On 15/06/15 14:04, Adam Dullage wrote:
Hi All,

I spent a summer a few years back jumping out of planes, I loved every second of it but unfortunately in skydiving those seconds are few and far between. I'm eager to get into some kind of aerial sport again and I'm looking at Gliding or Paragliding, both of which have local clubs here in SE England.

I was just wondering if anyone here has done both and can give a good comparison on pros and cons i.e. costs, flyable conditions, learning etc...

Any advice would be appreciated.

I had half a dozen static line jumps 30 years ago. OK, but the
sixth jump was the same as the second, and I had no desire to
hold hands with people at 100mph and 10000ft

Gliding continues to be far more interesting and challenging.

One question you might care to answer: do you want to use
your legs (i.e. bones muscles and tendons) as undercarriage.
All become brittle with age

Costs are in time rather than money, since people help you get
in the air and you help them get in the air - so expect to
spend the whole day at a club helping out.

Cost: look at the club's website. In the SW it is ~£400/year
membership and £25/hour including tuition. There is often
a "fixed price to solo" scheme.

Flying is possible provided cloud base is 2000ft, wind
is 15mph, and it isn't raining (showers can be dodged).
That means flying is possible more often than you might
think possible.

I have no comments about any of the para-* sports.

Go and look at several nearby clubs to get a feel for the
terrain and personalities. Book a trial lesson, and/or a one
day or one week course.