Fotoglider Law

Rule One : Question Everything Except Rule Two

Rule Two : Never Question the Wisdom of Rule One 

Is Tayside & Fife a good area to learn to paraglide?

 With well over 50 flying sites within an hours drive of Dundee, of which a good number are top drivable we can fly all wind directions and in a wide range of conditions from ridge lift to thermal flying.

 Remember based in Tayside, Scotland, PPC is unique in fully approaching paragliding as AVIATION rather than an extreme sport, one advantage of this is it opens a lot of sites that are not available (or restricted) to other paraglider pilots who do not meet the same standards!

What sort of airtime is normal in UK PG training?

 Over the years many of the BHPA pilots coming to me to re-train have stated that they got in the range of 2 1/2 to 5 hours airtime during their training to 'CP' level, yet far to often we see pilots who struggle to safely launch in conditions that should be easy!

What sort of airtime do we aim to see?

 While the actual amount of airtime in hours needed to reach the high standard we aim for will vary from individual to individual, I find that 10 to 25 hours flight time gives a new pilot a solid base that should let them spend a life time enjoying safe paragliding. Pilots in the past training at PPC have logged as much as 50 hours in their first three months paragliding, personally in a good year I fly up to 300+ hours.

Beyond just airtime what amount of control time under training do our pilots get?

 Continuously during training we work hard to ensure that the new (or re-training) pilots skill set is both broad and to the highest of standards, in fact we aim to spend a lot of time working to be able to safely control and land a paraglider in conditions less than ideal from flying! On a personal level I aim to spend at least a few hours every month on strong condition ground handling and safety procedures, as only by constant practice can a pilot remain sharp and current.

Why would ground training in conditions that are not 'safe' be a good idea?

 All any pilot need to look at are some of the accidents the sport continues to suffer from, these easily let them see the desperate need to extend the range of conditions that training is undertaken in if the sport is to see a reduction in deaths and injuries.

Before deciding where to train, individuals should compare the number of accidents, flying hours etc. not to mention as to whether the school they wish to train with is committing any of the common breaches of UK law, remember as 'PIC' (Pilot In Charge) when you are solo on a training glider, it is YOU that will be taken to court NOT the instructor!

More than one paragliding school in Scotland has, in the past guaranteed a 100% pass rate......

What do YOU think the chance that everyone going to train in paragliding will be a safe/capable pilot?

If you have a 100% pass guaranteed in aviation how much is a 'pass' worth? Remember it might be one of those very low airtime (as little as TWO and a bit hours flight 'training'!) 'pilots' who is flying next you!

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Last modified: 06/19/07