5 - CROSS COUNTRY

4 - ADVANCED SOARING

3 - BASIC SOARING and multiple choice exam

2 - HIGHER ALTITUDE GLIDING and multiple choice exam

1 - LOW GLIDING FLIGHTS

The Para Pro Rating System As It Applies To You:

1) Safety

Like other Aviation Sports such as hang gliding, paragliding evolved from a have a go, teach yourself pioneering mentality. The equipment used had a low performance, progress was slow, and accidents were common. Training programs were introduced which dramatically improved the safety record of the sport and today paragliding, if learnt properly, carries no more of a risk factor than skiing.

The Para Pro system allows you to learn in a safe and progressive environment under the supervision of a qualified IHPA instructor who initially will make a lot of the critical decisions for you. As your skill level improves you will start to make more and more decisions for yourself. Your progress will be recorded and constantly monitored which means that any bad habits or mistakes can be spotted early, and appropriate action taken.

It is oh to easy for an unsupervised novice pilot to take off on a modern paraglider, gain height and within a short period of time find themselves out of their depth, in a situation that they just don’t have the experience to cope with. It is reassuring to know that your instructor, with a wealth of experience is only to aware of the hidden dangers that await the foolhardy or overconfident novice pilot.

2) Site Access

The IHPA has negotiated access to some of our best flying sites with varies bodies such as RTE, Coilte, private landowners and air traffic control. In order to fly these sites you must be a member of the IHPA and to join the IHPA, you must have public liability insurance (which is available through the IHPA).

You must also have a proficiency rating, i.e. you must either be rated as a student pilot - enrolled on a training course and only allowed to fly under the supervision of a qualified instructor - or a qualified pilot with a Para Pro 2 rating or above. If you do not have a rating you cannot join the IHPA and some of the best flying sites in the country will be strictly off limits to you.