Paragliding can result interesting to anyone. Whether you would like to try it for the first time, or you would prefer to go solo, it will be a unique experience. If you are planning on taking your children on a tandem flight or start your training lessons, here you will find how old do you have to be to paraglide and some extra tips.
If you are reading this is because you are considering trying it out, so we want you to feel comfortable and at ease. The most important thing is to enjoy your flight as much as possible. We show you the minimum ages for paragliding.
How old do you have to be to paraglide?
Did you know that there is a different age limit in each country? And the difference sometimes can be significant. Some of them might even surprise you. This is because each country has diverse rules and normative for paragliding. Most of the time they do not change from one place to another, but when it comes to minimum and maximum age for paragliding, they can be turn out to be distant from each other.
When you check the age limit in your country, you should know that these might be orientated to tandem flights. This means that you might take training lessons or go on a flight with a paragliding company next to a monitor, but you will not be able to fly on your own. For that, you should check the normative of your country to be sure about it.
However, normally there is no age limit in most of the countries. In Spain, it is limited to 6 years old to flight with a monitor as in a tandem flight. There are no worries, you can leave your children to enjoy this thrilling sport with you while being safe.
When it comes to solo flights, things are a little bit different. The minimum age varies around 16 or 14 years old depending on the country. In the US it is 18 years old and in the UK 16 years old. However, in Switzerland, there is no minimum age to do so. When you go on a tandem flight, there is nothing you should worry about since there is an expert that goes with you and who will take care of everything.
What is an appropriate age to start paragliding?
Is there an appropriate age to start paragliding? If you have checked how old you have to be to paraglide in your country and you are within the permitted age, then you might be wondering whether you or your children are old enough to start paragliding.
To start training lessons and trying to fly solo, we recommend the minimum age of 14 or 16 years old. At that age, they should be able to manage a small wing and start doing the first stunts. However, it is not a question of age rather a question of maturity. Keep in mind that when flying solo there will be some important decisions to make to avoid risky situations, and these might be difficult judgments for a teenager.
Can I paraglide alone?
However, for flying solo you already need to take a training course with the help of an instructor and your physical condition must be prepared for it. Even though you might see paragliding as a relaxing and calming activity, it can turn to be quite demanding and hard on some. This means get ready to run and jump from slopes, hills, and any kind of surface with style and grace to be able to start your flights.
If you need more information about this, you can check out this post: Can I paraglide alone? → How to start paragliding
Is there a maximum age to do paragliding?
When searching for how old you must be to paraglide, most of us will focus on little children and teenagers. However, there are also sometimes age limits for the older, but it is not so common.
Usually, if you have good physical conditions, just as we said before, you should be fine. It is important that you know yourself and how in shape you are. To paraglide successfully you need to be able to carry the paraglide and run with it to start flying. Also, you should take into consideration that you might spend a long time in the air, so you should also be ready for that.
How much do you have to weight to paraglide?
Another condition that you might not take into consideration is the permitted weight. Maybe your kid is old enough, but they are not heavier enough to perform the flight. This is one of the reasons why there are weight restrictions when it comes to doing one of our tandem paragliding flights.
Not having the right weight limit might cause some troubles while you are paragliding and put your safety at risk. Please, make sure that you are putting the right amount of weight on the paraglider to enjoy your flight as much as possible.
To find more information about weight limits, go to this web page: Is there any weight limit for paragliding?
We hope that we have solved all your doubts and that this post has helped you. If you have more questions or you would like to know more, we have a very complete paragliding guide that will provide you all the answers you might need.
Paragliding is a wonderful experience you should try at least once in your life. In Overfly we offer thrilling tandem flights that will take you higher than you have ever been. Check out all our options and try paragliding for the first time with us.
Can The Kids Try Paragliding Then?
The answer is yes: the kids can try paragliding. The minimum age to do so is 6 years old. There is any problem with them joining this experience with you and the rest of your family. They can do also tandem flights accompanied by an adult. It can be their parents or the monitor. For it, we will need a signed consent of the guardian, and then they can fly as much as they want to.
Thanks for valuable information.