US EditionParaglider Liu Ge Investigated After Surviving 28,000ft Cloud Vortex
- Peng Yujiang, a 55-year-old licensed paraglider, was unexpectedly lifted to 8,598 meters over the Qilian Mountains on May 24, 2025, during an equipment test in Gansu Province.
- Strong winds and a rare 'cloud suck' updraft pulled Peng into cumulonimbus clouds, trapping him in severe cold and low oxygen conditions without an oxygen mask.
- Despite numb, nearly frozen hands and poor visibility, Peng controlled his paraglider using a compass and radio communication while spiraling and possibly losing consciousness during descent.
- Peng described the ordeal as "terrifying," recalling being lifted higher and struggling to regain control, and he reported, "I'm finally out!" upon emerging from the cloud.
- Authorities suspended Peng for six months due to unauthorized flight and are investigating the incident, which underscores the dangers of high-altitude paragliding and weather unpredictability.
77 Articles
77 Articles
Paraglider Covered in Ice as Wind Sweeps Him to 27K Feet
A Chinese paraglider's routine equipment test turned extraordinary—and terrifying—when a powerful updraft swept him nearly 27,800 feet above China's Qilian mountains, leaving him covered in ice, disoriented, and battling for survival in thin air. His harrowing flight, captured on video, quickly became a viral sensation, the BBC...
The Chinese Paraglider Was Suddenly Sucked in by the Clouds, Barely Surviving at an Altitude of 8,500 Meters
A Chinese paraglider survived an incredible situation when the air flow suddenly sucked it up and lifted it to a height of 8,500 meters above northwestern China, the South China Post reports.
The Experience of Flying Like a Bird at 500 Meters High without Motor and Guided by Natural Factors
Once installed in the front seat, facing the glider’s nose and with extended legs, the pilot adjusts the seat belt, similar to a harness, and finally closes the cabin. The test starts with a trailer. An airplane goes back to the glider with a cable up to 500 meters high. Then the cable is released, the tugboat returns to the ground and the glider is delivered to its fate, governed purely and exclusively by the thermal currents. It is about to be…
"I Am Alive by Miracle": the Other Paragliding Pilots Who 'Sprinkled the Sun' After Being Swallowed by the Clouds
The rise of a Chinese amateur is exceptional, but not unique: paragliders who have been absorbed by storm clouds tell their experience and doubt it was a simple accident
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