Articles of Air Sports

Dreamt of by da Vinci, developed by aviation pioneers and now on offer to the general public, if you want to know how to organise a flight in a helicopter as a passenger - or even a pilot - you’re in the right place.

By Martin Buxton

We know you’ve thought about it, so what’s stopping you from having a go at the most extreme of all sports, skydiving? If it’s that you feel unprepared or uninformed, you’re going to have to think of a new excuse after reading this guide!

By Martin Buxton

They’re up in the sky, but not out of your reach! Arranging a flight in an aeroplane or even piloting one yourself is as simple as clicking through a quick booking process. If you’ve ever dreamt about flying, find out here how to get off the ground

By Martin Buxton

Skydiving is the most extreme sport on Earth. Or, perhaps, off Earth. There are a number of different ways of going about it, and altitude is one of the most important factors to bear in mind when planning your jump. Here’s what you need to know.

By Martin Buxton

We’ve all seen them, most of us have been in them, few of us have flown them, and not many people understand how they are flown either. This is pilot school 101: the simple intro to the hows and whys of how an aircraft flies.

By Martin Buxton

Small enough to fit in a backpack yet large enough to turn a breath of wind into flight, delicate enough to hang suspended in the air yet sturdy enough to take a pilot and passenger on a long journey, how can we unravel the mysteries of paragliding?

By Martin Buxton

All hot air balloons rise into the air by the same virtue: they are lighter than air. But there’s a lot of variety within their design - and not all of them are hot! Read on to learn about different kinds of balloons and ballooning.

By Martin Buxton

The excitement, the views, the sensation of flight - going up in a helicopter is an experience that’s good enough to share. So what’s the capacity of helicopter flight experiences in the UK? It depends on your chopper of choice.

By Martin Buxton

There’s a huge range of flight experiences to choose from in the UK. Alongside the location and duration, one of the determining factors behind your choice might be the kind of aircraft you’ll be going up in. Find out about the options below.

By Martin Buxton

Want to feel the wind in your face? Skydiving and paragliding are two air sports that place you in mid air without a cabin to insulate you from the elements. How similar are these two sports? It turns out that the resemblance is only skin deep.

By Martin Buxton

Taking a hot air balloon ride is one of the most common activities to appear on bucket lists. Unlike, say, skydiving, it’s easy to share this experience with someone special. Read on to see some inspirational two person flights in the UK and Ireland.

By Martin Buxton

Interested in paragliding but don't live in a particularly mountainous area? Well it's about time you heard about paramotoring - paragliding's often overlooked cousin. Here are all the basics of this intriguing sport!

By Alicia Senna-Prime

Contrary to popular belief, a thirst for adventure isn’t reserved for the young. If you’re a veteran of extreme sports, or a recent convert, you might be thinking about skydiving. Is it too late to have a go? Not at all!

By Martin Buxton

Gliding is the purest form of flight that humans have mastered. The grace with which a glider soars through the air, rides the thermals and swoops back to Earth is incredible. There’s just one obstacle - getting airborne.

By Martin Buxton

The thrilling experience of going up in a helicopter isn’t something most of us get the chance to feel every day. But the enjoyment we get out of a helicopter flight doesn’t just come from the physical sensation, but also from what we can see.

By Martin Buxton

Human beings have been fascinated by flying since the beginning of time. Da Vinci sketched his parachute design back in the 1500s, and now after centuries of technological innovations, we can now soar through the skies just as winged creatures do.

By Jo-Ann Halstead