Popular Sites : Dharamkot,
Solang in Kullu valley, Billing in Kangra Valley, Bandla Ridge in Bilaspur,
Kothi-Parcham near Manali and Bijli Mahadev - Bhunter.
Best Time for Gliding In Himachal Pradesh : March to June
and mid- August to November.
About Gliding
Since
time immemorial, human being have nurtured a dream to fly freely like a bird
and explore the bounds of sky. Although, helicopter or aeroplane rides are
the ways to fly in the sky, but one could not get the real fun of flying
freely like birds.
In recent years, aero sports have emerged as a perfect means to fulfill the
desire of flying, gliding is one of them. Be it hand Gliding, Hang Gliding
or Para Gliding, the experienced as well as amateurs can indulge themselves
in these sports by acquiring some basic knowledge about the activities in
the air.
However, if you are new to the aero-sport of Gliding, it is better to learn
the basic techniques first that include launching, turning and landing.
Himachal Pradesh As A Destination For Gliding
The climatic conditions and topography of Himachal Pradesh make it the best
suited place for gliding. Himachal Pradesh offers excellent locations and
facilities for almost all types of gliding like Hang Gliding, Hand Gliding
and Para Gliding. Himachal Pradesh Tourism Corporation (HTDC) organizes aero
sports training courses and events at various times of the year. Billing in
Himachal Pradesh is renowned all over the world for organizing the
International Gliding competition, since 1984.
Hang Gliding In Himachal Pradesh
A popular aero-sport, Hang Gliding is usually taken up by using wind
currents to soar through sky without an engine power. The glider is tied
from the centre of the keel that has long extended blades to navigate
through air currents. To take-off in air, you have to run on a downhill at a
slope of around 40 degree to fill air in the columns of the keel. You can
attain the speed of 15 kms to 30 kms per hour and soaring can be done by
using ridge lifts created by air striking the mountain face or hot air
columns.
Hang Gliding is an easy aero-sport and you need an instruction of only 10
minutes on the ground for a comfortable glide thorough the air. As per your
experience, you can spend more and more time in sky. Billing and Dharamkot
are the popular Hang Gliding destinations in Himachal Pradesh
Hang Gliding In Billing : Billing (8,500 feet) in Kangra
valley is said to be one of the finest sites for Hang Gliding in the world.
The clear sky of Billing can lure any gliding enthusiasts to take up a
gliding challenge. Situated at a distance of 14 kms from Bir, Billing got
world's recognition in 1984 when an International Hang Gliding Rally was
organized here. Some expert hang gliders of the world participated in the
event and they rated this place amongst the best in the world.
Encouraged by the opinion of experts and gliders, the Himachal Pradesh
Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) organizes the International Hang
Gliding competitions in Billing every year. Since 1984, gliding enthusiasts
from India and abroad took part in various competitions and Hang Gliding is
gradually becoming one of the popular adventure sports in India.
Hang Gliding In Dharamkot : Situated at a close distance
from Dharamshala, Dharamkot is also a good place for Hang Gliding. To reach
this 11,800 ft high place, you have to take a 2 km trek from the nearest
road.
Hand Gliding In Himachal Pradesh
Hand
Gliding is more or less similar to the aero-sport of Hang Gliding. It is an
outdoor sport and is taken up by using air current without a mechanical
power. A hand-glider is a heavy (55 kgs), bulky and complicated object, and
the technicalities are more tedious. It takes around 2 hours to open and
almost the same to fold back a hand-glider. In Hand Gliding, the pilot
remains suspended from the centre of the keel and maintains the balance with
the help of airframe by weight shift arrangement.
For taking off, you need to run on a down hill and few minutes later you
can easily attain the speed of 15 km to 30 kms per hour. To soar high in the
air, you have to use ridge lifts created by wind striking the hills or by
hot air columns which keep rising upward from the sun heated surface.
Hand- Gliding is a risky sport so you should take uttermost care during the
taking off and the landing. Basic training for Hand Gliding in necessary,
which can be obtained in few hours. After acquiring good experience and
understanding primary safety factors, you can glide as long as you wish.
Hand Gliding Locations In Himachal Pradesh : Billing
(8,500 feet) and Dharamkot (11,800 feet) in Himachal Pradesh.
Para Gliding In Himachal Pradesh
In recent years Para Gliding has emerged as a perfect mean to fulfill the
human being's desire of flying. Para Gliding is the simplest form of human
flight. It is a combination of hang gliding and parachuting. The only
difference between these two aero sports is that in parachuting you have to
jump off from an aeroplane, while in para gliding, one runs down a hill.
Just like a parachute, a Para-Glider is made of non porous sail cloth and
its cells are open at the front and closed at the back. A Para-Glider is a
collapsible wing made of light wright space age material and looks like a
colourful Jelly Fish floating through the air. If you get the right type of
thermal, you can fly up to 12 metre and above.
Himachal Pradesh boasts of a number of good sites for para gliding and some
of them are among the world's best sites. Bir and Billing in the Kangra
valley and Solang in the Kulu valley of Himachal Pradesh are the famous
sites where you can enjoy Para Gliding.
Para Gliding In Kangra Valley : Billing (2600 m) is the
take off site and Bir (2080 m) is the landing site for para gliding. The
distance between the two sites is 14 kms and they offer opportunities for
high altitude and cross country flying for more than 200 kms. Billing is the
perfect place to check out the magnificent views of the Dauladhar ranges,
while Bir has a Buddhist monastery and is surrounded by tea gardens.
Para Gliding In Kullu Valley : In Kullu, you enjoy para
gliding at hill tops like Bijli Madadev, Rohtang Pass, Kothi and Solang
Nallah. Solang is a good beginner site and Bijli Mahadev is an excellent
site for hill launching. Bandla Ridge in Bilaspur town is another popular
site for para gliding. Bilaspur is situated at NH 21 between Chandigarh and
Mandi town.
Essential Gliding Gears
Essential gears for gliding include a glider, a harness, a safety helmet, a
life jacket, a variometer, ankle support shoes and rough clothing. In
Himachal Pradesh, gliding equipment with in-built safety features of the
international standards are available. Second hand gliders in good condition
are also available at reasonable price. Equipment and guidance services for
Gliding are provided by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation
(HPTDC).
Training Courses For Gliders
Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department conducts proper education and training
courses for the gliding enthusiasts from April to June and Mid September to
mid November under the guidance of foreign trained instructors. In a week's
training, you can easily fly like a bird in the sky.
Guidelines For Gliding
- Gliding requires one to be physically and mentally fit.
- Gliding is not safe for Aerophobics (people who are afraid of
heights).
- People who are suffering from high low blood pressure should not take
up Gliding.
- Over weight people are not advised to indulge themselves in gliding.
- A glider is alone in the air and any medical complication or
technical fault may develop so he needs to be fully aware of how to
control and navigate the problem.
- In order to qualify for the sport, one needs to over 15 years of age
and weigh between 45 to 85 kgs.
