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Para Pro 1 & 2 (Elementary) Phase 1 – Ground Training
Objective:
The student should have a basic understanding of the sport and its risks,
a basic understanding of the equipment and the training site environment,
and understand how to avoid / minimise injury as a result of mishap. The
student must also complete all the mandatory administration steps. Exercise 1 - Introductory talk: The IHPA – the Pilot Rating System - school, instructor and assistants – risk warning – student’s physical fitness, health and medical conditions – clothing and footwear – teamwork.
Exercise 2 - Site assessment briefing: The student must be taught the basic theory of airflow over the site and its accompanying turbulence; how the weather dictates the sport, and how important it is to be able to judge local conditions and assess the effects of change. They should understand the need to launch and land into wind and how this governs the choosing of a suitable site, launch point and landing area.
Exercise 3 – Introduction to canopy and equipment: Parts and functions of the canopy, harness and helmet. How an aerofoil creates lift. Daily Inspections explained, demonstrated, practised and understood. Certification panels. Weight ranges explained. Care and maintenance of the canopy and harness. Students must demonstrate how to neatly pack up their flying gear ready for transport, with attention paid to proper stowing of lines and risers.
Exercise 4 – Avoiding / minimising injury: Safety techniques, including collapsing the wing. Getting help / permission from the instructor to launch. The principle of the Parachute Landing Fall (PLF) is explained to all students, as are the circumstances in which it can be used to reduce the risk of injury. Students should understand the importance of reporting accidents and incidents to the IHPA. Phase 1 – Ground Training has been completed satisfactorily. Instructor’s Signature Date
Phase 2 – Ground Handling
Objective: Through ground-based activity the student should achieve a reasonable and consistent level of competence at preparing the equipment for flight; inflating the canopy; running with it whilst looking ahead; maintaining direction; flaring and collapsing the canopy. Exercise 5 – Briefing: Ensure that everyone understands the pre-flight checks. Use the Straps &buckles Helmet Observation Wind (SHOW) mnemonic unless your school uses a better one. Understanding the importance of taking off into wind. Airspeed control. Stopping the wing with a flare / stall.
Exercise 6 – Helmets: Ensure that each helmet is a good fit. A helmet must be put on before the harness. First item on and last item off regardless of how hot the pilot is!
Exercise 7 – Inflating the canopy: This exercise may be carried out using a forward or reverse launch technique as dictated by conditions, on flat or near flat ground. Take-offs practised until running with the canopy inflated, looking ahead. Flaring. Collapsing the canopy. Post-flight control and moving the canopy.
Exercise 8 – Directional control: How the controls work for directional control work. Initiating turns. Lookout and looking ahead. This development of exercise seven introduces deliberate minor slalom-like manoeuvres whilst running with the canopy overhead, so allowing the student to get some feel for the directional controls. Phase 3 – First Hops
Objective: The student should combine the skills practised on the ground in Phase 2 to make straight, low-level flights, slowly progressing in height. Exercise 9 – Getting airborne: The student should reach a reasonable and consistent level of competence at taking off, maintaining the correct in flight control position for good airspeed, the landing flare/landing, and post-landing canopy control. Initial flights should be in a straight line, out from the hill and directly into wind. Phase 4 – Flight Exercises
Objective: The student must be capable of acting as pilot-in-command at the Elementary level. These exercises MUST be completed in the order listed. Exercise 10 – Eventualities briefing: The need to prepare plans before take-off to deal with the unexpected. Getting the student to think ahead. Before each flight, students must give a verbal flight plan to the instructor, detailing the current weather conditions, an evaluation of the launch and landing sites and their hazards, and their intended manoeuvres and contingency plans.
Exercise 11 – Commands and communications briefing: Whether by radio or by signal bat, communications must be clearly understood. Radio checks. Signal-bat signals.
Exercise 12 – Responsibilities briefing: From this point on the student becomes the ‘pilot-in-command’ and will be in a position to determine the course of the flight. The student must clearly understand their level of responsibility for the safe conduct of any flight and be confident of their ability to undertake this step.
Exercise 13 – Flights 1 – Maintaining course and airspeed: The student should reach a reasonable and consistent level of competence and confidence flying at increased ground clearance and in making the directional and speed control corrections required to maintain a straight course. At least four successful flights must be achieved. Direct communication from the instructor must be available. At this point, Para Pro 1 is now completed.
Exercise 14 – Flights 2 – Introducing turns: The student should reach a reasonable and consistent level of competence and confidence whilst flying with a greater ground clearance (maximum 30m / 100ft) maintaining good airspeed and making gentle turns. The student should be briefed on turns and the need to keep a good lookout. The turns should be no more than 90° (i.e. less than 45° from directly into wind.) Direct communication from the instructor should be available. At least four successful flights must be made.
Exercise 15 – Flights 3 – Completing a simple flight plan: The student should reach a reasonable and consistent level of competence and confidence whilst making flights with a further increased ground clearance. Flights should involve unassisted launches, turns of 90° to 180° whilst keeping a good lookout, good airspeed control and controlled landings within a defined area. Phase 5 – Theory and Examination Objective: Through lectures, lessons, talks and
personal study the student should achieve the required knowledge level
in these subject areas. Exercise 16 – Theory – Meteorology.
Exercise 17 – Theory – Principles of flight.
Exercise 18 – Theory – Rules of the Air and air law.
Exercise 19 – Para Pro 2 (Elementary) examination: After you have completed your exam paper the instructor will go through each of the questions so that incorrect answers can be discussed and your knowledge / understanding corrected. Final Assessment for Para Pro 2 (Elementary) Pilot Rating
Exercise 20 - Instructor’s Declaration: I have checked that the training exercises detailed above have been successfully completed. I confirm that, to the best of my judgement and knowledge, this student has the right attitude to flying and has reached the standard of airmanship required to continue training in this discipline.
Para Pro 2 (Elementary) Know the Rules of the Air:
Flight Theory: Be able to define the terms Lift, Drag and Angle
of Attack. Understand wind gradients and its effect. Understand the relationship between airspeed, wind-speed
and ground-speed.
Apply to the IHPA for your Para Pro 2 (Elementary) Pilot Rating:
Congratulations on completing your elementary pilot training! You should now, without fail, fill in the Para Pro 2 (Elementary) Pilot Rating Application form in the centre of this booklet and have your instructor sign it, and return it to the IHPA Training & Flight Safety Officer. |