What Is a Parakite? A Pilot’s Guide to the New Generation of Wings
A parakite is not simply a small paraglider with unusual risers. It is a different approach to managing a ram-air wing, built around the ability to change angle of attack through an integrated control system.
That sentence sounds technical, but the result is easy to understand in flight: a parakite can give the pilot a much wider range of speed, lift and pitch control than a conventional paraglider. The wing can be slowed and powered for lift, then depowered to accelerate or descend, with the pilot actively converting between speed and height.
The category has grown quickly because that control is especially useful for dynamic coastal soaring, dunes and terrain flying. It is also expanding into mountain and lightweight applications. But the same control that makes a parakite exciting is the reason pilots should approach it as a system to learn rather than a novelty wing to jump onto.
The defining feature: variable angle of attack
On a conventional paraglider, brake input primarily deforms the trailing edge. The riser geometry remains comparatively fixed unless the pilot uses the speed system. On a parakite, the main control input is designed to influence both the wing’s rear geometry and trailing edge in a coordinated way.
Manufacturers use different mechanical layouts, but the goal is broadly similar: allow the pilot to move through a larger range of angle of attack while maintaining a coherent, controllable wing.
At a higher angle of attack the wing can produce more lift and fly more slowly. At a lower angle of attack it accelerates, penetrates and can enter a stronger dive. The pilot then manages when and how to convert that energy.
Why does that feel so different?
Paragliding already involves energy management, but a parakite makes that relationship far more immediate. The control input can change not only turning behaviour but the wing’s pitch attitude and acceleration. This creates a distinct “power” feeling: the pilot can ask for lift, release it, build speed and then use that speed again.
That is why parakites have become closely associated with low terrain, dune lines, carving turns, foot drags and long ground-effect sequences. None of those manoeuvres are unique to parakites, but the control system expands what is possible and how directly the pilot can manage it.
Does a parakite have a speed bar?
Usually the central concept is different from a traditional paraglider speed system. Rather than treating acceleration as a separate foot-operated mode, many parakites integrate much of the angle-of-attack change into the hand controls and riser system.
The exact operation varies by brand. FLARE’s system, for example, uses a defined mixing relationship between brake travel and rear line groups. Dune Rider uses its own parakite riser architecture. The important point is not the ratio or hardware in isolation; it is that a pilot must understand the specific system they are flying.
Our technical explainer, How Parakite Risers and Pitch Control Work, goes deeper into this.
Are parakites just for strong wind?
No. Strong-wind control is one of the reasons the category is useful, but modern designs can also be efficient at the low end of their intended range. A wing such as the Dune Rider Hopper is designed to retain useful glide and roll authority at lower speeds, which can help on marginal dunes or uneven lift.
The opposite end of the range is equally important. Depower and lower angle of attack can provide more penetration and a larger usable wind window than a conventional wing of similar area. But “larger wind window” should never be interpreted as permission to ignore turbulence, rotor, compression, gusts or site limits.
Is a parakite the same as a miniwing?
No. A miniwing is generally a smaller paraglider-type wing with a fixed riser concept and higher wing loading. It can be fast, dynamic and excellent in wind, but the pilot does not normally have the same integrated control over angle of attack.
A parakite can also be small and heavily loaded, so the two categories overlap in the type of terrain and flying people enjoy. The flight mechanics are still different enough that it is useful to keep the terms separate. Read Parakite vs Paraglider vs Miniwing for a side-by-side explanation.
Is a parakite suitable for beginners?
That depends on what “beginner” means, and it is where marketing language can become unhelpful. Some manufacturers describe progression-oriented parakites as accessible to very new pilots. Cloudbase takes a more conservative view for Australian pilots: a parakite should not be treated as a substitute for learning conventional free-flight fundamentals.
The Hopper is the more forgiving, progression-focused Dune Rider option and is the wing we would normally discuss before a Scraper. That does not make it a student training paraglider. We want a pilot to bring suitable existing skills, sound ground handling and the judgement to learn a new control system progressively.
What are the main parakite styles?
All-round and progression
These wings aim for predictable inflation, clear feedback, broad usable range and enough performance to keep rewarding the pilot as skills develop. Hopper is a good example.
High-performance
The Dune Rider Scraper sits here. It is aimed at experienced pilots who want stronger energy retention, sharper response, deep dive and a more technical feel. FLARE’s Bandit also occupies the high-performance end of the market, although the two brands use different control philosophies.
Mountain and lightweight
The AirDesign eXTA shows how the concept can be used outside pure dune soaring. Weight, pack volume and mountain practicality become more important in that application.
How are parakites certified?
Do not assume the familiar EN-A to EN-D paraglider ladder applies. Some parakites are load tested to EN 926-1 without an EN flight-behaviour class. Other products use different forms of approval or national registration.
This matters because a pilot can easily misread a specification and think “EN tested” means the same thing as “EN-B paraglider”. It does not. Always read the manufacturer’s exact wording and manual.
What about harnesses?
A parakite is part of a complete system. Harness geometry affects roll, feedback, body position and the way the pilot can absorb or create movement. Protection and reserve compatibility matter as much as weight.
Cloudbase does not support stripping away sensible protection simply because the wing is being flown at the beach. Terrain proximity is precisely why protection deserves attention. See Choosing a Parakite Harness.
What should an experienced paraglider pilot expect?
You will recognise inflation, weight shift, roll control and the basic language of ram-air flight. What often surprises experienced paraglider pilots is how much hand position influences pitch and speed, and how quickly the wing can move through different energy states.
The safest progression is not to begin by exploring maximum dive or maximum wind. Learn neutral positions, slow flight, depower response, turns, recovery and landing behaviour first. Build a repeatable picture of what the wing does before adding proximity or aggressive manoeuvres.
Why the category is growing
Parakiting makes small coastal terrain interesting. It can turn a modest dune into a three-dimensional playground, extend the useful range of a site and create a style of flying that feels more connected to terrain and energy than simply soaring back and forth.
The technology is also attracting serious design attention. Dune Rider has built the Hopper and Scraper around different pilot profiles, FLARE continues to develop its system across several wings, Ozone released the Vapor in September 2026, and AirDesign has taken the concept into lightweight mountain use. That breadth is a sign that parakiting is becoming a category rather than a single-product trend.
Where to start
Read the Complete Australian Parakite Guide, then compare the parakites available through Cloudbase. If Dune Rider interests you, start with the Dune Rider Australia & APAC hub and the Hopper vs Scraper comparison.
Most importantly, choose a wing and size around your real experience and intended flying. Parakiting rewards technical understanding. The better you understand the system, the more of its performance becomes useful rather than simply available.
How does parakiting change landing technique?
Because the pilot can manage angle of attack and energy through the control system, the approach and flare can feel different from a conventional paraglider. The pilot needs to understand how much speed is being carried and how the wing converts that speed back into lift.
This is another reason to learn the system in open terrain before bringing it close to obstacles. A powerful flare is useful only when the timing and trajectory are controlled.
Is parakiting replacing paragliding?
No. It is adding another tool to free flight. Conventional paragliders remain far better suited to many forms of thermalling, cross-country and general recreational flying. Parakites excel where variable pitch, terrain interaction and a broad controllable speed range are central to the experience.
Many pilots will own both because the disciplines overlap without being identical.
Why training matters even for experienced pilots
An experienced paraglider pilot brings strong transferable skills: canopy awareness, site judgement, launch technique and an understanding of air movement. What does not transfer automatically is the reference point for variable-pitch control.
A structured introduction shortens the period in which the pilot is guessing what a hand position means. That matters because parakites can change speed and trajectory quickly. Learning neutral, powered and depowered positions in a controlled environment makes later dynamic flying much more deliberate.
