4 replies to this topic

[stargazer]

Paragliding at Oludeniz is one of the most awesome outdoor experiences I have ever had. As a previous post described, Oludeniz is a lovely place. But, seen from the birds' eye point of view, thousands of feet up in the air, it is spectacular.

The best part of paragliding at Baba Dagi, for the average person, is that you don't have to be a paraglider or have your own paragliding equipment to do it. What I did was I went in tandem with a paraglider - in other words, I sat in a saddle that was attached to the pilot's saddle, and together, we flew/glided for about 25 minutes, ending in a smooth landing on the beach.

Paragliders take off from Baba Dagi ("Father Mountain"). When I did it, in 1995, we took a jeep up a very steep, very rough road for about one and a half hours, to reach the summit. There, we met a German couple who had ridden up on motorcycles and were planning to camp up there. It was a very rough ride on jeep - can't imagine it by bike.



The place we took off from was a kind of flat clearing. There, we laid out the parachute with all the zillions of strings leading to the handles. I don't remember all of the details of the rigging. Then my pilot, nicknamed "Crash", hooked us up to the saddles. I was in front. He told me to start running toward the edge of the cliff. As we ran, he pulled up the parachute. I ran until my legs were moving in the air - the most incredible sensation, to be taking off, taking wing and, really, flying!

The summit of Baba Dagi is about 1500 meters high, so you can imagine the air was pretty cool up there. We glided up there for about 10 minutes - "Crash" tried to keep us high as long as possible, so we could sort of tour the cliff areas (but without getting too close - I didn't want the nickname myself!). Slowly, we began to descend, gliding further out from the mountain and over the bay. As we descended, the air became noticeably warmer. The whole time I was awed by the experience of flying, silently, with the amazing view that it afforded of the sea, the mountains, the village behind the mountain, all of it.



We had a very smooth, soft landing on the beach - unlike a paraglider earlier in the day whose parachute got tangled in a tree. It was a great experience. Unfortunately, I haven't found a place in the great flatlands of the Midwest to paraglide again. But if you are in the Oludeniz/Fethiye area, you should definitely check into it.

[traveler]

  It is absolutely amazing.. I would like to go there. I am from France and I have been Turkey twice but haven't been in that area, but after this article definitely i am going there....
Thanks for the great tips
Traveler

[ozbay]

Bravo,
Very Good Describtion,
Nice experience,
Tell to the world.

[gloryforixseal]

I looked into ParaGliding also called ParaPenting and invited a German paraplegic girl called Petra Kreuz to come over with her gear.  Petra broke her back ParaGliding and designed this chair and took up the sport again.

[Adam]

Imagine yourself as a bird. You spread your wings and take flight. Feel the currents of air rushing past your face. Feel the wind in your hair. Look out to the majestic mountains on the horizon. Look down to the turquoise water and sand beaches below. This is a thrill most earthbound humans never have a chance to experience.

Since 1999 we have been taking people to the top of Baba Dag to experience the thrill of flight. The eight full time pilots on our staff all have 10 to 15 years of experience and are Internationally Certified Tandem Pilots qualified to fly all over the world. All our pilots speak perfect English.

We will pick you up at your hotel in Fethiye, Calis Beach or Ovacik and take you to the top of Baba Dag, 6,500 feet above sea level. The 40 minute drive in the comfort and safety of our new modern truck is a safari in itself.

We fly five times a day. The first flight is at 08:30 a.m. The morning flight is the best chance for stunning photography as the air is very clear. You will be able to see more than 200 square km of beautiful scenery. We finish by 11 o’clock so you do not kill your entire day and you can plan other activities for the afternoon. Or, you can take another flight.

The second flight is at 11:00 a.m. This is the longest flight due to thermal activity. You take off from 6,500 feet and you have the opportunity of reaching 9,000 or 10,000 feet above sea level. But, of course, only if you want to. The flight lasts about 40 minutes.

The third flight is at 1:30 p.m. It is also a long flight due to very strong conditions. The weather is hazy and misty, which is not as good for photography, but it is an easy take off and an easy landing.

The fourth flight is at 3:30 p.m. The thermal activity is weaker, making for a smoother flight and it can be a bit hot in midsummer.

The last flight is at 5:45 p.m. We call it the “Sunset Flight”. The sun is low behind the island of Rhodes, making for some wonderful sunset photography and a pleasant smooth flight.

We will provide you with appropriate boots, helmet and a flying suit if the weather is cool. If you have your own boots, you can bring them with you. Our pilots (instructors) give you all necessary information about what to do and not to do. After the pilot briefing, you will feel comfortable and safe.

We usually try to fly side by side and close to each other (depending on weather conditions) so you can take pictures of your family and friends in the air.