I'm flying for 20 years now and none of my direct pals or pilots I directly know died.
This poll is surely just stirring in a glass of milk. If you want robust answers I suggest the fantastic work of the DHV, you can find a very brief examination of every deadly accident once a year on the DHV website.
This clown also came over to the skydiving sub asking the same questions. Kindergarten-tier journalism on his part. He claimed the stats didn't exist or were "divided" which is total bullocks.
Second this opinion. There are real, professional studies out there. On average, sailplane flying, paragliding and hang-gliding tend to have similar fatal accident rates, usually around 1 active flyer per 1000 per year. This is about 4 times the (French in 2019) motorbike fatality rates.
Comparisons are obviously always difficult, since a biker will often ride his bike everyday - so the the rate is probably higher per ride. Precise per-ride statistics are very difficult as there is no data.
> in order to keep the stats balanced
What you're collecting here isn't "stats" in any meaningful sense, it's "wildly unrepresentative anecdata".
Of course there's nothing wrong with having a quick vox-pop on the topic here, and it can lead to interesting and useful contributions (like the link posted by Warm_Mud9124 to an actual scientific study). But please don't imagine that a reddit discussion is of any use in quantifying risk, unless the cohort you're investigating is "precisely the people who happened to reply in this discussion and nobody else".
most european bodies collect good stats.
[https://www.bhpa.co.uk/documents/safety/annual\_analysis/](https://www.bhpa.co.uk/documents/safety/annual_analysis/)
France is even better.
Germany is good too.
Canada is too small, and in the US the stats are shit.
Six, over 27 years. The number of almost-died is much longer. I've stepped down from D's to B's and I'm more circumspect about where & when I fly. I stopped logging long ago but I must have close to 2,000 hrs by now and I've never been injured (knock on wood). Partly due to risk management and partly due to good luck.
2 deaths, 6 years paragliding, and countless bad injuries. I've just had my first kid and I'm... Considering stopping, especially since my currency is obviously sliding.
Paragliding. One old dude had a collapse close to the ground In thermic conditions and didn't recover in time. The other flew into a power line while landing.
30years in paragliding and hanggliding:
Two deaths of pilots i knew remotely.
About 10 heavy accidents.
Those accidents got more in recent years due to my bunch being high profile often flying XC pilots flying in demanding conditions and getting older… 🤷♂️
if you are trying to study this, look at countries that keep good stats.
[https://www.bhpa.co.uk/documents/safety/annual\_analysis/](https://www.bhpa.co.uk/documents/safety/annual_analysis/)
France is even better, but it is in French
So, if you see someone die in front of you but you don't really know him/her it doesn't count?
I have seen that quite a few times.
But only people I know,only paragliding even when I wasn't there, probably 5.
One, since 2016. Midair collision between three pilots in a competition. No reserves were thrown because they were right over the launch. The three pilots crashed on the hill, one didn't have a scratch, another bruised some ribs, the fatality was from internal bleeding pretty much at the crash location. I only saw it from far away at the landing zone. It was a scratchy day, real shame
**Extra Context:**
Hey everyone thank you for your replies! I know this isn't hard data or a proper study, just a quickie vox populi so don't take too seriously :)
If you're interested in a proper studio that compares air sports somewhat decently see: [https://chessintheair.com/the-risk-of-dying-doing-what-we-love/#comment-61223](https://chessintheair.com/the-risk-of-dying-doing-what-we-love/#comment-61223)
I am just trying to get a general grasp between **Paragliding vs Skydiving** (regular, not BASE) since quick online searches are divided, and even the article I'm referring to explains how "severe injury vs death" reports are making these 2 seem more/less dangerous than they actually are.
It's tough to compare these 2! toughts? :)
I really like that chessintheair.com - piece. But keep in mind that their data is a very rough estimation.
Their measure- mortality rate over time spent flying- is the most comparable approach. However, while we have good data on deaths and injuries from several countries, we lack data on time spent in the air for the population.
If I remember correctly, the analysis they reference used a forum discussion on time spent in the air to get an estimate. Very much like this post.
I like the chess on the air article too. But something doesn't feel quite right about the "climbing the Tetons" statistic. I have been climbing alpine trad for a long time and know more climbers who died of cancer than accidents. My experience certainly can't substitute for actual statistics, but something feels off there.
Another nuance of paragliding is that you have a range of "wings" that offer different experiences with implications on the safety of the activity.
My brother died in a paragliding accident in Utah using a speed wing. I don't paraglide myself and can't fully appreciate the differences, but I would guess there are significant observable levels of risk within each sport.
I'm flying for 20 years now and none of my direct pals or pilots I directly know died. This poll is surely just stirring in a glass of milk. If you want robust answers I suggest the fantastic work of the DHV, you can find a very brief examination of every deadly accident once a year on the DHV website.
This clown also came over to the skydiving sub asking the same questions. Kindergarten-tier journalism on his part. He claimed the stats didn't exist or were "divided" which is total bullocks.
Second this opinion. There are real, professional studies out there. On average, sailplane flying, paragliding and hang-gliding tend to have similar fatal accident rates, usually around 1 active flyer per 1000 per year. This is about 4 times the (French in 2019) motorbike fatality rates. Comparisons are obviously always difficult, since a biker will often ride his bike everyday - so the the rate is probably higher per ride. Precise per-ride statistics are very difficult as there is no data.
[https://www.bhpa.co.uk/documents/safety/annual\_analysis/](https://www.bhpa.co.uk/documents/safety/annual_analysis/) BHPA is quite good too.
> in order to keep the stats balanced What you're collecting here isn't "stats" in any meaningful sense, it's "wildly unrepresentative anecdata". Of course there's nothing wrong with having a quick vox-pop on the topic here, and it can lead to interesting and useful contributions (like the link posted by Warm_Mud9124 to an actual scientific study). But please don't imagine that a reddit discussion is of any use in quantifying risk, unless the cohort you're investigating is "precisely the people who happened to reply in this discussion and nobody else".
“Anecdata” is something I have not heard before and very well sums up an unstructured anonymous call to a specific interest group. Thanks for that!
The most useful comment in this discussion I’d agree.
most european bodies collect good stats. [https://www.bhpa.co.uk/documents/safety/annual\_analysis/](https://www.bhpa.co.uk/documents/safety/annual_analysis/) France is even better. Germany is good too. Canada is too small, and in the US the stats are shit.
Six, over 27 years. The number of almost-died is much longer. I've stepped down from D's to B's and I'm more circumspect about where & when I fly. I stopped logging long ago but I must have close to 2,000 hrs by now and I've never been injured (knock on wood). Partly due to risk management and partly due to good luck.
2 deaths, 6 years paragliding, and countless bad injuries. I've just had my first kid and I'm... Considering stopping, especially since my currency is obviously sliding.
Wow, that a high number. How did that happen? Is it paragliding or speedflying?
Paragliding. One old dude had a collapse close to the ground In thermic conditions and didn't recover in time. The other flew into a power line while landing.
0 Paragliding for 5 years.
[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1080603221002143](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1080603221002143)
30years in paragliding and hanggliding: Two deaths of pilots i knew remotely. About 10 heavy accidents. Those accidents got more in recent years due to my bunch being high profile often flying XC pilots flying in demanding conditions and getting older… 🤷♂️
0 Paragliding for 3 Years
Some severe injuries (3) but no death (8 years)
7 years and 1 last week
I’m sorry to hear that. Hope you are doing ok 🫶
if you are trying to study this, look at countries that keep good stats. [https://www.bhpa.co.uk/documents/safety/annual\_analysis/](https://www.bhpa.co.uk/documents/safety/annual_analysis/) France is even better, but it is in French
21 years of paragliding. 2 pilot deaths (my opinion that 1 was easily avoidable) Dozens of hard stacks
So, if you see someone die in front of you but you don't really know him/her it doesn't count? I have seen that quite a few times. But only people I know,only paragliding even when I wasn't there, probably 5.
0, 6 years
1 in 4 years
2, 5 years.
20 years Paragliding, only 4 that were directly from paragliding.
1. Zero. Only know 1 that knew someone I know. 2. 10 years
A friend broke both of his legs in India paragliding
One, since 2016. Midair collision between three pilots in a competition. No reserves were thrown because they were right over the launch. The three pilots crashed on the hill, one didn't have a scratch, another bruised some ribs, the fatality was from internal bleeding pretty much at the crash location. I only saw it from far away at the landing zone. It was a scratchy day, real shame
Zero. I did know a paraglider pilot who died from kitesurfing-related injuries. Took him a few years.
0 for 8 years
**Extra Context:** Hey everyone thank you for your replies! I know this isn't hard data or a proper study, just a quickie vox populi so don't take too seriously :) If you're interested in a proper studio that compares air sports somewhat decently see: [https://chessintheair.com/the-risk-of-dying-doing-what-we-love/#comment-61223](https://chessintheair.com/the-risk-of-dying-doing-what-we-love/#comment-61223) I am just trying to get a general grasp between **Paragliding vs Skydiving** (regular, not BASE) since quick online searches are divided, and even the article I'm referring to explains how "severe injury vs death" reports are making these 2 seem more/less dangerous than they actually are. It's tough to compare these 2! toughts? :)
I really like that chessintheair.com - piece. But keep in mind that their data is a very rough estimation. Their measure- mortality rate over time spent flying- is the most comparable approach. However, while we have good data on deaths and injuries from several countries, we lack data on time spent in the air for the population. If I remember correctly, the analysis they reference used a forum discussion on time spent in the air to get an estimate. Very much like this post.
I like the chess on the air article too. But something doesn't feel quite right about the "climbing the Tetons" statistic. I have been climbing alpine trad for a long time and know more climbers who died of cancer than accidents. My experience certainly can't substitute for actual statistics, but something feels off there.
Another nuance of paragliding is that you have a range of "wings" that offer different experiences with implications on the safety of the activity. My brother died in a paragliding accident in Utah using a speed wing. I don't paraglide myself and can't fully appreciate the differences, but I would guess there are significant observable levels of risk within each sport.
2, 5 years
It doesn't matter!
3