What is paragliding?
Paragliders look vaguely like parachutes as these are from where they evolved. However, they are very much more. Paragliding is now at a very exciting stage in its development, from being just a fun method of descent from the hills; Paragliding offers the pilot the sensation of true free flight for hours upon hours. Using modern high-performance materials a canopy only weighs a few kilograms and packs neatly into a rucksack. This makes this “aeroplane in a bag” totally portable and can complement other sports such as skiing and mountaineering.
Intensive paragliding courses for beginners
If you want to learn to fly, the best way is probably to do an intensive course, since it is proven that you progress much faster than if you give your flight lessons in a discontinuous way only on weekends. Our intensive paragliding courses are one or two weeks long.
To become an autonomous paragliding pilot you’ll need to complete two courses:
IPPI 2 - Elementary Pilot Course
This is a course for complete novices and is the first step in getting qualified to paraglide. At the end of this course, you have learned the basics of paragliding but you still need to fly under the supervision of the instructor.
This course takes one week (6 days).
Student has reached a standard of airmanship and attitude to continue training in this discipline. Attitude is very important in the interests of safety of the student, fellow pilots and other Course Exercises Final assessment of the Elementary stage. If successful you can then move on the Club Pilot IPPI 3 level. This is the next step in your career to become an autonomous paraglider pilot. Once you have finished this course and all the tasks of the training program have been completed, you should have the skills you need to fly unsupervised. This course takes one week (6 days). Final Assessment. Assessment of student’s attitude and standard of airmanship to fly safely and competently outside the supervision of a school. You can also complete the full training program in a Combined EP+CP course and get the Club Pilot qualification. This course takes two consecutive weeks (12 days) Our Paragliding Flight Center is located in Algodonales, southern Spain, unlike anywhere else in Europe, you can learn all the skills to safely paraglide in one or two weeks, meanwhile in other countries, it can take months to acquire all the skills to qualify for your pilot’s license. It is likely to be more cost-effective to take a holiday with us in our variety of flying sites compared to travelling back and forth to your local paragliding area. Because we know that our students have a short time to learn to fly, we have developed our own learning system; our method is faster, safer and more fun than the traditional way. The traditional teaching method is based on short flights from a low hill (10-50 meters high). The student doesn't have too much time to practice the exercises and has to walk to the top of the hill over and over to try again. These hops are good to make you more confident in the beginning, but in the long run, it extends the time it takes to develop your flying skills. With our system, we reduce this time. In the beginning, you will fly in a dual paraglider with your instructor from the top of the mountain (100-600 m high). During these approx. 20-minute-long flights, you will take the controls of the glider. You will have plenty of time to practice exercises, with the help of your instructor who will be seated behind you. This is the best way to learn, no doubts! With this system, we also save time: you can fly with your instructor and practice more often and you won't be waiting for hours to the light wind conditions. For a couple of days, we combine tandem flights with theory lessons and ground handling practices until you are ready to fly in a glider all on your own. After three or four tandem flights with your instructor, you will have learned the basics of piloting the glider and you should be ready for solo flights! You will fly alone for the rest of the course, but always under supervision, with radio support. The intensive course takes the whole day, from 9h00 in the morning to sunset, with a break for lunch. Paragliding is a potentially dangerous sport, so under no circumstances should you try to fly a paraglider without proper training. For your own safety and the safety of the other pilots, your first step must be to enrol in a course offered by a certified paragliding school. While attending a school, you will acquire the knowledge necessary to fly safely. The structure of the paragliding courses can be different in every school but the content is similar. Professional instructors will teach you how to become a safe, competent rated paragliding pilot. During your course, you will do a minimum number of supervised flights and also theory classes. At the end of the course you will have to complete a written exam before you are qualified to fly unsupervised. Zero Gravity is a paragliding school recognized internationally by Federations and Associations such as RFAE, FAI, APPI and BHPA, which guarantees the quality of our courses and the professional training of our instructors. In most of countries, a license is not required to paraglide, but there are some countries where you must get a paragliding pilot rating to fly. Paragliding is normally regulated by the National Aerial Federation. It is a self-regulated sport; pilots and instructors alike adhere to the policies and guidelines of the Federation or another Association. You should ask the National Federation about the requirements to fly paragliders in the country. If you like, after you complete your course at our School, you can get the FAI IPPI Card. The CIVL International Pilot Proficiency Information (IPPI Card) reflects the pilot's proficiency and provides a standard reference by which all national rating programs may be compared. For the pilot who flies outside of his known or local area, it is an easy method of providing proof of flying experience and proficiency. When a pilot travels abroad, the IPPI Card will identify the pilot skills. The IPPI Card is valid only together with a current national licence. Our Paragliding school is recognized by the Spanish and by the British Federation. If you like, you can become a member of them with our certification. The IPPI Card is based on safety and training standards defined in the SAFE PRO program. The learning progression consists of five stages, from basic to advanced. It also divides the participants into students, they must fly under the supervision of instructors, and autonomous pilots who can fly unsupervised. Here you can compare the equivalent ratings between FAI IPPI, APPI and BHPA:Elementary Pilot Course (BHPA EP-IPPI 2) Syllabus
Phase 1 - Ground Training
Phase 2 - Ground Handling
Phase 3 - First Flights
Phase 4 - Flight exercises in a Dual Tandem paraglider with your instructor
Phase 5 Theory lessons and examination.
IPPI 3 - Club Pilot course
BHPA Club Pilot Course (BHPA CP-IPPI 3) Syllabus
Phase 6 - Pre-soaring.
Phase 7 - Soaring.
Phase 8 - Improving Skills.
Phase 9 - Instability & Emergencies
Phase 10 - Theory & Exam
IPPI 2+3 - Combined course EP+CP
Learn to paraglide in the sunshine of Spain
Intensive paragliding course.
Fast learning with our revolutionary method combining DUAL TANDEM flights + SOLO flights.
Fast Learning System
Learn to paraglide: Steps to Become a Pilot.
Recognized FAI, APPI and BHPA International Paragliding School
Do I need a license to paraglide?
The FAI IPPI Card
If you don't live in Spain or UK and you also want to join your country's federation, they should accept your IPPI Card as proof of your pilot rating.
FAI. International APPI. International with exceptions BHPA. For UK citizens IPPI 1 Ground Skimming APPI 1 Discover Student
IPPI 2 Altitude Gliding APPI 2 Explorer Elementary Pilot
IPPI 3 Active Flying APPI 3 Pilot BHPA Club Pilot
IPPI 4 Soaring APPI 4 Intermediate Pilot BHPA Pilot
IPPI 5 Senior pilot APPI 5 Advanced Pilot BHPA Advanced Pilot