Ikarus Havacılık is in sports oriented aviation world since 1991 and aims to popularize paragliding in Turkey with a professional approach. Since its foundation, Ikarus has been offering internationally standards based paragliding courses to participants. Paragliding pilot training includes three consecutive steps.

Student Pilot
This training lasts for a weekend. Would-be pilots make ground work on the first day. Here, would-be pilots learn pre-take off controls and become familiar with their parachutes. Endless repetition is required to acquire take-off reflexes. Would-be pilots practice to learn how to control their parachutes. On second day, they make their first glides on a low hill with a smooth slope.

Paragliding and Sports Oriented Aviation
In early 1980, some French parachutists use aircraft parachutes to fly from hills. All original material was redesigned to meet current requirements. Thanks to its advantages in price, size and training over alternative aviation vehicles, paragliding developed rapidly, and flying, once a privilege for an elite, became an publicly accessible sports or hobby. Upon completing a standard training, a paraglider needs nothing but a bag to carry his/her wings on his/her shoulders.

Paragliding is a public sport in Europe. Strict criteria have been issued for material production, training and pilotage. Paragliding has been officially standardized. Paragliding began in Turkey during early 1990 and soon many international pilots discovered Turkey with its favorable climate and nature.

Babadağ (located close to Fethiye-Ölüdeniz) is regarded as one of the leading tracks of the world. However, paragliding is neither officially recognized nor supported; therefore, we can not afford to fully activate the paragliding and sports oriented aviation potential.

Popular Flight Regions
Thanks to its highly favorable nature and climate, Turkey is the most popular flight region in Northern Hemisphere. Fethiye/Ölüdeniz welcomes thousands of international pilots every year. Here more than twenty-five thousands flights are made annually. Many international schools visit Fethiye/Ölüdeniz as part of their academic training curriculum. Other popular flight sites are Denizli-Pamukkale (where 1st World Aviation Olympics Paragliding races took place), Çatalca-Ormanlı (close to Istanbul), Nevşehir-Cappadocia, Adıyaman-Nemrut Mountain, Bolu-Abant Lake, Gökova-Sakargeçidi and Bodrum-Ören.

Flight Season
Our country offers a favorable warm climate, as it is located on latitude suitable for paragliding. Turkey is an ideal round-the-year flight region. During winter paragliders can visit such popular ski centers like Erzurum-Palandöken, Bursa-Uludağ, Kayseri-Erciyes, Kastamonu-Ilgaz, Bolu-Kartalkaya and visit İstanbul Ormanlı and Fethiye-Ölüdeniz to fly in summer.