Paragliding
The Beginning of Paragliding
Nobody knows exactly where and when the paragliding sport was born. Some see its beginning in the parachutes French alpinists used, to get down from mountain tops. Others see it in American army experiments with a sailing parachute. No matter how the paragliding began, in the middle of the 80’s, it started to be a sports discipline. It’s still a very young but it develops fast. Nowadays paragliding is a popular way of actively spending time for many Europeans. Currently, it is winning fans all around the world. For years, there have been World and European Championships and a World Cup. Several qualification rounds have to be passed to participate in these compe-titions. Aluded number of pilots taking part in this events lies between 120 and 150 (maximum number permited by FAI sanctions).
Paragliding competitions
In today’s paragliding competitions, the pilots have to cover a prearranged set distance as quickly as possible. Points for the different flight-tasks are summed up, and the pilot with most points wins. To make an analysis of a task, we use GPS (Global Position System). Thanks to this device, the results of all participants can be objectively analyzed and compared. The GPS saves the entire track covered and the time of the flight. It also helps competitors to navigate during their flight. Depending on terrain and weather, a task can last up to 7 hours. In this time, pilots can cover a distance of more than 100 km.
Paragliding World Cup
To be able to participate in the Wold Cup pilot needs to prove hes level by competing in event such as national championships, pre World Cups, World Championship and Europeans. His ranking is beeing recalkulated to lethers according to level of serten event. Selection for each World Cup event is based on racing mage out of 2 best lethers of each athlet.
Curently Wrold Cup have 5 or more qualification events for the Superfinal event. During 10 days Superfinal pilots are compiting for the title of the World Cup Champion.
Exact rules and informations are avaiable on www.pwca.org
National Team
Polish National Team selection is based on the Polish Pilots Ranking. Curently there are over 100 pilots ranced. Top 9 pilots are automaticly entering the team plus National Champions (2 - man and woman) of past year and one wild card.
Representation for World and European Championship is selected out of the National Team.
World and European Championship
Similar to other disciplins there are World and Eutopean Championships held. Womens and Mans compet together in the same task for the title. Every first year there is Worlds and every second Europeans held.
This kind of competition are FAI cat. 1 events, organised by selected and aproved by FAI lockal organiserd. They are runed according to FAI regulations.
During this events pilots fight for World or European Champion title in categories: Overal, Women, Nation.
National Championships
It is up to each nation if this event will get FAI cat. 2 sanktion or not, if it will be an Open event or not. The best for Nation world ranking is to have the nationals as open event and FAI sanctioned.
During such an event pilots fight for Open winer and National Champions titles.
FAI - Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
International organization to coordinate air sport. For paragliding responsible subkommision is caled CIVIL.
