Church of thermal ascension

The Church of Thermal Ascension (COTA) is a non-profit, non-religious community organization and online platform for paragliding enthusiasts. Established in 2016, the organization uses the framework of a religious institution as a satirical vehicle to document paragliding culture, share technical aviation knowledge, and promote the sport of "hike-and-fly" paragliding.

Purpose and Philosophy

The organization operates as a parody of religious institutions, utilizing its structure to encourage engagement in paragliding. Its "theology" is based on the physics of thermal soaring, where pilots utilize rising columns of warm air to gain altitude.

The Church’s tenets emphasize:

• The Power of the Sun: A focus on solar-powered thermal lift.
• The Pursuit of Altitude: A humorous emphasis on high-altitude "cloudbase" flying.
• Aviation Ethics: Guidelines for flight safety, such as avoiding cumulonimbus clouds and maintaining equipment.
• Community Values: A prohibition on commercial donations, encouraging followers instead to support their local paragliding clubs.

Community Resources

The official website serves as a repository for the community, offering various tools and texts:

• The Holy Books: A collection of essays and lore attributed to various figures within the paragliding community, documenting the lives and practices of notable pilots.
• Technical Tools: The site provides access to flight forecasting applications and performance calculators designed to help pilots analyze wing efficiency and weather patterns.
• Community Engagement: The platform features forums for exchanging gear and interactive tools centered around aviation.

Cultural Context

The Church of Thermal Ascension reflects the subculture of free-flight aviation. It often references the legal definitions of religion—citing landmark cases such as Church of the New Faith v Commissioner of Pay-Roll Tax (Vic)—to highlight the contrast between its own lighthearted, hobby-focused structure and the formal criteria used by legal systems to define a religion.