Category Archives: Sports

paragliding turkey

Paragliding in Pamukkale – Denizli

DENIZLI – PAMUKKALE
Location: Pamukkale is at the feet of Mount Cokelen which is 21 km away from Denizli. As it is a touristik region all kinds of transportation is available to the region.

Flight Season: Flight can be made during all seasons with its warm climate.

Regional advantages: An ancient settlement region, Pamukkale is one of the most important tourism centers of our country where thousands of tourists are coming every year with its ancient ruins and travertine formed with the settlement of lime water.

There are two hills to take off:

Training Hill

Meteorological Characteristics: After the sun rise, the wind which can be sensed at south – west direction blows mild till to the noon hours. The wind which increases its speed during noon hours slides to the west and nearly fully stops during sun set.

Take Off Runway: As 70 m high hill is low it is preferred for amateur flights. Due to the warm impacts of the underground waters in all of the region wind changes sensed within the region is not sensed here. By means of regular winds secure flights can be made during the year.

Landing Runway: Flights from the slope is ended at the plains of the region. Landing points are very secure due to not holding a handicap.

Things that should be considered: Though turbulence formed with the speeding up wind during the noon hours of the months when summer hot is lived most densely should be considered.

Dynamite Warehouse

Meteorological Characteristics: The hill, which is reign by western winds is especially appropriate for flight during morning hours. Strong thermal formations which begin around noon are maintaining long flights for experienced pilots.

Take Off Runway: Flight runway, which took its name from a former dynamite warehouse at the peek of 300 meters high. Slope which has a wide area to take off of two parachutes together easily, is at a point from where you can see all beauties of Pamukkale.

Landing Runway: Although you can land to the area at the end of flight track, you can also land securely to the helicopter runway at the entrance of travertine.

Things that should be considered: Turbulence formed during noon hours of summer months require maximum control and consideration during flights. You can face with turbulence at the end of take off runway during hard winds. Cross blowing wind causes asymmetrical close at parachute just after take off. Also ending of hill with high slope requires a very quick run for a successful take off.

paragliding turkey

Paragliding in Aksu – Antalya

Aksu / ANTALYA
Hill in Aksu province of Antalya is used as training hill by Akdeniz University, Avaiation Club. When you turn Perge ruins from Aksu turn of Antalya – Alanya road, and go for a 10 – 15 km. without entering Perge 40 – 50 m. high training hill is reached. Irrigation channel should be considered during flight.

Physical Conditions for Paragliding

For paragliding lower age limit is 16 and upper limit is 55. You can be flexible for upper age limit according to health condition. Kilo limit is minimum 40 kg, and maximum 130. Epilepsy, asthma, heart, waist and knee disordered people can not participate to hillside parachute training. For participation to hillside parachute a form declaring that health conditions are appropriate is filled.

Parachute Types

Parachutes (wings) have various sizes and types according to weight of the pilot and flight type. Parachute used by light weighted pilot, is smaller in size than heavy pilot uses. There are 5 types of parachutes showing different performances according to the training taken and experience.

Wing Structure

Paragliding can be investigated at 4 parts composed of Canopy (Dome), hook and break ropes, supporting columns and Harness (equipment).

Canopy It is made up of texture with no air transparency which will maintain parachute to remain in the air with supplying air pressure in the parachute. Canopies, is composed of approximately 40 – 60 cells according to the weight of the pilot and flight type, and these cells are connected to each other with valves for maintaining air pressure.

Hook and break ropes Ropes made up of a very resistant and light material are moderately to the canopy in order to support the pilot. Ropes in front of the canopy are collected on front columns and rear ones are collected on rear columns. Break ropes are different colored and they pass through a ring (they won’t hurl even if pilot leaves them free) and place into the final column.

Supporting Columns Supporting columns, are connecting dome ropes to equipment. They maintain suitable holding places to pilot during take off. They give possibility to use different harness usage beyond easing take off. While there are accelerators known as speed system on less developed hillside parachutes, it is fixed to harness columns on some of them.

Harness (Equipment) It is part where pilot will sit. It is basically composed of hooks passing through feet and arms for equipment of pilot. Its structure can vary according to the used material and additional equipment. There are cross columns on some harnesses. These have a structure of directly transiting body movement of pilot to upper part for more securing the dome. There are speed system connections, back protector, air bag, spare parachute division like advantages of developed harnesses. All harnesses can be modified according to the body structure of the pilot.

Meteorological Information

For performing air sports securely appropriate weather conditions are very important. Basic meteorological information is required especially paragliding Movement of the wind and shapes of the clouds are the factors initially signing for flight. Other two factors are turbulence and thermal.

Turbulence They are vertical aerial movements. Turbulences; are faced during 5 km/h exceeding impact movements, specific geographic regions, with a wind backward coming to a steep hill, in thermal entrances and exits and front regions.

Thermal It is formed with the rise of warm air mass. This air mass composes flight hindering clouds with cooling, and this is also causes hard turbulence. Thermal is more formed especially in rocky regions, asphalt areas, forest region, water region (river, lake, sea …) and agricultural areas.