Not many people know about the importance of the Isle of Wight to the British space exploration project. It was here, in the 1950s, that Britain’s only ever rockets, the Black Knights were designed, manufactured and tested, before being used to develop reentry technology. This island has also been the scene of a different kind of flying. Not quite as high altitude, a bit calmer, and certainly less polluting, paragliding has been practised here since the 1970s and is our top recommendation for getting to know this part of the South coast.

The situation of the county makes it perfect for sports: it’s one of the sunniest places in the whole country, hills and cliff tops provide a range of take off locations and there are reliable winds from a variety of directions. All of this means that a good proportion of days of the year are flyable, and from your aerial viewpoint it's possible to admire every corner of the island from a flight.

Boasts a variety of landscapes, from built up seaside resorts to high chalky downs, and river valleys to coastal rock formations. On top of that, it’s the smallest county in the UK (some of the time - when the tide low, the beaches grow and the island covers more area than the county of Rutland) so the nickname “England in Miniature” really fits. The exact route that you’ll take on a paraglide flight will depend on the strength and direction of the wind, but here are some things that you can look forward to by areas:

Where are the best places to go paragliding in the Isle of Wight?

• North: the largest settlements on the island are located in the North, with Newport at the head of the River Medina estuary and Ryde on the Northeast coast. The latter is a popular seaside resort, with the oldest pleasure pier of any beach in the UK. Looking North, you'll see across the Solent straits to Southampton and the New Forest on the mainland.

• East: beaches and bays make up the East coast of the isle, and along this coast amateur professional dinosaur hunters have been found amazingly well preserved fossils on the eroding cliffs - in Sandown, there’s even a dinosaur museum. The highest point on the island, St Boniface Down is in the Southeast, a prominent hilltop standing out above the beaches at Ventnor.

• South: rolling hills descend to beaches and chines (steep sided coastal valleys) in the South. One of these, Blackgang Chine, is home to the oldest theme park in the UK. The smugglers caves of the Devil’s Chimney are on the Southeast coast, whereas around the cliffs of the Southwest you might catch a glimpse of dinosaur footprints at low tide.

• West: the island Western extremity is a spit of land with white cliffs on each side, tapering and breaking up into the rocky formations of the Needles. Above these chalk towers sit old fortifications which, along with Hurst castle on the mainland, guarded the entrance to the Solent with a fierce battery of cannons.

Where are the flights meeting points?

- Near the Needles in the Northwest of the island you’ll find the village of Wellow. Between the Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Hamstead Heritage Coast protected areas, this is the meeting point for flights across the North and West of the island. You can enjoy this part of the island with a three hour tandem flight from Wellow, or, if you want to turn this experience into a hobby, why not take a paragliding course? On a one day course you’ll have a simulated flying experience before taking to the training slopes and performing some low level flights before the end of the day! Two and multiple day courses are also on offer if you want to spend more time in the air, or work towards attaining a Student Pilot rating.

- Chale is your starting point for flights that start on the South side. There are coastal take off points as well as inland peaks from which to get airborne. All the experiences here are tandem flights, so your expert pilot will choose the best place on the day depending on what you want to see, and what’s possible depending on the wind conditions. Thirty minute and full hour flights are on offer, giving you time to experience the thrill of wind powered flight, and to enjoy the wonderful views of this special place.

Requirements to do this activity

If you want to experience the Isle of Wight in this unique way, you have to be at least 14 years old, and if you’re under 18 you need your parent’s consent. Weight is also a factor. On a tandem jump you will share a parachute with your pilot, but be secured in an individual harness. If you’re taking a course and learning to fly solo, the parachute will be smaller so in both cases the maximum weight is around 110kg. To take part in a paragliding course it’s necessary to be a member of the BHPA, this can be arranged on the morning of the first day.

It takes some strength, as well as skill, to get a parachute up into the air and control its movement while in flight, and for that reason a reasonable level of fitness is a must if you’re going to take a course. Tandem flights on the other hand are controlled by an experienced flyer so you don’t have to worry about exerting yourself too much. Keep in mind though that in both cases you’ll be ascending into the skies and you should dress appropriately. Throughout the year we recommend long sleeves and trousers, and gloves are also a good idea for flying here. Walking boots with ankle support can be useful at take off - but whatever you wear on your feet, make sure that it’s not going to fall off when you're flying! Finally, put some sunscreen on if the sun’s shining - there’s no shade in the sky.

What extra services can be included with the jump?

You can choose a package on that includes a DVD of your flight. You’ll hardly notice the camera attached to the glider during the experience, so it won’t spoil the views, but it will make them last forever. If you want to prove that you’re brave enough to go paragliding - which is a kind of flying with no engine - we recommend that you have it recorded so that no one can accuse you of making it up.

Whether you choose the DVD or not, flying above this area is an experience to treasure. Go for it!