Aitham (JK) | The Jammu Tourism Department is preparing to give the region's skies a new identity by introducing commercial paragliding near here by early next year.

The project is also a story of personal courage and empowerment led by Dolly Sharma, the only woman pilot among the 20 trainees preparing to fly professionally.

Aitham is a paragliding location near Jammu that has undergone trials and is being developed by the tourism department to boost adventure tourism. The take-off point is about 19 km from Jammu city and the landing zone is the sand bed of the Sardhan stream. The trial flight is approximately four minutes.

"This is the only site that is recommended for paragliding and we want to operationalise it in the next five to six months before the end of the current financial year," Joint Director, Jammu Tourism, Aijaz Qaiser told PTI on the concluding day of the six-day refresher course for the 20 paragliding pilots here.

The refresher course is part of advanced training for the pilots who have already completed their P1, P2 and P3 courses from the National Institute of Mountaineering and allied sports. They will be undergoing P4 training courses at Bilaspur (Govind Sagar lake) and Bir-Billing (Himachal Pradesh) which is considered Asia's best-in-class institute for paragliding and related activities.

"These 20 pilots have just completed their SIV course from Himachal Pradesh and will be leaving in two batches for Bir-Billing for P4 shortly.

"We have collaborated with the A B Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, and have one instructor from there with a two-member technical team from Himachal Pradesh that supervised the training schedule," Qaiser said.

On the completion of the pilots' advance training, he said, the department plans to make them fly regularly so that they can complete their mandatory flying hours to conduct solo and tandem flights with passengers.

"This is a 190 sq km area with ideal take-off slopes, consistent wind conditions, and panoramic views. We are in the process of taking over this land to raise necessary infrastructure, including an uphill track, multi-cuisine restaurants, a sunset point and a yoga platform," he added.

The officer said the initiative is part of a broader push to develop adventure tourism in the region and make Jammu a year-round destination for visitors seeking more than pilgrimages and heritage trails.

Sharma, the only woman among the trainees, who has been pursuing adventure sports for the past five years, said this opportunity represents both professional growth and a step forward for women in the region.

"The experience has been very good. Being a woman is not a weakness — there is nothing that a woman cannot do," she said, brimming with confidence before taking flight and making a perfect landing.

For Sharma, the project represents something deeper than tourism or business.

"This is about confidence. Adventure tourism will attract visitors, yes, but it will also give local youths, especially women, a chance to learn new skills and see themselves in a new light." Qaiser said the mandate of his department is to promote adventure tourism and create opportunities that also benefit local youths.

Under the guidance of Tourism Director Vikas Gupta and on Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo's special directions, the department is developing new adventure destinations, including river rafting, water sports and paragliding in different parts of Jammu.

Adventure tourism has been gaining momentum across the country, drawing younger travellers and weekend visitors, said Kabir, another paragliding pilot.

By developing safe, certified adventure sites, Jammu aims to capture that emerging market while generating local employment, he said.

Pilot Atul Kumar believes that the region's topography offers immense potential.

"I have been part of paragliding for the past many years and have seen different locations within and outside J&K. The take-off and landing points here are perfect and the weather is stable most of the year. Surinsar and Mansar lakes in the vicinity are an added advantage," he said.

Adventure sports enthusiast Pervaiz Singh Rajput echoed the sentiment, describing the site as "one of the best natural settings" for paragliding.

"The views are spectacular, the wind conditions are consistent and it's easily accessible from Jammu city. It can easily match or even surpass some of the existing paragliding sites in the country," he said.

Trainer J Singh lauded the tourism department's efforts and said paragliding will definitely boost tourism and generate employment for locals.