Leonardo Da Vinci had a soaring vision: “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”

Most of us who take to the air in passenger jets probably never experience the thrill that Da Vinci dreamt about. But what about trying paragliding? There you are up in the sky with an incredible view below. Fans say the experience is quite addictive.

And guess what, now is the time to take the plunge because October to June is the best season for the sport.

For those who don’t know the whys and hows of the sport, paragliding is simply a form of free flying, motorised by nature. It’s done with a special parachute that is launched by running down a hill. Then you let gravity and wind do the rest.

Hilly terrain helps, but the good news is you can paraglide even if the world around you is flat. On flat terrain, paragliding is done using a winch (a stationary motor-driven or hand-powered machine used for hoisting or hauling). The winch has a drum around which is wound a rope or chain, attached to the load being moved.

There are two phases to launching. After a safety check, the canopy is inflated into the wind and flown up over the pilot’s head. Then, the pilot runs down the slope. The whole process can last for four to 20 minutes depending on weather conditions.

So where can you paraglide? There are a number of hotspots in the country such as Sohna in Gurgaon near Delhi, Bir, Kulu Manali, Pithoragarh in Uttaranchal, Kamshet and Pune in Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Bangalore, where you can buckle up and soar high in the sky.

If you’re about to go para gliding, don’t forget to pack a few pairs of long trousers, full-sleeved cotton shirts and comfortable running shoes that provide ankle support. It’s always best to go with cotton garments, as these allow the body to breathe. Says Pankaj Tyagi, licensed pilot and owner of Sohna-based R&R aerosports school, “People who come here are mostly in the age group of 30 and above. And most of them have always wanted to fly but never have for many reasons.”

There are no bars when it comes to paragliding. R&R aerosports has organised tandem rides for two-and-a-half-year-olds to 65-year-olds. In a tandem flight, the passenger flies with the instructor. Both have their harnesses attached together, with the passenger in front and the pilot right behind. Once the paraglider is airborne, the pilot (if he thinks his passenger is upto it) explains the controls to him. And if the weather conditions are right, the person can even take over the controls.

“The learners, if they’re serious enough about paragliding, are given adequate theory about the sport like the aerodynamics, meteorology and aerology. A video session is also given. It might sound complicated, but it’s quite easy,” explains Tyagi.

For those interested in taking up paragliding as a profession, R&R Aerosports for one, offers various courses. The basic course is called Introduction to Paragliding and takes a day. It includes an instructional tandem flight, some ground handling, and a solo flight. At another level, there is a course that lasts for four-and-a-half days. In this, you are taught to ground handle the paraglider and there are also some in-flight exercises to make you a confident and safe pilot. And in case you are jittery of being blown away by the wind, take heart ? flights are radio supervised.

Moving upto Uttaranchal, for anyone in the air there are better views with the green valleys and winding rivers. The Indo Expedition group here provides paragliding packages in Pithoragarh. There are four packages for the course. The first is a preliminary package for three days at Rs 4,550. Then comes the basic course which is a five-day package for Rs 6,750. For intensive training, there are five-day and seven-day packages ranging between Rs 9,750 and Rs 10,750. There are arrangements for staying at Zara Residency.

One para gliding enthusiast is businessman Milind Waghle, 45, who took up the hobby four years ago. He has been paragliding in Uttaranchal, Karnataka, Pune and Sohna. Says Waghle, “The view from the top makes the adrenalin rush unbeatable. What can beat the thrill of paragliding?”

Mumbai-based paragliding company Nirvana Adventures runs training programmes in Khamset about three hours from Mumbai. Nirvana Adventures charges Rs 2,500 for a weekend trip. This includes a two-day, one-night stay in tents while food is served at the nearby guest-house which overlooks a lake.

A five-day package here includes food, stay and equipment and costs Rs 14,500. There’s also a three-day course for Rs 9,500 called Achieving Freeflight. It offers ground and small slope flights, radio instructions with accommodation for two nights and three days.

Says Tyagi, “At the end of it, is the kind of experience that lingers in your dreams long after you leave, far from the madding crowd.”

Where to go

• Wings and Flights
Tupe Nagar, Malwadi, Hadapsar, Pune
Ph: 020- 9371033226
www.paraglidingindia. com

• R&R Aerosports
30,Kiran Vihar, Delhi ? 110092
Ph: 0981813375
www.paragliding-india.com

• Snowland Holidays
Manali 175131
Post Box No 8; District Kullu
Himachal Pradesh
Ph: 91-1902-52248/54168
http://snowland.4mg.com

• Nirvana Adventures
2A, Takshashila, Tagore Road,
Santacruz (W), Mumbai ? 400 054
Ph: 022-6493110
www.nirvanaadventures. com

• Om Air Paragliding
1, Shankar Niwas, Pai Nagar
SVP Road, Borivali (W)
Mumbai 400 092
Ph: 022 - 8918184

• United India Paragliding Association
B11/9, Salunkhe Vihar, Kondhwa, Pune
Ph: 020-6992021

My favourite holiday

Tanusree Chakraborty,
model

• Two trips stand out among the many I’ve taken. One was my very first visit to Darjeeling and the other was a short trip to Rajgir. I went to Darjeeling when I was in Class XI with my parents and younger sister, Subhasree. We spent a week or so there and since it was summertime, it was a welcome escape from the sweltering heat in Calcutta. The time we spent there was relaxed and peaceful punctuated by shopping jaunts and sightseeing trips. I remember picking up quite a lot of clothes, junk jewellery and shoes there. And while I didn’t get to see the Kanchenjunga peak clearly ? thanks to dense cloud cover ? I managed to get a perfect view on my next visit.

My trip to Rajgir in Bihar was a good eight years ago when I was in Class IX. Agin this was a family vacation and what appealed to me was the sheer beauty of the hillstation with its gorgeous waterfalls and Buddhist temple. During our six-day visit, we even managed to go on a small trek.

Route map

• Lufthansa did it last year and now Singapore Airlines (SIA) has gone Net savvy. Indians flying on SIA to Australia will be in for a pleasant surprise. When flying to and from Sydney, you can now connect online at 35,000 feet at the same speed that you enjoy on the ground.

That’s Connexion by Boeing in-flight Internet service for you on-board SIA. All you need to sign into Connexion is your wireless-enabled laptop, to instantly access E-mail or surf the Net. The service also throws in live global television programming, enabling you to tune into four channels including BBC World, CNBC, EuroNews and Eurosport News.

Besides making long-haul flights less boring, this also makes SIA the first airline to bring in-flight broadband connectivity to the South West Pacific region. The charges? An hour of browsing will set you back by $9.95, two hours will cost $14.95 and three hours come at $17.95. For unlimited flight access over a 24-hour period, you can sign up for the $26.95 plan to gain access to in-flight Internet throughout multi-sector and connecting flights such as Singapore-Frankfurt-New York, and Sydney-Singapore-London.