This year marks a monumental milestone for India’s paragliding community — 25 years of flight, innovation, and inspiration led by none other than Vijay Soni, one of the country’s most accomplished and respected paragliding pilots.
A Pioneer Takes Flight
Vijay Soni’s journey began in the late 1990s, at a time when paragliding was barely known in India. Armed with nothing but passion and vision, he became one of the first Indian pilots to embrace the skies — not for fame or records, but to pioneer a path that others could follow.
Over the past two and a half decades, Soni has logged over 10,000 hours in the air, flown in some of the most challenging terrains, and become a living symbol of consistency, courage, and mastery.
Historic Achievements
In 2000, he completed India’s first-ever 64 km cross-country paragliding flight, marking the beginning of a new era in Indian adventure sports. In 2009, he achieved another first — flying a 100 km FAI triangle in Yelagiri, Tamil Nadu, earning a place in the Limca Book of Records.
These feats weren’t just personal milestones — they broke barriers, set benchmarks, and showed what was possible for Indian pilots.
“Vijay Soni’s contributions have been recognized across the aviation and adventure sports communities. From being featured in national media to being invited to technical panels and advisory boards, he is widely regarded as a pillar of Indian paragliding.
But perhaps his most enduring legacy is the respect he commands — not just as a pilot, but as someone who has spent 25 years advancing a sport with unwavering dedication and humility.”
