Sol Paragliders

Sol Paragliders, established in 1979 by Ary Carlos Pradi in Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil, initially manufactured hang gliders before transitioning to paragliders in 1991 under the FUN Gliders name. By 1993, 70% of their business was export-oriented, and they rebranded as Sol Paragliders in 1996. The company partnered with Nova Performance Paragliders of Austria but went global independently by 1999. Between 2000 and 2010, pilots using Sol gliders set 15 world records, and the company was certified by the German DHV in 2004. The Super Sonic design became prominent for aerobatics in 2005, while Kamira Pereira and Horacio Llorens achieved notable records in 2009 and 2011 respectively. Sol's Tracer model was highly competitive, with Frank Brown winning the Brazilian championship multiple times. In 2011, Sol won an Innovation Award for its One design. By 2010, the company employed 120 staff, including 22 pilots, and opened a museum in February 2011. They also produced various models such as the Atmus, Auster, Axion, and others, contributing to their global presence in paragliding.