Russian Women and Men Are Gliding Through the Skies

Paragliding is taking off among Russian’s according to the Joint Federation of Light Aviation of Russia, or SLA. The SLA, which is a privately funded sky sport association for aircraft that weigh less than 495 kilograms, says there are between 3,000 and 4,000 Russians that are involved in sky sports and 300 or so clubs across the country. The participants include paragliders, hang gliders, ultralight gliders and amphibian aircraft.

The association also tries to prevent regional authorities from selling off the plots that are used to launch the flyers, of which there are 50 such sites. In addition, the SLA issues guidelines on safe flying and also sets up competitions.

If you are interested in learning a specific sky sport there are schools that teach them. They use SLA standards as guidelines for certificate requirements, but Russia does not have unified rules for air sports at this time. The courses can be pricy.

You can take the Cross Country beginners’ program which includes exams, theory and 39 flights for 350 Euros or $474. The same type of course at Vector costs 14,000 rubles or $542.

The Moscow Aviation Institute (State University of Aerospace Technology) has yearlong basic, graduate and postgraduate courses that cost the ruble equivalent of 1,600, 3,600 and 500 Euros.

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