Apex Paragliding School, Brighton, Sussex : what to expect on your BHPA paragliding course

British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Registered Paragliding School No. 350

Tandem Paragliding Flight
VOUCHERS AVAILABLE

An ideal way to get airborne and taste the paragliding experience - it's an ideal gift, as we issue a voucher which can be presented and then redeemed later (vouchers last for a full year). A tandem flight will get you airborne after an introductory briefing, under the careful guidance of a fully-qualified and experienced BHPA Tandem Pilot; flights normally last around 15-20 minutes, although as with all gliding flight, the exact time "airborne" cannot be guaranteed. If weather/wind conditions dictate that we cannot soar for long we may have two shorter flights instead. One thing is for certain, you will experience a fantastic flight with superb views over the Sussex countryside... on a clear day you can see the Seven Sisters coastal cliffs, Brighton Town and the Isle of Wight all in the same flight.

After experiencing the thrill of free flight, many people go on to take up paragliding as a serious hobby. Whether you are inspired to continue paragliding or not, your first tandem flight will be an experience of a lifetime. Anyone of average fitness can take a tandem flight - we foot launch and gently land again with the minimum of effort.

All you need to do is dress in warm clothing for the day's weather and wear flat shoes with ankle support - gloves can also be a good idea. Allow up to half a day for your flight to give time to meet, get to the flying site, have a pre-flight briefing and of course the flight itself.

Please be aware that safety is of paramount importance and paragliding is potentially a dangerous adventure sport, needing suitable weather conditions. Therefore, if the weather is not suitable on a particular day we may have to cancel your flight and re-schedule for another day.

Click here to book a Tandem Voucher now...

Paragliding Taster Days
VOUCHERS AVAILABLE

A taster day is effectively the first day of an Elementary Pilot Course (see below) - we concentrate on exercises 1 to 9 on your first day, up to your first hop flights as the syllabus allows. A Taster Day is a great way to get your hands on the equipment, and see how the school teaches.
Gift vouchers (redeemable any time within a year) can be issued for a day taster on request; you can buy a two-day voucher if you wish to have a more substantial experience covering exercises 5 to 13.

Click here to book a Paragliding Taster Day (or Voucher) now...

Ground Training
1 Introductory talk - School instructors - risk warning health/medical conditions clothing/footwear - the BHPA - pilot rating scheme
2 Site assessment
3 Introduction to equipment
4 Avoiding/minimising injury

Ground Handling
5 Briefing - Checks - wind direction flare/stall
6 Preparation - Checks - paragliding canopy harness helmet
7 Inflation - Take-off - landing sequence practised
8 Directional control - initiating turns

First Hops
9 Getting airborne - take-off with good control of airspeed, canopy and landing

Flight exercises
10 Eventualities briefing - to deal with the unexpected
11 Commands and communications briefing
12 Responsibilities briefing - student becomes the pilot-in-command
13 Flights (1) straight flights maintaining course and airspeed
14 Flights (2) introducing turns
15 Flights (3) completing simple flight plans with increased height

Theory lessons and examination
16 Meteorology
17 Principles of flight
18 Rules of the air and air law
19 Elementary examination

Final assessment of Elementary stage
20 Student has reached a standard of airmanship and attitude to continue training in this discipline.

At this stage, the student is "their own pilot", and may move on to Club Pilot level, but must remain in an environment supervised by an Instructor until the Club Pilot is completed.

Pre-soaring
21 Theory
22 180 degree turns to a consistent level
23 Planned approaches - Minimum 4 successful planned flights making controlled landing within 10m of a target

Soaring
24 Soaring flight - Minimum 3 successful flights using ridge lift to maintain gain height
25 Top landings - Minimum 4 successful flights
26 Flying with others

Improving skills
27 Exploring the sped range
28 Accelerator system
29 Forward launching
30 Reverse launching
31 Weight shift and pitch-roll in turns
32 Cross wind and slope landings

Instability and emergencies
33 Theory
34 Active flying
35 Rapid descent techniques
36 Dealing with an asymmetric tuck

Theory lessons and examination
37 Meteorology
38 Principles of flight
39 Rules of the air and air law
40 General airmanship knowledge
41 Club pilot theory examination

Winching Conversion Course
(for CP plus fliers)
In association with our sister school Air Adventure, we are pleased to offer winch towing conversion courses. We not only have some of the best hill training sites on the South Downs, but we also have the perfect tow-site based directly behind Devil’s Dyke. Using the Koch static winch we can tow in any wind direction and we have the necessary Civil Aviation Authority permits to tow you up to 2000 ft above launch, and considering the highest hill in the area is aprox 700ft you will almost certainly double your air time.

Hill
The most common way to get airborne is to foot launch from the top of a hill. First you inflate your canopy and then you run down the slope until the wing reaches sufficient air speed, a little bit of brake and you’re off. Providing you stay in the lifting air on the slope and there is sufficient wind, you will stay up soaring like a bird. From there you can hitch a ride on a thermal, a warm column of rising air that can take you to heights in excess of 5000ft, then off you go cross country (XC) where distances of over 200 miles have been achieved. The good thing is that if you fail to stay up the first time and end up at the bottom of the hill, after a few minutes walk up you can try again.

Tow
Another way to launch is using a static winch to tow you up. This normally takes place on a flat field with the winch at one end of the field and you attached to the tow line at the other end of the field. Once all the safety checks are done, you give the command to take up slack on the line you, inflate your canopy and, if everything looks OK, give the all-out command. This is relayed to the winch operator by the launch marshal using visual and radio commands, power on the winch is then increased and you are towed into the air. At a given height you give the signal to release by opening your legs, the winch operator backs off the power, you pull the special release attachment and check that you are no-longer attached to the line and you are then free to go and search for those elusive thermals. The worse that can happen is you land back at the take-off area to try again.

Tow Conversion Courses
Minimum requirements CP
A two-day course covering theory and a minimum of ten flights. For more details contact us.
Book now.

If you have any further questions about our courses, please don't hesitate to call Gary on 0780 350 6567 or email us at office@learnparagliding.co.uk

TERMS
*CREDIT IS VALID FOR ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE, OR UNTIL THE DATE SPECIFIED ON TANDEM VOUCHERS. WE EXPECT CUSTOMERS TO MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO REBOOK IN CASE OF WEATHER CANCELLATIONS, AS PARAGLIDING IS A WEATHER DEPENDENT SPORT.

		Click to email us at office@learnparagliding.co.uk or call 0780 350 6567 for details of paragliding in Sussex with APEX

HOME PAGE TRAINING What to expect on your Paragliding Course BOOKING etc. Our times, details and terms - and where to meet SHOP / GLIDERS Paragliding Canopies SHOP / EQUIPMENT Paragliding kit, books, dvds, accessories etc. Secure Online Shopping! VOUCHERS AVAILABLE FOR THE FLIER IN YOUR LIFE! MEETING INSTRUCTIONS SITE MAP LINKS Some useful links, including weather! THE BHPA The UK National Body For Paragliding PARAGLIDERS APEX sell and recommend the following brands: GRADIENT GIN SKY OZONE AIRWAVE PRO-DESIGN U.P. SKYWALK NOVA WINDTECH. DIGIFLY VARIOS and other pilot essentials in our online shop - Click here! CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR GREAT RANGE OF BOOKS AND DVDS ON PARAGLIDING PLEASE NOTE We Teach all year round! Weather conditions over winter and spring can often offer ideal conditions for beginners	British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Registered Paragliding School No. 350 Below you will find details of what to expect on each of our courses, whether a tandem flight, taster day, elementary pilot course or club pilot course... What to expect on your Paragliding Course We normally begin the day by meeting at Sussex Beauty spot Devil's Dyke at 09.30 am - [map and directions here] we will either remain there to train or move off to another site if the weather dictates. NB. YOU NEED TO PRE-BOOK YOUR COURSE - We will inform you by mobile 'phone or email if there are any changes to these arrangements. We aim to begin teaching (after a weather check) at around 10am. BHPA membership paperwork will be completed at this stage, as well as an overview of the plans for the day. PLEASE NOTE - We Teach all year round! Weather conditions over winter and spring can often offer ideal conditions for beginners The exact sequence of events over your course will be dictated by weather conditions; a summary follows of the lessons and stages laid out by the BHPA syllabus followed at APEX. Tandem Paragliding Flight VOUCHERS AVAILABLE An ideal way to get airborne and taste the paragliding experience - it's an ideal gift, as we issue a voucher which can be presented and then redeemed later (vouchers last for a full year). A tandem flight will get you airborne after an introductory briefing, under the careful guidance of a fully-qualified and experienced BHPA Tandem Pilot; flights normally last around 15-20 minutes, although as with all gliding flight, the exact time "airborne" cannot be guaranteed. If weather/wind conditions dictate that we cannot soar for long we may have two shorter flights instead. One thing is for certain, you will experience a fantastic flight with superb views over the Sussex countryside... on a clear day you can see the Seven Sisters coastal cliffs, Brighton Town and the Isle of Wight all in the same flight. After experiencing the thrill of free flight, many people go on to take up paragliding as a serious hobby. Whether you are inspired to continue paragliding or not, your first tandem flight will be an experience of a lifetime. Anyone of average fitness can take a tandem flight - we foot launch and gently land again with the minimum of effort. All you need to do is dress in warm clothing for the day's weather and wear flat shoes with ankle support - gloves can also be a good idea. Allow up to half a day for your flight to give time to meet, get to the flying site, have a pre-flight briefing and of course the flight itself. Please be aware that safety is of paramount importance and paragliding is potentially a dangerous adventure sport, needing suitable weather conditions. Therefore, if the weather is not suitable on a particular day we may have to cancel your flight and re-schedule for another day. Click here to book a Tandem Voucher now... Paragliding Taster Days VOUCHERS AVAILABLE A taster day is effectively the first day of an Elementary Pilot Course (see below) - we concentrate on exercises 1 to 9 on your first day, up to your first hop flights as the syllabus allows. A Taster Day is a great way to get your hands on the equipment, and see how the school teaches. Gift vouchers (redeemable any time within a year) can be issued for a day taster on request; you can buy a two-day voucher if you wish to have a more substantial experience covering exercises 5 to 13. Click here to book a Paragliding Taster Day (or Voucher) now... Elementary Pilot (EP) Course VOUCHERS AVAILABLE Ground Training 1 Introductory talk - School instructors - risk warning health/medical conditions clothing/footwear - the BHPA - pilot rating scheme 2 Site assessment 3 Introduction to equipment 4 Avoiding/minimising injury Ground Handling 5 Briefing - Checks - wind direction flare/stall 6 Preparation - Checks - paragliding canopy harness helmet 7 Inflation - Take-off - landing sequence practised 8 Directional control - initiating turns First Hops 9 Getting airborne - take-off with good control of airspeed, canopy and landing Flight exercises 10 Eventualities briefing - to deal with the unexpected 11 Commands and communications briefing 12 Responsibilities briefing - student becomes the pilot-in-command 13 Flights (1) straight flights maintaining course and airspeed 14 Flights (2) introducing turns 15 Flights (3) completing simple flight plans with increased height Theory lessons and examination 16 Meteorology 17 Principles of flight 18 Rules of the air and air law 19 Elementary examination Final assessment of Elementary stage 20 Student has reached a standard of airmanship and attitude to continue training in this discipline. Click here to book an Elementary Pilot Course now... At this stage, the student is "their own pilot", and may move on to Club Pilot level, but must remain in an environment supervised by an Instructor until the Club Pilot is completed. Club Pilot Course (follows on from EP above) Pre-soaring 21 Theory 22 180 degree turns to a consistent level 23 Planned approaches - Minimum 4 successful planned flights making controlled landing within 10m of a target Soaring 24 Soaring flight - Minimum 3 successful flights using ridge lift to maintain gain height 25 Top landings - Minimum 4 successful flights 26 Flying with others Improving skills 27 Exploring the sped range 28 Accelerator system 29 Forward launching 30 Reverse launching 31 Weight shift and pitch-roll in turns 32 Cross wind and slope landings Instability and emergencies 33 Theory 34 Active flying 35 Rapid descent techniques 36 Dealing with an asymmetric tuck Theory lessons and examination 37 Meteorology 38 Principles of flight 39 Rules of the air and air law 40 General airmanship knowledge 41 Club pilot theory examination Final assessment for Club Pilot 42 Declaration by Senior instructor Click here to book an Elementary Pilot / Club Pilot Course now... Winching Conversion Course (for CP plus fliers) In association with our sister school Air Adventure, we are pleased to offer winch towing conversion courses. We not only have some of the best hill training sites on the South Downs, but we also have the perfect tow-site based directly behind Devil’s Dyke. Using the Koch static winch we can tow in any wind direction and we have the necessary Civil Aviation Authority permits to tow you up to 2000 ft above launch, and considering the highest hill in the area is aprox 700ft you will almost certainly double your air time. What’s the difference between hill launch and tow launch? Hill The most common way to get airborne is to foot launch from the top of a hill. First you inflate your canopy and then you run down the slope until the wing reaches sufficient air speed, a little bit of brake and you’re off. Providing you stay in the lifting air on the slope and there is sufficient wind, you will stay up soaring like a bird. From there you can hitch a ride on a thermal, a warm column of rising air that can take you to heights in excess of 5000ft, then off you go cross country (XC) where distances of over 200 miles have been achieved. The good thing is that if you fail to stay up the first time and end up at the bottom of the hill, after a few minutes walk up you can try again. Tow Another way to launch is using a static winch to tow you up. This normally takes place on a flat field with the winch at one end of the field and you attached to the tow line at the other end of the field. Once all the safety checks are done, you give the command to take up slack on the line you, inflate your canopy and, if everything looks OK, give the all-out command. This is relayed to the winch operator by the launch marshal using visual and radio commands, power on the winch is then increased and you are towed into the air. At a given height you give the signal to release by opening your legs, the winch operator backs off the power, you pull the special release attachment and check that you are no-longer attached to the line and you are then free to go and search for those elusive thermals. The worse that can happen is you land back at the take-off area to try again. Tow Conversion Courses Minimum requirements CP A two-day course covering theory and a minimum of ten flights. For more details contact us. Book now. AFTER CP? On completion of the Club Pilot rating, fliers are free to fly unsupervised in a club environment... If you wish to stay within a school / coaching environment, APEX offers an attractive scheme to enable you to continue flying "under supervision" until you are ready to go it alone. Post-CP Pilots who are interested in further coaching, or overseas trips, please enquire. ONCE YOU HAVE TRAINED WITH APEX TO CP LEVEL, WE ALSO OFFER GREAT DEALS ON ALPINE COACHING FOR POST-CP FLIERS OF ALL LEVELS - ALL YEAR ROUND - CALL FOR DETAILS If you have any further questions about our courses, please don't hesitate to call Gary on 0780 350 6567 or email us at office@learnparagliding.co.uk TERMS CREDIT IS VALID FOR ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE, OR UNTIL THE DATE SPECIFIED ON TANDEM VOUCHERS. WE EXPECT CUSTOMERS TO MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO REBOOK IN CASE OF WEATHER CANCELLATIONS, AS PARAGLIDING IS A WEATHER DEPENDENT SPORT. CREDIT IS NON-REFUNDABLE, BUT MAY BE TRANSFERRED AT OUR DISCRETION.	If you're thinking of taking up paragliding, we stock a great range of books and DVD's to help you get started- click here to visit our online shop... The Gradient Bright Classic a perfect all-round paraglider for the aspiring pilot Teaching on The Downs just beautiful! flying a paraglider on the Sussex Downs near Brighton Teaching on The Downs our instructing team has been training paragliding near Brighton since the beginning of this wonderful sport in the UK "Step off the earth... away from your everyday life and into a world of sensation..." APEX Chief Flying Instructor Gary Cook
APEX PARAGLIDING SCHOOL, BRIGHTON, SUSSEX APEX PARAGLIDING SCHOOL Web pages and all information contained herein are copyright© 2005-6-7-8 id-brighton / APEX / Gary Cook. All rights are reserved. No, seriously. Information in this set of web pages is subject to change without prior notice. Errors and Omissions Excepted Products & Companies referred to may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders. All Registered Trademarks are respected and acknowledged. Any theft or use of our intellectual property without prior written consent may result in legal proceedings. The copyright in any photographs or images reproduced on this web site is held by the owners of the images.