Paragliding
The Paragliding World Cup comes to Bir-Billing
The global destination has earned more recognition. Here's why!
The best destination for paragliding
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Bir and Billing are villages located in the West of Himachal Pradesh, India. Bir is 14 km south of Billing and the two villages are the hub of aero sports (paragliding, handgliding etc.) in India. Bir-Billing has been a flocking ground for paragliders since 1984, when the first hand gliding event was held amidst the scenic Dhauladhar Range. Since then aero sports have gained popularity in the region and it is now world famous for Paragliding.
This year, in October, the Billing Paragliding Association (BPA) will be conducting the AAI Paragliding World Cup 2015 (PWC) in Bir-Billing with the help of the Paragliding World Cup’s apex body based in France, Federation Aeronautique International (FAI). It’s the first-ever event of the World Cup tour to be held in India. Bir-Billing is considered the best site in the world for paragliding and has been selected to host India’s first ever PWC, owing to the following reasons:
ACCESSIBILITY
Bir-Billing is located at a distance of 500km from the national capital, Delhi. The area is easily accessible by road and train. The closest airport is in Kangra, which is 40 km from the Village of Bir.
OPEN VALLEY
Bir-Billing is an open valley and is naturally suited for the sport of paragliding. The area offers as much as a 200 km expanse for flying. There are a lot of safe zones which make it ideal in case of emergency landings.
TAKE-OFF & LANDING SITE
The take-off site has wind conditions favourable for a good and easy take off. Around 1000 pilots take off from the site every day. The take-off capacity at Billing has been increased to 40-45 pilots at a time. The landing site is equipped to deal with any kind of accident/emergency. There are rescue and retrieval teams available at the site to tackle any mishaps.
CLIMATE
The most important factor for paragliding is climate. Bir-Billing has a suitable climate for paragliding all year around. On bad climate days one can fly 20-30 kms and on great days 100 kms can easily be covered. In 1992, the world record for 132.5 km flight was set in Bir-Billing.
An experience like never before
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THERMALS
Columns of hot air that provide an uplift to a paraglider are known as thermals. Thermals help a paraglider gain height. For an experienced pilot, 3,800-4,200 meter is seen as normal gain. In Bir-Billing, a pilot can easily gain a height of 4,500 meters as there are several thermal pockets.
CROSS COUNTRY FLYING
Bir-Billing is the ideal location for cross country flying. The pilots can glide from one thermal to another and can cover over 100 kms in one flight. Most of the flight paths are along the ridge and close to roads which makes rescue and evacuation easy in case of an emergency.
Scaling new heights at Bir-Billing
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WORLD CLASS INFRASTRUCTURE
Himachal Pradesh state government has developed an excellent infrastructure for the World Cup, increasing the take-off capacity at the site to 45-50 pilots. Roads and public amenities have also been upgraded to international standards and there are medical aid stations all along the flight path.
This article is courtesy The Outdoor Journal.
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