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Paragliding is a recreational and competitive flying sport . A paraglider is a free flying , foot launched aircraft . The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a fabric wing , whose shape is formed by the pressure of air entering vents in the front of the wing . The paraglider wing ( or ‘canopy’ ) is known in aeronautical engineering as a ram air airfoil , or parafoil . Such wings are comprised of two layers of fabric which are connected to internal supporting material in such a way as to form a row of cells . By leaving most of the cells open at the leading edge only , incoming air ( ram air pressure ) keeps the wing inflated , thus maintaining its shape . When inflated , the wings cross section describes the typical teardrop aerofoil shape . The pilot is supported underneath the wing via a network of cascading lines . The lines culminate into two sets as risers ( left and right ) . The risers in turn provide the attachment point between the wings lines and the pilots harness , where they connect to two carabiners . The risers collect the lines in rows from front to back in either 3 or 4 rows . The pilot is loosely and comfortably buckled into a harness which is able to support him / her in both the standing and sitting positions . Modern harnesses are designed to be extremely comfortable in the sitting position and may be considered as comfortable as a lounge chair . Many harnesses even have an adjustable lumbar support . A reserve parachute is also typically connected to a paragliding harness . ? |
