Paragliding, also known as Paragliding, is a recreational but also a professional competitive aviation sport. This is a form of free-flight, taking off by feet. The pilot sits in a seat sewn with durable straps (seat belt) under a fabric parachute, which is inflated with air to maintain its aerodynamic shape thanks to the air pressure when the parachute moves into the "parachute cavity".
Since 2020, young people have begun to know about this sport through photos of nature taken from a height of more than a thousand meters. In addition, a series of newly emerging flying spots provide this type of service in many places such as Da Nang, Ninh Binh, Yen Bai, Hoa Binh,...
Passion for thrills
"At first, I was a bit scared when I saw my seniors paragliding, but when it was my turn to fly, I wasn't scared at all," Van Anh, a young person living in Hanoi, shared with Travellive.
Sam Dinh goes paragliding with his poodle.
Last fall, Van Anh witnessed a paragliding performance in Hoa Binh, and she wished to experience it once. Going to Mu Cang Chai this year, Van Anh fulfilled her wish. She signed up to experience the service and flew with a famous Nepalese pilot, one of the top 50 famous pilots in the world.
"I feel secure experiencing the service because they prepared and instructed me very carefully," said Van Anh.
Sam Dinh, an office worker in Hanoi, believes that paragliding is the most worthwhile experience for the money you spend. Sam only learned about this sport in April 2022. She had registered to paraglide and watch the sunset at Du Doi (Hanoi). However, the weather that day was not favorable, so Sam had to postpone her flight. After that, she registered to experience flying in Mu Cang Chai with Sabby, Sam's poodle.
Certificate after completing the flight.
Precariously perched at a height of more than a thousand meters.
"Before the flight, I didn't need to prepare much. I just worried about Sabby's mental health and safety equipment. They gave me an extra belt and also carefully instructed me on the flight rules," Sam Dinh said. Luckily, during the flight, the poodle remained calm and unafraid. Sam had mentally prepared Sabby by showing her many paragliding shows beforehand.
"The flight time is only 20 minutes. This sport is suitable for those who are not afraid of heights and love thrills. Watching the sky from above feels great," said a tourist after experiencing paragliding in Mu Cang Chai.
Notes when paragliding
According to Sam Dinh, you don’t need to learn in advance if you follow the instructions of your flight instructor. Sam said that when running for takeoff, you need to concentrate and catch the wind. She said that at Du Doi, she witnessed a tourist who had to run for 5 times before being able to fly. Meanwhile, Van Anh did it successfully in just one run. She shared that she only needed to run down the slope and gain momentum for about 2-3 steps to catch the wind.
Based on personal experience, Van Anh believes that before paragliding, you need to dress neatly, wear sports clothes, sports shoes and pay attention to tying your shoelaces tightly. Most of the preparation activities require tourists to run and land on their feet a lot, so sandals and high heels are not allowed. In addition, tourists should learn about the flight location and weather factors because wind speed and weather play an important role, directly affecting the quality and safety of the flight.
Paragliding is a sport that has appeared in Vietnam for a long time.
The price for paragliding service experience ranges from 2 to 3 million VND. This is an affordable price and enough to satisfy the needs of young people who are passionate about this adventure sport. A tourist who experienced paragliding shared that he spent about 2 million 2 VND to roam in the blue sky and see the golden rice fields in Mu Cang Chai.
"I feel it was worth the money I spent and have come back here 2-3 more times. If I had more money and time, I would fly dozens more times," this tourist excitedly told Travellive.
Paragliding was introduced to Vietnam in 1995 by two foreign pilots. Pham Duy Long was the first person in Vietnam to learn from these two people and establish a paragliding club. Currently, many clubs pursuing this sport have been established throughout the country. In particular, moderately high hills with open, wide skies and moderate slopes are ideal and safe enough for tourists to experience this thrilling sport.
