While paragliding, you will be sitting upright in a harness, as if you were on a chair. This special position allows the pilot to control the direction using only its body. When hang gliding, the pilot is laying down horizontally, parallel to the A-frame. With the first one, you fly in a horizontal position and with the second you are seated. paragliding positionĪnother difference between hang gliding and paragliding is the position the pilot has while flying. The ellipse-shaped wing has two layers of fabric, the upper and lower and unlike hang gliders, there are no metallic frames. The wing used for paragliding is also made of polyester (and sometimes nylon), but the structure is completely different. This A-shaped Frame offers improved aerodynamics and greater speed during the ride. The frame of the hang glider is made of aluminium and other metals.

The Hang Glider uses a distinctive triangular shape, it is made of thick synthetic sailcloth typically in polyester. It is the biggest visible difference existing between a hang glider and a paraglider. The main difference between these two activities is the shape and size of their kite. But they also have lots of differences, so throughout this article on Paragliding vs Hang Gliding, we will go through all the distinctions these two activities have.Īfter reading this article, you will be able to choose if Paragliding is made for you or if it’s Hang Gliding! And it’s true that these two sports have some things in common: they are both motor-free and require air and wind to be able to fly. Have you ever wondered what the difference between paragliding and hang gliding is?Īt first glance, they seem very similar.

Hang glider with motor