There is brilliant flying all over the world. One of the most amazing aspects of paragliding is the places that it takes us, and the experiences that we have in those places with the people we meet and fly with. Thermals come from sun, and regions of the earth with more sun logically have more thermals… and logically are located closer to the equator. Thus, some of the world’s best flying can be found on the continents of Africa, South America, and south Asia.

The vast majority of paraglider pilots on Earth come from the world’s most prosperous nations, and we can’t help but notice the difference in standards of living as we travel to the warmer regions of the planet to fly. Pilots often infuse the local economies with much needed tourism revenue, but that money only goes so far, and doesn’t always go where it is needed most.

At Ozone, we love to fly. We hope that our sport continues to grow and improve in the coming decades, and we can only imagine how the world will change in our lifetime and the lifetimes of our children. One of the ways to ensure our sports future, and to give thanks for its past, is to help the people in the areas we love to fly.

We strongly encourage traveling pilots to experience the local cultures that they are flying over, and engage themselves in helping the local people, if they feel the urge!

To read about the ongoing series of projects that Ozone is engaged in to give back to the people in some of the areas we love to fly, follow the links below:

GHANA

The Ozone Team has been to Ghana twice to participate in the annual Ghana Paragliding Festival. We’ve been all over the world, and the West African Republic of Ghana has some terrific flying in an immensely varied and extraordinarily beautiful landscape. The people are welcoming, hospitable, and kind…

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

The ‘DR’, as it is commonly referred to, is a mountainous country with terrific flying during the European Winter. Pilots have been escaping to fly here during the wintertime for years, and there are even a few local pilots and a club.

SIERRA LEONE

The Ozone Team would like to thank Roy Dade and Russ Foulcer, who took the initiative to help some locals near their regular flying site in Sierra Leone, Africa. Roy and Russ’s kindness is a source of inspiration, and we hope that many more pilots around the world will follow their example. Roy tells the story here…