Paragliding evolved from single skin round parachutes used in World War II that only dropped straight down. During the 1960s interest in making parachutes fly off and along slopes, be steerable, stay in the air longer, go further distances and land better inspired innovation and experimentation.

In 1964 Domina Jalbert created a ‘ram-air’ rectangular “parafoil” with double-skinned sectioned cells that inflated to create an aerofoil shape.   In the 1978 French Jean-Claude Bétemps with two friends launched off a mountain called Mieussy using ‘parapentes’ or ‘slope gliders’ in what is now widely acknowledged as the first paragliding flights.  

The sport became popular starting in Europe and spreading throughout the rest of the world.  Technological advances in design, materials, non-porous fabric,  harnasses and steering systems makes this a mature and increasingly safer sport.

The technology to develop better, faster and safer paragliders of many different styles and their derivatives including ‘speed wings’ and motorised paraglider continues today.