PARAGLIDING: DISCOVER ALL TYPES OF PARAGLIDERS AND THEIR USES
Paragliding is a complete aerial sport where the choice of wing defines both your safety and your enjoyment. Whether you are taking your first steps in a school or aiming for 100 km cross-country flights, your paragliding wing is your main flying tool.
This comprehensive guide introduces you to the world of paragliding wings: from different certifications (EN-A, B, C, D) to types of flying (Hike & Fly, Acro, Tandem).
Access our specialized guides directly:
- How much does a paragliding wing cost?
- How to choose your wing according to your level and weight range?
Are you looking for a specific model?
PARAGLIDER WING BY TYPE OF FLIGHT :
One of the most important criteria for choosing and buying a paraglider is the type of paragliding flight you want to do. Here are a few examples :
Speed Flying and Acro Paragliding Wings
A true mini paraglider, speed flying or speed riding wings are very small wings (generally between 7 and 15 m²). This reduced size allows them to deliver high speed and be extremely reactive. However, these wings have lower glide performance than standard wings. They also do not allow pilots to exploit thermals. They are typically designed for pilots seeking strong, even extreme sensations during low-altitude proximity flying.
Acro wings, on the other hand, are generally larger (between 16 and 24 m²). They are quite similar to standard wings, although their glide performance is lower. Like classic wings, they can exploit thermal lift. However, their main purpose is to allow pilots to perform dynamic and negative maneuvers in the air. They are therefore designed to remain stable and solid in as many flight configurations as possible.
Single-skin Paragliding Wing
Single-skin paragliding wings are the lightest type of wings. Some models can weigh less than one kilogram, while most are typically between 1.5 and 2 kg. Their main characteristic is the absence of a lower surface (intrados), which reduces material, weight, and volume. It is important to note that their flying performance is lower than that of standard wings. Although they can allow for some thermal flying, their primary use is Hike & Fly, also known as Vol Rando.
Tandem Paragliding Wing
Thanks to their very large surface area (generally between 36 and 44 m²), tandem paragliding wings allow two people to fly at the same time, for example a passenger and their instructor. Most are classified as EN B and have a design similar to standard wings.
PARAGLIDER WING BY HOMOLOGATION
Certification is probably one of the most decisive criteria in choosing a paraglider. Indeed, if you're already a paraglider pilot, you probably know that the choice of a paraglider depends essentially on your level and your objectives. Each certification is adapted to each profile. Let's find out together!
What is the purpose of paraglider certification?
Paragliding certification serves two purposes :
Firstly, that the paraglider is strong enough to take a pilot from take-off to landing. To achieve this, the glider undergoes strength and impact tests to ensure that the materials do not tear in flight.
The second part of the certification process determines the glider's behavior, and whether it can be categorized as accessible for beginners, or whether it is more suitable for experienced pilots. To find out how accessible a wing is, manufacturers put their models through a series of tests. These largely consist of simulating flight incidents to observe how the wing reacts. The less pilot action a wing needs to recover from an incident, the more accessible it will be for novice pilots. At the end of the tests, the examiners assign a letter to the wing (A, B, C, D or CCC) corresponding to its level of accessibility.
EN A Paragliding Wing
The EN A paragliding wings are designed for beginner pilots. Schools are generally equipped with this type of wing, as they provide excellent passive safety while offering solid performance. They allow pilots to learn active flying and can support new paraglider pilots far into their progression and improvement. Most paragliding brands such as Niviuk, Skywalk, Supair or Gin offer their own EN A model.
💡To learn more, feel free to check out our article about EN A paragliding wings.
EN B Paragliding Wing
A paragliding wing can be classified EN B for two main reasons:
Because they are designed for progression. They are therefore generally more performant than EN A wings. They have a higher aspect ratio and require a higher level of piloting skills than beginner wings.
Because they are small surface wings for which manufacturers have defined specific certified weight ranges. Each range results in a different wing behavior. For example, the same wing depending on its size can behave like an EN A, EN B or even EN C. These multi-certified wings are often mountain wings.
💡To learn more, feel free to check out our article about EN B paragliding wings.
EN C Paragliding Wing
EN C paragliding wings are designed for pilots seeking performance. These wings are generally used by paragliders with solid flight experience and cross-country skills, looking to improve their range and performance.
EN D and CCC paragliders
D- and CCC-rated wings are the Formula 1 of paragliding. They are very long and thin wings designed for pure performance. As a result, pilots need to be able to react swiftly and dangerously in the event of a flying incident.
DGAC paraglider wings
DGAC certification applies to paragliders for a very specific type of free flight : paramotoring. This certification, which is slightly different from that for paragliders, concerns only the load test section and a few additional indicators such as flight speed, maximum engine power, etc...
Non-approved paragliders
Paraglider wings known as "non-approved" are very often nevertheless approved for loads.
These are often wings for acrobatics, speed riding or speed flying, and some wings designed for very specific paragliding activities don't really need full certification.
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