer.
The reason that paragliding is so popular in Switzerland is the convenience of transporting the equipment. The cost of obtaining a license is relatively low. For less than $1,200, a license can be obtained in about a week. The purchase of a parachute runs about $4,000. A single paraglider has an area of approximately 240 square feet and can lift about 220 pounds, while a double has an area of around 460 square feet, supporting up to 500 pounds. A small parachute weighs around 18 pounds, while a fully loaded backpack with harness, helmet, and accessories can weigh 45 pounds. These paragliders have been flown as high as 16,000 feet.
The Swiss Alps and the ski runs provide ideal conditions for paragliding, and the Swiss people make the most of it. But they are also disciplined enough that they do not land on ski runs or trails — just as walkers respect the ski runs, while skiers stay off the trails. Of course, if you are concerned about where you'll land, you can strap a pair of big-foot skis to your bottom for added mobility.
No matter where you paraglide, though, you'll come away with a new appreciation for the landscape and a realization of just how quiet flying can be.
Albert E. Sickinger, AOPA 663578, of Bloomfield, Michigan, has been flying for 22 years and owns a Cessna 421.
Paraglide Stateside
Where to go paragliding — and what to expect
Several operations in the United States offer paragliding. For a list of these sites it's best to log onto the United States Hang Gliding Association's Web site ( www.ushga.org) or call 800/558-7442. The USHGA has been the official association of paragliding since the American Paragliding Association disbanded in the early 1990s.
Mike Eberle, owner of North American Paragliding in Ellensburg, Washington (800/727-2354), says that you can spend $299 for a two-day introductory program at his facility. For that price you'll get four or five flights on a training hill and one or more "high" (300 feet or higher) flights. Like earning a private pilot certificate, classroom and ground work are also part of the learning experience.
When learning to paraglide, it's common to jump right into the harness and start flying, with your instructor coaching you from the ground. "Learning to paraglide is different from the typical CFI/student relationship in that you solo in the beginning of your training," said Eberle. Tandem instruction requires an FAA exemption and is geared more for people who just want to take a one-time ride rather than learn the sport.
Since paragliding is not regulated by the FAA, there is no "license" as with most aircraft. The USHGA issues five ratings — beginner through master — as well as a tandem rating.
After training it may still be hard to find someone willing to rent you a parachute without your being supervised on the rental company's site. "It's not like we can just send you out the door with a $3,000 or $4,000 parachute," said Eberle. — Peter A. Bedell
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