In Azerbaijan, an interest in paraplanerism is growing every day.
Thanks to the efforts of a group of activists, paragliderism has become an indispensable entertainment for adrenaline lovers in the country.
This extreme sport is being engaged in about 150 pilots in different parts of the country today, while ten years ago they could be counted on the fingers.
The most popular place for paraplanerism in Azerbaijan is Mount Beshbarmak in the Siazan region.
Pilots gather at the foot of the Beshbarmak Mountain, one of the natural beauties of the country, and organize flights for tourists and athletes.
A mountain 382 meters high is located only a ride north-east of Baku. The name was given by an unusual form. Translated from Azerbaijani Beshbarmag means “five fingers”
Among lovers of paraglider, there are also Turkish citizens who have been living in Azerbaijan for many years.
Serdar Shakhin told the Anadolu agency that he has been living in Azerbaijan for 28 years and organizes tourist and sports flights on a paraglider. “In Azerbaijan, paraglider has been engaged in paraplan flights for many years, but we started professionally engaged in this in the last 3-4 years. We have been cooperating with international federations and go up to a new level. We also have pilots undergoing advanced training in Turkey,” he said.
Shakhin explained that three types of flights are organized: tourist, sports and amateur.
“Mount Beshbarmak, where we are now flying, is located at an altitude of 460 meters above sea level. We usually fly against the wind. We can fly in any region of Azerbaijan. People like it and they show interest. We have about 150 pilots. Every year they join before 50 pilots, ”he said.
Shakhin says that paraplanerism is used around the world as a tourist type of activity. The spread of this type of activity will make a great contribution to the tourist sphere in Azerbaijan, he added.
Enes Bosali, who has been living in Azerbaijan for 19 years, said that he has been actively flying on paraglider for eight years.
The man explained that for those interested in paraplanerism, courses are organized in Azerbaijan.
“We began to engage in paragliderism about nine years ago in a group of five to six people. We received theoretical and practical information from our experienced friends. Now we are 150 people. We will continue to popularize this sport. We intend to represent Azerbaijan in the international arena”, he says.
Bozali emphasized that the new generation of youth as a whole is divorced from nature and sports. “Our goal is to instill in the youth a love of nature. Let them not be afraid of paraplanerism, a sport. Although at first glance it may seem frightening, according to statistics, flights on paraglider are one of the safest sports in the world. Please come, come, come. Learn, see and try flying on paraglider, ”he added.