Hang gliders and paragliders are fully fledged aircraft, and as with any aircraft, carefully structured professional pilot training is essential if serious accidents are to be avoided. Paragliding is not limited to upland environments. Tow launching is also possible. This uses an engine-driven winch to pull pilots aloft where they can search for lift like their hill flying friends.

Whilst BHPA recreational clubs are always willing to offer advice and encouragement, initial instruction should always be undertaken at a BHPA registered school. If you do, you'll also find that the level of support and camaraderie amongst pilots is one of the many great strengths of the sport. BHPA Technical Manual - Superseded version (includes all amendments up to and including amendment 20) Modern hang gliders and paragliders can be launched by running off a hill, or by being towed into the air on a line attached to a winch on the ground.When you show that you can safely and confidently get yourself into the air and down again, your instructor will start to progress you to take-off points higher up the hill. With this extra height you will be able to learn how to turn. You may sometimes also find that not all the qualifications that you thought you possessed are listed on your membership card. Flying opportunities limited by work and single parenting, Jenny is simply content to get off the ground by HG or PG whenever the planets align. Happiest flying at Perranporth, Bradwell Edge or the Alps and always with a smile. Ed is a founder member of the BHPA registered Yorkshire Owls Paramotor Club in which he holds the Finance Officer post, and has recently been appointed as a club coach. He is also a new member of the Sir George Cayley Sailwing Club and is busy learning the intricacies of unpowered flight. An occasional competition pilot, Ed is also on the PPG Comps advisory panel.

Training can only be undertaken at a BHPA Registered School. But your local recreational club can be a useful source of information about BHPA registered schools operating in your area. Training and badge award takes a complete beginner and gives them ground-handling training and first flights from the top to the bottom of a gentle hill. Although the standard which you will be expected to reach will be the same in every school, the actual training programme and methods may vary, as they are determined by the type of wing you learn to fly, the launch method, and the prevailing weather on the day. Flights of over 250km 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.It's the same freedom that hang glider pilots enjoy, 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.

He has been treasurer of the BHPA for the past 11 years, during which time he's worked to keep costs and subscriptions as low as they can be consistent with maintaining the operational integrity and financial stability of the association. practical flying instruction, and you'll complete a simple exam paper on the topics covered. Acheiving Elementary Pilot award is the first step on the ladder of the BHPA Pilot Rating Scheme. Hang gliders can also be launched by being towed into the air behind a microlight aircraft. This particular technique allows the line to be released at much higher altitudes.Once you have mastered controlling the glider on the ground, which isn't as easy as it looks, you will be taught to take off and land correctly. Your first flights will be in a straight line only a few feet above the ground. If you are learning to fly a hang glider, these initial flights will be tethered with the instructor able to control the glider through his tether rope. The BHPA Flying Safety Committee (FSC) has developed a Club Pilot training syllabus specifically for people who want to learn to make hill descent flights on speed wings. Certain BHPA schools have been authorised to deliver the new speed flying syllabus as a trial course to ab-initio pilots and experienced flyers from other disciplines. The Speed Flying Club Pilot rating (non soaring: max wind speed 20mph) can be issued following successful completion of the Speed Flying Club Pilot course. This includes a written exam covering practical aspects of speed flying as well as air law, theory of flight and meteorology. The speed flying syllabus and its associated rating is for speed flying hill descents - it does not involve ridge soaring. The FSC deems it necessary to hold a Club Pilot (Hill) rating to undertake this activity, and the paragliding Club Pilot hill syllabus covers ridge soaring and the rules of the air associated with soaring and sustained flight. Being in the wrong place and height on your paramotor could be catastrophic – and at best could land you with a huge fine. Learning to read an Aeronautical Chart and how to navigate is not difficult – your Instructor will guide you through this. The BHPA is recognised [1] by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, the Royal Aero Club, [2] and the Civil Aviation Authority. [3] The association has registered schools across the country, where initial paragliding or hang gliding training must be undertaken. [4]