Hang gliding, paragliding and triking

By Joe Collins // 24 November 2010

You don't have to be a bird, you don't have to be fit, you don't have to be wealthy. But you do have to have a sense of adventure and be keen to discover new things.

Ease of Learning

The easiest are paragliders, then hang gliders, then trikes.

Capability

Trikes are the most capable as they are powered. They can fly almost anywhere, in much wider weather conditions, farther, and consistently higher. But you'll pay more for that capability, use fuel, need better takeoff and landing zones and plenty of set up time.

Hang gliders have the best glide (go further), fly faster, and can fly in stronger winds than paragliders, but take longer to set up and are harder to manhandle and transport - you'll need a big roof rack to carry them round.

Paragliders have less glide performance than the other two, and cannot fly in winds as strong as hang gliders and trikes. However, they are more manoeuvrable than trikes and hang gliders. They are also light and compact enough to carry in a backpack, and can takeoff and land in very confined spaces.

Safety

All microlight trikes, hang gliders, and paragliders are as safe as the person in control, and it's almost unheard of for design and structural failures to cause accidents. So choosing which to go for depends on you - and only you know how safe you are.

For hanggliding operators Australia-wide use the search tool top left this page.  Search Tours by location or key word.