It is thought there are about 7,000 paragliding and hang-gliding enthusiasts in Britain. Soaring in the skies over Yorkshire or Lincolnshire riding the air currents in a paraglider is lots of fun. But like all adventure sports it can be dangerous. Every year in Britain a few people die in paragliding and hang gliding accidents. But a new paragliding simulator has been developed at Hull University which it’s hoped will improve the training that novice paragliders receive.  | | Research Fellow James Ward and the design team |
They sit in a harness just a few feet off the ground and wear special goggles attached to a computer. The picture they see in the goggles is exactly what they would see if they were really airborne. When they pull the control cords on the simulator, that is picked up by the computer which alters the view in the goggles accordingly. Using the equipment, beginners can learn important skills before launching themselves into the air for real. A company called Northern Paragliding approached the university and asked for its help in developing the simulator. | 
