Is paragliding in Georgia safe or not?

Georgia - there are legends about the boundless hospitality and warmth of the local population, and delicious home cooking and natural wine will not leave even the most skilled guest indifferent. If you decide to spend your vacation here, then you should know that in addition to the gorgeous views and delicious food, there is still a lot of entertainment here, such as rafting in summer and skiing in winter, and paragliding is generally available all year round. Well, how can I resist and not try to fly? We live the same time! Many thrill-seekers think so. But let's talk about how safe it is in general, because Georgia, although developing rapidly, is still far from Europe.

Where do paragliding flights take place?

Now paragliding in Georgia is developing very quickly, the number of pilots is growing, and they are trying to introduce this entertainment in all tourist destinations, but paragliding originally originated in the Gudauri ski resort 10 years ago.

From December to May, the Caucasus mountains are covered with snow in the Gudauri resort at the height of the season: well-equipped trails for skiers and snowboarders, the total length of the trails at the time of December 2022 reached 57 kilometers. Freeride, skitur, backcountry, heli skiing, snowmobiling and of course paragliding are the perfect place to escape from everyday life and spend an unforgettable vacation.

Many people do not know, but since 2019, the Gondola ski lift is launched in the summer period from 11.00 - 16.00 daily from June 15 to September 15. The cost of a trip from 2200 to 2750 meters will cost you 10 lari - not so expensive for the gorgeous views of the Koishaur valley!

Rafting, quad bike rides and horse riding are also available near the resort in summer. Paragliding flights are carried out mainly on the cross pass near the monument "Arch of Friendship of Peoples". This place is very spectacular, in close proximity to the military road and attracts a lot of attention.

To visit Gudauri and not fly, no matter in winter or summer, means to miss exactly that moment to which we so love to return for a cup of warm tea.

In the sky over Gudauri, you can count up to thirty simultaneously soaring paragliders and this extraordinary sight makes passing cars stop. Some are limited to taking photos against the background of paragliders, and some make a spontaneous decision and decide to fly.

Paragliding is something that is silent about

Paragliding in Gudauri has become a profitable business, more than 250 commercial flights are carried out daily at the resort. Tens of thousands of tourists come every year, new pilots appear, and the number of incidents increases with them. Let's figure out why this is all so, and how not to turn your fascinating adventure into an unpleasant story.

The fact is that paragliding in Georgia began to gain momentum very quickly and the body that should control the licensing process of pilots has not yet been created. The rumor about a lucrative place in Gudauri attracted paragliders from Russia who come to work not officially and, accordingly, the qualifications of such pilots are likely to be very doubtful. Many young guys from Georgia also started learning to fly, but unfortunately on their own and after a year, and someone made commercial flights with guests of Georgia faster, without having enough experience for this, or the appropriate licenses. Due to the increase in demand, there are a huge number of intermediaries trying to make money on the sale of paragliding. The intermediary earns money by persuading you to fly with the pilot with whom the deal will be the most profitable. Among the intermediaries are the so-called taxi drivers-guides, employees of hotels, receptions and most “travel agencies”. In our opinion, making a decision to fly a paraglider in Georgia or not, has become like playing roulette.

There is no controlling authority, in other words: there is no paragliding on the territory of Georgia officially, respectively, there is no quality control of this service. All paragliding flights on the territory of Georgia are carried out at your own risk.

But not everything is so sad! There are travel companies and official paragliding companies on the territory of Georgia that value their reputation and hire only specialists. Paragliding with such pilots will leave a lot of only pleasant impressions.

Security is your choice

Not all companies at the resort work officially, which means they are not responsible for their activities. Each tourist must independently make sure that he will fly with a professional.

How to make sure that the pilot is a professional?

1. Avoid intermediaries. For the sake of profit, the guys negotiate with novice pilots who will practice on you. Carefully, the intermediaries wear a bright T-shirt with the inscription "pilot instructor" and obsessively offer their services.

2. Before the flight, check the license confirming the pilot's qualifications. These must be licenses:

FAI (International Aviation Federation) (holders of this license are allowed to make non-commercial flights in tandem, having coordinated their actions with local authorities)

API (Association of Paragliding Pilots and Instructors) (holders of this license are allowed to make commercial flights in tandem all over the world, with the exception of a few countries, having coordinated their actions with local authorities)

FPA (Paragliding Federation of Ukraine) (holders of this license are allowed to make non-commercial flights in tandem, having coordinated their actions with local authorities)

IPF (International Federation of Paragliding and Hang Gliding of Georgia) (holders of this license are allowed to make commercial flights in tandem on the territory of Georgia, having coordinated their actions with local authorities)

3. What should I pay attention to in the pilot's license?

- The license must indicate "tandem" (this is a confirmation that the pilot has been flying for at least two years, has passed a practical and theoretical exam and knows how to operate a paraglider designed for two people.)

- Date of issue of the license (please note if the license was issued in 2020, and its owner assures you that he has been flying since childhood ...)

- The license must belong to the pilot who shows it to you (you have the right to see the pilot's identity document.)

4. There is another simple and most effective way - it's people's reviews on the Internet, for example on TripAdvisor (a platform for travelers). Firstly, there are only official companies there, and secondly, you can choose the best of them and book the adventure yourself.

Having a license means that the pilot has passed the appropriate training and it will be comfortable and safe to fly with him. This is comparable to a trip in a branded taxi. It's always nice to feel yourself in the hands of professionals.

Come to Georgia, you will not have time to be bored, there is an abundance of entertainment to everyone's taste and be sure to try something new every time you come. You will never get tired of this country! 😉

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