Paragliding Peak District U.K.

Extreme Sports Cafe's partner UK Paragliding School is based on a 17th Century Yorkshire farm and most of the training is on hills within easy commuter distance from Leeds or Manchester. We have sites in the south Pennines that are the closest to Manchester and Leeds. Situated within easy reach of the M6, M1 & M62 motorway networks. The main paragliding slopes are within 1 hour of Birmingham & Nottingham, 30   minutes from Liverpool, and just 25 minutes from Manchester and 35 minutes from Leeds.

If you haven't flown before, paragliding offers you the unique opportunity to fly solo on your very first day! Hang gliding with its more complex controls and higher speeds takes considerably longer. It is more demanding, physically and mentally and therefore most beginners opt to fly paragliders first. In fact, the latest paragliders now have "hang glider" performance becoming, in fact the new hang glider. 

A paraglider is best described as a hang glider in a rucksack. Weighing as little as 5Kg (11lbs), it is easily carried and stored. It takes minutes to set up, yet they are capable of flying huge distances across country (currently the record is over 200km) and at very high altitudes regularly at cloud base!

Extreme Sports Cafe's partner Yorkshire Paragliding School is the UK's most experienced professional hang gliding and paragliding training centre. They are recommended by the Paragliding sports Governing Body, the BHPC. Our partner UK Paragliding School has a consortium of centres throughout the UK, the original centre is based in the south Pennines close to Manchester and Leeds. Situated within easy reach of the M6,  M1 & M62 motorway networks. Our main slopes are within 1 hour of Birmingham & Nottingham, 30  minutes from Liverpool, and just 25 minutes from Manchester and 35 minutes from Leeds.

For more information on UK Paragliding courses from Extreme Sports Cafe, please check our Paragliding UK Courses Yorkshire page.

Paragliding Peak District Courses in England from Extreme Sports Cafe

All of our UK Paragliding Courses in Yorkshire England can be booked online

UK Paragliding Yorkshire Flying Sites

• The flying site for each day will depend on the wind direction.
• To save time we try to meet as near to the flying site most likely to be "on" for that day.
• You must phone the office between 8.00am and 8.30am, on the morning of each training day, a message will be left on the answering machine informing you when and where we are going to meet, which will depend, of course, on the weather. We normally meet at 10.00 - 10.30am.
• For those traveling long distance we strongly recommend that you call the day before to check the weather forecast.
• If you require extra days these are charged as extra at daily rate. (This should be unnecessary).

UK Paragliding School Yorkshire
Extreme Sports Cafe's partner UK Paragliding School, was originally founded in 1973 as a Hang Gliding School, by the former Hang Gliding World Champion Graham Hobson. He was joined in 1979 by Tony who took his first steps on the same slopes used today. Tony spent time at various location across the country and in South Wales before returning to Manchester. Where he reunited with Graham and took the role of CFI learning the trade from a  World Champion. He liked the school so much that he became a partner in 1981. During the 80's and 90's Tony was a member of the national Training Panel - responsible for the UK Training Syllabus and the Senior Coach in the Pennines. Tony remains the Club Chief Flying Instructor, making him, arguably the longest standing full time professional CFI in foot launch aviation. Graham now runs the oldest running Microlight Club in the UK.

The School, widely regarded as the most experienced in the country, flourished teaching only hang gliding until paragliders were invented. Tony first flew a  "parachute" off the slopes of Mam Tor in 1986 - the only local hill steep enough to leave the ground. Watching closely the development of these new "hang gliders", Tony recognised, just as his partner Graham did almost a decade earlier, that hang gliding could be improved and consequently introduced paragliders into the training environment, initially  as an aid to learn traditional hang gliding. Soon the paraglider performance and stability would clear the way for the latest and most accessible form of hang gliding better known as Paragliding. Throughout the 1990's Tony, whilst running the school full time with his team of instructors was also dominating the competition scene, winning a string of national and international titles. He remains the British Tandem Paragliding Pilot, undefeated since 1997. He runs the school with his family. Jack his youngest son, eager to step into the old mans shoes! John is Assistant to the Instructor whilst the latest addition to the Team is Marek, who is now embarking on becoming a Trainee Instructor.

All of our UK Paragliding Courses in Yorkshire England can be booked online

Frequently Asked Questions UK Paragliding Yorkshire

Is there a weight limit?
Yes, but its more important to be reasonably fit with weight in proportion to height. Our maximum weight on school equipment is 18st / 115kgs. But it is possible to buy a paraglider capable of taking a pilot of up to 130kg. Click here to see inclusive packages.

Is there an age limit?
Yes, to fly solo by law you must be at least 16. You may fly tandem with an instructor and parental consent from 12 upwards. The maximum age we will teach you is 70. However there are pilots flying well into there 70's! If you are over 55 or have a medical history, eg diabetes, heart condition etc, you will need a doctor to sign a health declaration.

What is AFNOR and DHV certification?
These are the two norms developed for the certification of paragliders, AFNOR in France, adopted by SHV and most countries, DHV in Germany. Without going into detail, their categories essentially classify which paragliders are suitable for which pilot levels. Those categories are Standard, Performance, Competition in AFNOR/SHV and Class I, II and III in DHV. The FAA does not certify Paragliders. But the voluntary certification as described above is certainly a good indication for what is generally suitable for a beginner, intermediate or very advanced pilot. 

Do I need a license to fly?
Legally no. No license is required to paraglide or hang glide. Paragliding and hang gliding is governed by the Civil Aviation Authority and  is a self-regulated sport under the auspices of the British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Council (BHPC) which certifies instructors and they issue pilot's ratings based on experience and skill. However to own a paraglider and go fly it, you should have the knowledge and skills that you acquire with these ratings.

How high and far can a paraglider fly?
The current world's distance record is over 200 miles. In the UK flights of over 100 miles are not uncommon. Paragliders are restricted from flying above 18,000 feet. (Oxygen is normally used above 10,000.) Paragliders have been launched from the highest mountains of the world including Everest.

How much does a paraglider cost? 
Paragliders are not cheap, although they represent one of the least expensive ways to get into the air. A new paraglider suitable for a recently trained pilot will cost up to around £2,000; used paragliders can be obtained for much less. Apart from a glider you need a harness, helmet, flight suit and boots; later in your flying career you may choose to buy instruments and other useful accessories.

Paragliding is a great community. You'll often find championship-winning pilots comparing notes with novices; both know that theirs is perhaps the simplest and most intuitive way of flying yet devised. If you want to enjoy the challenges that only being truly at one with the elements can provide, book a training course today!

Peak District Paragliding Courses in England from Extreme Sports Cafe

All of our UK Paragliding Courses in Yorkshire England can be booked online