What is paragliding?
Paragliding is the most exhilarating and peaceful, simple, yet challenging form of aviation
yet devised.The modern paraglider has opened up the skies to thousands of people from
all walks of life, right across the globe.It is a sport that unites people's differences, giving
them a unique common interest,To pursue mans oldest dream to fly like a bird.

Modern paragliders were directly developed from ram air parachutes, which during the late
80's were found to be able to be foot-launched from steep hills. As the Sport developed,
so did the technology, and now paragliders are closer to aircraft than parachutes. It is
now possible to soar paragliders for many hours, thousands of feet above the ground and
be able to fly great distances.

How is paragliding different from Hang Gliding?
Paragliding is very similar to hang gliding, in fact they are essentially the same activity
done with slightly different equipment. Hang gliders have a more rigid frame than paragliders
The advantage of paragliders is that they can be packed into a rucksack and carried more
easily. They are also much easier to land, which gives them a big advantage. Is Paragliding
Safe? Paragliding,like any other adventure sport, has its associated risks and dangers.
To operate safely in any kind of aviation environment one must strive at all times to minimise
those risks. The most important pre-requisites to learning to fly safely are: pilot attitude,
competent instruction, and safe equipment. If these conditions are met the slow speeds
and inherent stability of paragliders can provide a reasonably safe and easy way to fly,
however there is no completely safe form of aviation and the pilot must assume full
responsibility for his actions.
 
pics/Flying at sunset
   

Who can fly a paraglider?
You must be over 16 years to obtain a pilot rating. 14 years to begin training. There is no upper age limit. You need to be reasonably fit and have good vision. If you have any weaknesses or medical problems please seek medical advice and then inform us we also provide tandem flights (for any age) and training for people with more severe disabilities with the help of the charity 'Flyability'. It is also a possibility.
Axis student
 
Paragliders and equipment

Is it hard to learn?
No! Our school uses the latest techniques to teach you how to fly as safely as possible,
following systems which have been developed over many years, and are the approved
method of the sports national association;the BHPA. All our instructors are qualified by
the BHPA, and are experienced and enthusiastic pilots themselves. Your first lessons
will have some basic theory and demonstrations, and then with the help of your instructor
it's your turn! Now the fun really begins. We won't start by taking you to a hill and throwing
you off, but begin with some ground control. Then gradually progressing to short flights on
gentle grassy slopes, moving on to the next stage only when you are ready.

What equipment do you need?
The school will provide the paraglider wing, harness and helmet. All you need to bring is
warm outdoor clothes, gloves, strong grippy Boots (No hooks), packed lunch, drinks and
a good sense of fun and humour! We would encourage you to buy your own equipment
from us when you are sure the sport is for you. It is often better to train on your own
equipment. Please ask our advice before you buy. There is so much to know to buying
the right equipment. Most people who buy without the advice of an experienced instructor,
buy the wrong thing.. Often a very costly mistake!

Equipment sales are an important part of how we make our living and so we need your
sales to keep us going! Students who buy their equipment from us will always get priority
with bookings and will have the benefit of having kit that is exactly right for them. All our
second hand kit will be sold with a full years independent service and safety check. If its
not right for you you can change it or part ex it for something else. We want to make sure
Axis students are happy and confident in their equipment and training.
 

What about the weather?
Paragliding is a sport that is very dependant on the weather as flying is only possible in certain conditions. A good flyable day is one where there is light wind and no rain. Clouds (except Cb) are not a problem; a dull overcast day with light winds can often be better than one in blazing sunshine.
Our Abroad courses offer you a way to get a block of training days together, and are a fun and great holiday too.

Cirrus clouds
 

Why choose Axis...
1/ Getting to CP level should take about 8-10 days of tuition. ( this is usually
not taken in a block, unless you have links with the weather gods:-)

2/ We will teach you One to One, or in small groups of the same standard!

3/ A program of courses abroad to get you off to the best start, even in the winter.

4/ We use Tandem paragliding Tuition. - Quite often the conditions may be too
strong to teach you solo, so we can get you to fly many of the tasks on our
tandem with the Instructor. You may be surprised to learn that this is very unusual
in other UK schools, mainly because of large group sizes mean people standing
around for hours, or no Tandem qualified instructor is available.
5/ F lexible payment system. Only pay for the days you do! pay per day. UK courses
can be transferred to overseas, and vice versa. You will not pay for bad weather days,
if cancelled you just rebook. If weather dictates we can only do a part day, or half a
day you will only be charged for that.

5/ We are probably situated in the best flying area in the UK, with more slopes to
train on, (several private sites) taking more wind directions. Sites up to
2400 feet amsl. More easily soarable sites- makes passing those tricky
CP tasks much easier!
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