Paragliding is another pure and versatile mode of free flight. The paragliding wing (or canopy) is similar in form to a modern square-shaped parachute but allows for higher glide performance. Officially a parafoil, the wing’s design allows incoming air to pass through the structure’s leading edge, which keeps it inflated and maintains its shape. Modern paragliding wings can soar for hours and gain thousands of feet in altitude in the right conditions, and can travel for several hundred miles. Speeds generally range between 12 and 35 miles per hour. Gliders are most often launched from a high elevation point, such as a large hill or mountain, but in the absence of a suitably elevated launch spot can be towed aloft by a ground vehicle, boat, or scooter.