Paraglider EN Rating Guide: A·B·C·D and CCC

The first thing you look at when choosing a glider is the EN rating. EN ratings come from flight tests under the European standard (EN 926-2) and classify how a glider behaves and recovers in disturbed conditions. One misconception to clear up first: a rating indicates the level of piloting required (passive safety), not "performance."

Characteristics by class

• EN-A: highest passive safety. Strongly tends to recover on its own after a disturbance. For beginners and training.
• EN-B: the mainstream class for recreational flying. Keeps good safety while offering better performance.
• EN-C: sport/performance class. More performance in exchange for more active piloting.
• EN-D: high-performance class. Behavior under disturbance is fast and strong, requiring rich experience and immediate response.
• CCC: competition class. The highest-performance, most demanding wings, beyond EN-D.

A higher rating is not a performance ranking

A higher rating doesn't mean a "better" glider. A class beyond your skill actually increases risk. EN-A to B is plenty for most recreational pilots, and moving up should happen gradually, backed by enough airtime and skill.

Representative paragliders by class

Examples by class from the models in the FlyWise equipment catalog. Even within the same class, models differ a lot, so prioritize advice from your instructor or shop for the actual choice.

• EN-A (beginner): Gin Bolero 8, Ozone Mojo 6, Advance ALPHA 7, Davinci Rhythm 2
• EN-B (recreational): Ozone Rush 6, Ozone Geo 7, Ozone Swift 6, Davinci Funky 2
• EN-C (sport): Ozone Delta 5, Ozone Alpina 5, Davinci Tango
• EN-D (high performance): Ozone Mantra M7, Ozone Zeno 2, Advance OMEGA X-ALPS 3
• CCC (competition): Ozone Enzo 3, Gin Boomerang 12, Swing Stratus 8

Beyond these, we cover a broad range of models from major manufacturers like Ozone, Advance, Nova, Gin, Niviuk, Skywalk, Mac Para, BGD, and Davinci.

LTF and EN

Germany's LTF certification is often shown alongside. The EN and LTF criteria are now aligned similarly, so they're usually written together, like "EN-A/LTF 1" or "EN-B/LTF 1-2."

For reference, hang gliders use the DHV (1–3) system rather than EN. For details, see Hang Glider Ratings and Representative Wings.

As much as the rating, condition management affects safety. For how to track cumulative hours and inspection cycles with FlyWise, see the equipment management guide.