COMPLETE GUIDE TO PARAGLIDING IN BIR BILLING
INTRODUCTION
Bir and Billing are two idyllic villages located in the Palampur district of Himachal Pradesh and are world famous for lifting people off the ground to absorb an incredible view. In other words – paragliding. This adventure game is your flight ticket to reach the sky (literally). But before take-off, let us guide you through the experience so you can fly safely! Here you have a chance to have a bird’s eye view.
WHY DOES PARAGLIDING IN BIR BILLING GETS A THUMBS UP?
Bir Billing paragliding is considered the best place to enjoy the aero sport safely as a lot is being done in terms of safety. In terms of reliability, there are a lot of arrows pointing to Bir Billing as an iconic place for paragliding.
CREDIBILITY IS WRITTEN ALL OVER
A great sign of credibility is that Bir Billing is home to a training institute owned and operated by Arvind Paul himself! In case you didn’t already know, Arvind Paul is one of the top paragliding pilots in India. Government to domestic and international pilots It also runs the National Institute of Paragliding with training facilities. It is also the place where India got the opportunity to host the International Paragliding World Cup (PWC). Because the worldwide event is held on location, all the facilities here meet international standards.
It’s safe to say that you won’t have to worry about working with a less-trained or new pilot. Instead, you’ll be flying with some of the best, so expect a smooth landing. Having said that, there are some risks involved with adventure sports. To deal with this, trained rescue teams are on the spot to deal with any unforeseen mishap.
LOCATION SUITED FOR PARAGLIDING
Bir Billing has been cut off as a place for paragliding. Over 200 km of unobstructed areas are suitable for flying and 40-45 pilots fly together. The vast expanse of open area makes Bir Billing a common affair with paragliding. The area also has perfect pockets of thermals (thermal is the rising air that allows paragliders to achieve great heights). The altitude allows you to get a bird’s eye view of the high mountains, making it arguably better than the one seen after hours of hiking the mountains in Himachal. This makes it a unique paragliding experience of its kind, and one of the top exciting things to do in Bir!
GREAT CLIMATE
Just like you are almost always dependent on your mother for everything, aerospace like paragliding is completely climate-dependent. Crash Landing On You with a lot of wind, fog, or sudden rain, Yun Se-ri (K-drama fans, that’s what you get)What we are saying!). But luckily, this is something you can do in Bir Billing and not have to worry about as the weather is almost always perfect for paragliding. If it’s not, you’ll just have to wait until it happens.
At times, people wait for hours, while for those with good luck, the weather can be perfect upon entry. So bring that good luck charm with you, or keep reading and plan accordingly the best time for paragliding in Bir Billing.
HOW TO GET TO BIR BILLING?
It is quite easy to reach Bir Billing, all this has been done with the intention that the participants of the Paragliding World Cup can attend the event without any difficulty. So whether you are participating or not, you stand a chance to enjoy such a difficult journey of Bir.
If you are flying, ideally it is best to fly to Kangra airport. From the airport, you can take a bus or a local taxi to Bir which is about 2 hours away.
For tourists flying into the capital of India (Delhi), you have the option of taking an overnight bus to Bir. From Delhi, you can also take a train and get down at Pathankot or Ahju railway station. Post that you will have to make your way to Bir by local bus or shared taxi.
Most visitors travel to Bir Billing with Dharamshala or Palampur as their base. Some buses ply daily from these two points to Bir Billing, making it a budget-friendly option as well.
BEST TIME TO GO BIR BILLING FOR PARAGLIDING?
GOOD: January and February. A plus point is that you get to see snow-capped mountains but the cold wind and temperature do not always allow the paraglider to maintain altitude.
BETTER: from March to June. But be aware that if the winds are too strong and do not COOPERATE, flights may get canceled. You will either have to wait till it calms down or COME back the next day.
BEST: October to mid-December.
MORE FACTS AT-A-GLANCE
The take-off site is at Billing and the landing site is at Bir as Billing is at an altitude of 7,600 feet while Bir is just 4,300 feet above sea level.
