World ParaGliding Association has para-glider as a gliding kite where the "mooring" is let to fall by the attraction of gravity while the kite line is tensed against the kiting action of the the wing or wings. A para-glider was first first describe functionally in 1896 concerning an 1895 incident of a fugitive set of wings called parakites were coupled by a single tether; the lower wing acted as the resistive mooring to the upper wing; together the para-glider flew a long distance and glided down eventually. See book by Woglom called Parakites which is fully online available for reading.
Paragliders used in radio-controlled scale modelling are para-gliders, sometimes powered and sometimes not powered. Also, huge industrial para-gliders or paragliders are used. See Atair Insect for an example. Then there are the manned hang gliders that are gliding kites with one or more tethers as the kite lines to the wing coupled to the payload or pod to carry a mass of stuff or robot or engine or human pilot ...many choices.
by parakite November 02, 2011