Paragliding & Speedriding Model: Flying on Camera – and Why Weather Is Everything
Flying on camera: why weather is everything on a paragliding or speedriding shoot, what that means for planning – and what my Skywalk background as a product developer adds.
Written by
Tobi Deckert
Reading Time
7 minutes
Paragliding vs. speedriding – in brief
A common mix-up, so let's separate them:
Paragliding: larger wings (approx. 20–30 m²), using thermals to stay up or fly long distances. Speed around 25–30 km/h, more on the speed bar.
Speedriding / speed flying: small wings (approx. 9–12 m²), no thermals – the point is to fly down the mountain fast. A speedrider only starts flying at 40–50 km/h. In winter on skis (a mix of skiing and flying: ride, lift off at the cliff, ride on), foot-launched in summer.
Speedriding is flown close to the terrain – down a gully or couloir, playing with the ground. I call it “three-dimensional skiing”. That's the imagery that's so strong for campaigns.
Why weather is the decisive factor
In flying, weather decides everything – above all the strength and direction of the wind. Launch and landing are the demanding parts; in the air it's comparatively calm. For a shoot that means:
Launch: always into the wind, with room to lay out the wing, a run-up, no trees behind. The slope should be 15–30° steep.
Landing: into the wind too, at least a field ~200–250 m long and ~100 m wide, no obstacles. Like an aircraft, there's a landing circuit.
Camera position: for close-up air shots the team stands a few metres lower, on long lenses – not (only) at the launch.
Waiting time: I read weather charts and apps, but you're only really sure a day out. So the production has to flex a little around the flying window.
Safe, not reckless means: certified gear (in Germany paragliders must be checked every two years – which also makes a shoot pricier), a reserve chute (many speedriders fly without – I deliberately fly with one and train the emergency), and risky manoeuvres only at altitude, never for show over the landing field. Foehn conditions with invisible rotors and lee turbulence (e.g. in the wind shadow of a hotel right where you want to film) get avoided on a professional shoot.
Campaigns & shots in the air
Techniker Krankenkasse – “Vorwärtsdrang”: my part was the paragliding, cast as a hard-working engineer who clears his head in nature. The flight off the Nordkette (Innsbruck) had to be registered with the airport; in the video I fly a SAT – not too extreme, but visibly fun. Camera: Max Meisner.
SportScheck – “Es beginnt”: on my New Zealand trip the speedrider came out for a scene.
Rossignol (as a sponsored athlete): regularly out on the speedrider to show “a different world of skiing” – the freeride crew rides the slope, I fly after them at the same speed or faster, sometimes with an action cam.
Film/TV: a paragliding scene for the series “Zweisamkeit” (Zwieselalm); for “Zwölf Tage im Sommer” a landing at a supermarket car park that we solved elegantly in the edit for safety and permit reasons – including a staged tree landing for which my old prototype wing served as a prop.
Self-produced in Norway: a kite/speedriding expedition (with Philip Kuchlmeister, Sebastian Bubmann, Maxi Kühnhauser), screened at the Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival – me in front of AND behind the camera.
What a production should clarify first
Audience & mood first. From hard speedriding to a relaxed glide-down, anything is possible – or endurance-style toward Hike & Fly (known from the Red Bull X-Alps). I advise on which mood fits which brand.
Location to match the mood. Sites with near-reliable conditions (e.g. Kössen) bring planning security; for tourism/emotion imagery, dune soaring works beautifully (e.g. the Dune du Pyla in France – banned in Germany for nature-protection reasons). Best for alpine paragliding: the Bavarian pre-Alps, Chiemgau, Salzburg region, Tyrol, South Tyrol.
Permits & airspace. Filming permits (including the forestry office, because of drones and wildlife) and – in cities with an airport like Innsbruck – registering the flight with the tower. Airspace there is limited; a director needs to know that early, or the mood on set tips over.
My edge: product developer at Skywalk
I was an engineer for inflatable load-bearing structures and technical textiles – closely tied to wing development (kites too). I got to test prototypes early (including the later “Montage”) and accompanied series production in Asia. So I know in detail what matters in the gear. And I'm honest about placement – my clear strength is speedriding (also thanks to my ski history, at pro level here), seen for instance at the Hannibal event in Sölden, where fifty of us fly into the show arena at dusk with flares on our ski boots. As a sponsored athlete I ride with Rossignol, Leki, Riggler, Flysurfer and Restube, among others. More real material at @tobi_deckert_sportmodel.
Planning a campaign with credible air action? Send a booking request.
FAQ
What's the difference between paragliding and speedriding?
Paragliding uses large wings (20–30 m²) and thermals to stay up. Speedriding uses small wings (9–12 m²) and flies fast, close to the terrain down the mountain – on skis in winter. It's essentially three-dimensional skiing.
Why is weather so decisive in flying?
Because wind strength and direction govern launch and landing. You're usually only sure a day out – so a production has to plan the flying window and waiting time.
What makes air action safe rather than reckless?
Training and experience, certified gear (two-year check), a reserve chute, weather and location knowledge – and the discipline to fly risky manoeuvres only at altitude.
Facts & Skills
Discipline | Paragliding (licence since 2012) · speedriding/speed flying (pro level) |
Edge | ex product developer at Skywalk (wing/textile tech) |
Role | Commercial & Sport Model · air-sports performer · in front of AND behind the camera |
References | Techniker Krankenkasse · SportScheck · Rossignol · TV · Norway self-production |
Sponsors | Rossignol · Leki · Riggler · Flysurfer · Restube |
Base | Chiemgau · Salzburg region · Tyrol · Alpine region |
By
Tobi Deckert
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