Useful info and resources relating to the British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association (BHPA) Pilot rating and exam:
BHPA Pilot Rating Tasks & Exam Syllabus
BHPA Pilot Rating Tasks
Tasks for "Pilot" Rating - for information only. BHPA members wishing to take their "Pilot" exam are advised to consult the Pilot Task Book (available from the BHPA Office).
BHPA Pilot Exam Syllabus
Syllabus and notes for the "Pilot" Exam. See also "Pilot" Tasks above.
Essential Study Materials for the BHPA Pilot Rating Exam
BHPA Pilot Handbook
Written by the same people who set the exam. Essential.
Meteorology For Pilots Simplified - 4th Edition
The best short book we've found for a good introduction to the basics of flying weather. Highly recommended.
Understanding the Sky: A Sport Pilot's Guide To Flying Conditions
Still the best flying weather book for ambitious soaring pilots! It's quite technical and in-depth in parts so if your basic weather knowledge is lacking then we recommend you read something simpler first. Once your basic weather knowledge is good then move on to reading Understanding the Sky. Highly recommended.
CAA UK VFR Air Charts
We recommend you buy at least one 1:250 000 and one 1:500 000 chart that covers your area. This way you can study up for your Pilot exam and get to know the airspace relevant to your local flying sites at the same time. Highly recommended.
Security in Flight II DVD
Explains about paraglider flight control, recovery techniques and safety guidance. Learn how far you can push the glider to enable you to recognise and recover from problems that you may encounter during an XC flight. Highly recommended.
Other Useful Resources for the BHPA Pilot Rating Exam
Pilot Exam Notes:Â Airlaw | Flight Theory | Meteorology
BHPA Pilot Exam revision notes, originally written by Graham Taylor.
Performance Airspeeds for the Soaring Challenged
Visual explanations of the relationship between performance airspeeds and polar curves for glider pilots by Jim D. Burch.
Aviation Weather Principles
More for PPL but gives good explanations of weather systems etc.
Mock Tests for the BHPA Pilot Rating Exam
Mock BHPA Pilot Exam
Multiple-choice exercise for the BHPA Pilot rating exam on the Wessex Hang Gliding & Paragliding Club website, created by David Winn.
UK Hang Gliding Pilot Exam Test - Dan Hamblin
BHPA Pilot rating exam test aimed at UK hang glider pilots, useful for paraglider pilots too, created by Dan Hamblin.