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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 page.
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