The air sports that people participate in are hang gliding, parachuting, plane gliding, and para gliding. Para gliding is an exciting sport that was first done in Turkey mostly by university air sports clubs. Mount Baba, in the territory of Fethiye is near ÖlüDeniz or the Blue Lagoon is a popular paragliding spot. It takes about forty minutes from the lagoon to get to the mount. It is a good place for paragliding from April to October. Oludeniz is the original place where para gliding was undertaken in Turkey.
ÖlüDeniz has become well known as a good area for outdoor activities during the winter and summer like camping and hiking. The beach and the mountains are very beautiful. It is also a great place to enjoy water sports. Turkey is a cheaper place to engage in paragliding and hangliding as there aren't any local restrictions. There aren't any governmental restrictions concerning site permission, membership, or insurance. Though some sites have an entrance fee !
Mount Baba offers three take off runways; the south runway, which is 1700 meters up is a good runway. The runway to the north that is 1800 meters is smaller and too upright. The north runway that is 1900 meters is also a good runway. The landing runway at Belcekiz beach is long and wide; it is a roomy accommodating runway.
The weather for air sports is inviting. The summer weather is stable-good air sports weather. At times a morning north wind blows, which is excellent for take off from the north runways and the majority of the day looks into a south wind of 5 to 20 km. Contrary air sports weather to think about: Overcast clouds can be a problem during the beginning and the end of each season. That is because the weather can quickly change. A south wind that misleads a para glider can occur during the morning, but by midday a good west wind occurs. It is important to know the weather conditions when performing any air sport. Once the tourist arrives at Mount Baba, he'll be tied to his instructor and floating in the air. The price is moderate and the student's boots, flying suit, and helmet are included.
Another good place is Denizli Pamukkale, which is at the bottom of Mount Cokelen. There are several take off hills. This is an interesting tourist area where thousands of people visit each year to see ancient ruins. The air sports weather for paragliding is good all year long because it is warm.
Ankara Golbasi is where the university aerial clubs train people for paragliding. The wind conditions and the altitude are exemplary for paragliding training. It is a well known air sports club.
Camping in Turkey ranges from $3.00 to $10.00 a night for each tent. Some of the camping sites are rugged, while others are equipped with camping gear for you to use and some of the campsites also have A-frame bungalows. The price for bungalows is different for each campsite. A list of camping sites by their region can be found at turizm.net.
A good organization to contact for information about air sports in Turkey is Wild Turkey Adventures. They specialize in paragliding, hang gliding and canyoning tours.
