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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When is the best time to come?
For beginners or very low airtime Pilots we recommend
either early or late in the season - the weather is usually good with
reasonable thermic activity but without the thermals being too strong for low
airtime Pilots. January to May and September to end of October are prime times.
More experienced Pilots can come anytime, but April to September are the very
best for thermalling and XC flying with good thermic activity most days and a
normally high cloudbase in the range 2500m - 4600m.
If I get EP can I
join a club and fly on my own?
You can certainly join a club but you need to progress to Club
Pilot/Novice before you can fly unsupervised by an instructor - Normally this
can take 6 -13 days training, sometimes longer depending on the skill and
confidence of the individual Pilot.
What kind of clothing
do I need to bring?
Good boots with ankle support together with warm outdoor clothing. In
Spring and Autumn the Alps can be cold at night or whilst flying, though often
shorts and teeshirt are comfortable during the day. Long trousers and jacket as
well as gloves are normal flying
attire.
How soon will I be
airborne?
You will probably be flying by the end of the 1st day of training.
Initially you can expect to be doing low level flights, gaining height as
competence, confidence and conditions allow.
What do I need to do to be awarded the
EP/CP?
For
EP you need to do a minimum of 12 flights unaided, be able to complete a full
pre-flight check on the Paraglider/harness to understand and assess the flying
conditions on a given site and to pass a simple exam. CP requires an additional
number of flights (20 approx) to be completed together with some basic
instability manoeuvres, demonstrate safe accurate flying/landing, airmanship
and top landing skills. There is an additional examination at that stage before
the CP/Novice licence is awarded.
Where can I stay?
We
ourselves, can offer shared accommodation Evening Meal (including wine), Bed
& Breakfast at 45.00 Euros or private facilities Evening Meal (including
wine), Bed & Breakfast at 55.00 Euros per night per person, - vegetarians
catered for! We also have a gîte available at 65.00 Euros per night. Or
we can book other accommodation on your behalf.
How many others will there be?
Depends on our bookings
but we never have more than 5 students to 1 instructor - this means you always
get the attention you need during the early stages of your flying career.
Similarly with our thermalling and XC courses we normally keep class sizes to
no more than 5 per instructor.
Why do I need BHPA AND repatriation/travel
insurance?
The BHPA are the national governing
body for the sport in the UK and they issue the licences awarded and provide
3rd party insurance to members. You also get a nice magazine each month called
Skywings. The BHPA insurance does not cover accident/illness repatriation so
you must have a separate cover for this - We suggest Harrison-Beaumont or
Sportscover Direct both of whom have links from our downloads
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