Offers of Paragliding Antrim

Bordered by the Irish Sea to the East, the North Channel separating it from Scotland, and Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the British Isles, County Antrim is the island of Ireland in miniature. It extends from the city of Belfast to the North coast, taking in the vibrant green landscape of mountains, woods and farmland along the way. Many locations in this county were used to represent the fantasy world of Westeros in the Game of Thrones series, where dragons soar through the skies, carrying the heroes high above the magical landscape. If you want to recreate this flight of fantasy, the best way to do it is by paragliding.

It is the simplest and one of the most popular forms of unpowered flight. It doesn’t involve motors or rigid structures, meaning that you can fly in peace before packing the glider up into a backpack, ready for next time. And unlike flying on a dragon’s back, it’s not reserved for powerful lords and warriors. Almost anyone can experience it with a trained pilot, of which there are many in the county, and many can go on to become paragliders in their own right.

Where are the best places to go paragliding in Antrim?

• Larne Hills: The land rises slowly the Northeast of the county to some of the highest peaks in Northern Ireland, before dropping steeply to the coast. Larne Hills have numerous take off points, which match good winds with spectacular views. The inland glens are charming, but it’s the rugged coastline which is the real reward for taking to the skies here. The world famous Giant’s Causeway is on the North coast looks fantastic and otherworldly from the air, and off to sea is the distinctive, L-shaped Rathlin Island which is a haven for seabirds.

• Portrush: Further around the North coast you’ll look down on more stunning scenery. The rocky Skerries islands lie a couple of miles off the coast from Portrush, a popular seaside resort with a celebrated golf course. To fly over this part of the coast, Magiligan in neighbouring County Londonderry is the best starting point.

• Big Collin: A mountain in the centre of the county, not far from the town, Big Collin rises 300m above a low lying plain. From here you can go flying above the huge Lough Neagh. Legend has it that the giant Finn McCool (who supposedly built the Giant’s Causeway) picked up a chunk of land to throw at an enemy, which landed in the Irish Sea and became the Isle of Man. It’s more likely that a glacier formed the lake at the end of the last ice age, but whatever the truth, you shouldn’t miss out on seeing it from the air.

• Knockagh: Overlooking Belfast Lough, a First World War memorial stands on Knockagh Hill. There are panoramic views over the city of Belfast from here and, in the right conditions, it’s also possible to complete a paraglider take-off and get even better views.

How long does an experience last?

- There’s an active paragliding club in Northern Ireland whose members have been known to complete flights of over 100 kilometres. Travelling at an average speed of about 20 miles an hour, that’s about 3 hours of air time. If that sounds a bit daunting, don’t worry - you don’t have to commit to the kind of duration that would take you from Belfast to the Mediterranean in a jumbo jet on your first flight! The best way to get an idea of this sport is a tandem flight, with a taster flying lesson offered by several paragliding schools in Antrim. This allows you to experience unpowered, “foot launched” flight without any previous experience and with minimal pre-flight instruction. An expert pilot will take you up into the air as a passenger in a separate harness but under the same canopy and conduct a flight for around 45 minutes. You’ll rise up above the landscape and enjoy breathtaking views, unspoiled by noisy engines.

- If the tandem flight experience is enough to get you hooked, and you wouldn’t be the first, then you’ll want to learn how to fly by yourself. A number of top tier paragliders have set up schools where they pass on their knowledge and experience to people who want to take up the sport, and they offer paragliding courses to suit everyone’s needs. Taking a full day course is enough to get you into the air and flying solo for the first time, but if you want to become an independent flyer, you’ll need to take a longer course that includes practical and theoretical instruction - that means more flying alongside some “ground school”, where you’ll learn about the physics of flying, the equipment, and safety. A 4 day course can earn you an Elementary Pilot Certificate, and 4 days on top of that will get you Club Pilot Novice status. This is the moment that you can really start to call yourself a paraglider.

Requirements to do this activity

If you want to contemplate the beauty of the Antrim landscape from the air in the comfort and safety of a tandem flight, you need to be in good enough shape to climb a hill, take some running steps down it at take off, and lift your legs towards your chest when landing. So it’s not necessary to be unusually physically fit, but there are some weight restrictions in place to make sure that the flight is balanced and viable. Exact figures can vary from school to school, but in general you need to weigh between 5 and 17 stone, that’s 32 and 110 kilograms, in order to ride as a passenger. You also need to be at least 18 years old.

When it comes to taking a course, you might be surprised to learn that you can start training at just 14 years old. In addition, the restrictions on weight are a little looser because, as the only person supported by the craft, the calculations are a bit simpler.

Up, up, and away to this county! The skies are waiting to give you the flight of a lifetime.