Start Flying
Welcome!
You want to start flying or you're curious to find out a little bit more? You've almost come to the right place. We're a club for pilots who have already qualified in paragliding and hang gliding. But here's a little intro to flying in the Yorkshire Dales to help you on your way.
We fly paragliders and hang gliders predominantly in the Yorkshire Dales and there are different disciplines or styles of flying that might be the one for you. The DHPC has members who are amongst the best in the country at each of these disciplines.
- Leisure flying - turn up and take off from the hill top. Fly high and enjoy the views, then land for lunch and a chat. Repeat as much as conditions allow and maybe cap the day off with a friendly pint.
- Cross Country (XC) - catch the thermal coming through on take off and climb inside it up to cloudbase. Repeat until you get to the coast hours later, having used your wits and experience to stay in the air without a motor.
- Acro - If you like it spicy, you can learn to throw shapes in the air. Generally done abroad - our hills aren't big enough in the UK.
- Hike & Fly - take a map and a forecast and enjoy the landscape from foot and above. Make it a multi day trip with lightweight flying gear, tent and stove.
- Competition - add speed to your cross country flying! Dales club pilots compete at national level in the Alps, flying from ridge to peak, competing to be the fastest around the course set that day.
- Foreign Trips - Spain, Macedonia, The Alps, Morocco, Bir in India - they're all places Dales pilots regularly fly.
Before you start all this though, getting proper training from a qualified instructor is an essential first step.
The BHPA is the national organisation and accredits instructors, schools, clubs and coaches https://www.bhpa.co.uk/sport/bhpa/learn_to_fly/
Dean Crosby runs the local flying school, and has trained many of the best pilots in the country. He is based in Settle: https://www.activeedge.co.uk/learn-to-paraglide
Once you're qualified, we'd love to have you as a member. We have club coaches who will introduce you to our sites and other members. They're there to help you develop your flying skills safely.
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FAQs
- What does flying in the Yorkshire Dales and UK look, feel and sound like?
Hawes and Wensleydale by Paraglider or
Flying to McDonalds on My Paraglider
The club regularly publishes photos of flying in the Dales on its facebook page.
Here's a video on starting flying with another instructor.
- What's the cost & equipment?
Training, Insurance, Wing, Harness, Reserve parachute, Membership, Helmet.... that's the minimum you need. Budget from £4000 for that to get you safely equiped and flying in your first year. If you're wanting to start for the least cost then second hand equipment is available from dealers and instructors. We wouldn't advise just buying from the internet without help from someone more experienced. Wings, particularly, need maintenance and do eventually degrade to become unflyable. You wouldn't want one of these as your first wing.
- What are the rules?
Not a lot! We are a sport that is thankfully free of excessive paperwork. Just like driving though, you need some kind of 3rd party insurance for any form of aviation. Your membership of the BHPA will provide this whilst flying in the UK. If you then want to fly further than the take off site, there are a bunch of safety rules to learn but they're all fairly sensible... don't fly near airports, don't land in military areas etc.
- What kind of fitness do I need?
Flying equipment can range in total weight from 8 kilos for a mountain hike and fly paraglider to 30 kilos for a competition setup paraglider or hang glider. Average paraglider packs weigh in at about 16 kilos and are getting lighter every year. Most of our hills have some walk up involved but quite a few have parking at or near the top. Handling a paraglider for landing and take off usually involves some sort of running and pulling, so a reasonable degree of balance and mobility is needed. We have members who flew well into their eighties! Technique and practice always trump brute strength.
- How safe is it?
The sport, by its nature, does have some risks but safety is a key part of the initial instruction from a BHPA registered school to become a qualified club pilot.
