Useful Information for Prospective Pilots

BHPA Membership and Insurance

BHPA Membership provides legal liability insurance cover which is there to protect you. Make sure that the school you join is currently BHPA registered, and when you start training take out BHPA Introductory, Training or Annual Membership through the school.

Personal Accident Insurance, to cover you during training and beyond, is available from Airsports Insurance Bureau.

Your Health and Fitness to Fly

Can anyone Fly? Are hang gliders, and paragliders only flown by supermen or women? No!

You do however need to be over 16. If you are under 18 you will need parental consent. You should be fit and active; have good co-ordination and an alert, reasoning mind (but you don't need any previous flying experience). Although no medical examinations is required you should be in good health. If you suffer from any medical condition such as epilepsy, fainting, giddiness, high blood pressure, heart condition or diabetes you should ask your Doctor's advice.

Many people may think that flying hang gliders and paragliders is impossible for people with disabilities. Nothing could be further from the truth. The message from the free flying community to anyone with disabilities is quite simply that: 'You can fly!' Please see Flyability - the BHPA‘s disability initiative - for further information.

What to Wear

Clothing. Clothes are important. In the course of one training day you'll have periods of intense activity - and sometimes you'll sit and wish! You may also have to contend with the chill factor of the prevailing wind, so it makes sense to go properly prepared. Layers of light but warm shirts/sweaters mixed with a windproof on top are much better than just one or two thick heavy garments. Wearing an overall or similar is a good idea; if you have some waterproof overalls or a one-piece ski suit, so much the better. A pair of warm gloves is essential in cooler weather, even if you take them off to fly. For hang gliding they should be made of leather or other suitable material which will not slip on the control bar. And take along a waterproof jacket that you can slip on over everything; you won't train when it's pouring with rain but sometimes low cloud over the hills can have the same effect.

Foot Wear. Apart from all the walking that your feet are going to get, they do need to be kept dry. Good flexible hill walking or jump boots without lacing hooks (they can snag and damage suspension lines and get caught in rigging wires and harnesses) are best, though in summer trainers, preferably with ankle support, are often worn.

Food & Drink. Training is usually conducted far away from creature comforts like warm cafes with loos. On your first day at the school, even if your instructor knows a good tea-shop in the village, don't neglect something to eat and drink to sustain you through your day.

Schools & Clubs

The BHPA prescribes equipment and instructor-training standards, and the training syllabus used by BHPA Registered Training Schools.

Recreational hang gliding and paragliding clubs, operating their own flying sites and having a pilot-coaching scheme and a strong social side, are affiliated to the BHPA. A list of these can be found in the database of BHPA Recreational Clubs.

We strongly advise pilots under training to join, or at least get in touch with, their local club as soon as possible - you don't have to wait to get qualified. A trip to your local club meeting or one of their flying sites will also allow you to ask any questions you may have before committing to a course of training. The pilots there will be keen to help you get started.

Coaching

A new pilot trained by a BHPA school to fly in a recreational club environment will still benefit from ongoing support and guidance from more experienced pilots. All BHPA clubs have official Coaches tasked to help improving pilots develop safely and get more out of their flying.