Flight is the most universal daydream of humanity. Paragliding actualizes this dream with a harness and a wing that packs down into a backpack. The wings used in paragliding are made of a lightweight fabric which become efficient airfoils when inflated. Paragliders are unique airfoils because the pilot can manipulate the shape of the wing in flight by pulling on the lines and shifting his or her weight in the harness. By increasing and decreasing the angle of attack and wing shape, the pilot has the ability to execute a variety of maneuvers.

© Stefan Hunziker 2014



This website was created by Hattie Schmidtkunz for David Newman's physics 211 class at University of Alaska Fairbanks
November 2014