1. "Complete" Novice Rating Package:

This is the pilot's package!

For many people, one look is all it takes. You glance up and see these beautiful wings soaring above you. You rub your eyes to get the sun out of them. Were they playing tricks on you? Look up again. No, it wasn't a dream. The paragliders are still there, floating aloft on the wind currents. No engine, no exhaust, no noise. Just like birds. One softly glides down near you. You hear the air quietly whispering through the lines as it passes by and gently lands. It's bigger than you imagined, but your pulse really quickens when you see her fold this aircraft up and put it into a back pack!

What plane did you jump out of? you ask, still thinking it can't be true We didn't jump from a plane. She smiles. We launched from up there. But you were higher than that when you decided to come down right? Yes. Paragliders use the thermal air currents to get higher. It's like getting something for nothing....a lot of something!

Some more pilots launch. A group serenely glides directly down to the landing area. A few remain aloft, slowly turning in the invisible lift. Some are so high, they appear only as specks in the sky.

You decide to wait for more of them to land. You meet the pilots. One is a school teacher. Another is a shop owner, a lawyer, a real estate agent, an artist, a salesperson. Some are young, some are old. Some aren't sure how "old" they are! Women and men both. There are no Chuck Yeagers here...or Olympic athletes...or adrenaline junkies. Just people like you. Ordinary people realizing the dream of flight.

I could do this, you think to yourself. I have ALWAYS wanted to do this!

 

You know you want to fly, and you are ready to commit. If that's you, we offer the Complete Novice Rating Package....

The United States Hang Gliding Association (USHGA) is appointed by the FAA to oversee all paragliding and hang gliding operations in the United States. USHGA requires that you achieve a Novice rating before you are able to fly on your own. The Novice is also known as a P-2 or Para-2 since it is the second level in the five level USHGA rating scheme. USHGA has specific guidelines and skills a pilot needs to demonstrate before they earn a Novice rating. The HIGH PLAINS Complete Novice Rating Package gives you all of the necessary lessons to earn your USHGA Novice rating. Our students typically are ready to be rated "Novice" after about 30 flights and 10 hours of ground school. Generally this will take about 7-14 lesson days. Your graduation will be a high mountain flight where you analyze the conditions, demonstrate your safe flying skill, and assert your judgment in front of the instructor. All lessons are supervised by a USHGA Certified Instructor. Limited to 5 students per lesson day.

Like many schools, our course is designed to take the student to a point where they are able to confidently make flying judgments on their own. Unlike many schools, our students don't learn at just one site. Instead, the instructor teaches at three or four very different sites so the student learns to assess flying conditions at more than one place. It is a course that is definitely geared towards the Rocky Mountain pilot, who might be soaring a smooth grassy slope one day, and flying a high mountain site the next.

As fun as paragliding is, it takes commitment and dedication from the student. A safe and aware pilot not only needs flying skill, but flying knowledge as well. This requires book study and the willingness to learn new information. Every minute spent with the instructor usually involves flying discussion. Our ground school takes place in many stages giving you the time to study and review the text books. The course syllabus outlines topics covered, and suggests reading assignments. The Internet is introduced to give you a tool to gain up to date information for weather forecasting. Raised relief maps allow a quicker visualization of wind flow and sun angles. A simulator provides the opportunity to practice weight shift and other in-flight skills before leaving the ground. Then you can relate the classroom discussion to flights on the training hills. It is not dumped all at one sitting! And when you get in the air, your instructor is with you every step of the way, talking you through your flight by radio.

Jeff's graduation flight. Mark talks him on to his first, gentle thermal.

Another benefit is that High Plains INCLUDES WITH THE LESSON PRICE many things that other schools will charge you extra for. Things like a quality wind meter, text books, a log book, and ratings fees. This is your stuff to keep and take home with you!! Additionally using his combined 6 years of aviation teaching experience (both for the Navy and in paragliding), chief instructor Mark Sivazlian has compiled a 100 page course syllabus. This syllabus acts as a guide for both you and the instructor, ensuring all necessary materials are covered. It also allows you to make notes and refer back to them later in your flying career. There are no annoying hidden costs with our lesson package! ...And there is no mystery as to what you are expected to know to get your rating.

For those bad weather days, we have an extensive instructional and fun video library, as well as US and international paragliding publications for you to browse through. Perhaps you would like to work on your weight shift technique, adjust your harness, or practice reserve throws in our carefully engineered simulator.

High Plains is certainly not the biggest operation around. We take pride in small class sizes and personal attention, ensuring each pilot is well trained. After all, our reputation goes with you when you leave us!

PRICE: "Complete" Novice Rating Package cost: $4100 - $5000 (price varies depending on wing selection)

OUR PRICE INCLUDES (all equipment is new): YOUR CHOICE of any Sup'Air "Evolution" Harness, PLUS your size Sup'Air reserve, PLUS either a Sol "Magic", Charly "Insider" or Kiwi helmet, PLUS one of our selection of DHV 1 or DHV 1-2 wings (your choice).

!!This package price ALSO INCLUDES the following: Official USHGA Flight Log Book; Hall Brothers' Wind Meter; "Paragliding, the Complete Guide", by Noel Whittall; "Understanding the Sky", by Dennis Pagen; High Plains Paragliding Course Syllabus; USHGA Beginner and Novice Ratings fees, AND ONE YEARS USHGA MEMBERSHIP! These combined items are a value of $175!

Additionally, should you decide to buy any vario High Plains sells before the end of your lessons, you will be given a 15% discount on the vario purchase.

Making the commitment to fly any type of aircraft is a big step for anyone. It involves a lot of your time, and of course, a significant expense. For some, as soon as they see a paraglider soaring above them, they know that's what they want to do. For others, the decision isn't quite as obvious. That's why we offer an Introductory Lesson. So you can see if this paragliding stuff is worth the effort (and we're pretty sure you'll find that it is!).

The Introductory Course will cover the very basics of paragliding flight. You will be introduced to the modern paraglider with a short hands on lecture, simulator, and video. Then it's out to a flat field, where you will learn the fundamentals of controlling the wing without leaving the ground. After that we go out to the training hill. There you will attempt your first short flights. During your first flights, you will only be about 10 feet off the ground, but you'll experience the exhilaration of free flight. You will learn the basics of launching and landing under the controlled supervision of an instructor certified by the United States Hang Gliding Association. Limited to three students per lesson day. This course lasts 1-2 days. Depending on student progress and weather conditions, a second day is available to complete the course if needed. Generally the lesson starts at 7:00 am. We leave the hill around 12 noon, and head for the house for cool drinks, some more videos, or general chitchat.

And if you decide that paragliding is for you, and sign up for a the Novice Rating package (above) within 5 days, High Plains will apply $150 of your introductory lesson to the cost of the package.

PRICE: Introductory Lesson cost: $200 per student

All necessary paragliding equipment is included in the lesson price.

You bring: Comfortable long pants, boots with good ankle support, light weight leather/nubuck full coverage gloves, and anything else you may need for the day (water, sunscreen, sunglasses, snacks.....).

Please call for course availability and schedule.

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About buying equipment...

It is no secret that buying paragliding gear can be a tricky business....if not downright hazardous to your health!

At High Plains, we only train with and sell our new students wings which have been certified at the basic level (AFNOR "Standard" or DHV "1" and "1-2") through the extensive French or German testing systems. There are over 80,000 paraglider pilots in these two countries alone, and the consumers demand to know what they are buying!! Government agencies ensure the testing is properly carried out. Additionally the harnesses we offer students have thick foam back protectors (German DHV certified) and thoroughly tested (French AFNOR certified) reserve parachutes.

Even though High Plains could provide pilots with equipment throughout their training, we find that students who purchase their own gear early on tend to progress quite a bit quicker. This gives the instructor ample time to ensure you are "dialed in" to your particular wing and harness. Just as important, it gives you an opportunity to practice ground handling skills on your own time, leading to a much faster understanding of the sport. (We do not allow students to "take home" school gear.) However, if you purchase too early, you may end up abusing your wing and harness before you learn how to handle them gently and with finesse. That's why we encourage a student to wait until after a couple lessons before they demo their new wing, harness, and reserve.

These days, there is a BUNCH of used paragliding gear available on the Internet, through magazines, from friends, etc. But as someone new to the sport, do you REALLY know what you are buying? Generally, a worthwhile used wing, harness, and reserve parachute seems to be going for about $2500. Unless you live near the person selling it, you may never fly the wing before you buy it. You may never even see the wing before you buy it!! And the pilot selling it may tell you just about anything to get their hands on your money. Believe us, it has happened to people we know. One person's definition of "in perfect condition" may not be what you would expect! 15 hours of airtime may in fact translate to 15 hours of airtime PLUS 100 hours of unsupervised beginner abuse on the ground. Once the money changes hands, you could well be stuck with a sour apple. Certainly not a good way to introduce yourself to a sport which offers so much enjoyment!

Dead set on buying used gear? Here are some items we would look for: The equipment is sold by a reputable school or instructor. Any paragliders having been flown over 2 years or that have flown over 20 hours have had an full inspection by a professional shop (like the Soaring Center, Yates Gear, Super Fly, or the like) BEFORE you buy. The owner/seller knows the complete history of the wing and discloses it to you. The owner/seller is up front and honest about any deficiencies or repairs. Reserves have been repacked within the last six months, and the container has been checked for ease of opening. All harness straps are in good condition, INSIDE AND OUT. The harness has the most up to date back protection available. Any metal on the harness has been inspected for cracks, and the buckles operate properly.

Yes, there is some very good used equipment available on the market. However, with the package discounts that High Plains offers on our Novice Rating course, you can get BRAND NEW gear of the LATEST DESIGN for only about $500 more! (Instruction generally runs about $1000 for the Novice Rating) Now, that sounds like a lot, but in reality it's worth it! You will be able to test fly the wing, sit in different harnesses, and actually choose products from top companies. Our reputation as a business depends on making sure you are properly equipped to go fly, and are happy with your purchase. Professional guidance ensures you will not be wasting your time and risking your life on a wing or harness meant for competition level pilots....or on gear that you will out grow and want to sell at a loss next season. AND YOU WILL BE TRAINING WITH THE GEAR THAT WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH THOSE FIRST IMPORTANT YEARS OF FLYING.

Unlike paragliding yesteryear, where new pilots quickly out grew their "beginner" wings, modern paragliders offer exceptional safety AND performance. Enough performance that you will be happy and challenged flying the same wing for many years. Enough safety so that you can fly one of these "dream machines" from your first flights on the training hill! So, although the extra cost of new equipment may seem like a lot, it definitely pays off in the long run.