iP4 Advanced - Paragliding - $1,747
At some point in your flying, you will have completed at least 250 paragliding flights and acquired a minimum of 120 hours air time and have thermalled and soared for 60 hours during cross-country flights, as specified by the Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada (HPAC) Advanced Rating requirements.
Note that if you are a US pilot, or prefer the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA) standards, iParaglide is certified to instruct and certify you at the USHPA Advance Rating level requiring 250 flights, and only 75 hours.
You will have inevitably encountered rough air and turbulence on some of your flights and have learned to satisfactorily control your paraglider to prevent or deal with flight incidents. You are also likely becoming more comfortable with a narrowed margin when flying in the proximity of other paragliders and terrain. However, there are still times when you do not fly because you feel you still haven't mastered launching and landing in strong conditions. You have not competed, but are a respected, competent and a somewhat seasoned paraglider pilot.
You look to the top competition and aerobatic pilots with admiration, for they fly in a realm beyond your current capabilities. They log the most incredible paragliding cross-country flights and race with a gaggle to new horizons. Bird-like they wing-over, spiral gracefully or SAT - the sky is their playground.
Nothing compares to the excitement and scene of an entire flock of multicolored paragliders in the sky: all determined to milk every ounce of flight out of a thermal or ridge lift; all with a common goal destination - like migrating birds headed south for the winter. This is competition. In this struggle for survival, everyone is a winner, with personal bests set all the time. Feeling your triumph as your scratch your way up on an impossible low save, or knowing your comrades desperation as they scratch low, trying to hang in - immediately ads a huge social dimension to your paragliding. One second you are at the top of the stack, racing ahead, and later you are plummeting in sink as others fly on. Adrenaline and fun beyond your wildest dreams.
Now your vision is focussed. You long for the ultimate: to be up there, flying with a massive gaggle of paragliders all spiraling up in unison in a giant thermal; or littered above and along mountain ranges as you race to your mission, a hundred kilometers away. You visualize cranking wicked wing-overs proceeding a three-G spiral dive down through the evening sunset. You may also have craving to upgrade your intermediate ENB or ENC paraglider to something on the cutting edge of the paragliding performance envelope, with a performance class paraglider ENC or END.
This is the time to once again return to the cradle for some world class paragliding mentoring to rocket you to the next level.
2-Day Paragliding Intro to Aerobatics Seminar ($1,247)
And so begins our quest with a 2-day Paragliding Intro to Aerobatics Seminar. At the start of the seminar you will meet with your flight instructors to discuss and develop a customized training session for your individual needs. Emphasis will be placed on progression:
- polishing large deliberate roll, pitch and yaw oscillations;
- working on spirals and asymmetric spirals;
- controlled changes of heading during spins;
- deep stall
- fly-back
- big wing-overs;
- and if you are ready and your instructor is satisfied with your performance, we may proceed to SATs and/or barrel rolls.
For the majority of participants we will endeavor to leave you with a set of practical exercises you can work on until the next Paragliding Aerobatic Seminar (every 6 months) so we can work the progression to the barrel roll and SAT over successive seminars.
For your safety, all acro moves will be conducted over a lake with a rescue boat on standby. We use a specialized tow rig and boat to tow you as high as 3,500 feet (dependant on conditions) above the lake where you will release and begin your routines while guided from the shore by your paragliding instructor.
Use of this specialized paraglider towing equipment allows us to not be dependant on wind direction and good cycles like other mountain launch based clinics. This means we can operate in most wind directions and strengths up to 20 kmhr. The result is that you will get more flights per day and also will learn more and enjoy while you wait for tow and watch each participant directly above you doing paragliding aerobatics on queue to the instructors directives. Simply, a far more efficient and effective way of teaching Aerobatics.
2-Day iP4 Advanced Paraglider Pilot Rating ($547)
We will conduct additional key course components during the Seminar:
- In-Depth, Advanced Classroom Study. We will have classroom sessions including cutting edge multimedia presentations of advanced paragliding topics: Air Regulations, Aerodynamics, Meteorology, Advanced Thermal and Cross Country Flying Skills and Aeronautical Chart Reading.
- HPAC Advanced (P4) written Exam.
- Advanced Paragliding Ground-School. We will have training at Kiting location and/or Training hill to polish advanced launching and landing skills during highly thermic and strong wind conditions.
- Supervised Advanced Cross-Country Competition Training. We will provide ground radio support and/or fly with you air-to-air during strong conditions or competitions (where circumstances permit) to provide first hand supervision of your practical skills.
- Study and Use of Advanced-Level Paragliding Equipment. We will show you "the ropes" of using advanced level equipment designed to assist you with your cross-country competition flying and aerobatics. All of our latest advanced-class paragliders, harnesses and instrumentation will be available for you to test fly (usage fee and damage deposit will apply).
On successful course completion, you will have conducted a minimum of eight (8) supervised advanced aerobatic and/or cross-country flights over 4-days. Requires instructor review of students documented minimum two hundred and fifty (250) flight logbook, 120 air hours for HPAC or 75 air hours for USHPA, minimum cross country of 20 km, successful completion of the advanced (P4) exam, and instructor recommendation for your advanced rating to HPAC or USHPA.
This is destined to be one of the most intense, thrilling and liberating experiences in your life.
iP4 Advanced Value Package: 2-day Intro to Aerobatics Seminar and 2-day iP4 Advanced Rating: $1,747*
* Price includes boat tows for Paragliding Intro to Aerobatics Seminar. Includes a minimum of seven (7) supervised advanced aerobatic and/or competition level paragliding cross-country flights over 4-days. Requires instructor review of students documented minimum one hundred and fifty (250) flight paraglider logbook, minimum 120 air hours for HPAC or 75 air hours for USHPA, minimum cross country of 20 km, pre-requisite P3 Rating including HAGAR, successful completion of the Advanced (P4) exam, and paragliding instructor recommendation for your advanced rating to HPAC or USHPA. Students must have their own complete set of paragliding equipment. Reserve parachutes, back protection, helmet, hook knife, radio with spare battery, and boots with ankle support are mandatory. On course completion, requires student payment of: $15 advanced rating fee and $59 membership fee to USHPA or $10 advanced registration fee and $140 yearly insurance to HPAC. Local pilots must also pay WCSC membership dues which go towards acquiring and maintaining local sites. Some paragliding landing sites require a $10/day fee payable by the student to the land owner. Full payment of the course and time commitment to specific dates must be received prior to commencement of training, with no refunds for partial course completion. We reserve the right to discontinue training any paragliding student not following directions or conducting themselves in a manner that may endanger themselves or others.
2-day Intro to Paragliding Intro to Aerobatics Clinic: $1,247**
**Price includes boat tows for Paragliding Intro to Aerobatics Clinic. Terms in * above apply.
2-day iP4 Advanced Paraglider Pilot Rating: $547***
*** Price includes Advanced Theory class and preparation for HPAC Advanced Exam. Included Advanced Kiting Session. Includes One (1) instructor supervised cross country flight minimum. Terms in * above apply.