A hang gliding friend of mine had been pestering me for years to give it a go but lugging 60kg of kit up a hill never appealed!...

Flybubble Paragliding Course Review by Oliver Rodbard

I signed up for a two day course with Flybubble on somewhat of a whim. A hang gliding friend of mine had been pestering me for years to give it a go but lugging 60kg of kit up a hill never appealed!

I was somewhat apprehensive at first and really had no idea what to expect the benefit of this was I started with no pre-conceived ideas of what I should be doing by the end of day 1 or day 2 etc. After a really enjoyable first two days with Carlo and Nancy I had a horrible feeling I was hooked and signed up for the remainder of the EP course at the end of day 2.

What really impressed me throughout the remainder of the EP was the class size never more than 3 or 4 students to an instructor, the attention to detail, safety and the quality of instruction. Carlo is obsessive about taking one step at a time, learning routines and doing things the right way - this is exactly what I wanted from someone who was teaching me how to launch myself off a hill and one day fly thousands of feet above the ground!!

Upon completing my EP I signed up immediately for my Club Pilot course. I bought my kit from Carlo and was really happy with the time taken to ensure that what I bought was right for me; I ended up buying the cheaper of the two harnesses which fitted me well on Carlo's recommendation! This gave me a comfort factor that whilst running a business this wasn't just about making a quick buck.

Again, throughout the CP course class size never rose above 4 students per instructor and I really felt I had time to learn, the opportunity to get 1-2-1 feed back and was well looked after at all times. I was given a [mental] push when needed (not physically!) and urged to slow down when getting overexcited after my first soaring flight! Carlo's experience of teaching his sport to range of people from different walks of life and who all had different learning styles really shone through.

Thank you Carlo, Nancy and Greg!

"See you on the hill", as paraglider pilots say!

Oliver Rodbard, Pinner, Middlesex