Paragliders will converge on foothills to ascend into skies

Published online on Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2009

Man doesn't need wings to soar through the sky like a bird.

Just a parachute, some rigging and a suitable place from which to launch.

Find that hard to believe? Head out to Dunlap next week and see for yourself. That's when dozens of the country's top pilots will converge on the foothill community 45 miles east of Fresno for the U.S. National Paragliding Championships.

Paragliders have been called the ultimate human-powered, portable aircraft. They consist of an inflatable parachute or wing fixed with Kevlar lines that secure to the pilot's harness. The pilot launches by foot, running off inclines or ridges, and steers the wing by shifting his or her weight or pulling brake cords that change its shape.

In optimal conditions, thermal lift allows the paraglider to stay airborne for hours at a time and soar substantial distances.

Almost like flying.

"It's not almost like flying," corrected Jugdeep Aggarwal of Santa Cruz. "You are flying."

Aggarwal, who has been paragliding for 13 years, is co-director of the national meet, which starts Monday and ends May 2.

Though not set up as a spectator event, the sight of brightly colored paragliders maneuvering thousands of feet above ground is enough to make anyone stop and marvel.

"They're so pretty," said Connie Work, launch director of the Dunlap Flight Park. "Like watching a bunch of Easter eggs in the sky."

Why Dunlap? Turns out the west-facing ridge that looms above the town is one of California's best-known spots for nonmotorized flight.

Perched at 4,600 feet elevation near Mount Sampson, the Dunlap Flight Park has been used for hang gliding since the late 1970s. (Hang gliding differs from paragliding in that pilots are strapped to a V-shaped wing with a rigid frame.) Paragliding, which started in Europe, is slowly but surely gaining popularity in the U.S., Work said.

"Paragliding is like the baby of the batch -- just coming into its own," she added. "It's where hang gliding was 15 years ago."

Besides its splendid foothill scenery, Dunlap offers consistent flying conditions and ample landing zones, most of which are flyer-friendly. That last part is crucial, because a few property owners in the area have been known to chase off wayward paragliders with shotguns and Rottweilers.

Once paragliders launch, they're typically not in any hurry to come down. Experienced pilots stay airborne for several hours by getting lift from thermals. Thermals are basically a column of rising hot air formed when the sun's rays warm a feature like a rock face or outcropping.

Once the pilot finds a thermal, he flies in a tight circle, trying to find the spot in the center where hot air rises the fastest. This technique is called "coring."

In addition to radios and GPS units, most pilots use an instrument called a variometer that detects rising or sinking air. The variometer emits an audible signal, and pilots can tell by the frequency and pitch how fast they're climbing or descending.

The more thermals you catch, the longer you stay airborne.

Windy days are not the best for paragliding because wind tends to blow out the thermals.

"The best days are the ones with lots of little puffy clouds, which indicate the top of a thermal," Aggarwal said. "You basically fly from cloud to cloud and catch a thermal at each one."

In the paragliding world, Dunlap is considered an intermediate launch site, meaning it's not suitable for beginners. Novice pilots learn basic techniques on flat ground and progress to sloping hillsides before flinging themselves off an airy ridge.

A paragliding set-up, including the wing, harness and rigging, starts at about $3,000 and can cost up to $9,000. Pilots who launch at Dunlap are required to wear helmets and carry an emergency parachute, just in case something goes wrong.

"It really doesn't matter whether you're 10 feet off the ground, 100 feet or 4,000 feet," Work said. "Most of the accidents happen when launching and landing."

During competitive events, pilots are assigned tasks similar to those used in orienteering that must be completed in as little time as possible. These tasks can be up to 80 kilometers long and require pilots to fly above certain landmarks. GPS units ensure no one cheats.

Like all experienced paragliders, Aggarwal long ago shed any apprehension of soaring thousands of feet above ground with only a patch of inflated nylon protecting against disaster.

"When you're learning, you're really, really scared," he said. "But once you get past that initial fear, it becomes quite exhilarating to have this bird's-eye view no one else has."