WINGSPORTS
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WINGSPORTS
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Wingsports Paragliding School. Today’s Paraglider might justly be called the "modern hang glider". It has all the attributes for long distance cross-country flights and flights well in excess of 300 km have already been made in Australia. Paragliders have the ability to fly in the lightest of conditions and are often the fastest climbing glider in thermals. To top it off it weighs only 15kg, fits in a backpack and takes only 5 minutes to set up or pack up. This makes the Paraglider the smallest, lightest and most versatile aircraft in the world which happily sits in the boot of your car or on your back as you travel the world!! Paragliders are still often confused with parachutes or parasails (behind a boat) but are really very much like hang gliders in that they both launch from the same mountains and do flights of similar length and distance. Every flying sport has a growing up period where its reputation is created by the dangerous and illegal antics of brave but marginally skilled pioneers in unsafe, home made equipment.
Your Paraglider does not need to open in free-fall as with base-jumping , but is flying neatly above your head well before take-off. Along with Wingsports innovative modern teaching methods we use the very latest gliders. We are situated such that both coastal flying (ridge lift) and inland flying (thermal lift) are available to us. We have found however that the coast is generally more helpful to beginners in the early stages of their flying as more continuous flying time is available to new pilots due to long (1 hour +) soaring flights. After many years of experience in teaching paragliding Wingsports specializes in teaching small groups and private tuition as this turns out the best pilots. are training methods require several instructors to be involved during the course ,however one main instructor follows the student from start to finish ,so as to guarantee absolute continuity during the training process . Our aim is to provide students from an early stage with a large amount of highflying airtime in order to better prepare them for the more challenging thermal (inland) flying. You can read up on the entire Paragliding Learning Experience by ordering Our manual used for training.
At Wingsports we know only too well that many people are not willing to commit themselves to a full training course until they have checked things out. For this reason we offer an introductory course to allow you a taste of Paragliding. This intro course is a great flying experience. COST $440= fully inclusiveWho would have thought you could safely be flying solo within 2 days! …. Anyone who is not completely hooked after that experience never will be!! Paragliding is the only flying sport where you can fly solo in such a short time. Generally we run Introductory Courses on most weekends but they can also be done midweek if you wish. The two-day course follows the same format as the first two days of the licence course described below and counts for two full days towards the 7-day licence course. In Paragliding the restricted licence will take 7 or 8 days in most cases. The exact format of the seven-day course depends to an extent on the prevailing weather conditions but it follows the following profile approximately. COST $1500= +HGFA licence fees
After some basic classroom instruction to give you some insight into this sport, how it works and what it entails, you will immediately receive hands-on experience with your wing. You will learn to prepare your equipment for flight and how to perform a pre-flight check to ensure that everything is in order. Next you will learn to inflate your canopy and transform it from a colourful bag of fabric into a sophisticated airfoil. This will be accompanied by demonstration flights and flight planning instruction. On day one we build your ground handling- and take-off skills for becoming airborne on day two. On the second day two we aim to have you performing your first radio assisted solo glides, with our instructors guiding your take-off, flight and landing by radio in close proximity. The transition from training take-off to higher take-off is surprisingly easy and, before you know it you will be gliding off , Marriners Lookout, a beautiful coastal mountain setting up a landing in the large landing paddock below. This is a great experience!! I don’t think I know anyone who did not want to go straight back up to fly again! From here flying just gets better and better . It is however important to understand that no two students are the same, have the same perception of or immediate aptitude for flying. Consequently we treat every student individually and allow you in your own pace to reach the point of first solo flight without pressure. Sometimes tandem flights are used to make some transitions easier. On day two you will probably achieve a number of higher glides, with each one getting smoother and more confident. You will soon be able to take pleasure in controlling the entire flight by yourself.
Now we are getting closer to doing extended soaring flights. Some flights can easily exceed one hour in duration. Our daily briefing sessions, in the classroom and on the hill, provide the all important theoretical grounding that will give you sound knowledge to understand and handle every situation. You will absorb a lot of theory as the days progress and will ultimately develop sound flight planning skills so that you will have every situation or change of weather covered. During these few days we follow a syllabus laid out by the HGFA and a repetition of flights and particular tasks is necessary to consolidate your training progresses. We will introduce you to a number of flying sites and a variety of conditions. Extensive use is made of radio instruction and, as the days progress and you become more competent, we will say less on the radio and pass the decisions over to you. Flights may be made by tow launching where it is appropriate, using our hydraulic winch system. When you perform your first extended solo soaring flight, all the theory and prior flights will culminate in an extraordinary feeling of complete control and freedom, allowing you to feel in charge of the entire flight. You will by now have gained a thorough understanding of aerodynamics, weather observation, rules of the air and emergency procedures along with a great variety of flying skills. A new restricted pilot is now able to enter the flying community and to fly in the company of other pilots at first. At this stage we will integrate you into the flying world via clubs and our ex-students who you will meet through our school. Ex-students are always welcome to fly around us at any time and generally they do. Apollo Bay is a great place to fly!! At any rate we always stay in touch with all our ex-students as they have now entered the small elite world of those that can fly and we follow their progress keenly. Apart from just free flying with us, a series of more advanced courses are always available but not compulsory such as Thermal flying, cross-country and towing courses. For a comparison of Paragliding with Hang gliding go to:
A comprehensive training manual covering all aspects of paragliding is
available from Wingsports:
 WINGSPORTS are the
sole Australian importer and distributor for the world renowned EDEL paragliders
,reserve shutes and paragliding equipment and are therefore in a position to
offer the following tuition/equipment package deals:.
1:
Paragliding Comprehensive Package Deal ! This
includes tuition to
licence level, HGFA fees AND your own brand new latest equipment to keep when you
are licensed - the Latest
EXPERIENCE THE FREEDOM OF FLYING in your own Aircraft for just $6450 Custom package options also available. 2: NEW PILOT PACKAGE:
NEW
An exciting new high-performance 1-2 has surpassed our greatest expectations to inspire new, intermediate and experienced pilots into X-C flying. One great wing to see you right through!! To arrange a test flight at your nearest dealer contact us on 0419378616 or hans@wingsports.com.au .
Offer valid till September 200 6
Customer Support: r
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Of course paragliding has passed
that stage a good number of years ago. The days of unpredictability and
higher risk are well behind us. Today’s Paraglider is extremely solid and safe to
fly so long as you are taught properly and safely grow into the sport once
you have gained your licence. Statistically paragliding is the
safest of the aircraft that we teach on. The take-offs and landings, such
a tense situation in other aircraft, are easy, slow and predictable in a Paraglider.