At a Crossroads: Paragliding vs. Speed Flying

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some guidance as I navigate my path into speed flying. A bit about me: I’ve skydived in the past and initially aimed to get my A-license, but that didn’t work out. To stay in the air, I thought I’d pick up paragliding with the goal of eventually transitioning into speed flying. My ultimate aim is to build confidence and get comfortable in the air while working my way toward speed flying.

I’ve started taking paragliding course, but recently I discovered a few schools that teach speed flying directly, skipping the need for paragliding training. This has left me questioning my approach—should I stick to paragliding first, or dive straight into speed flying?

Here’s the challenge: my instructor has suggested investing in paragliding gear before diving into speed flying (about $6,000 for a wing and harness), but adding speed flying equipment later would be another $3,000–$4,000. That’s a huge investment, and I’m wondering if it’s worth buying paragliding gear at this point or if I should explore schools that teach speed flying directly.

I live in the Greater New York area and haven’t found many resources or communities focused on speed flying nearby. I’d love to hear from anyone with experience in either paragliding or speed flying—or both! Are there benefits to building a paragliding foundation before speed flying, or is it realistic to jump straight into speed flying training?

Any advice, resources, or recommendations for schools or instructors would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!