Safety Information:

Is Paragliding Safe?

The simple and honest answer is an emphatic NO. However, neither is skiing, motorcycling or horse riding for that matter, but they still remain very popular pastimes for the more adventurous amongst us despite it being dangerous - that's the attraction isn't it?

Don't worry - this picture is a fake

Believe it or not, there are people that are stupid enough to try and teach themselves to fly paragliders; do a Google search on 'paragliding crash' to read some of the stories - you will be amazed at the level of stupidity.

The majority of paragliding accidents occur because the pilot was flying in weather conditions beyond their ability level, because they were doing dangerous manoeuvres too close to the ground or because they were flying equipment beyond their skill level (this probably being the most common).

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.

You can rest assured that while learning to fly with ParAvion, you will probably be at your safest; our Chief Flying Instructor has one of the best safety records in the UK.

The fact that you are here now; reading this page about safety means you already have the right approach to flying. Only expert tuition is good enough; you will risk your life and limbs learning with inexperienced or unqualified instructors, so be sure to choose a school with experienced, professional instructors.

Insurance

It is well worth taking out insurance cover. You wouldn't drive without it so why would you fly without it? Take a look at our Insurance page to see what's available.

Boots

It is most important that you wear a decent pair of boots whilst flying paragliders; especially whilst under training. Here are a few examples of some really nice boots and why some are unsuitable.

These are good - they are high above the ankle offering good support.

This type are less suitable as they offer little ankle support.

Whichever type of boot you wear they should (preferably) have no hooks, but use loops or eyes (although we can tape over hooks if necessary). They must have good grip and be made of a sturdy/stiff material like leather. Trainers (even high ones) made of a soft material are not suitable at all.

We don't expect you to go out and spend a lot of money on a pair of boots just to do a Taster Day or Tandem Flight, but you must be sensible. Ask your friends and relatives to see if you can borrow some before you buy. If you're not sure, then please call us to discuss it.

Weather

At ParAvion we will only teach on good training days – not when the weather is 'marginal' or unsuitable. Some schools boast that they will teach at every opportunity, even if it's just for an hour or two in the morning before the wind gets too strong. The danger with teaching early in the day when it's likely to get too windy or gusty later is that you could be in the air when that happens (with dire consequences). Only inexperienced or careless instructors will ever do this - we certainly never will at ParAvion.

It is quite often NOT safe to fly on bright and sunny days (especially in springtime or if it's been very cold overnight). Sadly, some schools will risk your safety for their profit and teach on such days - see our Weather page for more details. We WILL NOT compromise on safety and will only teach you in suitable, safe weather conditions - it will only take you a few days' training to learn to appreciate how important this is. Once you're qualified you will be able to fly in stronger conditions, but not while you're learning - not safely anyway.

This is NOT safe flying weather - click on the picture for details

Equipment

We will only use the latest, safest and most modern paragliders (they are replaced at least once a year – often more). All the equipment we use is approved and certified by either the DHV or EN testing houses (in a lot of cases both).

In School

It should be noted that all ParAvion instructors are qualified and licensed by the BHPA and are also fully qualified First-Aiders with either the Red Cross or St. John Ambulance and we always carry a large up-to-date first aid kit. Even though we have such an outstanding safety record, we are still well prepared for anything.

99% of accidents are caused by poor judgement, ignorance, inexperience or just plain stupidity. Pilots that undertake proper training with qualified instructors, fly equipment that is suitable for their skill level and fly in weather conditions suitable for that skill level will probably fly safely for many years without incident - it really is as safe as YOU make it.

If you decide to undertake paragliding training, you must be prepared to take a few knocks and get a few bruises. For a start you will be taught how to fall over - not something you practice every day. This is why we require you to have a reasonably good level of fitness.

Injuries & Accidents

The occasional grazed knee, sprained wrist or twisted ankle is to be expected in paragliding; just as if you were to play games like rugby, football, squash, basketball or hockey. You must expect to fall over and maybe even sometimes get dragged along by your glider - this is all part of the fun of it. Everyone will have a laugh at your expense if you get it wrong, just as you'll laugh when someone else does.

As mentioned previously, ParAvion has an extremely good safety record (one of the best in the country) and we will always put your safety first. However, we can never say you won't hurt yourself. Bones are easily broken if you hit the ground hard as anyone who has fallen from height, a horse or a motorcyle will testify. DO NOT attempt to fly a paraglider unless you are willing to accept this risk.

Winch vs. Hill Training

There is a rumour amongst some hill pilots (due to their ignorance) that winch flying can be more dangerous than flying on a hill. This is absolute nonsense; winch flying offers a much more controlled environment - especially in a school.

On a hill, the pilot makes the decision to fly and often gets it wrong - especially in the early days until he gains some experience. With winch launching; the pilot says he's ready to fly, but before he can he is checked by the launch marshal and even then the winch operator has the final say. This means three people are making the decision to fly, not just one. It is also very easy to abort take-off; this is far more difficult with a hill launch.

Airfields don't have rough ground and rabbit/badger holes for you to accidentally stick your foot into either, but most importantly there are NO CROWDS; most of the time you'll be the only one in the air - no one to bump into.

Click here for a comparison table between hill and tow training.

After School

Whilst under training, you really are at your safest. It's when you move away from the school and its experts and start making decisions for yourself (or worse; listening to unqualified advice) that you put yourself more at risk. Luckily, in the UK we have BHPA coaching clubs that have dedicated club coaches that should look after you for your first year or two out of school.

Some clubs are better at this than others and some coaches are better than others, but it is up to you to find a club and coaches that you get on well with. We can guide you initially and tell you which clubs and coaches we think are the most supportive in our area, but you will eventually make up your own mind.

Our advice would be; talk to lots of other club members before you start taking too much advice from any one individual - as in all walks of life it's easy to find someone who will say anything to make themselves sound clever or knowledgeable. Obviously, it's people like this that you will want to avoid at all costs because they are very dangerous in this sport.

Advanced Training

If you undertake advanced training with us, you will be far less likely to make mistakes than you would going it alone or flying with friends of a similar ability and knowledge. Staying with the experts for a little longer may cost a little more in monetary terms, but will save you a lot in many other areas - it may even save your life.