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PARAGLIDING
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The weather conditions and
mountainous terrain make Turkey the perfect place for a
paragliding vacation. With tandem rigs it is possible for almost
anyone to participate in this adventure sport. The seaside
village of Olu Deniz near Fethiye is surrounded on three sides
by impressive mountains and is fast becoming the place to be in
Turkey for serious Para-gliders. This corner of the
Mediterranean, extending into the clear warm waters of the
Southern Aegean Sea, provides excellent paragliding conditions
from April until November. For those who wish to obtain a
paragliding license, our Paragliding services also include
training courses in the city of Izmir. |
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It is not surprising therefore
that Olu Deniz has become something of a mecca for paragliding
enthusiasts from all over the world. A diversity of
accommodation is available in the area and transport by public
minibus is cheap and frequent. Our Parasailing packages are
tailor made to suit your requirements, we can arrange
international flights, domestic flights, airport welcome,
transfers, hotels and apartments. If paragliding is just a part
of your adventure we can arrange Scuba Diving, windsurfing and
trips to the odd historical site or two. The busy and
continually expanding metropolis of Fethiye is just 4 Kms away,
and worth a visit to see another side of Turkey. |
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Co-owned and run by professional pilots Extreme Paragliding is
based in Izmir and Olu Deniz. The company was formed in 1993 and
has evolved into one of Turkeys premier paragliding Centers.
Originally established to enable anyone with a spirit of
adventure to fly safely in 'tandem' with a qualified paragliding
pilot. Relatively new in Turkey as a tourist sport solo
paragliding in Olu Deniz is for qualified pilots only many of
whom are now discovering this corner of the Mediterranean. The
logistics of the terrain around Olu Deniz make it unsuitable for
training. However, we can arrange courses in Izmir just a few
hours north of Olu Deniz, where confidence and experience can be
acquired in a gentler environment |
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The sheer exhilaration of that
first flight with an experienced pilot is just the beginning.
Many tandem fliers go on to take up the sport seriously and
eventually to obtain their paragliding pilots license. The
thrill and solitude of flying solo beckons, you just need a
spirit of adventure and tuition from dedicated professionals, to
be there.
The safety aspects of any
potentially hazardous sports is always the foremost
consideration for beginners. It is for this reason that
Extreme have qualified Pilots and use only modern,
internationally approved equipment. All activities are covered
by full insurance underwritten by the international Commercial
Union company/span> |
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Information on Paragliding |
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Deltaplan
Around 1940's, a new aviation
instrument was being tested. This device takes off from the
plain of a hill by running and slips away until it lands. The
significant characteristic of this device was its light and
portable structure. It was a formation of fabric stretched over
bars. Dr. Francis Rogallo, in 1948, named it 'portable delta
wing'. In the following years this instrument has developed so
far. First, it was made of very cheap material. With the
development of the technology, there has been an increase in the
quality of used materials, quality of design and the prices.
Today, an experienced parachuter needs, besides a 30-35 kg.
delta wing, a barometer, a compass, a speed watch, an altimeter,
an extra emergency parachute and equipments that are shaped
according to the air turbulances. Additional to all these, a
plain take off field is required.
Paragliding
After 'delta plan', around 70's,
some people decided to develop another aviation instrument that
has a fixed shape and which was not heavy. Many people started
to make flight experiments with frontier parachute models. These
were parachutes designed to be opened after jumping out from the
plane and while falling down at the speed limit (198 km/s).
After many tries, it was observed that the high tension of the
jump offs did not exist at the hill take offs. And it was
understood that bigger parachutes would bring better results.
Producers started to produce bigger parachutes from air-proof
fabrics. At the end, a new sport, which was called 'hill
parachute' was born.
Around 80's, the number of hill
parachutes has increased in comparison with the past. Firstly a
group of pilots, imitating delta wings, started to take off from
steep hills by running. So, the hill parachuting started to
spread. Flights were organized from Himalayan Everest and
Japanese Fuji Mountains. New records of hundreds of kilometers
and hours of flights were broken. Hill parachuting has been so
beloved it almost folded up delta wings in two. Almost all
around the world mountain tops, colorful parachutes were started
to be seen.
Hill parachute is easily aired and
directed, it is easy to land it. It can be opened and packed up
in a few minutes. With a truly basic education, flying skills
may be gained in a few days. Today hill parachuting is the least
expensive aviation sport. With its closeness to the nature, it
is one of the most preferred sports. And it became a world wide
industrial product.
Because of its light weight, it can be carried easily like a
rucksack. And because this sport requires more free running-tracks,
it can be named as a freedom sport. Besides the joy and the
easiness, this sport like the others has its own rules. Aviation
can not take a joke, perils must be foreseen and precautions
must be taken. For safe flights, we have to know the atmospheric
layer that we're going to be flying in. We have to learn how to
use our parachute at different weather conditions. And more
important than that, dangerous movements must be avoided.
Hill parachuting is probably
the easiest way of aviation. Shortly, we wish you a good flight. |
EQUIPMENTS
OF PARAGLIDING
The paraglide is a simple
instrument. However, it is the outcome of long, painstaking and
complex design studies. Length differences of the ropes or, simple
differences in the cutting of the fabric, may cause much better or
worse conclusions. Here are the sections of 'hill parachute' for you:
CANOPY: The fabric part of the
0bject is called 'canopy' or 'wing'. Canopy is made of two layers of
fabrics folded onto each other, and it is meant to collect the air
inside when on air. In order for the air to be able to fill into the
wing, front side, which is called 'attack side', must be open, and
the back side that prisons the air inside, which is called 'escape
side' must be closed. Thus, because the fabric is air-proof, the
wing prisons the air inside and takes a certain shape. When the
canopy is completely filled up with wind air, it takes the shape of
a plane wing, which is flat bottomed and curved top side. In a
typical canopy, there exist 40-60 cells. Length of these cells gives
an elliptic shape to the wing when looked at from above.
 This
shape is called a 'platform'. To the sides of the canopy, balancing
pieces, which are called 'ears', are placed. 'Ears' keep the
parachute in balance and by applying force outwards, they keep it
strained. Wings are produced according to: the weight of the pilot,
different flight conditions, length/width proportions. At the edge
of the wings, the cells that called 'stabilizators' are closed.
Stabilizator takes the air form the side cells, it gets filled up
and enlarges.
ROPES:
Separates into two as 'hanging' ropes
and 'brake' ropes. In order to decrease the weight and friction,
ropes are produced from strong, enduring materials such as carbon
fibers and darcon. Brake ropes are produced in different colors in
order to be distinguished easily.
COLUMNS:
Columns joins fabric with harness.
Usually ropes gather at the metal rings and joins with the columns.
In general they have 25mm of breadth. columns form a single point
from which pilots can control all of the ropes at once. At the back
of the columns, there are little metal rings from where brake ropes
pass and little snap fasteners onto which the wheel-cross (brake
controllers) are fastened.
HARNESS:
Paragliding beaches generally shares
the same basic structure. A plastic or wooden seat, a combined air
and foam back protection is used, with a polycarbate outer layer to
protect against puncture and spread load across foam cells. Reserve
must be packed in an inner bag with handle attachment on upper edge
so that it is pulled from the top. All harnesses are adjustable
according to all sizes and flight positions.
FLIGHT-TAKE OFF- LANDING
Flight
You can't just go do it. You'll have
to take lessons for a brevet. Without a brevet you're not allowed to
fly and most of all without a brevet it is very dangerous for you
and other people The best thing to do is to go to a place or country
where there are mountains. It is also possible to fly in countries
where there are no mountains. A long running path is necessary for
the pilot. Streamer and windsock must be fixed vertically next to
the run path. To escape the turbulences, there must not be another
hill across. A clean field is necessary to spread out the parachute.
 Take Off
Controls: At the beginning, the wind
must come from the front with at most 30 degrees. For the
experienced pilots it can be 90 degrees. Last controls have to be
done. Control ropes must be checked if they are at the bottom and
open. After putting on the helmet harness is entered. First the leg
columns and then chest columns are fastened. Leg columns are not
fastened so tight in order to leave a space for action. Stand right
in the middle of the wing. Usually there's a sign at the wing that
points at the mid-point. Arms are opened to the sides. In side the
hand must be the controlling ropes and the front column. Other
columns must be on the shoulders. In this position running starts.
Important point is: handles must be pushed not with arm powers but
with the power of the chest. When the wing is on the top point,
handles are left, so inside the hands only controlling ropes stays.
When running towards the take off, if leaned on to the sides, a run
must be made towards the inclined direction so the wing gets
straight. After straightening of the wing running continues. Be
careful at this point. Even after taking off running never stops. 'Running'
is the part you will have difficulties with at the beginning. To
stop running and sitting into the harness after the take off, is one
of the frequently made mistakes. This mistake causes injuries and
harm to the Harness.
Only after taking off completely harness must be entered and
parachute must be conducted. Wings turn towards the direction you
pull the ropes. Even though you have to take the wind from the front
when taking off and landing, the direction of the wind is not
important while flying.
Landing
25-30 meters to the ground, the wind
must be taken from the front. Harness is left and 1 or 2 meters to
the ground brake ropes are pulled till the end. This act is called 'dynamic
stall'. When necessary, ropes must be wrapped around the hand and
pulled till the end. From the moment of touching the ground, running
starts. While running continue pulling the brake ropes. When wing
lies back, running stops and packing of the wings must start. First,
not to tangle the brake ropes they must be affixed to the snap-fasteners
on the column. Meaning of 'stall' in paragliding dictionary is 'losing
altitude' and 'disordered flight'.
EMERGENCY
DURING FLIGHTS
Equipment Problems
Breaking of the ropes of brake is,
even though not frequently, an encountered situation. In similar
situations, in order to make the turns without the brakes, different
methods might be tried. To pull the back column on the side that
will be turned to or better weight inclining method will help to
make the return.
Asymmetric
Closure
One of the frequently confronted
situation in paragliding. The ratio of these closures changes
according to the structure of the wing or the strength of the
turbulence. One side of the wing is closed and the other is open.
And from the closed side, with the effect of the friction, movement
of turning begins. In these cases what must be done is to slow down
the turning as much as it is possible, and moving to the closed side
and leaving. Excessive application of brake may put the wing into (stol).
Front
Closure
In case of decrease in the load that's
on the front ropes or because of a strong turbulence, wing's front
closure happens. What must be done is to pull the strings till the
end, and by letting them free getting the wings to their normal
position.
Getting
Dragged In Strong Wind To The Back Of The Hill
As soon as you realize that the wind
is changing direction, idea of 'landing' is the best. Because it is
possible to get dragged to a hill-back and it may be imminent to
face with a rotor turbulence. If the wind gets over our
limits, all possibilities to escape must be tried. Brand new 'speed
system' can reach to an over 10km/h and makes leaping forward
possible for the parachute. In cases of lack of this system, in
order to speed up, both of the column A's may be leaned forward a
little. But, over leaning may cause front closure, so one must be
careful. If none of these methods works out, by closing the ears,
landing as quick as possible must be tried. While approaching to the
ground, to close the parachute soon, you should prepare the
necessary order when on air. Never make a brake in order to stop the
parachute, it give a negative reaction.
Opening
The Supplementary
Supplementary parachute is used in
cases it is thought that our parachute isn't able to land us.
Supplementary parachute, holding it from its handles, must be thrown
away from being tangled with the wings, and it must be packed
immediately.
Rainy
Flights
If rain starts during the flight,
direct landing must be done. Because, water will enter into the
escape side, the mass will increase the weight and the parachute
will have a stol. This will limit your movements.
Tie
This is the case of fabric part of the
wing enters between the ropes. This happens in cases of
vingoverden, spiral and not coming out of the stol. When faced
with this situation, turning must be slowed down, and brake must be
applied. Which is closed must be opened. If not, without panicking,
the supplying parachute must be opened. |
