Paraglider wings come in different sizes. The size of wing you fly will depend on what your "Takeoff Weight" is. Your Takeoff Weight is the weight of everything that you will have with you fly. This includes your clothes, harness, wing, flight instruments, helmet, reserve parachute, and anything else you might be carrying in your harness when you fly. Your Takeoff Weight is something that you should always know, like your birthday. Another important point is that you should know your takeoff weight in kilograms (kgs), because that is how all paragliding manufacturers disclose the Takeoff Weight range of their gliders. Use the following formula to calculate your Takeoff Weight:

The easiest way to determine gear weight is to step on a scale with your paragliding backpack loaded with all of the gear you will fly with, and subtract your body weight. On average, a pilot's gear (including their wing) weighs around 35 to 45 pounds.

Once you have determined your takeoff weight in kilograms, you will need to refer to a wing's takeoff weight range to determine what wing size is best for you. It is optimal to select a wing in which your weight will be in the top half of the weight range. So, if a wing's takeoff weight range is 90kg to 110kg, the ideal pilot's takeoff weight for that wing is between 100kg and 110kg. A pilot's takeoff weight under 100kg will want to go with a wing with lower weight range. For this reason, we list the "middle of the weight range" and the "maximum pilot weight" in our paraglider tables.

Fortunately for our students and customers, Eagle Paragliding imports four (4) premium paragliding brands; BGD, UP, Niviuk, and Woody Valley. The takeoff weight ranges of these brands are staggered, so we can offer a wider variety of weight considerations. To see a list of the wings that are offered by Eagle Paragliding, visit our Eagle Paragliding Wings/Gliders page.

Below is a table to assist you in determining your takeoff weight: