On Sat, 21 May 2005 22:04:19 -0600, "Michael 182"
wrote:
Very good info. I may reconsider... Thanks,

Michael, don't let all the scare stories scare you. Yes, paragliding
has its risks, just as does GA. Like GA, those risks can be reduced
by good training and careful decision making, and also like GA, can't
be eliminated. It's all about flying within your limitations and the
limitations of the aircraft.

I have around 200 hours now in _powered_ paragliders (following around
600 hours GA). Powered paragliding (PPG) is about the most fun I've
had in the air, and the motor gives the flexibility to avoid the
thermic conditions required to keep an unpowered paraglider or hang
glider aloft. A year or so ago, I looked at the statistics. The
number of PPG pilots in the U.S. isn't all that large and data is hard
to come by, but as near as I could figure, the fatality rate per hour
is about the same as GA (though the risk of a minor injury is higher).
Unpowered paragliding is somewhat (but not horribly or unacceptably)
worse.

To answer your original question, GA experience does help as general
background... not so much at first, or for the actual flying, but if
you continue with it there's some stuff that you won't have to relearn
(aerodynamics, airspace, regs, etc.)

-Dana
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