Thermal & X-Country intermediate Course

Pour qui:
Autonomous Pilots at take-off & landing
Durée:
4 days
Prochains Départ:
03 Apr 2025
Budget:
710 €/4 days
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Thermal flight and begin cross-country paragliding: improve your skills and fly for a long time

You are an autonomous pilot (classic paraglider or Single Skin) with at least 50/60 solo flights in calm air conditions. You already have some notions of thermal flight or soaring and do reverse launch and you wish to move on to more controlled flying exercises and have clear objectives of duration? This is an important step in the life of a pilot!

Our school offers you a very individual course to learn how to stay in the air. You must be completely independent during take-off and landing.

Indeed, the instructor will not necessarily be at the bottom to guide you, we prefer to accompany pilots in flight to be more efficient! Between Chamonix, Annecy and Saint Hilaire we will travel to the sites offering the best options.

We will work on:

  • Piloting: Implementation of automatic mechanisms linked to the management of the wing in thermalling, furling more efficiently, piloting at the rear, rapid descent methods.
  • Analysis: Aerology of the reliefs of the flight zone, where to stand, when to stand by and when to move.
  • Mental: How to manage your feelings during thermal flight, how not to put yourself under pressure and to fly with pleasure.
  • Theory: Life and death of thermal, how to observe, pendular movement mechanics in bends, piloting in turbulence, advanced weather.

 

Vol en parapente de distance au dessus de planfait et du lac d'annecy

Above Annecy Lake

 

Included/Not Included

What is included in the course?

 

  • Included: 1 or  2 Instructors, ( according group size) transfers to flying sites, radio.

  • Not included: FFVL Insurance (compulsory), drinks, meals, accommodation, everything that is not listed as included.

When you make your reservation we will send you a detailed technical description of your course where everything is clearly explained!

Please contact us if you need equipment for the course.

 

Find information to prepare for your course.

Objectif

Piloting, thermalling or cross-country exercises: a schedule for each day

Each day we define a subject: thermal flight at a site with good performance, long flights, piloting exercises adapted to each individual's level, first small transitions, use of the accelerator, altimeter, vario, map preparation...

Daily and weekly debriefing to understand and analyse your progress and identify elements which require work under your paraglider

  •     Getting into the thermal, how to wind efficiently
  •     Move around from one thermal to another: where to look, how to hang up
  •     Use your accelerator, manage a closure
  •     The transient phases of the wing (thermal input/output), pendulum mechanics and pilot action
  •     Map reading and aero analysis, prepare for your day
  •     Mentally imagine an exercise, a movement
  •     Know how to relax, concentrate at the right time
  •     Carry out long flights
  •     Know how to climb in a thermal efficiently
  •     Understand where, how and when to get in the air
  •     Understand the aerological analysis for future flights
  •     Prepare your way for future cross-country courses
  •     Pass your Pilots Licence
  •     This is no longer pure teaching, we let the reigns on you out a bit!

 

Vol en parapente depuis passy plaine-joux et la chaîne des fiz

On course above the Fiz mountain range

 

 

Philosophy

This step is important in your Thermal Flight progress: your personal needs are analysed and taken into account.

 

The reason why the "Thermal" course is limited to 6 people is so:

  • The instructor has time for each student.
  • Progress is personalised: everyone at their own pace.
  • You will not fly with fear in your stomach: we will try to optimise and control everything you do.
  • We identify each individuals areas to work on to further refine your progress.
  • We have fun, because that's what drives positive progress.
  • You can then justify to further your skills on a X-Country course.

ALPWIND is a French Paragliding School (EFVL) affiliated to the French Federation of Free Flight (FFVL). We are paragliding instructors and also a high mountain guide and mountain leader.

Why the cost of this course?  We are convinced that quality is paramount in the training of future pilots. Paragliding being a risky sport, it is important the training content is thorough and comprehensive to maintain a high level of safety and serenity. Your instructors are by your side for full training days, on practical, technical as well as theoretical parts of the course.

 

Liv Sansoz en Ozone Geo vole dans les Aravis en parapente

In transition to the Aravis mountains. Where to find the thermal?

 

 

Organisation

For which paragliding pilot?

You are autonomous at a known site and/or you have the Beginner Pilots Licence and you wish to:

  • Learn and/or improve your thermal management and techniques.
  • Prepare yourself actively for your first cross country flight.
  • Pass your Paragliding Pilot's Licence.

Other Dates

10 Apr 2025
21 Jul 2025
Planning

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