POKHARA, Jan 6: Due to the opening of the Pokhara Regional International Airport, paragliding activities that previously took place from Sarangkot for two and a half decades have been relocated to Mandredhunga, which is 5 kilometers west of Sarangkot. Paragliding has been suspended in Sarangkot since January 1 after the international  airport came into operation.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) previously allowed paragliding flights to take place in Mandredhunga, but those flights were not for commercial purposes. Instead, they were mainly used as practice for beginner pilots and solo flights for experienced pilots. The view of the Pokhara Valley, Phewa Lake, and Himalayas from Mandredhunga is not particularly clear, so it was not suitable for commercial paragliding flights.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has now designated a specific area in the sky over Mandredhunga for paragliding. Sarangkot, Toripani and Tamagi areas where paragliding was allowed earlier, were banned after the operation of Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA).

The takeoff point for paragliding in Mandredhunga is located at an altitude of approximately 1700 meters (5708 feet) above the sea level, according to Krishan Bhandari, the outgoing president of the Nepal Air Sports Association. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has set a maximum height limit of 6000 feet for paragliding in this area. After takeoff, paragliders are only allowed to ascend to around 300 feet,  adds Bhandari.

According to Bhandari, after take-off, they can only move up to 500 meters to the east (Toripani-Sarangkot) and west (Panchase). Similarly, the pilots will be allowed to  go only 50 meters towards the north (Suikhet). However, the paragliders will be allowed to travel four and a half kilometers to the south towards Pame. "The box has become a bit narrow," he said, "It has made things a bit difficult."

According to a pilot with long experience in paragliding, the view from Mandredhunga is not as clear as it is from Sarangkot. After takeoff, pilots are not allowed to go north and can only fly to the south. The lake, mountains, and market are not visible in the same way that they are from Sarangkot, and even if the mountains are visible while flying, pilots are not allowed to ascend to a higher altitude or go north. As a result, it is not possible to have a flight experience similar to that of Sarangkot.

According to the general secretary of Nepal Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Shailendra Rawat, paragliders will now have to land on the fields of Pame.

He said that a test flight is being conducted at Mandredhunga. According to him, the test flight has been going on for two days in Mandredhunga. For the next three days, the paragliding pilots will prepare other pilots. A tandem pilot will fly another pilot and fly two times a day and then go on commercial flights. 

“First, there will be solo flights. Now that the guest will be flown, we have tried to make the pilots feel safe," he said.

Rawat stated that the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has only granted permission for paragliding flights in Mandredhunga for one month in the first phase. It currently takes around 15 minutes to reach the landing area after takeoff from Mandredhunga, whereas it used to take 7-8 minutes to reach the Khapaudi landing site after taking off from Sarangkot. However, Rawat noted that it is not possible to gain as much height in Mandredhunga as it was previously, so the lake and mountains will not be as visible as they used to be from Sarangkot.

 
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