First Flight Paragliding

About the Idea

A day on the hill learning to handle a paraglider and have your first low flights.

If you have not seen all that much of the sport before, or are not sure whether it is something you might want to take up, a one-day ‘Taster’ course will give you the chance to try it for yourself and have fun at the same time. Given good wind and weather conditions you should achieve solo flights well before the end of the day.

So what will you be doing? The day will start with a little unavoidable paperwork - registration etc - and an introductory talk. You will be shown how to unpack the canopy and carry out equipment safety checks; handling the canopy on the ground, canopy inflation and launch techniques; launch, steering and landing practice; and parachute landing roll. This is all done on a gentle slope with no chance of taking off until you have mastered the basic controls - they're really quite straightforward. If all goes well you will be brimming with confidence and ready to get airborne. This does not mean being faced with a large cliff and a man saying `Go for it!!' We simply move you further up the slope so that next time when you go through the techniques you have been practising while running on the ground, the paraglider gently lifts you -and you are on your first flight, just a few feet off the ground.

The rest of the day will be spent flying from further and further up the slope, getting higher each time and even getting a few right and left turns in before setting up your effortless landing on tiptoe at the bottom, to the astonished gasps of the other course members. Of course, they get to do it too! Sounds brilliant, doesn't it? This sort of flying is more than brilliant, it's fantastic!

All flying and safety equipment will be supplied. The site will be dependent on the wind direction and weather on the day. Participants must be 18 years old or over. Weather permitting; we can operate seven days a week.

Further information can be found on our website at: www.firstflightparagliding.co.uk/7201.html