HANGGLIDING LESSONS
British Hang gliding & Paragliding Association (BHPA) registered
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Learn to fly your own glider and take to the skies.
Feel the rush of achievement & joy as your feet leave the ground using only the air currents & a well designed wing.
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Face any fear with the excellent support of the most experienced
Hang Gliding instructors in the UK.
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These are days you will never forget.
Fledge and make your first flights in the heart of the spectacular
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You will be taught from the very basics right up to as far as you can go. Some students go all the way through and become independent pilots on their own hang-glides whilst others come for one or a few days experience of something they have never done before and enjoy challenging themselves to take on this amazing sport.
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Very rarely & occasionally, depending on the weather and other factors there may be an opportunity to take tandem ride with Matt Lewis as he loves flying and will go for it if it looks safe and workable. This can form part of a day one or any other training day but is at Matt's discretion as it's rare for the weather conditions to favour this type of day.
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In the early days you will be making your first hops with assistance from ground tethers or sliding zip-line tethers in lighter winds. These first days can form the first part of your Elementary Pilot (EP) Course.
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To become an independent solo pilot you will need to pass your Club Pilot License with the BHPA. We have taught many people to fly to this standard and love watching our students once they have passed enjoying themselves on the hills and abroad.
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Learning to fly hang gliders takes time, commitment and a willingness to understand and be patient with our very changeable UK weather conditions. Precise wind and weather conditions are essential for flight without engines. In order to be a good pilot you will need a decent level of physical and mental fitness. You will need to be sober and drug free at all times and have no outstanding health conditions that might interfere with the safety of your flying. Hang gliding has the potential to kill you or injure permanently so you must be in a good state of mental and physical health to take it on.
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What people say:
"It has exceeded all expectations!! Is sooooooooo fun when you are there flying like a bird! and Matt has all under control at all times. It was our first time but both Matt and Rich did a great job for us to feel chilled and confident to just enjoy the ride. Special mention to the landscape which is absolutely stunning. We were give an introduction early in the morning with flying concepts and then headed to the site. Brilliant day!" Jesus Prieto
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Spread your wings ,,,
Learning to Fly: ​
What to expect:
UK Weather!
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Hang-gliding is a highly weather dependent sport and it will very likely take time, patience and perseverance to find the right day. You may need to book several times to ensure you get the right wind direction, speed and other variable conditions to make flight without an engine successful. Once you're out and flying it will all be worth it :)
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Day 1 Introductory Day:
Meet up and theory talk (1 hour): Essential flight theory, safety briefing and introduction
to the day.
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Assess the weather & rig the gliders.
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,Students take turns flying the glider in the wind assisted by ground tethers or sliding
tram line tethers in lighter wind. Tethers allow you to really fly the hang glider safe in
the knowledge that the instructor can override your control if necessary! You will
gradually build up your skill through our structured training method. You will start with
simply balancing the glider on the breeze, then progress when ready to little hops.
At your own pace and only when you're comfortable do you take longer flights.
Become familiar with the weight-shift control as you ride the air on these incredible
lightweight aircraft.
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As well as learning the general feel of the glider, specifics such as correct body position,
looking ahead and "relaxing" in the harness are focused on.
Glider rigging and de-rigging, pre-flight checking and basic ground-handling are other
important skills introduced during the day.
We finish by log-book signing and debriefing.
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This is the Day 1 of the Elementary Pilot course (EP) and should you wish to pursue this incredible sport further it would be included as part of your EP training..
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Tandem flights cannot be pre-booked as part of the Day 1 Introduction but may be offered on the day at the discretion of the Duty Instructor.
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It's a great fun day out, you learn loads and have an experience only otherwise found in dreams!
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Elementary Pilot (EP) Training Days:
For those that want to go on and learn more you can work towards the Elementary Pilot level. This will include higher flights allowing the introduction of deliberate turns and the flying of a predetermined flight plan. Flying higher flights with good turns, take-offs, landings and basic theory is tested in the EP exam. All untethered flights require that the student pilot accept that they are "pilot- in-command" and are responsible for the safe conduct of the flight exercises.
The amount of time it takes to achieve EP is highly variable but it can take anywhere from 5 days and up to gain this level.
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Club Pilot Training Days: ​
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Following BHPA Elementary Pilot, the Club Pilot training involves approximately
5 days of training. You will progress onto higher launches and flying in the fully
prone position. CP training involves soaring flights - maintaining and gaining height
by flying in rising air; understanding the flying conditions of different sites; making
and flying accurate flight plans. The CP training improves the skills to a level suitable
to continue flying independently within a local hang gliding club. Three soaring
flights and a flight theory exam complete the CP qualification. CP qualifying flights
can be completed at the school or out in the club with a BHPA qualified Coach.
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Students fly their own glider and harness during CP training, storing them at home.
Hang Gliders are transported by using car roof-racks. The first flights on new
equipment are short, straight and at a low altitude. Further flights are from the
hilltops.
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Restrictions:
Age: You can start learning to fly at 14 yrs old although you won't be able to take the exams until you are 16 yrs old. You are never too old although it must be understood that hang gliding is a sport and has you will need to be fit and healthy in order to be able to fly and for your own safety. P​You must be in good general health and reasonably fit, Please do get in touch if you are over 70 and / or if you have any questions about this.
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There is an upper weight limit of 120kg for learning to fly.
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Day 1 & 2 training generally runs on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, although group bookings can made for any day of the week. We need a team of students and appropriate weather to make the day run at it's best so we always communicate with you to organise this so it works for everyone.
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Booking Your Training Day Ticket to Fly:​Please read all this information before purchasing your tickets and then use the form below to purchase your tickets to fly.Follow this procedure to book your training day(s):​You will receive a pdf ticket to fly online once you have completed your purchase. It will also contain this information. .​- Please let us know the date(s) you wish to fly via email to AirsportsSussex@gmail.com We will send you a confirmation email.- Phone 07746 714 604 after 7.30pm the day before you are due to fly. There will be an answer phone message regarding the weather suitability for the day you are booked and the time and place of meeting.If we are not going ahead please contact us again via email with another date and repeat the procedure.If we are going ahead then the message will tell you the meeting time and place, which will likely be either of the following:Devil’s Dyke Pub, Dyke Rd, Poynings, East Sussex, BN1 8YJor Middle Farm Shop, Middle Farm, Firle, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 6LJAlso please remember:To bring windproof, warm clothing and trainers, lunch, snacks and a non-alcoholic drink. If you sufferfrom travel sickness you may want to consider taking a travel sickness medication, fast acting justbefore the flight.Hang gliding and paragliding are potentially hazardous sports and you will be asked to sign a liability and acceptance on the day of your flight.If you are under 18 please contact us in advance of your flight so that we can provide you with the appropriate forms for your parents / guardian to sign.Hang gliding is an extremely weather dependent sport. Understanding the air currents and weather conditions is a large part of our pilots training and experience and for your safety and enjoyment we take considerable care over ensuring the weather is suitable for a flightwithout engines. This may mean that your flight can not go ahead on your booked day but please be assured that we are making the best choices possible about the weather conditions.Contacting us: The best method to contact us is via email: airsportssussex@gmail.comWe are not available to answer the phone in the evenings after the last call and can not answer calls if we are flying during the day.Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions and if you would like us to call you by phone please do ask.Many thanks and looking forward to some great flying, Matt Lewis.​​