Paragliding glossary

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Wing and equipment

• Wing (canopy) — The fabric airfoil that generates lift. Air pressure inside its cells helps it keep its shape during flight.
• Cells — Inflatable compartments inside the canopy that help the wing maintain its aerodynamic shape.
• Lines — Strong, thin suspension cords connecting the wing to groups of risers.
• Risers — Webbing straps that gather groups of lines and connect them to the harness through suitable connectors.
• Harness — The equipment supporting a pilot beneath the wing. Tandem pilots and passengers normally use separate harnesses.
• Reserve parachute — A separate emergency parachute. It is not the main flying wing or a guarantee of a safe outcome.
• Helmet — Protective headgear selected and fitted for the flying activity.
• Variometer (vario) — An instrument that indicates a paraglider’s rate of climb or descent.

Air and flight

• Airspeed — A paraglider’s speed relative to the surrounding air, which can differ from its speed over the ground.
• Glide — Forward flight that, in still air, gradually loses height.
• Glide ratio — The horizontal distance a glider travels for a given loss of height through still air.
• Lift (aerodynamic) — The force generated by a wing moving through the air. It is not another name for rising air.
• Ridge lift — Rising air created when wind meets a hillside or ridge and is deflected upward.
• Rising air — Air moving upward. When strong enough, it can offset a glider’s normal descent or allow it to climb.
• Sink rate — How quickly a glider descends through the surrounding air; rising or sinking air also affects its actual change in altitude.
• Soaring — Staying airborne longer or gaining height by using rising air.
• Thermal — An area of rising air, often formed when the ground warms the air above it.
• Turbulence — Irregular, changing airflow that can disturb a paraglider’s flight.

Places and decisions

• Airspace — The part of the sky subject to aviation rules, including areas where flying may be restricted.
• Briefing — An explanation of relevant conditions, procedures and roles before a flight or training session.
• No-fly — A decision that a particular flight will not go ahead, often because conditions or other requirements are unsuitable.
• Landing area (LZ) — An intended area where a flight can end; LZ is a common abbreviation for landing zone.
• Launch (takeoff) — The start of a flight, or the place from which the paraglider takes off.
• Retrieve — Transport or assistance after landing away from the original starting area, often used in cross-country flying.
• Site — A place used for flying, including launch and landing arrangements, access and local rules.
• Tow launch — A takeoff assisted by specialised towing equipment and a trained operation, including at flatland sites; winch towing is one method.

People and learning

• Ground handling — Practice controlling a paraglider wing while on the ground, commonly taught early in training.
• Instructor — A qualified person who teaches and supervises students under the applicable training system.
• Pilot — The person controlling the paraglider in flight.
• Solo — A flight with only one person aboard. It may be a supervised student flight or an independent pilot’s flight.
• Tandem — A two-person paraglider flight with a qualified pilot and a passenger or, in an instructional setting, a student.

Advanced flying

• Acro — Short for aerobatic paragliding, an advanced discipline involving specialised skills and training.
• Cross-country (XC) — Flying beyond the immediate local area to cover distance, with additional weather, airspace and landing considerations.
• Paramotoring — A related form of flying in which an engine provides thrust to a paraglider-style wing.
• SIV — From the French Simulation d’Incident en Vol: supervised training for abnormal flight situations, often conducted over water with rescue support.

When you need more than a definition

A term tells you what a word means, not whether a particular flight or manoeuvre is suitable. The longer guides below explain equipment, weather, flight mechanics and learning. If you have a question rather than a term, try the paragliding FAQ.