Newbie, unlurking!

Hi rec.aviation.hang-gliding O.k. I can resist no longer I have decided to give paraffining a go. I have decided that it is probably not a good idea to strap on on and chuck myself of an alp, so my first target is probably an Elementary Pilot rating I guess. These are my questions: Do you have to take a commercial course or can you join a club and learn that way? I am a scuba diver and there you have both club/commercial options. Is Paragliding similar? There seems to be a large variation in the costs of EP & CP courses, some places charging double that of others. Anyone have any recommendations in the South or Southeast. I live Bedfordshire. Thanks in advance.

(re-enters lurk mode)

You'd be better off thinking of the club pilot rating as your target - it allows you to buy your own equipment, leave the school and join your local coaching club so you can go flying whenever you like. The EP is a bit of meaningless rating.

In the UK, you pretty much need to go to a school. While there are no specific laws preventing an experienced pilot teaching you, it is best to go to a school, they are well practiced at what they do.

In the South East, the demand compared to the supply will mean high prices. We are hoping to start paragliding courses next Easter (01672 861555). At the moment we are only offering hang-gliding courses. You live in an area without many paragliding schools. The nearest ones I know of are in Wiltshire or South of London.

Hamish Atkinson Wilts Hang-Gliding Centre

Nearest sites to Bedford are around Dunsatable (which I guess is pretty close), but I don't know whether there are any schools based there.

Andy Summerskill

Hahahaaha...! Lovely website...! Member of the 'British Paragliding & hang-gliding Council' - does he run that out of his spare bedroom...? I've got nothing against the bloke myself - I don't know the big story - but that is a bit misleading. Trust you to come up with a school which would appear unable to issue pilot ratings accredited by the national association.

As far as I am aware or so I was told, the BHPA kicked him out because he would not let them interfere with his running of his business. And why should he be a club lemming (like the rest) and let them interfere with his earning a living.

The BHPA usually only interfere with how someone runs their business because they are behaving irresponsibly, or for other heath & safety reasons (paperwork needs to comply with that Act &c) but I am aware that this situation is more complicated than that.

I do have work to do, but it's also worth mentioning that you're unlikely to simply 'go and have a nice holiday ...and come back..' qualified - it tends to be a longer process than that.

The absolute minimum (last time I checked) is 10 *flyable* days for a CP. If you were to qualify in 10 successive days, then I'd be recommend that you ought to be quite focused immediately afterwards on building up a little airtime quite quickly - to paraglide well, you're brain need to develop some new skills with regards to visual perception, and this takes a little while. Neither of these are very realistic propositions, however learning in 10 days over the course of a month, say, is likely to be better than learning in 10 sucessive days (especially if the 10 sucessive days are in a foreign environment).

On this subject, pilot 'currency' is very important in paragliding - you need to fly regularly to maintain your skills. Even if you have hundereds of hours, this is a very real issue.

...doesn't exist. The equipment is too easily damaged & depreciates too quickly for hire to be financially viable. You have to buy a wing, which is might last you 2 to 3 years from new. Realistically, a dealer would expect you to be qualified before selling you a glider.

wildly wibbled thus:

Tony is unique and the dispute is very long running. I no longer have an opinion on the subject because it is so complex that I cannot get all the facts to come to an opinion fair to both sides.

To decide you will have to find out too. FWIW Tony is a bloke I would drink with, in a manner of speaking.

Our man posting this URL has given an insight into why he has come to the conclusions he has.

I would agree with Stroller, learn where you are going to fly.

I learnt on the South Downs but since then (for the last 2 years) have flown only abroad.

Now I have come back to the South Downs I am finding that a good grounding (at Sky Systems) was VERY useful. It is helping me 'pick up where I left off'. This is because flying in the Alps is very different from flying on the South Downs on a gusty day. Not more or less difficult, just different. At present I am not very good ( but the training I received is gradually coming back and without it I am sure I would be finding it even more difficult!

In response to the arguments about BHPA schools, all I can say is, on a practical level if you have a BHPA rating this is recognised abroad and it means that you can (easily) fly the 'regulated' sites as well as the unregulated ones. ie it opens up more options - always a good thing in my book

God, he must be an asshole. You've drank with me..!