You are an English-speaking coach in Beijing and a flyer for China’s national team. What got you into paragliding? My father was an airline pilot, so I’ve always wanted to fly. I read about paragliding back in 1994, but the tuition fees were really high. I had to work for years before I could afford it.

It’s a pretty dangerous sport, right? Back in the 1990s it was very dangerous, but it’s safer now. It’s about as risky as skiing—except that the effect of one accident on our sport’s reputation is much greater. We put safety first now. Without safety, we’re nothing.

Who runs paragliding in Beijing?There are two clubs, Superwing and Flying Man. Both usually fly at a mountain called Mangshan beside the Ming Tombs. We can soar up to 800m above the landing zone. I’ve flown there for seven hours straight.

Seven hours? You don’t just fly from top to bottom? That’s only the most basic level. The real aim is to catch rising air and go up—the higher and further, the better. When I’m following the thermals up into the sky, that’s when I really feel like a bird. It’s freezing outside.

This is a summer sport, isn’t it? It’s best in summer and autumn, but we also fly during winter. In spring, when the winds are strongest, we go by the sea to fly the 50 metre-high sand dunes at Beidaihe. But where I really want to go is Tibet. Maybe not this year, but one day.

Adventurous stuff. What do others think? People think we’re mad and that there’s something wrong with us. I didn’t tell my parents at first. And it affected my love life, definitely. Every weekend I’m out flying rather than back in the house. But now my girlfriend is a paraglider too ... she’s a great pilot.

Interview by David McNeill

What: Superwing When: Every weekend How Much: ¥500 (tandem), ¥1200 (beginner or advanced) Contact: 139-1160-3717