ParAvion Paragliding
Centre aims to provide the highest quality tuition available. Our
fully qualified, professional instructors will go out of their way to
create a friendly and enthusiastic environment.
We train throughout the year and all of our training slopes and airfields are within 20 minutes drive of the centre.
Courses are open to anyone aged between 18 and 60 years old providing you're physically fit enough to be able to climb up 200 - 400ft hills about ten times in a day. You will also need to weigh somewhere between 50kg and 110kg.
We at ParAvion put our emphasis on quality not quantity. In other words we train fewer students to a higher standard rather than a lot of students to a medium/low standard. To achieve this:
• We have private and exclusive grass covered slopes on which to train, as well as the use of three private airfields where we can winch-tow to heights of up to 2000ft (we pay a high price to keep these sites private).
• We will not teach on crowded club sites (most schools do).
• We only use the latest, safest and most modern equipment (it is replaced or updated every year).
• We keep our groups small so everyone gets the best attention. Often you will receive one-on-one instruction.
• We have four instructors, not just one (between us we have nearly one hundred years of flying experience). Three of our instructors have a PPL (Private Pilot's Licence) and fly light aircraft too.
• We will only teach on good training days – not when the weather is poor.
• Our premises include a modern, purpose built classroom, retail shop, parachute workshop and sail loft.
• All transport to and from our flying sites is provided, either in our 17 seat minibus or 4x4s (a pair of 7-seater Land Rover Discoverys).
• If you're looking for a higher standard, then you've found the right school.
So Why Else Should You Choose ParAvion?
ParAvion is a school with a very real difference. When you join us on
a Taster Day you are a truly ‘valued’ customer and it is
our aim to send you away with a big smile on your face. We want you
to have a great time so that you’ll come back to us for more training.
We teach both winch and hill training, so once you are ready to leave
the school environment you will have both Hill and Tow Club Pilot ratings.
We certainly won’t give you old or worn out gliders to use like
some schools and we’ll only take you out on a day when the conditions
are GOOD for beginners, so don’t expect to go out on wet, windy
or horrible days.
Once you decide to come back and do an EP course, you’re really
in trouble. You will now have joined our ‘family’. You will
have gone from being a ‘customer’ to becoming part of a
very, very special community.
People that learn with ParAvion; simply never leave. They stay with
us and join us on many of our flying holidays abroad, trips to different
parts of the UK, social events, lecture days/evenings etc. and still
like to come and fly on our airfields when they can.
We inherit a lot of students from other schools that have not been happy
with the ‘less than satisfactory’ approach they have experienced
there.
The people you meet on your course will become long-term friends and
you’ll find your whole attitude to life in general will change.
Don’t believe us? Well, just take a look at our discussion forum
to see what we mean - our students say it all for us.
We teach doctors, policemen, firemen, solicitors, plumbers, airline
pilots, electronics and computer wizards, TV producers and even professional
layabouts; everyone is welcome.
Foreign Trips
We run several foreign flying holidays a year for our students and ex-students. These are offered in the following four categories:
1. Introduction to mountain flying (and weather) and basic thermalling skills.
2. Improving thermalling techniques and building airtime.
3. Join up the dots - fly from thermal to thermal following the instructors and learn how to fly XC (cross country).
4. Put it all together and take yourself on bigger and bigger XC flights with just task setting and pre and post flight briefings from the instructors.
On our July '07 Slovenia trip, five pilots followed the instructors for a 65km triangle that took them over four hours with height gains of over 7000ft (nearly 10,000ft up). At the end of it, they landed back at the hotel and were handed a cold beer as they landed.
Once you've flown on these four trips, you will have become a sound 'all round' Cross Country Pilot ready to go out on your own to find new challenges. You will have gained around 30 - 40 hours airtime and will be a safer and far more skilled pilot. You will have achieved your BHPA 'Pilot' rating and have far more skill and knowledge than you could ever gain in a normal club environment in such a short time.
ParAvion
Paragliding Centre is a BHPA (British Hangliding and Paragliding
Association) registered school. For more information on the BHPA visit
the BHPA website at www.bhpa.co.uk
