Tasks for "Pilot" Rating - for information only. Members wishing to take their "Pilot" exam are advised to consult the Pilot Task book (available from the BHPA Office) As BHPA External Representation Officer Marc sat on the Royal Aero Club Council as the BHPA delegate and served as RAeC Chairman for 3 years in the mid 1990s. He is currently a Vice-President of the RAeC. He has also served as a Trustee of the RAeC Trust and Flyability. In his spare time he also served as a County Councillor in Cheshire and as a Councillor on Cheshire East Council. Once airborne, the paramotor can be used to motor along and watch the world go by beneath you or, if conditions permit, soared in thermal lift to make long cross-country flights.

Welcome to the fascinating world of free flight. Free flight is a catch-all term that has come to define the closely related sports of: Martin is the Vice Chairman of the Executive council. He also looks after the BHPA's aviation insurance contract, which provides indemnity cover to each and every member of the Association. This is a significant responsibility given that over half of the Association's expenditure goes on this important area.The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA) is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, and is the recognised governing body for hang gliding and paragliding in the UK. The Association is managed by an elected Executive Council. Traditionally the BHPA's exams have always been paper-based, and we plan to keep these available. Making an online system for exams is part of a general move for the Association towards making the best use of technology available to us. Modern hang gliders and paragliders are sophisticated high-tech wings that have turned the dream of Icarus into reality.

Outside BHPA business, Martin is a full-time solicitor based in Peterborough working in the healthcare sector with particular interest in litigation and inquest handling.Most schools also offer a one day taster course which is ideal if you are not ready to commit to a full course of training. In which case you will need to apply online for One Day Introductory Membership. BHPA recreational clubs also provide the supportive flying and social environment that is so important for newly qualified pilots when they leave the familiar school environment for the first time. Many people may think that flying hang gliders and paragliders is impossible for people with disabilities. Nothing could be further from the truth. Whilst a hard copy of your membership card will continue to be issued for the foreseeable future, it's also available via the BHPA membership app.

The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA), based in Leicester, is the governing body in the UK for hang gliding and paragliding.

Your BHPA Membership Card

Flights of over 250km have been made by paraglider pilots in this country. Abroad, especially in the Alpine regions, the potential is infinitely greater, and many British pilots take advantage of the paraglider's portability to visit Europe or more exotic locations further afield. As a general rule, the smaller the wing and the higher the wing loading, the faster and more dynamic the responses are to pilot input. A highly loaded speed wing is significantly faster than a full size paraglider. Speed flying in close proximity to the ground (as often seen in online movie clips) requires expert piloting skills, experience and training, and is not for the indecisive or heavy-handed pilot.

If you require personal or travel insurance, to cover you during training and beyond, this should be obtained from an independent insurance broker. Additionally, other badges can be earned, which include: the Club Coach badge (gained by going on a weekend training course to learn how to 'coach' and advise those new pilots just out of school); the Senior Club Coach badge (usually a very experienced club pilot who can oversee certain types of post-school coaching); the Tandem badge (awarded after a short training course to learn how to fly a tandem—pilot and passenger—paraglider). For people wanting to learn to fly speed gliders, whether existing paraglider pilots, those with previous experience of air sports or those with no previous flying experience at all, proper training at a BHPA school is essential to understand the particular risks in speed flying. In 1986 he started flying paragliders. In 1991, having been elected Chairman of the BHPA, he also started flying in parascending competitions, achieving a Team Bronze in the 1994 Nationals at Middle Wallop. He started flying powered hang gliders when they became legal and now most regularly flies his Doodlebug in Snowdonia. He also flies his hang glider or paraglider whenever weather and time allow. Angus is an elected member of the BHPA Executive Council and is the Chairman of the Flying and Safety Committee. He has held these posts for what sometimes seems like forever, and before amalgamation with the BAPC he was Chairman of the BHPA Training Committee.Angus is a recently retired chartered accountant and has held a number of finance director roles in the past. He's been interested in flying all his life and took up paragliding 18 years ago. He took early retirement to spend more time flying both in the UK and abroad. to qualify for trial membership you must be training and working towards your Elementary Pilot rating at a BHPA registered school) You can also learn to fly in an airfield environment, using a winch to tow you aloft. Training takes less time and you can convert to hill flying later if you choose to.