Learning to Fly in the Alps

One of the best things about paragliding and hang gliding is cross country flying. To regard the take off hill as just a “start point”, climbing to the clouds, not knowing where I will land is as exciting today, as it was for my first cross country flight - a 2km glide over the back of Merthyr Tydfil in 1981. Since that first glide-and-grin experience I have spent the years honing my skills, learning to read the sky and the terrain, enabling me to fly as far as the conditions allow. I have broken many world records for cross country flying in both hang gliding and paragliding, and currently hold the British women’s distance records for both disciplines.

Each year I run a coaching course through Airways Airsports www.airways-airsports.com with Chris Dawes (ex British cross country champion, British Team pilot). We stay in a beautiful gite near Laragne, France, and fly each day (weather permitting) at La Charbre which is only half an hour from the gite. We generally start the day with a lecture relevant to cross country flying (meteorology, reading the terrain, navigation etc.), then suggest a route and fly the course along with our pilots, giving information by radio.

These courses are only suitable for qualified pilots (CPC + 10 hours minimum). We don't teach people how to fly paragliders in the alps and all pilots on these courses must have a good skill level in take off, landing and glider handling before we leave (contact me to find out more). The top of an Alpine launch site in spring is not the place to learn to ground handle a paraglider or learn nil-wind hang glider launches!

Date of next trip – 15^th May 2004

Here is some feedback from students who have been on our courses in the past six months:

"It is the best course I have been on and it will be hard to beat"
"It is about the best basis for a flying future"
"I've been on courses for a long time and learned more in two days here"
"All our horizons were broadened both mentally and physically in terms of cross country distance"
"Get out there, even if you have to sell your house/family to do it"

If you are interested in joining one of our courses, please contact me: judy@judyleden.com