We Didn't Start a School. We Started a Journey.

 

The Story of Paragliding in India: From Chinese Whispers to Paragliding Bawas

There was a time when seeing a paraglider in India was rarer than spotting a snow leopard.

No schools. No regulations. No social media. No YouTube tutorials. Just a handful of curious adventurers standing on mountain tops, looking at the sky and wondering, "Can I fly from here?"

That was the beginning of paragliding in India.

When Flying Came to the Himalayas

Like most adventure sports, paragliding was born in Europe. Naturally, pilots began searching for mountains across the world where they could spread their wings. The Himalayas quickly became an irresistible attraction.

Many headed to Nepal. Some crossed into India. A few even explored Pakistan.

Nepal embraced the sport early, helped by an already thriving adventure tourism industry. Even today, pilots who have been flying for over 25 years speak nostalgically about those early days in Nepal—a time of discovery, exploration, and pure adventure.

The pioneers of paragliding were a special breed. They were explorers, dreamers, and adrenaline junkies. They weren't looking for careers. They weren't building businesses. They simply wanted to fly.

The Era of Chinese Whispers

Paragliding didn't arrive in India through institutions.

It arrived through friendships.

Foreign pilots taught enthusiastic locals. When they left, they often left behind equipment. The locals practiced, learned, and eventually taught others. Those students taught more students.

Knowledge passed from pilot to pilot like a giant game of Chinese whispers.

It was chaotic.

It was beautiful.

And it was often incredibly dangerous.

Many pilots from that era still wonder how they survived. Safety standards were inconsistent, weather knowledge was limited, and mistakes were common. Yet the feeling of soaring through the sky was so rewarding that people kept coming back for more.

Communities slowly formed around flying sites. Friendships forged on launch sites lasted decades.

One place in particular began attracting attention from around the world: Bir.

I still remember my first visit. There were barely twenty pilots flying there. Every evening, everyone gathered for food, drinks, and flying stories.

Today, hundreds of pilots fly there daily, including one of the largest tandem communities in the world.

When Flying Became a Business

For years, paragliding was mostly about one thing:

You and your wing.

Then came tandem flying.

Suddenly, pilots could share the experience with friends, family, and romantic partners. People who had no interest in learning to fly could still experience the magic of being airborne.

Not surprisingly, someone realized people would pay for that experience.

And just like that, the commercial tandem industry was born.

From a business perspective, it was inevitable.

From a paragliding perspective, it changed everything.

The sport that had once been driven by explorers and enthusiasts increasingly became driven by commercial interests. In many places, pilots who had learned through informal methods were now carrying paying passengers using aging equipment and minimal training standards.

Predictably, accidents followed.

Unlike solo flying, tandem accidents involved innocent passengers who trusted their pilots completely. Injuries and fatalities attracted public attention and media scrutiny, permanently changing how the sport was perceived.

When Paragliders Became "Terrorists"

As if safety concerns weren't enough, another challenge emerged—one nobody saw coming.

Fear.

After the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, security agencies across India became hyper-vigilant. Unfortunately, many authorities had little understanding of what a paraglider actually was.

Some genuinely believed terrorists might use paragliders to launch attacks.

To any experienced pilot, the idea was absurd.

A paraglider is one of the slowest, most visible, and most vulnerable aircraft imaginable. It cannot simply fly wherever it wants. It is heavily dependent on weather, terrain, and wind.

Yet pilots in places like Mumbai, Pune, and Goa suddenly found themselves viewed with suspicion.

For years, many were prevented from doing something they loved—not because of evidence or logic, but because of fear and misunderstanding.

Thankfully, that paranoia has gradually faded. Through years of patient engagement, demonstrations, and education, authorities today have a far better understanding of the sport.

The Search for Structure

As the sport matured, many pioneers recognized a difficult truth:

Paragliding could no longer rely on Chinese whispers.

People needed structured training.

Schools began appearing across the country. In theory, this was a huge step forward.

In practice, it created new challenges.

Because there was no clear regulatory framework defining what qualified as a school, almost anyone could claim to be an instructor. Pilots with minimal experience were teaching others. Some became instructors after only a couple of years in the sport.

Flying skills take time to develop. Judgment takes even longer.

Without meaningful oversight, safety standards varied dramatically.

Meanwhile, different government departments attempted to regulate the sport, often with good intentions but little understanding of paragliding itself. The result was usually more paperwork rather than better safety.

A New Beginning

Over time, India's paragliding community continued evolving.

The Aero Club of India, recognized under the National Air Sports Policy, was given responsibility for governing air sports in the country. While challenges remain, it represents an important step toward creating a safer and more professional future for the sport.

At the same time, equipment improved, training methods evolved, and knowledge became more accessible than ever before.

What was considered best practice twenty years ago is often outdated today.

The learning never stops.

And it shouldn't.

Why We Started Paragliding Bawas

I have taught hundreds of students over the years and flown countless tandem passengers.

Like many pilots of my generation, I learned through Chinese whispers. I made mistakes, learned lessons, and gradually refined my understanding of what it means to fly safely.

A turning point came in 2018 when I taught my daughter, Naasha, to fly.

She immediately fell in love with paragliding.

But I knew one thing for certain: her education could not rely on the same informal methods that many of us grew up with.

Together, we travelled extensively, learning from internationally respected pilots, instructors, and schools. We studied different training systems, observed best practices, and compared approaches from around the world.

We discovered areas where we could improve.

We discovered areas where we were already doing things exceptionally well.

Most importantly, we developed a clear vision.

That vision became Paragliding Bawas.

More Than a School

Paragliding Bawas was never created to be just another flying school.

It was created to share the joy of flight responsibly.

We believe equipment matters.

We believe techniques matter.

We believe instructors matter.

But above all, we believe the student matters.

Every person who comes to us has a different background, different fears, different ambitions, and a different learning style.

Our job isn't simply to teach people how to fly.

Our job is to help them become confident, knowledgeable, and safe pilots who can enjoy a lifetime in the sky.

The sport of paragliding in India has travelled a remarkable journey—from borrowed wings and mountain adventures to organized schools and national policies.

It has survived accidents, misconceptions, bureaucracy, and growing pains.

Yet at its heart, nothing has changed.

The same feeling that inspired those first pioneers still exists today.

The moment your feet leave the ground.

The moment the world becomes silent.

The moment you realize that for a brief time, you are truly flying.

And that feeling never gets old.

By, 
Khushroo pithawalla