Getting Started

Start with the Powered Paragliding Bible. The whole purpose of writing the book was to provide the sport with thorough information in a readable format. It covers what to expect with quality training and then delves into the process. The book was done to fill a gaping hole of knowledge surrounding the sport.

Find an instructor. Whatever you do, don't buy gear first!

Find an instructor and buy his/her gear. Find one that is committed to thorough training and ask to use the USPPA syllabus. Besides making sure the material is covered, you can get up to $200 of your training costs reimbursed by earning a PPG rating.

If you live in an area with hills and have a paragliding school nearby, that's a good option. But then seek out a motor instructor who is also a good teacher. More specifically, a teacher who knows and teaches in the condition you will be most frequently. If that's a midwestern morning calm, make sure to learn about no-wind forward launches. Doing all your training at a beach or windy soaring site won't help you master the no-wind forward that will become your mainstay. If you can't get airborne, you won't enjoy it much.

We do this for fun and, although the training will be hard work, it should be fun, too. Understand, though, that many instructors are fairly intense and that's not bad. Learning PPG is a good time to put away any preconcieved ideas about the process and listen intently.

Enjoy your new freedom!