| Paragliders launch from a gentle slope and then just fly away. You don't need a boat or have to jump out of a plane. This shot was taken in the French Alps at a well known site with a purpose built take off area. |  |
| Students are taught under very calm and controlled conditions by Instructors who have lots of experience and have been through a rigorous vetting system. In this picture a student makes a high flight in the still air early in the morning before crowds or thermal activity |
Learning to paraglide
The BHPA are the controlling body for Paragliding in the UK. Their web site has a list of schools and clubs near you.
The two nearest paragliding schools to me are: