Wing guide
Wing Types
Paragliders, reflex paramotor wings and parakites look alike from the ground. In the air they behave very differently. Here is how to tell them apart.
Wing guide
Paragliders, reflex paramotor wings and parakites look alike from the ground. In the air they behave very differently. Here is how to tell them apart.
The short version
Free flight
Made for soaring and thermalling with no engine. The profile is shaped for lift and glide, so it travels far on little height. You control speed with a speed bar and steer with the brakes.
Best at: staying up and going far without power.
Powered flight
Made to fly with an engine. The trailing edge curves slightly upward, which keeps the wing calm in pitch. That steadiness helps when thrust is pushing you along and when you fly fast.
Best at: stable, comfortable powered flight. The trade is glide: it does not glide as far as a free-flight wing.
Fast and active
A paraglider-derived wing flown fast, using the hands to change speed instead of a speed bar. Its brakes are rigged through the rear risers, so raising your hands speeds the wing up and pulling them slows it.
Best at: mountain, hike-and-fly and ski flying where a speed bar gets in the way.
Profiles
Cut a wing in half and look at it from the side. A normal paraglider profile is a smooth teardrop. A reflex profile bends the last part of the wing back up in a shallow S.
With a motor you hang below the wing with thrust pushing you forward. Throttle changes, engine torque and abrupt brake inputs can set the pilot swinging under the wing. A wing that is calm in pitch is easier to live with, which is why most paramotor-specific wings use a reflex or partly reflex design.
Reflex improves pitch stability. It does not make a wing collapse-proof, and in strong turbulence any wing can collapse. Reflex wings also tend to glide less far than free-flight wings. On some wings the trimmers open and close the reflex, so a closed-trimmer setting can behave more like a standard profile.
Side by side
| Paraglider | Reflex paramotor wing | Parakite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Soaring and thermalling, no engine | Powered flight with a paramotor | Fast, active flying in the mountains, on snow, hike-and-fly |
| Profile | Standard teardrop | Reflex or partly reflex | Paraglider-derived, with a strong reflex effect |
| Pitch stability | Good, but leans on the pilot in rough air | Higher, designed to stay calm under power | High |
| Speed control | Speed bar | Trimmers, throttle and sometimes a speed bar | Brakes and rear risers cover the whole speed range |
| Glide | Best of the three | Lower than a free-flight wing | Built for speed, not distance on little height |
| Used with an engine? | Not by default (some wings are approved for power, many are not) | Yes, this is the wing type made for powered flight | Not a paramotor wing |
General comparison. Individual wings vary a lot, so always follow the manufacturer's manual.
Parakites
On a typical paraglider the brake handle only pulls the trailing edge down, and a foot bar shortens the front risers to speed the wing up. On a parakite setup the handle is also on the end of the speed cord. With your hands up the front risers are shorter than the rear ones, so the wing sits at a low angle and flies fast, the same as full speed bar. As you lower your hands the front risers lengthen and the wing slows; past that, the brake line starts to pull the trailing edge.
That is why a parakite can cover its whole speed range with the hands and does not need a speed bar. It is also why one riser can sometimes be converted between a standard setup and a parakite setup. Follow the manual of your own wing for the exact steps.
A parakite is built to be very stable in pitch, but any wing can still collapse, so it deserves the same respect as any other.
In the Riser Lab you can pull the handle, push the speed bar and watch every pulley, cord and line move. Switch the riser between paraglider and parakite setups to see what changes.
Open the Riser LabQuestions
Some manufacturers approve certain free-flight wings for powered flight and many do not. Powered flight puts different loads and habits on a wing, so check the manufacturer's approval and talk to your instructor before pairing any wing with an engine.
No. More reflex generally brings more pitch stability, with trade-offs in glide, handling feel and launch behavior. Wings range from lightly reflexed to fully reflexed, and the right one depends on your weight, experience and how you fly.
A trimmer lets you change the length of the rear risers in flight. Opening it speeds the wing up and closing it slows the wing down. On some wings it also changes how much reflex the profile has.
Parakites are a different category from paramotor wings. We explain them here because their riser system is a clear way to see how brakes, speed cords and risers work together.
This page is general education and does not replace training or your wing's manual. Wing design details differ between models and manufacturers.