04/25/12

Paragliding Instruction

Note:  All paperwork must be completed and tuition paid prior to any instruction, including reserving a training session.

TYPICAL PG SETUP -- go here.

For a complete reference of the USHPA rating system for pilots (P1 - P5), please go here.  The course fees include instruction on how to be towed safely. Pilots will receive the "surface tow" special skills certification by USHPA upon completion of their respective course.
 

P-1 PG Beginner Package

$450 for 2-3 Days

This package will allow you to explore the magic of piloting a paraglider and allow you to complete the first phase of certified training -- a P-1 rating for successful students.  We provide everything for you to succeed, including a syllabus to study for the test, equipment use for flying, and as many flights as you can take over the course.  Sometimes the course is extended another day or more if weather conditions are restrictive.  The entire price of the P1 Beginner Package can be credited toward the P2 Novice Certification course if the student decides to continue training to become an independent pilot.  Lessons include the use of our training equipment and ground school.  Depending on schedules and conditions, the course may be spread over several days or a week.  The student will be towed into the air using our reflex stationary winch at a sod farm in west El Paso.  Beginner pilots (P1) can only fly sites under the direct supervision of an instructor.

Below, a student pilot demonstrates perfect form at launch from tow.  Note the position of his hands -- they are even in height.  He is still pushing on the "A" lines (but just barely now) to give the wing the speed it needs to get overhead.  In a second, he will release the "A" lines and have only the brakes in his hands.  He continues to run -- in 4-5 seconds he will leave the ground!  The orange object is a drogue parachute which helps recover the tow line after the pilot disconnects.  The white line across the photo is the other end of the tow line that comes from the "turn around" pulley a quarter of a mile away.

P-2 PG Novice Certification Course

$2,000  8 - 12 days

Become a solo novice pilot.  This course is intended to teach you how to be a safe and confident pilot, especially in the difficult and challenging conditions we find in the high desert mountains.  Instruction and practice will prepare you to decide how and when to safely fly your paraglider without the direct supervision of your instructor. 

Instructor Had Robinson pulling up a student pilot on our reflex stationary winch.  It has almost a mile of thin, strong line that is stored on a special drum connected to a hydraulic servo-motor.  A powerful gasoline engine turns a high speed hydraulic pump which delivers smooth and controllable force to the servo-motor.  The advantage of this system is that the force applied to the tow line is very precise and constant - making the tow comfortable and safe for the pilot.  Photo courtesy of Jan Auwermann.

Your training will include syllabus study materials (optional textbook with DVD available from us and highly recommended), a computer based log book, ground school, and hands-on instruction.  The textbook, Paragliding: A Pilot's Training Manual, is required for P2 training and above.  It may be purchased from us here.

All students will experience at least one flight from one of our local sites. Our course will prepare you for mountain flying. You will learn how to layout your wing and do a preflight check. Become more at ease with both forward and reverse launches. Learn to control your wing through turns and mild turbulence. Begin the study of meteorology and its effects on flight and much more.  It includes the use of all equipment needed for training – paraglider, harness, helmet, and radio.

We strongly recommend that pilots purchase a glider when beginning the P2 program of study.  This will greatly help you later on, as you gain more experience with your own glider instead of a school glider.  Students who have their own glider will be able to practice kiting on their own time and thus gain much more out of their course of instruction.  Kiting skills are essential for pilot safety.  It is one of the most important skills a pilot can learn that will dramatically reduce the risks of this sport. (Please go to our photo-gallery and view the instruction videos.  This will clearly demonstrate what we mean.)

Successful graduates of this program will be certified as Novice Pilots (P2) and authorized to fly P2 rated sites without the direct supervision of an instructor.  Pilots who make it through our P2 certification will be some of the best trained pilots of any paragliding school.  We spend the time to ensure that you can safely fly anywhere in the world.  Our regional sites provide some of the greatest rewards and challenges that a pilot can face including Dry Canyon in the Sacramento Mountains and Lee's Lookout in Franklin Mountains State Park.  Building your confidence in flying in safe conditions is what we strive for at El Paso Paragliding.  If you train with us, you will have the skills you need to always fly safely.

John Shaw gets whisked into the air by our powerful winch. (photos by Greg Rollans)

Part of our equipment is an ATV which we use to fetch the drogue parachute after it falls to the ground.  This machine saves time!  (Driver - Tirzah Robinson) Photo courtesy of Jan Auwermann

P-3 & P4 PG Certification

$750 - 2-3 days

Pilots who wish to become certified as P3 and above must meet all of the USHPA requirements.  They are found here (P3 -- paragraph 12-02.15 or page 25; P4 -- paragraph 12-02.16 or page 27).  Pilots who train to the P3 level or above must be able to successfully fly Agave Hill or Dry Canyon.  For pilots on their way, Jocky Sanderson made a helpful video on Cross Country flying: Speed to Fly: A Complete Guide to Cross Country Paragliding (2001).  Instructor Had Robinson collected some helpful notes on the video and they are available here.

PG SIV Clinics

$450 - 3 days

Critical to a pilot's skill and safety is participating in SIV Clinics.  These clinics are hosted by David Prentice, a top instructor and pilot in the U.S.  He uses nearby Elephant Butte Lake in south central New Mexico as the clinic location.  At an SIV, the pilot is towed up about two thousand feet over the lake by a speed boat and, under careful radio instruction, is coached through various maneuvers that greatly help the pilot in learning how to control his glider in various situations that might occur during flight.  Among these are wing tip folds, full frontal collapses, and major asymmetric collapses.  Pilots can practice wingovers, full stalls, extreme pitch and roll maneuvers, and reserve deployments.  In the event of a mishap, everything is safely done over the water. 

Pilots of all skill levels can participate, including P1's with just an hour or two of airtime.  SIV clinics should be done yearly by all pilots.  It is a modest investment for the most valuable training a pilot can ever have.

David hosts clinics throughout the year.  Pilots can contact him for exact times and more information at earthcog@yahoo.com or (505) 720-5436.  Pilots who can only fly one or two days can receive a prorated fee.  Payments for participation in a clinic are made directly to David.

Below, pilot Lee Baker thermals away to cloud base from the sod farm after a tow up -- he was the first to ever do this.  There is no greater thrill than using hard earned skills to stay in the air for hours at a time using the sun's energy as our "engine."

Crossover Training (PG to PPG or PPG to PG)

$400  1-2 days

What to bring to your lessons:

• Usually we start early AM and it can be cool in the wintertime so bring warm clothes that you can shed later as the day warms up.
• This is an extreme sport – footwear is very important. Wear boots with high tops that provide adequate ankle protection.  Do not wear boots that have open clips for lacing – they can snag the lines of a paraglider. Do not wear sneakers or other kinds of low cut shoes if you want to avoid injury to your ankles.  For more info on footwear, go here.
• Bring snacks with you. You may get hungry and we are far from any stores. El Paso Paragliding provides cold water but you may want to have carbonated soft drinks for a quick energy boost. It is always important to feel physically well when paragliding: We need to have 100% focus on flying and not on anything else.
• Wear a pair of gloves with thin leather palms and cloth backs, such as Wolverine leather work gloves. (Note: Gloves with synthetic palms are easily cut by the lines on a paraglider and are not recommended.) The time will come when you fly high and you will need gloves for warmth so it’s best to get used to them as soon as possible. Gloves of this type are available at stores like Lowes.  Wear your gloves as much as you can, such as when you drive, work outside, etc.
• Bring your enthusiasm!  Paragliding is more fun than people are allowed to have -- look forward to it!
• If you have signed up for training, be sure to look through our Tips section.

Photo courtesy of Doak Hoover