looking at doing something new so i want to give paragliding a crack , i dont know anyone who does that i can ask how to get into it. i have sent so many emails to off to para schools but they all must be out flying as no one replies . so has anyone done a course in australia ? if so where and how much . i want to do it here but it looks like Thailand might be the go as they are the only ones who have replied. any info would be great

Can't help at all but can say that my wife and I did it in the Himalayas on our honeymoon and it was awesome. Tandem, first time off a large hill/small mountain, 2nd time part way up rotang pass - most breathtaking was after they swooped up and down close to our mountain then cut across the valley to a neighboring mountain- ground dropped away a few thousand metres in a few seconds, quite a rush. Landing involved one dude running out onto the main road and stopping the trucks while you landed on the road, hopefully short of the trucks radiator. I would guess though that after finishing course it would be quite a serene sport unless you got into acrobatics, less rush than kiting which sounds strange but it's those last 30m that matter I guess

PM me your phone number I can pass it on to a couple of guys who do it. They should be able to give you some info

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kiteboy dave said..
Can't help at all but can say that my wife and I did it in the Himalayas on our honeymoon and it was awesome. Tandem, first time off a large hill/small mountain, 2nd time part way up rotang pass - most breathtaking was after they swooped up and down close to our mountain then cut across the valley to a neighboring mountain- ground dropped away a few thousand metres in a few seconds, quite a rush. Landing involved one dude running out onto the main road and stopping the trucks while you landed on the road, hopefully short of the trucks radiator. I would guess though that after finishing course it would be quite a serene sport unless you got into acrobatics, less rush than kiting which sounds strange but it's those last 30m that matter I guess

Hey Kiteboy Dave

Are you telling us that a Woman actually married you ????

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Craig66 said...

kiteboy dave said..
Can't help at all but can say that my wife and I did it in the Himalayas on our honeymoon and it was awesome. Tandem, first time off a large hill/small mountain, 2nd time part way up rotang pass - most breathtaking was after they swooped up and down close to our mountain then cut across the valley to a neighboring mountain- ground dropped away a few thousand metres in a few seconds, quite a rush. Landing involved one dude running out onto the main road and stopping the trucks while you landed on the road, hopefully short of the trucks radiator. I would guess though that after finishing course it would be quite a serene sport unless you got into acrobatics, less rush than kiting which sounds strange but it's those last 30m that matter I guess

Hey Kiteboy Dave

Are you telling us that a Woman actually married you ????

Sounds like he scared her into it, say yes or I'll loop it

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kiteboy dave said..
Landing involved one dude running out onto the main road and stopping the trucks while you landed on the road, hopefully short of the trucks radiator. I would guess though that after finishing course it would be quite a serene sport unless you got into acrobatics, less rush than kiting which sounds strange but it's those last 30m that matter I guess

Same as anything, 1st flying lesson is "nail it, keep it straight until you see 50kn then lean back on the stick..."
Then fly around at will.

But LANDING - whoa, way different attitude required in the last 30m (which I don't have lol)

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Craig66 said..

kiteboy dave said..
Can't help at all but can say that my wife and I did it in the Himalayas on our honeymoon and it was awesome. Tandem, first time off a large hill/small mountain, 2nd time part way up rotang pass - most breathtaking was after they swooped up and down close to our mountain then cut across the valley to a neighboring mountain- ground dropped away a few thousand metres in a few seconds, quite a rush. Landing involved one dude running out onto the main road and stopping the trucks while you landed on the road, hopefully short of the trucks radiator. I would guess though that after finishing course it would be quite a serene sport unless you got into acrobatics, less rush than kiting which sounds strange but it's those last 30m that matter I guess

Hey Kiteboy Dave

Are you telling us that a Woman actually married you ????

Unbelievable isn't it!

www.safa.asn.au

It's kind of the off season so some of the schools will be closed. A lot of them go OS to fly or do other things this time of year.

I learned in Bright in Victoria. www.alpineparagliding.com/courses/licence-courses/ They don't start teaching again until October. They do some stuff in Bali in the off season. Don't know if they to licence courses there.

www.activeflight.com.au/paragliding-courses/paragliding-licence/ are good too. They're around at the moment but I think they're about to head off on holidays too.

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kiteboy dave said..
Can't help at all but can say that my wife and I did it in the Himalayas on our honeymoon and it was awesome. Tandem, first time off a large hill/small mountain, 2nd time part way up rotang pass - most breathtaking was after they swooped up and down close to our mountain then cut across the valley to a neighboring mountain- ground dropped away a few thousand metres in a few seconds, quite a rush. Landing involved one dude running out onto the main road and stopping the trucks while you landed on the road, hopefully short of the trucks radiator. I would guess though that after finishing course it would be quite a serene sport unless you got into acrobatics, less rush than kiting which sounds strange but it's those last 30m that matter I guess

I flew off the Rotang La a couple of years ago. It's an amazing place, but there are better places to fly. Paragliding can be very serene, and it usually is if you do it right, or until you crank the wing over into a monster thermal and rocket up to 5000m. Think big wave surfing except the waves are invisible.

Here's Rotang La at 1:15 min.

#t=75

and that is why i want to learn to fly

waparagliding.com In Albany

I used to paraglide... then I broke my back in 3 places (stupid is a stupid does). Then I was scared in the air. Then there was all the BS with HGFA. Then my gear got old. Then I started flying drones.
Paragliding is awesome... specially when you get a nice bubble and ride it to cloud base, hop over to another... I'd usually bomb out then.
Ridge soaring I could stay up for hours and once I got to ~2800m above take off... ~scary bcos the air all around me was just so buoyant.
Prior to hurting my back the only injury I had was a little hand scrape; got dragged after a bad launch. During the time I had way more kitesurfing injuries.

I took me 6 months to get my beginner license, bcos you can either do those 1 week courses or you can do it with an instructor when the conditions are right, and he and you can get the time. I recommend the latter.
Then you need 50 hours before your intermediate.

thanks kim2015 for your first post to be a link to wa paragliding but after half a dozen emails and posts on there FB page with no replies i think i might look else where ...

hey flysurfer it sounds like you really liked the your time fying . where did you do your course? i have been searching hard to find somewhere to do one but luck .. it looks like the only place is Thailand . there are afew sites in Australia that do courses but no one seem to want to answer emails . what can you do . i just want to fnd out any info i can as i am very keen to fly. i spend a lot of time up north and there are some very good place to fly . i am not quite sure where else to look there not alot of paraglidiers about

It's going to be years before you have the confidence to fly solo in remote places.

I'm in Sydney, so I would drive down to Stanwell Tops every weekend. It took me a long time to organize my first lesson, so I know how you feel.


I paid $1650 Sydney Paragliding (Mitsi) for a provisional in 2005. I don't know how many hours instruction I had bcos we became friends, and he's still giving me advice (about other things).

If I wanted to do an intensive course, I'd go to Godfrey's in Manilla (NSW) www.flymanilla.com/ManillaParaglidingSchool/tabid/141/Default.aspx
Your onsite on his hill, it's good flying West, South, East and kinda North (from memory). I don't think Godfrey does the course, but you may be lucky.
I'd do a course there now too just to get my confidence up again... that's really the biggest challenge, bcos pg is easy... it's just pulling on 2 strings, I never had to collapse the canopy (big ears, etc) in real flying. But confidence can easily get knocked and then you start to question wtf you're doing... specially if your wife thinks you have a death wish and gives you crap EVERY time you go flying.
The last couple times I went flying (2012) I had to lie... said I was going kitesurfing, then I told her the truth.