With global climate change playing havoc with traditional winter sports such as alpine skiing, you might be looking for alternative ways to get your adrenaline rush. Enter the world of paragliding.

Paragliding is a relatively new sport that first appeared in the mid 1980s. It’s the simplest form of human flight, and is rapidly growing in popularity, in part due to the development of ultra lightweight fabric.

A paraglider is a non-motorised, foot-launched inflatable wing. It’s easy to transport, launch, and land. It can go places and do things unlike any other vehicle. The wing is constructed of rip-stop nylon from which the pilot is suspended by strong kevlar lines.

The pilot is buckled into a harness and finds the sitting position which provides the most comfort. You actually fly like a bird, soaring upwards on currents of air. Paragliders operate in unprecedented harmony with the natural elements. Slow flying speeds (30 to 40 kph) enable gliders to relax and enjoy the unmatched views.

Paragliding is not to be confused with parasailing, parachuting, or base-jumping. Parasailing is done behind a boat, requires little skill and leaves you at the mercy of the boat operator who drags you up and down a busy beach. Base-jumpers hurl themselves from a high place with a parachute strapped to their back and then hope that it opens in time.

Unlike even conventional parachutes, paragliders do not descend from an aircraft. They are inflated like a kite and gently lifted into the air. Gliders launch from gentle sloping hillsides with canopies already inflated by the breeze. Launch is never rushed.

The glider can hang overhead overhead and stay there kiting it until launch conditions are ideal. Paragliders are much lighter and aerodynamic, and unlike parachutes designed to go up rather than down.

The flight duration record is over 11 hours, and the distance record is 300 kilometres. In training, your first flights will typically be off a gentle slope about 50-75 metres high. As you progress and become more skilled and confident you can progress to the mountains. This is where the paraglider is used for its designed purpose - soaring!

Average recreational pilots, as the gliders refer to themselves, utilise thermal and ridge lift. They routinely stay aloft three hours or more, at altitudes of up to 5,500 metres (around 18,000 ft) and travel cross country for great distances.

The pilot jogs down a simple slope and glides away from the hill or mountain. Most people are afraid of heights but your fear will fade as your confidence in your ability to operate in a reasonable manner grows. Your instructor will help you identify your capabilities and limitations. You’ll learn that altitude is usually your friend. The launches and landings are slow and gentle.

If the idea of watching the sunset from a comfortable seat in the air, supported by the buoyant evening air, with perhaps an eagle or hawk joining you off your wing tip, appeals to you, then paragliding is for you.

Compared to most other adventure sports it is not prohibitively expensive. A new paraglider and harness will cost somewhere between 10-15,000 dirhams. After four years of fairly active usage and exposure to UV, a paraglider is generally in need of replacement. This of course varies with how you care for your equipment.

Most pilots who get into the sport also purchase a two-way radio, and a variometer (which tells you whether and how fast you are going up or down). Radios run about 1,000 dirhams, and variometers are about the same. Good used equipment is often available for half the price, though it will have a shorter life-span. In addition, because the sport is evolving rapidly, newer paragliders can have significantly better performance and behaviour than older ones. As with anything, try it before you buy it.

So how do you get started? A quick session on the web should reveal a club near you where you can probably get instruction. Most people start with a tandem flight, riding along with an experienced pilot. After the tandem flight, if you are still keen you can sign up for a novice package, which often includes use of club gear.

Some people who watch paragliders soaring overhead on a sunny spring day don’t need a tandem to make the decision that this is for them. In many parts of the world no special licensing is necessary.

There are no special skills necessary, other than a reasonable level of fitness. Paragliding is about finesse and serenity, not strength and adrenaline. Women often do much better than men because they don’t try to muscle the paraglider around. In Europe the sport is immensely popular and some pilots are as young as ten and as old as 80.

You want to be in good shape, because there may be some hiking involved. Being physically and mentally alert and prepared is more important than physical conditioning. To be a successful paragliding student and pilot, you need to be able to think clearly and listen well.

Of course the question of safety is due to come up. Paragliding is perhaps often viewed as a higher-risk sport than it actually is. Nonetheless, there is great potential for injury for the reckless or ill-prepared. It is sometimes said that the factor which most affects safety is pilot attitude.

A large proportion of accidents involve over-confident novices failing to heed advice, or pilots flying beyond their limits - often in a competitive context.

While fatalities do occur, most properly trained, responsible pilots suffer nothing worse than possible minor injuries - particularly twisted ankles and back injuries - and an occasional pounding heart.

For info on local paragliding opportunities for training or flying within the UAE, eg Dibba, Ras Al Khaimah and on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi border, log onto http://www.microaviation.org