A unique paragliding course adapted for mountaineering
“We were wanderers from the beginning. We were bounded only by the earth, and the ocean, and sky. The frontier was everywhere!”
– Carl Sagan
For almost all trail runners, the mountains have a certain romance. The zest to explore the mountains is what drives most. Just as trail runners are bounded by the earth, paraglider pilots are bounded by the sky. Both have an urge to explore more, play longer. Driven by progression, and a uncontrollable love for the mountains, it was only a matter of time before these two disciplines would meet! From this love affair, a new child was born. Welcome Run-and-Fly!!
For as long as paragliding has existed, pilots have been walking up mountains and flying off top. Technology has advanced significantly since those early years, the gear is much much lighter and so a sub-discipline has been born… Hike-and-Fly.
Coupled to that is vol-biv flying, where pilots spend days in the mountains, unassisted. Latest technological advances in paragliders allows for a wing to erigh 986g to be precise! Yes, an aircraft less than the weight of your water!! This brand new sub-discipline is Run-and-Fly.
Now you can stand on a mountain summit, watch the sunrise, and be back before the rest of world wakes up.
Explore more. Play longer. With Run-and-Fly the mountains become a playground of note!
What will you need to Explore More?
1) Basic Paragliding license
2) Paraglider
3) Harness
4) Reserve
Attitude4Altitude has – collectively – over 45 years of mountain and paragliding experience and this is a tailor-made course to suite the specific needs of Run-and-Fly while staying within the SAHPA regulated framework. Since we also are dealers of Ozone, Skywalk, Icaro, and Axis Paragliders – we can supply you with the all the kit necessary to Explore More and Play Longer.
Whether you are a trail runner or paraglider pilot, we are super excited to be a part of this era in paragliding.
Basic Paragliding License PLUS Run-and-Fly OPTION
A Basic License is the minimum requirement by CAA to legally fly without supervision or instruction at all basic rated sites in South Africa and abroad (IPPI equivalent in Europe, or Club Pilot UK). This course is comprehensive and in-depth, we build a very solid foundation to take you further into the sport.
Attitude4Altitude believes that personal attention – quality over quantity – is the best way to work. Not only for us, but for our clients. At every step of the way the student is guided and watched over by an instructor. Student pilots are always in contact with an instructor via a radio. We also make use of a uniquely designed variometer, that allows us to hear what the student hears in thermic conditions, that way we can be perfectly in tune with what is happening at all times.
This course focuses on specialised flying in remote locations using light weight equipment. We place huge attention on understanding weather and wind and how that impacts on the performance of wing and person. This course is for the avid mountaineer and cross-country athlete.
This course books up fast, reserve your place as we only run this annually.
WHAT TO WEAR
We recommend cotton pants or shorts in summer.
A long sleeve shirt must be worn to prevent bruises and riser-bite.
Bring a short sleeve shirt to change into afterwards. Outdoor rough terrain shoes. Sunhat, buff, full fingered
mountain bike gloves. These are mandatory! No Gloves, No training.
WHAT TO BRING
Water, and loads of it. Healthy snacks, such as biltong, energy bars and nuts,
sandwiches and easy to digest foods. Do not drink energy enhancing
drinks such as RedBull. No alcohol is permitted during training, but we
don’t mind sharing an ice cold Flying-Fish once the sun sets.
WHAT TO BUY
Your own lightweight gear is essential! This must be bought before the course starts.
Failing that you will be slogging full weight gear up and down a mountain – which defeats the object of the course. Your first 15 flights will be on standard paragliding gear to allow us the opportunity to evaluate progress, before transitioning you onto a lightweight mountain wing.
R 4000 / 3 Consecutive Days Wilderness/George
YOU WILL LEARN THE FOLLOWING AFTER THE BASIC COURSE
THE GEAR
Learn and understand all of your light weight equipment – from the wing and harness to the rescue parachute – and how it all fits together.
Get to pack and unpack your lightweight gear properly.
Gear safety, pre-flight checks and maintenance.
LAYOUT AND GROUND CONTROL
Learn canopy layout techniques, in gentle and strong wind conditions. Controlling the canopy on the ground is key to successful flying later on. Everything starts with proper launch and control technique. Expect to spend at least 4hrs on this aspect of lightweight wing launch characteristics.
SKIMMING FLIGHTS
Launch and slope land on the dunes. Once this is mastered we will move onto higher launches in real mountainous terrain.
FULL BASIC COURSE MUST BE COMPLETED before starting the run and fly addition.
TANDEM FLIGHT BASIC COURSE
The Basic License Course includes 3 tandem flights that count towards the 35 flights required for license. Each instructional flight is about 20min. During these flights you will learn, through explanation and demonstration, how to make decisions in your new three-dimensional world. Various manoeuvres are required for Basic License, these manoeuvres are all demonstrated during the tandem flight by your instructor.
SOLO FLIGHTS FOR BASIC COURSE
You are required to complete a minimum of 35 flights for your Basic License.
Each flight needs to demonstrate good launch, flight and landing ability. A flight has to be at least 3 minutes in length to be valid. This is our minimum standard, some schools count a flip off a dune as a flight, we believe that we are teaching pilots to remain pilots for years to come, and our students license anywhere between 7 and 9 hours total flight time, unlike the industry norm of 4hrs.
THEORY LESSONS FOR MOUNTAIN TERRAIN
Your instructor will guide you through the complexities of mountains and valleys. Paragliding is an extreme sport, we aim to reduce that risk by teaching the correct process in decision making under extreme conditions.
Tracey, Adam and Neel are the most perfect compliment to each other and they each offer their own teaching styles, which as a couple suited us perfectly. Tracey and her gentle approach suiting nervous new female pilots such as myself cannot be underestimated, especially in this male dominated sport, and Adam instills a very high level of confidence as he quite simply just knows… everything, in crazy detail. Neel's love for the mountains and hike and fly is contagious, and we cannot wait to get out there again.
We began our A4A journey just simply wanting to explore a slight fascination with paragliding and find something to keep us busy on the weekends, but we came away with a huge appreciation for free flight in all of its forms, and a group of close friends that we now can’t imagine not knowing. Thank you Adam and Tracey for everything, see you on the mountain!
With regular fly-aways I got to explore some of the most beautiful places of our country, experience new flying sites and meet interesting people who are eager to share their experience.
With the guidance from A4A flying school, I have graduated as a confident pilot, who loves paragliding, and am eager to grow and contribute to the sport.
Through A4A Flying School I gained the ability to fly, and a family to fly with.
Thank you Tracey, Adam and Into-The-Wild-Neel.
