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Flight risk

It is in everybody’s interest to come up with solutions to make paragliding safer
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Even where guidelines exist, their monitoring & enforcement is weak. Photo by the writer
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Last week, Sreedhar Vembu, CEO of renowned Indian tech company Zoho, posted about the demise of a 27-year-old family acquaintance in a paragliding accident in Himachal Pradesh. In Goa, similar news came about a young woman who crashed fatally with her pilot after a technical snag in mid-air.

In recent years, paragliding has become one of the most sought-after adventure activities in India. The thrill of soaring among the clouds draws thousands of tourists to popular sites in the Himalayas and the Western Ghats. However, this popularity has been accompanied by a troubling rise in the number of accidents.

Of particular concern are incidents during tandem paragliding, where a trained pilot expertly manages all aspects of the flight, allowing tourists to sit back and enjoy the experience. Unlike trekking or whitewater rafting, where the participants directly engage themselves, in tandem paragliding they are entirely at the mercy of the pilot and the equipment.

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While all adventure sports carry some risk, what is concerning is the regularity at which these incidents are happening year upon year in the same manner, highlighting that the issues at the core are not being appropriately addressed.

Move from prescription to purpose

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The current policies and regulations around paragliding are, ironically, blue sky. The Ministry of Civil Aviation’s National Air Sports Guidelines 2023, and the National Strategy for Adventure Tourism 2022 by the Ministry of Tourism include paragliding, but the guidelines therein are vague with little to no technical details that can guide implementation.

Similarly, states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Maharashtra have rules and guidelines for the regulation of aero sport activities, but apart from procedures for licensing and registration of tour operators, there is a significant lack of technical details on operational safety.

Debu Choudhury is a renowned paragliding pilot from Himachal with over three decades of experience. He has flown extensively in India, Nepal and Europe, participating in international competitions. Guiding and teaching amateur pilots, he has also flown as a professional tandem pilot at various sites worldwide.

He explains, “There are some guidelines, but these are not coherent or up to date with global standards. We also need a uniform set of rules and guidelines nationally that address both the technical and regulatory aspects, which is not the case right now.”

Even where guidelines exist, their monitoring and enforcement is weak, especially in areas like checking of equipment, certification of pilots and insurance for both pilots and tourists. The government’s response to paragliding accidents has been reactionary, at best. Temporary bans are imposed after high-profile accidents, only to be lifted after protests from tour operators.

After a series of accidents in Bir Billing in Himachal, one of India’s premier paragliding sites, the state government imposed a ban in 2022. However, the ban was lifted within weeks, and safety measures were left largely unenforced, which have again resurfaced in the recent spate of accidents, prompting yet another ban. This cycle of temporary fixes, followed by a return to lax monitoring, reflects a lackadaisical approach that undermines the image of the destination in the long term.

Prioritising profits over safety

Tour operators often prioritise profit over safety, avoiding investments in critical areas like training of pilots as well as maintenance and upgrade of equipment. Lack of enforcement of pricing regulations encourages a price war, further reducing the ability to maintain safety standards.

As Debu explains, “A major issue in tandem flying, and this is not just in India but in other parts of the world as well, is flying in unsafe weather conditions. Since there is money involved, pilots and operators take extra risks by flying in marginal to dangerous conditions, and sometimes also forego safety checks to save time so that they can fit in more trips in a day.”

He also stresses the role of professional bodies in maintaining standards: “The Paragliding Association of India (PAI), run by passionate pilots and experts on a voluntary basis, aims to promote, develop, control and regulate paragliding and paramotoring in the country. Since its establishment in 2010, we have been seeking formal recognition from the government. This would help the association strictly enforce safety and certification norms, and the government authorities would benefit from its technical expertise in ensuring adherence to rules.”

Looking at the horizon

To address these challenges, a multi-stakeholder approach is required, involving government agencies, industry players and consumers. Considering the unique aspects of aero sports like paragliding, there is a need for dedicated institutions that promote collaboration between the government and industry to manage and promote these activities. Creating a better training infrastructure is also essential. Today, there is a robust network of training institutions dedicated to activities like mountaineering and water sports, but such infrastructure is still in nascent stages when it comes to aero sports.

Equipment specifications must include mandatory adherence to international standards, such as EN (European Norm) or LTF (German certification), with routine checks for wear and tear and a defined maximum usage period for components like harnesses, lines and canopies. Backup parachutes should be compulsory, with regular inspections and repacking. Pilots must hold valid certifications from recognised institutions, and their licences should be renewed periodically, with refresher training on aspects like weather dynamics and emergency protocols.

Tourist safety can also be enhanced by mandating accident insurance coverage for every participant, which should be explicitly communicated and ensured before flights. An online database listing licensed pilots and operators would empower tourists to verify credentials easily. Government-issued signboards at the take-off and landing points, with key information regarding the site and safety checklist, can go a long way in enhancing consumer knowledge and awareness.

Countries like Switzerland, New Zealand and Japan provide good models for safe paragliding operations. Pilots in these countries undergo extensive training, requiring a minimum number of flights across a range of terrains and weather conditions, as well as other skills like expert navigation and emergency response. Minimum price standards are enforced to ensure financial viability, and frequent inspections and audits are conducted to ensure safety standards.

Learning from such global best practices will create a safer paragliding ecosystem that will save lives, boost tourist confidence and elevate India’s reputation on the global adventure tourism map. As Debu highlights, “Tandem paragliding is a wonderful adventure activity that is accessible to people of all ages if they are reasonably fit. It is also a source of livelihood for many, so it is in everybody’s interest to come up with solutions to make it safer.”

— The writer is an outdoor enthusiast and climate expert

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