About
Paragliding Map is a dedicated flight-planning and safety tool designed for paragliders, hang gliders, speed flyers, and hike-and-fly enthusiasts worldwide. It consolidates data from authoritative sources including DHV, Flyland, FFVL, and Paragliding Earth, giving pilots a single destination for site discovery and flight preparation. The platform provides real-time and forecast weather data from leading providers such as Meteoblue, Windy, WindFinder, UK MetOffice, ECMWF, NOAA, and Meteo France, alongside live station readings from Pioupiou, Holfuy, MADIS, and FFVL. Pilots can visualize wind animation, cloud cover, rain, and thunderstorms at multiple altitudes, while valley wind arrows specifically highlight conditions in the European Alps. Safety is a core priority: the tool displays active airspace, official NOTAMs from international aviation authorities, and automatically warns users when a NOTAM affects their chosen launch or landing zone. An SOS and ride-request messaging feature with GPS coordinates adds an extra layer of field safety. Additional features include a 3D map view, a Time Travel Slider for future condition forecasting, soaring index indicators, hike-and-fly trail overlays, ski lift and cable car locations, advanced site filtering by sport and weather parameters, live webcams, site photos, and automatic translation of site descriptions. Favorites, navigation directions, and advanced search round out the experience. The platform is ad-free with full customer support.
Key Features
- Massive Site Database: Access over 15,000 launch sites and 7,500 landings sourced from official paragliding authorities like DHV, FFVL, and Paragliding Earth, complete with photos and auto-translated descriptions.
- Multi-Source Weather Forecasts: Combines forecasts from Meteoblue, Windy, ECMWF, NOAA, UK MetOffice, and others alongside real-time station data from Pioupiou, Holfuy, and MADIS for accurate on-site conditions.
- Airspace & NOTAM Safety Alerts: Displays live airspace boundaries and official NOTAMs from international aviation authorities, with automatic warnings when an active NOTAM impacts a selected launch or landing zone.
- Wind Animation & Valley Wind Arrows: Visualize wind, clouds, rain, and thunderstorms at multiple altitudes, plus dedicated valley wind direction arrows for the European Alps.
- SOS & Ride Messaging: Send emergency SOS alerts or ride-request messages to contacts with your live GPS coordinates directly from the map interface.
Use Cases
- A paragliding pilot researching new flying destinations can browse 15,000+ global launch sites with photos, weather data, and official source links before committing to a trip.
- A hang gliding instructor can check active NOTAMs and airspace restrictions for a planned training area and receive automatic alerts if conditions change before a student flight.
- A hike-and-fly athlete can overlay hike-and-fly trails, ski lifts, and cable car access onto the map alongside weather forecasts to plan the optimal ascent and launch route.
- A competition organizer can use the Time Travel Slider to preview forecast conditions across multiple sites and select the best venue days before an event.
- A pilot in the field can send an SOS or ride-request message with GPS coordinates to contacts if they land in an unexpected location far from their planned landing zone.
Pros
- All-in-One Flight Planning: Aggregates site data, multiple weather sources, airspace, NOTAMs, webcams, and navigation into a single ad-free platform, eliminating the need to switch between apps.
- Robust Safety Features: Automatic NOTAM warnings, live airspace overlays, and in-app SOS messaging provide meaningful safety layers for pilots before and during flights.
- Extensive Site Coverage: With 15,000+ launch sites and official data from multiple national bodies, coverage spans a wide range of global flying destinations.
Cons
- Niche Audience: The tool is purpose-built for free-flight sports, making it irrelevant for users outside paragliding, hang gliding, or speed flying communities.
- European-Centric Depth: Advanced features like valley wind arrows and the densest site data coverage are focused on the European Alps, with potentially thinner data in other regions.
- No Dedicated Mobile App Mentioned: The platform appears primarily web-based with no clearly advertised native iOS or Android app, which may limit usability in the field without connectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What data sources does Paragliding Map use for weather forecasts?
Paragliding Map integrates forecasts from Meteoblue, Windy, WindFinder, UK MetOffice, Meteo France, ECMWF, NOAA, and the German Weather Service, plus real-time station data from Pioupiou, Holfuy, MADIS, and FFVL.
Does Paragliding Map show airspace restrictions and NOTAMs?
Yes. The platform displays live airspace boundaries and official NOTAMs from international aviation authorities. It also automatically shows a prominent warning when an active NOTAM affects your selected launch or landing site.
Which paragliding authorities provide official site data?
Official site data is sourced from DHV (Germany), Flyland, FFVL (France), and Paragliding Earth, among others, ensuring data quality and accuracy for listed launch and landing sites.
Can I filter launch sites by sport type or conditions?
Yes. The map can be filtered to show sites specific to paragliding, hang gliding, speed flying, thermalling, soaring, hike and fly, public transport accessibility, wind speed, and more.
Is Paragliding Map free to use?
The platform is ad-free and includes full support, suggesting a paid or freemium model. Exact pricing details are available on the Paragliding Map website.
