Paragliding with kids and family in Niterói: a guide for parents

Can a child go paragliding? Yes — on a tandem flight, from roughly 20 kg, with a certified instructor and the authorisation of a parent or guardian. Here is what matters before booking, what the child actually feels, and what the rest of the family can do while one of you is in the air.

Weight, authorisation and supervision

• Minimum weight of about 20 kg. That is the point from which tandem equipment works comfortably and safely for the passenger.
• Authorisation from a parent or guardian, who should be present at the ramp on the day.
• A certified instructor for each flight. Each child flies individually with a CBVL-certified instructor — children never fly together or unaccompanied.

The full criteria for weight, age and health are in who can go paragliding.

Is it safe for children?

• CBVL-certified instructor, trained and assessed by the body that organises free flight in Brazil, with more than 19 years of experience.
• Certified, inspected equipment: a wing sized for tandem flying, harnesses with buckles checked item by item, a helmet and a reserve parachute.
• Flying only in safe conditions. If the wind is not right, the flight is rescheduled at no cost. With children, that discipline is applied even more strictly.

What the child feels

The launch is a few steps of running beside the instructor, with no jolt and no drop. In the air the sensation is lightness and silence — children often describe it as "floating". The landing is gentle, at walking pace, on São Francisco beach. Many children ask to go again before they have even taken the harness off.

And those who do not fly? The lookout is a day out in itself

• Watching the launch up close. The ramp is visible from the lookout: you see the wing open, the run and the moment the feet leave the ground.
• The view. From the top you get the whole of Guanabara Bay, with Rio, Sugarloaf, Christ the Redeemer and the Rio–Niterói bridge.
• Family photos. While one flies, the others photograph from above — and everyone meets again at the landing on São Francisco beach.

What else the park offers is in what to do at Parque da Cidade.

A family day in Niterói

• Campo de São Bento, in Icaraí: a shaded park where children can run around.
• Calm bay beaches such as Icaraí and Charitas, with gentle water and a promenade.
• The ocean region: wider beaches and a seaside-town feel.
• São Francisco beach: where the flight lands, so it becomes the natural meeting point.

Practical tips for parents

1. Comfortable clothes and closed shoes. No flip-flops: the launch involves a few steps of running.
2. Sunscreen and a cap for whoever waits at the lookout — the park is open and sunny.
3. A snack and water. A hungry child gets impatient; a light snack before the flight is welcome, a heavy meal is not.
4. Arrive calmly. Allow time to meet the instructor and hear the briefing without rushing.
5. Talk to the child beforehand. Explain that they will fly seated with an experienced instructor, and show them a video.
6. Do not push. If, on the day, the child does not want to fly, that is fine. The flight should be a gift, not a test — many change their minds after watching someone else launch.

Teenagers and grandparents

Teenagers fly easily within the weight range, with a guardian's authorisation, and are usually the most excited in the group. Grandparents can fly too: there is no maximum age, and passengers well advanced in years fly with us regularly, provided they have no serious health issues.

📚 References (Wikipedia): paragliding · Niterói