A truly unique experience can be enjoyed at Paraglide West as daring individuals are strapped into a harness with an experienced pilot, before taking to the skies for up to 40 minutes of glide time. The experience can take place over a number of aweinspiring natural landscapes across western Ireland including The Arra Mountains and Croagh Patrick. Groupon finds out more about Paraglide West and the wealth of experience held by instructor Jacek Chodanowski. G What is paragliding? It involves gliding through the sky in a seated position under a fabric wing, in this instance in tandem with a qualified instructing pilot. Rides can last for relatively long periods of time despite the lack of engine propulsion, as the pilot uses air currents to maintain or even gain altitude. G What experience does the instructor have? He’s been paragliding since 1988, soaring through the Austrian Alps under the wing of one of the country’s paragliding pioneers, before promoting and instructing the sport in the Appalachian Mountains of Canada. G How did he get into paragliding? A seasoned skydiver holding over 1700 parachute jumps to his name in Poland, he decided skydiving jumps were just too short to experience the full joy of free soaring flight. His dream to soar was realised when paragliding found new popularity in the 80’s, and he’s never looked back.