Learn to Paramotor
Experience the excitement of powered flight with expert paramotoring instruction in the heart of Derbyshire.
Why Choose Airways Airsports for Paramotoring?
Paramotoring (also known as powered paragliding or PPG) is another form of regular paragliding. Here at Airways Airsports, we’re one of the oldest and most well-known paramotoring schools in the UK. We’re fully CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and BHPA (British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association) accredited, and you’ll be taught by the best – highly experienced paraglider instructors who’ve flown all over the world, including in displays and high level competitions.
We run both full paramotoring courses for complete beginners, and paramotoring conversion courses for existing qualified paraglider pilots who are looking to convert to powered paragliding.
We’re easy to get to, with great transport connections to the A50 and M1, for easy travel from Nottingham, Derby and beyond.
The School
We teach to the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association’s syllabus for foot launched powered aircraft (FLPA). Here at Airways Airsports though we have a secret weapon – a winch. We use the advantage of training on a winch to help people learn to paramotor quickly, safely and relatively easily. Your paramotor training course starts by using the winch to get your paraglider handling skills up to scratch, learning consistent launch and landing techniques.
You are then introduced to your paramotor and, as you are already familiar with your wing, learning to fly with the paramotor on your back is much easier. Also, because towing on the winch simulates the take off attitude of a paramotor under power, initial flights using the paramotor are much more controlled and relaxed. You’ll learn faster and fly safer.
We have a large and active community of paramotor pilots here at Darley Moor, so it’s a great way to meet like-minded people and make new friends – planning flights and making incredible memories together!
Full Courses
We believe that the best paramotor pilots are those that learn to fly their paraglider first, and then we introduce the element of power. Paramotoring lessons need to be staged, so that you master the basics of flying a paraglider first, before adding the complexity of a paramotor into the mix, with elements like power, thrust & torque.
Once you have learned to launch a paraglider (usually half way through your first day’s training), you will do your first low flights using our winch (the feeling of being pulled by the winch is similar to that of being pushed by a motor). As your confidence and experience builds, you will make higher and higher flights until you are doing high flights and circuits, landing back where you started from. This process usually takes a few days. There are also two theoretical examinations to show you understand the important basics of paragliding and paramotoring.
Everything you learn in regular paragliding makes you a safer and more competent pilot and fully applies to paramotoring, so we’d recommend you complete our regular paragliding course, qualifying you as a BHPA Club Pilot, before progressing to the power element. However, if you only ever intend to fly paramotors you don’t have to complete the full Paragliding Club Pilot Certificate before progressing to paramotoring.
We’ll start with safety and theory, and cover key basics such as engine operation and maintenance, as well as navigation, meteorology and air law. From there we’ll work our way towards launching and landing, gradually building you up to longer and longer flights until you’re ready to sign off as a qualified pilot!
Conversion Courses
If you’re already a qualified paraglider pilot, we can progress straight to the powered element. We’ll introduce you to key theoretical elements of paramotoring, including safety considerations, torque, thrust, etc., before moving to engine handling and your first flights. From there we work through the FLPA syllabus, helping you plan and complete longer and longer flights until you’re ready to be signed off.
At the end of the course is an exam to certify you as a PPG qualified pilot, in the same format as the other BHPA exams you’ll already have completed.
Taster Days
As with our regular paragliding courses, we offer a taster day deal, where you can try the sport and see if it’s for you before committing to a full course. We’ll knock the price of the day taster off the price of a full course if you sign up, so it’s a no-lose way to try paragliding.
The taster day is the same for both paragliding and paramotoring. We’ll start off completing the important paperwork, before practising parachute landing falls (on a mat!). Next, we’ll cover wing familiarisation get you strapped in for your first forward launch practice. After lunch we prepare you for your first flights by completing a winch theory lesson and safety briefing. Now you’re ready to fly! You’ll be flying solo, but don’t worry – your first few flights will very low level and under the close supervision of our instructors.
Most of our students love it so much they then sign up for a full course at the reduced rate, but even if you don’t, you’ll have had a great day and get to say you’ve tried something completely different!
A lifetime of unforgettable experiences awaits! Fill out the form or call us today to book.
Our Paramotoring Courses
Paramotor lessons must be staged so that you master the basics of flying a paraglider first before adding the complexity of a paramotor, with elements like power, thrust, and torque.
At Airways Airsports, if you are new to flying paragliders and paramotors, your paramotor lessons start with learning how to paraglide. Once you have learned to launch a paraglider (usually halfway through your first day’s training), you will do your first low flights using our winch (the feeling of being pulled by the winch is similar to that of being pushed by a motor). As your confidence and experience build, you will make higher flights until you do high flights and circuits, landing back where you started.
Paramotor day taster
£199
Get all the info you need on taking up paramotoring with our day taster. You'll spend most of the day in practical paragliding flying sessions with an introduction to the motor unit at the end of the day. NOTE: Your flying on day 1 will NOT be with a paramotor on your back. You will be flying a paraglider, which is the first stage of learning paramotoring.
Elementary Pilot Course (Tow)
£950
This is a further 4 days of training towards becoming a paramotor pilot where we build on your paragliding flying skills. All the time we look to refine every aspect of your flying from forward launch and ground handling to inflight control and light easy well executed landings. (We will also start to build your knowledge on Meteorology , air law and theory of flight)
Club Pilot Course (Tow)
£950
This is at least another 5-7 days of training with us with the intention that when you are signed of as a club pilot you are confident, able to progress and make the all important decisions of when and where to fly all by yourself whilst keeping yourself a happy and safe pilot. Of course many pilots stay with us and join the Airways Gliding Club to take advantage of our wonderful facilities and to fly with-in a group of friends.
Paramotor Conversion
£800
Once you have your paragliding CPC qualification you can gain your paramotor rating by undertaking a short conversion course, including full theory and practical training in using a paramotor safely.
Combined Elementary & Club Pilot (Tow & Power)
£2200
This combines all of the above training into a single package, and represents best value for money. This reduced price will ONLY be if you purchase both courses together straight after doing your day taster with us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about learning to Paramotor with Airways Airsports? We’ve got you covered. Below are answers to some of the most common questions we receive from students.
Paramotoring is also known as powered paragliding (PPG), and it’s essentially just that! As with paragliding, you’ll be flying a flexible aerofoil. The difference is that you’ll have a paramotor – an engine strapped to a sizable propeller. This is what provides the lift necessary to get you into the air.
No other powered aircraft is anywhere near as portable as a paramotor – no hangar required! Naturally the extra size and weight of the paramotor means it’s not as small or light as a standard paraglider, so you’ll need to plan where you land, but what you lose in packability you make up for in flexibility. As you are now engine powered, you don’t need to go up a hill to get the height necessary for free flight, and can launch from flat ground (such as our airfield). You also have more choice over when you fly – for example, you can pop out for an evening flight after work, or fly over winter when most free fliers are largely grounded.
No prior experience is required! At Airways Airsports, we start with the basics of flying a paraglider and progress to powered flight, making paramotoring accessible to beginners.(Almost) anyone! Paramotoring is enjoyed by people of all kinds. A basic level of fitness certainly helps – if you’re foot launching you have to be able to carry the weight of your glider, engine and fuel. Even so, many people enjoy paramotoring well into retirement, and with an engine at your disposal you can drive straight to launch and then land back next to the car! Even disabilities may not be a barrier – we’ve taught people with various physical difficulties to paramotor, and the addition of a trike helps even further with takeoff and landing. The nature of aviation means that a degree of mental and physical fitness is an unavoidable requirement, but it’s certainly not limited to the young and the adrenaline junkies!
Nothing in aviation is ever really ‘cheap’, but compared to other forms of powered flying, paramotoring beats all other options hands down! A full private pilot’s (plane) licence will typically cost £90,000, plus ongoing costs such as paying for access to the aircraft. Even factoring in the cost of training and buying all your gear, paramotoring costs a small fraction of that. Ongoing costs are also comparatively low, with a small fee for annual BHPA (British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association) membership, which includes third-party insurance, an annual wing servicing fee, and fuel and engine maintenance costs. We offer a Club Membership for a very low annual cost, which gives you full access to all club facilities, plus a huge airfield to take off from and land in whenever you like! Overall, paramotoring is an extremely cost-effective way to learn to fly.
There are plenty of qualified paramotor servicing centres who can complete all maintenance and repair work to a professional standard, so you needn’t fear that you need to be able to maintain the engine yourself. For minor tweaks and repairs however an understanding of two-stroke engines and a bit of experience tinkering with them certainly helps. For many pilots, it’s part of the fun, and it’s no surprise that paramotoring is popular amongst bikers. Don’t worry if it’s new to you though – it’s just another new and useful skill you can have fun acquiring!
Yes! We are a fully accredited flying school, with both the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and BHPA (British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association). All our instructors are BHPA accredited and have to complete rigorous multi-day training, as well as pass stringent BHPA examinations before being signed off. We also have a number of trainee instructors, who must be full BHPA members, have a minimum of a BHPA ‘Pilot’ rating, and who only ever operate under supervision of a fully qualified instructor. We would highly recommend that you only ever learn with an accredited flying school.
We make sure that our students progress at their own pace, but the course is typically 8-10 days worth of training, meaning a committed and capable individual can get fully qualified in as little as 2 weeks. The main barriers to progression are always your availability and the weather. A combination of our tow setup and the fact you have an engine gives us slightly more flexibility on when we can fly, but for your safety we only operate in suitable and safe conditions.
Strictly speaking, there is no legal requirement to be qualified before you can take to the skies on a paramotor. Whilst you can simply buy a motor and a wing, strap yourself in and go for a run, this is an extremely dangerous and foolhardy thing to do. It’s a bit like cycling onto an A-road with no knowledge of how to ride a bike or how the UK roads work – you can break an awful lot of laws and get yourself seriously hurt or killed in the process. Why risk it? Our paramotoring courses are affordable, they are fully BHPA accredited, they’ll introduce you to a great club of like-minded pilots, and they’ll set you up for many years of safer, enjoyable flying.
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Get in Touch to Start Your Training
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