Free Flight by Paragliding and Hang Gliding

Flying over beaches, lagoons, dunes... for many people it's just a dream, but that dream can come true in Floripa. Whether you are flying hang gliding or paragliding, the island has take-off ramps with breathtaking views. For those who want to experience the sensation of flying for the first time, several specialist operators offer double flight, also called Instruction flight, throughout the year.

Free Flight is one of the adventure sport modalities practiced in the air, where the practitioner (pilot) uses the wind and ascending air currents to maintain or gain altitude, perform maneuvers and short or long duration flights. Basically, there are two types of equipment for practice: the Hang Glider and the Paraglider (or Paraglider).

Understand the difference between Hang Gliding and Paragliding

Hang gliding: as its name says, it is a type of aircraft made with aluminum tubes, in the shape of a triangle, covered with special fabric. In it, the pilot conducts the flight in the lying position, with the belly down, using the arms to move a trapeze and perform the maneuvers.

Paragliding: it has a flexible structure of tissue formed by cells, similar to that of a parachute, which inflates with air pressure, forming the wing. In Paragliding, the pilot conducts the equipment sitting on a chair, called a harness, and performs the maneuvers by pulling the controls (toggles) to one side, to the other or together.

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The flights of these two types of aircraft are quite similar, except for the displacement speed, which in hang gliding is higher than in paragliding, due to aerodynamics.

History of Free Flight in Florianópolis

In Brazil, free flight began when, in 1974, French pilot Stephan Segonzac took off from the top of Corcovado Hill, in Rio de Janeiro, with his hang glider. Still in 1974, Luiz Cláudio Mattos, taking off from Pedra da Gávea, was the first Brazilian to perform a hang gliding flight. In Floripa, in the early 80s, one of the first flyers was Rogério Ribeiro.

It was only in the mid-80s that the first Paraglider practitioners appeared in Brazil. In Florianópolis, one of the precursors of this modality was Carlos Alberto Dal Molin Silva, the Alemão, who brought the first equipment from Europe in 1991.

Where to practice Free Flight in Florianópolis

Florianópolis has several ramps, some with easy access by street or road, others with access only by trail. To learn more about the characteristics of the ramps in Florianópolis and Santo amaro da imperatriz, see the pages for each ramp at the end of this article.

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Best conditions for the flight

The best time of year to practice hang gliding on the Island are the months between November and April, when the winds blow more consistently and intensely from the Northeast, East, Southeast and South quadrants. For those looking for a year-round flight, the most affordable option is the Morro do Queimado ramp, in Santo Amaro da Imperatriz, 25 km from the Centro Florianópolis, where the headquarters of Lagoa Clube de Voo Livre is located.

For practitioners of Paramotor, a type of paragliding that uses a fuel engine for propulsion, prior consultation with the flight control at Hercílio Luz airport is mandatory for clearance for takeoff.