If you dream of experiencing the sensation of flying like a bird, a paragliding flight is the closest you’ll ever get.
Flyeo is our partner for your paragliding baptisms in Annecy. Here’s how they do it.
Right from the moment you book your flight, we want our customers’ experience to be impeccable. That’s why, after taking some basic information, we’ll suggest different types of flight so that together we can select the one that suits you best.
Choose your experience
If you’re looking for a more leisurely flight, or if you’re booking for a child, our Discovery and Children’s Baptisms will introduce you to paragliding on a very quiet morning or late afternoon flight. You’ll take off from La Forclaz, fly over the lake and land at the official Doussard landing site.
Want to find out more? Paragliders use thermals, columns of rising air, to gain altitude. That’s why they’re often seen circling as they climb in altitude. Select one of our Ascendance or Prestige Baptisms and your pilot will show you how to roll thermals and offer you an even more impressive view of the region, climbing to altitudes of over 1700 meters!
Finally, if you’re a thrill-seeker and aren’t afraid of feeling the G-force, choose our Sensations baptism and you’ll discover paragliding acrobatics!
Whichever flight you choose, you’re the boss! Our pilots will put you at ease, explaining every step of the flight in detail. But if you’ve had enough and just want to enjoy the view, tell your pilot and he’ll oblige. If, on the other hand, you’d rather fly the paraglider, he can also hand over the controls to you.
Besides, isn’t paragliding dangerous?
While it’s true that paragliding is considered an “extreme” sport, the reality is that in tandem flight, the experience is much more akin to gliding peacefully through the air. That’s why we don’t call it a “paragliding jump”, but a “paragliding flight”. On take-off, you’ll take a few quick steps, and before you know it, you’ll be gliding through the air quite naturally.
We’re often asked whether paragliding is dangerous. With tandem paragliding, the risk of an accident is virtually nil, provided you follow the simple instructions given by your pilot. All professional tandem pilots hold a “brevet d’état”, which they must renew regularly, as well as all the necessary insurance cover.
In Flyeo’s case, our paragliding school teaches Flight Incident Simulation, which in short means teaching pilots how to anticipate and react to all possible flight incidents. So our pilots are well prepared for all eventualities.
Flyeo operates over 2,500 paragliding baptisms a year, and to date we’ve had no accidents.
Paragliding is not for me, I suffer from vertigo!
Here’s a common misconception that’s hard to dispel… There’s no such thing as vertigo in paragliding. This is because vertigo is only triggered when your feet are on the ground. Which, of course, is not the case when paragliding.
The weather, paragliding’s main hazard
A paraglider flies very poorly when wet, which is why we don’t fly when it’s raining or likely to rain. If the wind is too strong, take-off may prove difficult, and here again, you’ll have to reschedule your flight. The weather is therefore the hazard that may force you to change your plan.
For this reason, we reconfirm all flights the evening before or the same day. If the weather isn’t favorable, we’ll offer you another slot for your flight.
Course of your paragliding experience
On the day of your first flight, you meet your pilot at Flyeo at the agreed time. Located 200 meters from the Doussard landing, in a private area, on a sunny terrace, you will meet your pilot who will give you an initial briefing. This is also where you’ll meet up with your loved ones after the flight.
You then board the Flyeo shuttle together for take-off. The twenty-minute ride gives you a chance to get to know him better and admire the pastures around the Col de la Forclaz.
Once you’ve arrived at the launch site, after a short walk, your pilot deploys the glider on the carpet and harnesses your harness and his, connected together. When he’s ready, he inflates the glider over your head, and when he tells you to, you “run, run, run!” and off you go.
Depending on the flight you’ve chosen, you’ll spend between 15 and 45 minutes in the air, then it’s time to land, simply by descending to the ground and walking when your feet touch the ground.
It’s with a big smile on your face that you meet up with your loved ones. If you fancy a refreshment, we offerexcellent artisanal ice creams from our friends Glaces & Cows!
What else is there to know?
All our passengers and pilots wear a safety helmet, which is provided for the duration of the flight! Don’t forget to wear closed shoes in which you can run comfortably.
The paraglider can gain altitude, and you’ll feel the wind. So it’s a good idea to wear a small jacket to keep out the cold, even if it’s hot and sunny. And goggles if the sun is shining brightly. For photos, we offer a Photo & Video package. Talk to your pilot before your flight.
How to book?
Reservations with our special Annecy campsite rate are only available at Camping La Ravoire reception. We offer a special camping rate for all La Ravoire customers (see the campsite application, Cool n Camp and the “offers” section for full details!