What Is Paragliding?

Paragliding is the closest you can get to flying like a bird. It is a foot launched inflatable wing made popular because it is so easy to carry, set up, and fly (compared with any other aircraft). They are made from nylon and more and more are now coated with silicone (which offers some UV protection).

The pilot is suspended under the canopy by very thin lines made of Kevlar (very strong). He/she sits in a harness (much like a laid-back easy chair) for maximum comfort in the air. When flying, you can actually soar like a bird; taking advantage of rising air in the form of thermals or ridge lift.

Total weight of the paraglider, harness, reserve parachute and helmet is usually around 15 -20kg. They are rolled up and stowed in a rucksack that can easily be carried by the pilot.

Is Parascending Or Parasailing The Same?

Many people confuse paragliding with parasailing or parascending (both the same). These are large parachutes pulled behind a boat at the beach or behind vehicles. Paragliders are foot-launched from hills, mountains, cliffs or from tow launch (winching) at an airfield.

What Is A Hang Glider?

Hang gliders have a more solid wing structure containing an aluminium frame that creates a V-shaped wing. In comparison, paragliders are inflated by the airflow and have no internal frame.

A hang glider only semi-collapses into a bag that is about 15ft long and weighs 30 – 60kg. You will need a car with a roof-rack to transport it around.

Is Paragliding Dangerous?

The simple answer is yes. However, it is no worse than skiing, motorcycling or horse riding. In the school environment; you're as safe as you can be because the conditions you fly in are much more controlled - i.e. if we say don't fly, you don't fly. This greatly lessens the chance of injury.

There is a saying in the flying community; "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots." Most accidents occur due to pilot error. Very rarely are they due to equipment failure. The majority of accidents occur because the pilot was flying in weather conditions that were too extreme or because they were doing dangerous manoeuvres too close to the ground.

You can compare flying with driving. If you drive like an idiot or in very poor weather conditions, you are more likely to crash than a careful driver or rider in fair weather - the same goes for flying.

Are There Any Age Restrictions?

UK law says 14 years (16 to achieve soaring flight) with no upper age limit, but for practical and liability reasons we limit ours to between 18 and 60 years.

Although paragliding does not require physical strength or fitness, it does need you to be mentally alert with good coordination skills and good spatial awareness. You will also need to be fit enough to take a few knocks and tumbles in case you fall over during the more basic stages.

Are There Any Weight Or Size Restrictions?

You will need to weigh somewhere between 50kg and 110kg. Sadly, they don't make gliders bigger or smaller than this - well, actually they do, but they are not certified so we can't use them. Tandem wings despite being built to carry two people cannot be used for one extra large person without a separate certification process and this is rarely done.

If you are only 5ft tall and weigh 100kg you simply will not fit into a harness, but thankfully very few people come into that category. If you are exceptionally short or tall, it will be best to talk to us first. You shouldn't have a problem providing you are somewhere between 4ft 10" and 6ft 5" tall.

What Qualifications Do I Need To Fly On My Own?

You do not need to be qualified to fly paragliders legally, but you would have to be very foolish indeed to try and fly one without qualified instruction. Many people gave their lives in the development of aviation learning from their mistakes. Are you willing to make all those mistakes all over again for yourself?

Pilots receive new ratings as they progress through their flying career that reflects their skill level. In the UK under the BHPA those ratings are as follows:

• Elementary Pilot - After completing this course you can only fly under direct Instructor supervision within a school environment. This course is just a basic introductory stage to allow you the time to experience it before you (or your instructor) decide whether you have what it takes to become a pilot.

This stage can be completed in just a few days.

• Club Pilot (Novice) - After completing this course you will be considered to have the minimum knowledge and skill necessary to fly solo without direct Instructor supervision at the majority of UK club flying sites. However, you are not allowed to fly cross-country or beyond the boundaries of a controlled club site. You will only have a very basic understanding of meteorology, air law, flight theory and navigation.

It is at this stage you are at your most vulnerable. It can be compared to having just passed your driving test - the learning has only just begun.

This stage can take between a few weeks and a few months depending on your committment level and luck with the weather.

• Pilot - At this end of this stage you will have completed a number of further flight requirements and have logged a minimum of 25 hours (double this is more realistic) airtime. At this point you will be considered a competent pilot and will be able to fly in a lot more places. You will also be able to navigate controlled airspace and fly cross-country. At this stage you will have studied long and hard to achieve a good understanding of meteorology, air law, flight theory and navigation.

To achieve this level you will need to have been flying between one and three years (the lesser if you do our advanced courses abroad).

• Advanced Pilot - This requirement is met only by logging many hours of airtime and flying many cross-country flights. Only truly dedicated pilots; mainly Instructors and competition pilots achieve this level.

To achieve this level you will need to have been flying a minimum of five years.

All of the above will require several hours of study followed by a written exam. Each stage obviously becomes more difficult than the last and will involve a lot more study.

The school will take you through all four stages if you wish because we run advanced training courses abroad every year - obviously, this is the safest way to progress. You can however achieve Pilot and Advanced Pilot ratings in the club environment without any help from the school.

Why Should I Learn With A BHPA Registered School?

In order to become a BHPA Instructor you must achieve all the above ratings plus the following:

1. Spend two to three years learning 'how to teach' with a school as a Trainee Instructor.

2. Attend a BHPA Club Coach Course and become a Club Coach.

3. Attend a BHPA Instructor Course.

4. Become a qualified First-Aider.

5. Pass an Instructor Examination (theory and practical).

This will make you a basic level Instructor, but you won't be able to run your own school. Two to three years later (after learning how to teach Trainee Instructors), you can attend a BHPA Senior Instructor Course followed by another examination to become a Senior Instructor.

After several years as a Senior Instructor (in order to gain experience), you can start your own school and become a Chief Flying Instructor.

Tough requirements huh? Amazingly, there are some non BHPA schools being run by people who wouldn't even come up to our Club Pilot standard. The choice is yours!

Will You Teach Us On Old Equipment?

Absolutely not! Sadly, this is the way a lot of schools operate - it is not unusual for you to be taught on ten year old worn out gliders, but at ParAvion we will only teach on the very latest equipment. Our school gliders are replaced every few months. You may benefit from this further too, because once they have had around 25 days use, we sell them on to our students at a much reduced rate.

I've Already Bought My Bargain Kit From An Internet Auction Site

If this is the case, then you've probably just wasted your money on a load of junk. The only reason paragliding kit is sold like this is because it probably can't be sold anywhere else.

We would not even consider teaching you on equipment bought in this way, so please don't ask.

Why Must I Have A Reserve Parachute

You may think a reserve parachute is unnecessary, but we at ParAvion will NOT give you a CP (hill) rating unless you have one. This is not a BHPA requirement, but we think it would be irresponsible of any instructor to let you fly outside of the school environment without one. If you have enough height paragliders will self-recover, but at low-level you will need a parachute.

Do I Have What It Takes To Be A Paraglider Pilot?

Only truly dedicated students will achieve Club Pilot (Hill) because it requires a high level of commitment and exceptional patience with UK weather.

At ParAvion, we work very hard to establish and nurture a 'true community' of friends. We have hundreds of past students that are still faithful to us and keep on coming back to us for new equipment, foreign holidays, advanced training and just general advice.

We will always beat the competition - not by undercutting them, but by giving you the BEST service and training package you could ask for.

How Do I Get Started?

We recommend you complete a Taster Day first. This is the first day of the Elementary Pilot course that will allow you to achieve limited solo flight. At this stage you can decide if this is really what you want to do before you pay for the remainder of the EP course and the CP course.

Do I Have To Do A Taster Day First?

The Taster Day is the first day of the EP course, so yes you do. Many schools will offer a Taster Day and then charge your for an EP Course in addition to this. We think this is unfair, so we made them all part of the same course.

How Long Will Each Course Take?

Two to four days to achieve EP, three to five days to achieve CP (tow) and two to four days to complete hill training to gain a full Club Pilot (hill) rating.

The time taken depends on your natural ability, luck with the weather and whether you attend on weekdays or weekends. We can achieve more flights during the week because of fewer participant numbers - as a result, you should progress more quickly.

Why Learn With ParAvion?

We think we have the best instructors, the best facilities, the best equipment, the best training sites (including three private airfields) – all exclusively ours to use. We have what every other school wishes they had!

We also have one of the best school safety records in the UK – why would you want go anywhere else?

How Do I Know If The Flying Is Going Ahead Or Not?

We leave a new message on our answerphone the evening before your booked day.

The weather message is set the evening before your booked day just after 1915 (after the latest forecast updates). You simply call in after 1930 and listen to the joining instructions for the following day. If your day is cancelled due to poor weather, just call and re-book as soon as you can.

We also have a weather conference on our discussion forum where our CFI keeps everyone updated on weather developments and current forecasts.

Where And When Do We Meet?

At ParAvion at the time specified by our weather (answerphone) message. Normally this will be between 0830 and 0930.

What Do We Wear?

Windproof clothing, and a good pair of walking boots (boots are VERY important). We will not allow you to fly without a good pair of boots that offer ankle support and grip. Call us if you're not sure of the requirements.

What Should We Bring?

A packed lunch; sandwiches and plenty of water. In summer; some suntan lotion and a hat.

What Time Will We Finish?

This will vary depending on the time of year, but generally we finish a good day around 1600 - 1730. It depends on the weather, sometimes we may go on until later if we've had to wait for midday thermals to settle down.

How Much Does A Paraglider Cost?

This varies depending on the make and model, but a middle of the range new glider, harness, and reserve parachute will cost somewhere in the region of £2,750 - £3,000.