Ever wondered what it would feel like to glide freely through the air like a bird?
An opportunity for me to do so came knocking in the form of an email from Emil Kaminski, the chief pilot at Hong Kong Hike ‘N’ Fly, a tandem paragliding operator in Hong Kong, asking whether I would be interested in a session in Ma On Shan, in the city’s New Territories.
Paragliding first appeared in Hong Kong in the early 1990s and quickly attracted a community of pilots, the Hong Kong China Paragliding Association says.
In paragliding, a pilot wears a harness that is attached to a wide “wing” (the parachute). As the pilot drifts through the air, they manipulate their direction by pulling on two control lines and shifting their body weight.
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Paragliding in Hong Kong: breathtaking views await those brave enough to fly
Paragliding in Hong Kong: breathtaking views await those brave enough to fly
It sounds much simpler than it actually is, Kaminski says.