How to learn to paraglide: training courses, pilot ratings and how long it takes
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Paragliding is learned in stages, through a recognised school, under instructors who decide when you are ready for each step. There is no shortcut that is safe. Teaching yourself from videos, or learning from a friend outside a school, is a known source of serious accidents. Here is how training generally works.
Find a recognised school
Start with your country's national association, which registers or approves schools and instructors:
- UK: the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA).
- US: the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA).
- Other countries have their own federations, and many training systems are recognised against the international IPPI scale.
Many people take a tandem flight first to see if they enjoy it before committing to a course.
Ground handling
Everyone starts on the ground. You learn to lay out the wing, inflate it above your head, steer it with the brakes and bring it down, on a gentle slope or flat field. Ground handling is the foundation of safe launches, and good pilots keep practising it for years.
The UK pathway: Elementary Pilot then Club Pilot
In BHPA training the first rating is Elementary Pilot (EP). You make your first short flights on a training hill, then higher ones, learning solo take-offs and landings and basic control under instruction. It includes a theory exam.
The next stage is Club Pilot (CP). It builds more advanced handling, flying with other pilots, and a deeper understanding of weather and air law, with its own practical tasks and exam. The Club Pilot rating is the point at which you can fly without instructor supervision, joining a club for further guidance. New CP pilots are encouraged to follow a structured set of exercises and to fly with experienced club members; the rating is the start of independent flying, not the end of learning.
The US pathway: P ratings
USHPA uses a five-level system: P1 (Beginner), P2 (Novice), P3 (Intermediate), P4 (Advanced) and P5 (Master). A P1 pilot can launch, fly straight and land but is not ready to fly independently. P2 is the first rating allowing practice without direct instructor supervision, within significant operating limits. P3 requires a logged amount of flying days, flights and solo airtime, a written exam and witnessed tasks. The full requirements are set out in USHPA's pilot proficiency document; check the current version before you plan.
How long it takes
Schools and countries differ, and the honest answer is that it depends on weather. Courses often run as a block of days, but flying days are lost to wind and rain, so finishing can take longer than the advertised number. Many people spread training over weekends for months, or travel to a sunnier destination to train in a concentrated block. Ask any school:
- how many days the course usually takes in practice, not just on paper
- what happens to your training days if the weather is bad
- whether they train to your country's rating, so you can fly at home afterwards
Theory you will learn
- Meteorology: wind, thermals, cloud development and when not to fly.
- Air law: airspace, right-of-way rules between aircraft.
- Principles of flight: how the wing works, stalls and collapses.
- Equipment: checks, care and reserve parachutes.
After your first rating
- Join a club; experienced pilots and site guides teach you each hill's quirks.
- Many pilots take an SIV course (simulated incidents over water) later on to practise handling collapses safely.
- Keep a logbook.
- Buy equipment with your instructor's advice, suited to your level.
Cost and fitness
Training, membership, insurance and kit all cost money; ask schools for their current fees. You do not need to be an athlete, but you need to be able to carry a pack up a hill and run a few strides at launch.
Are you learning, or thinking about it? Share your school experience or questions in the comments.