Paragliding
What is paragliding?
Imagine parking your car at a beautiful upland vantage point on a sparkling spring day. You open the boot and don flying suit and boots, then lift out your incredibly light flying machine in its carrying rucksack and trek off a few yards to where your friends are preparing to fly. After a few minutes spent inspecting your equipment you don helmet and harness, look around, allow the wind to raise the canopy - and launch off into space. This is paragliding!
Developed from parachuting canopies, modern paragliders can be soared effortlessly on windward slopes and across country in good conditions. It is the same freedom that hang glider pilots have, but a paraglider is more portable and a little easier to learn to fly. They are more hampered by strong winds than hang gliders but are easier to land in small fields. In the UK paragliding is a thriving sport.
Is Paragliding Safe?
Paragliding, like any other adventure sport, has its associated risks and dangers. To operate safely in any kind of aviation environment one must strive at all times to minimise those risks. The most important pre-requisites to learning to fly safely are: pilot attitude, competent instruction, and safe equipment. If these conditions are met the slow speeds and inherent stability of paragliders can provide a reasonably safe and easy way to fly, however there is no completely safe form of aviation and the pilot must assume full responsibility for his actions.
Who can fly a
paraglider?
You must be over 16 years
to obtain a pilot rating, 14 years to begin training. There is
no upper age limit. You need to be reasonably fit and have good
vision. If you have any weaknesses or medical problems please
seek
medical advice and then inform us. We also provide tandem
flights (for any age) and training for people with more severe
disabilities with the help of the charity 'Flyability' is also a
possibility.
What can you do with
one?
Many paraglider pilots strive to perfect their skills in
cross-country flying. A summer sky filled with fluffy cumulus
clouds provides abundant - but invisible - lifting currents
which pilots use to gain altitude. Setting off on such a day,
either towards a pre-selected goal or just drifting where the
wind will take you, is one of the most breathtaking experiences
available today. Most pilots will talk of the sense of privilege
they feel when drifting from cloud to cloud, in almost total
silence, watching the landscape unfold beneath them as they
navigate across the sky.
Flights of over 200km have been made by paraglider pilots in
this country. Abroad, especially in the Alpine regions, the
potential is infinitely greater, and many British pilots take
advantage of the paraglider's portability to visit Europe or
more exotic locations further afield. For those of a competitive
bent, local, national and international competitions offer
challenges to novice and experienced pilots alike.
Do they always
need a hill?
Paragliding is not limited to upland
environments. Tow launching, the launch technique use in the
flatlands, uses an engine-driven winch to pull pilots aloft
where they search for lift like their hill flying friends.
Learning to fly a
paraglider
Expect a full course to
take around ten days of flyable weather. Training is usually
conducted on a gentle slope. Your instructor will explain how
the canopy is laid out, inflated and controlled by its brake
lines; you'll then take it in turns with other members of your
group to have your first short training hops. When you've
become adept at ground handling, controlling airspeed and making
gentle turns, you'll probably go to a higher hill for longer
flights. The instructor may even take you up dual on a special
canopy to demonstrate an exercise. As things fall into place
you'll learn to soar - to stay up in favourable winds and make
longer flights. In the classroom you'll cover flight theory,
meteorology and basic air law and sit a simple exam. With a
positive assessment from your instructor on your flying,
normally on your own the canopy, you'll be given a BHPA Club
Pilot rating enabling you to fly in the club environment. You'll
find that DIY takes a back seat when you've discovered the
unlimited freedom of the sky! You can also learn to fly in an
airfield environment, using a winch to tow you aloft. Training
takes less time and you can convert to hill flying later if you
choose to.
How much do they cost?
Paragliders are not
cheap, although they represent one of the least
expensive ways to get into the air. A new paraglider
suitable for a recently trained pilot will cost up
to around £2,000; secondhand canopies can be
obtained for much less. Training to the level at
which you can fly your own canopy in a club
environment costs around £1100; introductory courses
cost around half that. Apart from a glider you need
a harness, helmet, flight suit and boots; later in
your flying career you may choose to buy instruments
and other useful accessories. Paragliding is a
great community. You'll often find
championship-winning pilots comparing notes with
novices; both know that theirs is perhaps the
simplest and most intuitive way of flying yet
devised. If you want to enjoy the challenges that
only being truly at one with the elements can
provide, book a training course today!
What about the
weather?
Paragliding is a
sport that is very dependant on the weather as flying is only
possible in certain conditions. A good flyable day is one where
there is light wind and no rain. Clouds (except Cb) are not a
problem; a dull
overcast day with light winds can often be better than one in
blazing sunshine. Our Abroad courses offer you a way to get a
block of training days together, and are a fun and great holiday
too.
How do I get
started!
We offer a range of courses and options. Please click below for
more information.