14 pilots killed in five years, safety concerns at Bir-Billing soar

Bir-Billing is one of the best aviation sports locations in the world and attracts paragliding pilots from all over the world. But inadequate safety and rescue measures have questioned the viability of adventure sports activities here, including the ongoing Paragliding World Cup.

Fourteen pilots have died in about 30 paragliding accidents over the past five years, underscoring the need for stricter regulations. An aviation sports enthusiast said the lack of world-class safety measures, which were a prerequisite for the Paragliding World Cup, “exposed the lax approach of the event organizer (Bir Paragliding Association) and Himachal Pradesh government in strictly enforcing safety regulations . guidelines.

Last week a Belgian pilot died after a mid-air collision, while yesterday a Polish pilot was rescued from the high mountains with the help of a helicopter. In recent years, an average of two pilots have died in accidents every year.

Gurpreet Dhindsa, who has been flying in Bir-Billing since 1997, said: “The number of accidents has increased as foreign pilots often bypass local instructors, who are familiar with the terrain. It should be mandatory for foreign pilots to hire local instructors, which could significantly reduce the number of accidents.”

Kangra district tourism officer Vinay Dhiman said, “The tourism department has no regulatory role and only facilitates paragliding. We ensure that the pilots who come here have a valid license and the necessary flying experience. We also take an indemnity guarantee from them stating that ‘the state is not liable in the event of an accident’.”

Currently, 281 pilots have performed solo or tandem flights in Bir-Billing, and all of them have been licensed by the Ministry of Tourism.

A helicopter with a winch is required to rescue pilots stranded in the high mountains. However, such a helicopter is not available at Bir-Billing, even though the Bir Paragliding Association rents one for the World Cup.

The foreign pilots get insurance cover for accidents and whenever a pilot gets stuck in the mountains, the authorities in Baijnath – the SDM heads the paragliding monitoring committee – contact the insurance company.

It takes about three to four hours to contact the foreign insurance company. After the company gives the go-ahead, a helicopter company – most of which are based in Delhi or Dehradun – will be contacted for the rescue. It will take another two to three hours for the helicopter to reach Bir-Billing, causing further delays. Therefore, it typically takes more than 24 hours to rescue a trapped pilot. In Europe, the maximum rescue time is approximately 40 minutes.