How many jumps do you make per day ?
In high season we make 8 flights maximum per day and not jumps. It is possible to do more but to the detriment of the length of flight that we propose. We prefer to have more time to take care of our dear passengers.
Weather forcast said it's gonna be cloudy !
Flying with clouds does not pose any problems unless the clouds represent a danger to the activity. The large cumulus congestus which can degenerate into cumulonimbus and therefore a storm are to be watched.
We can fly with a few clouds or with a cloudy sky if it does not rain, but this cloud cover can nevertheless weaken see stop the thermal ascendances of the afternoon.
If there is no wind we fall ?
No, we do not need wind to fly, we just need speed like all aircraft. On the contrary, it is a strong wind that can prevent us from stealing safely.
There is a lot of wind when you fly!
When we take off, we feel after a short moment a lot of air in the face. It is not meteorological wind but wind relative, that is to say the wind we create by our own mouvement between 30 and 40 km / h. On the highway, take your hand out the window and you will feel!
Is it the same sails when flying at 2 ?
No, a tandem paraglider is almost twice as big on the surface, 42m2 on average while a solo paraglider will make between 20 and 30m2 depending on the weight of the pilot.
I'm scare of height, can I fly ?
Yes you can fly paragliding, we guarantee you feel without vertigo. Indeed you will not have feet connected to the ground so this disagreeable sensation of vertigo will be absolutely not present ... Many pilots have vertigo in general but never paragliding. Come and test you do not lie!
Can you climb when you want to paraglide ?
No, there must be thermal ascents and therefore the sun can heat the ground sufficiently to transmit its heat to the ambient air. At the Col de La Forclaz in West face, the ascents generally start around 1pm.
How long have you been flying ?
At Airrmax, we've been flying for over 15 years. It takes some experience before becoming a paraglider instructor.
How much does a paraglider cost ?
Nowadays a paraglider costs between 2800 euros for beginners models from more than 5000 euros for the most advanced models of competition. Our tandem glider cost around 4000 euros. We must add to this the harness pilot and the emergency parachute, all between 1000 and 2000 euros.
Should we run for landing ?
We land mostly face to wind valley . Stronger is the breeze, smoother is the speed / ground. There is no need to run. In the morning, however, there is no wind valley, we arrive at the ground a little faster, the pilot slows the glider as much as possible. The feeling is the same as if you were going down few stairs.
The lines are thin !
The lines are certainly fine which allows us to be aerodynamic but they are extremely solid ... each of them can support more than 100kg ... and there are a lot in a glider !
How much does the material weigh ?
Nowadays this can vary a lot but the trend is definitely to lightening. The lightest gliderl in the world weighs only 1.3 kg. On average, a normal solo glider weighs between 3.5 and 5.5 kg. We must add the weight of the harness and rescue, between 5 and 8kg.
The weight of our bag with our tandem equipement, the pilot harness, the passenger harness and the emergency parachute varies between 16 and 18kg.
What is the altitude we can fly ?
This depends on the state of the air mass and the generosity of the thermal ascents. We take off at 1250m of altitude at the Col de la Forclaz and it is not uncommon to climb to more than 2000m. The days or paragliders can climb to more than 3000m are more rare and much awaited by fans of distance flights.
If you are even more curious, do not hesitate to come and fly in tandem paragliding, we will be happy to answer all you questions during the flight .... whatever they are !!