The BHPA published a great table of data detailing why the injuries occurred which you can see below. What is the main cause of accidents?Īnd finally, let’s take a closer look at the cause of the accidents in these activities. As you can see the data breakdowns shows that between 20 there were 9 fatalities relating to paragliding versus no deaths in hang gliding. The blue bars are the ones to take special notice of here. Note the paragliding fatalities compared to other sports in the UK. This graph shows the type of injuries reported in paragliding (PG) versus hang gliding (HG) from 2016 through to 2018. In the graph below you can see how more serious paragliding accidents were compared to hang gliding and parascending. The BHPA also reported on how serious each injury was depending on the sport. However, even if you take those comparisons into account, there is still a disproportionate amount of accidents relating to paragliding versus hang gliding. It is worth noting that in the UK, there are approximately 5 paragliders for every hang glider (according to research in 2015) so you would expect the data to be skewed towards more paragliding accidents. This graph compares paragliding (PG) to hang gliding (HG) in terms of how many accidents were reported from 2011 through to 2018 in the United Kingdom. It shows the total number of accident reports from the UK which involved injuries in paragliding (PG), hang gliding (HG), and parascending (PA). In the following graph, you can see data collated by the British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association (BHPA) which shows accident statistics compiled between 20 in the United Kingdom. Please note: as far as I am aware, the United States does not currently compile accident data on hang gliding and paragliding accidents like the UK does. Thankfully, there are some great reports compiled annually in the UK, so we can use those as a basis to making our decision. Comparing accident statistics in hang gliding to paraglidingĪs well as this anecdotal evidence on which is safer, hang gliding or paragliding, I also investigated some real statistical data. That means there is less risk to the air foil becoming compromised.īased on that, powered paragliding is probably safer than standard paragliding when compared to hang gliding. ![]() Most powered paragliding takes place during calm evening conditions in low wind speed conditions. What about powered paragliding safety versus hang gliding? However, this can lead to more novice pilots in paragliding, who might not be as safe or experienced as hang glider pilots. Learning curve: learning how to fly a paraglider is a lot easier than hang gliding, due to the slower speeds.Collapsing: a hang glider is not collapsible so it will retain an aerodynamic shape, unlike a paraglider which can lose its wing shape.Landing injuries: due to the way in the speed at which a hang glider can land, you are more at risk to a sprained knee or ankle, then you are when paragliding.Cloud suck: hang gliders let you go faster, meaning you can get out of trouble if bad weather kicks in or a cloud suck, far easier than you can in a paraglider.Hang gliders can safely launch and fly in winds of up to 30 miles per hour safely. Wind and turbulence: in paragliding you will get into trouble if winds hit 40 miles per hour with pilots getting blown around.Hang gliders are virtually impossible to spin unless you manufacture a rotation. Spinning out of control: paragliders can spin in the wind much easier than a hang glider.Now let’s get into a little bit more detail about the pros and cons to both, and why paragliding is generally considered by most experts to be more dangerous than hang gliding. Hang gliders don’t lose their wing shape, but paragliders can collapse. Whilst it’s more likely you will suffer an injury with hang gliding, available statistics show that fatalities are far more common in paragliding. Here’s what my opinion on this question is: The quickest answer I can give you is based on experience, plus talking with fans of both sports. However, that doesn’t necessarily tell the story on which is safer, but if you scroll lower down this page you will see some accident statistics which compare the two (read that, as it’s a real eye-opener). ![]() If you are considering hang gliding or paragliding as your next outdoor activity or perhaps are thinking about booking a session on your next vacation, then safety is a key factor.īut, before I get into which is safer, hang gliding or paragliding, let me give you a quick caveat: more people are known to paraglide than hang glide – so of course, you will hear more about accidents happening during paragliding.
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