For all paraglider pilots wanting to hone their thermalling and cross country flying skills. Expand your XC horizons!
Portugal offers fantastic flying with great potential from numerous flying sites in the Serra da Estrela mountain range covering different wind directions. Conditions are often smooth and predictable with a high cloudbase and big XC possibilities into Spain.
Dates: Saturday 19th to Sunday 27th June, 2010
General Information
XC SECRETS :: Thermalling & XC Trip
Aimed at qualified Club Paraglider Pilots and above wanting to hone their thermalling and cross country flying skills. Expand your XC horizons!
Paragliding guidance by Carlo Borsattino, BHPA Chief Flying Instructor of Flybubble Paragliding, working with local paragliding experts.
The Flying
Portugal offers fantastic flying with great potential from numerous flying sites in the Serra da Estrela mountain range covering different wind directions. Conditions are often smooth and predictable with a high cloudbase and big XC possibilities into Spain!
Lodge Accommodation
We will be staying with our hosts in their beautiful lodge which they personally built by hand from an original farm building! You'll see all the modern features incorporated into a classic design; exposed rock; aged wood; space and light. The building is tiled throughout so it keeps nice and cool in the summertime.
Facilities at the lodge
Wireless internet; Widescreen television and DVD player; Music; Freezer and fridge; Shower-room; Swimming in the river (best in spring or autumn); Fireplace for evening barbeques with an outdoor covered dining area for chilling out when it's hot. Lastly a landing field and a grass lawn for folding up your wing, what more could you ask for?
Full Board
Our talented hostess and chef, has previously worked in the catering and hospitality industries for many years! She now takes great delight in looking after her guests and making them happy. This trip includes Breakfast; packed lunch and evening meal with Wine and Orange Juice included with meals, all other alcohol and soft drinks are available to purchase.
Dates: Saturday 19th to Sunday 27th June
Trip duration: 8 nights, 8 possible flying days
Short Stays. We can also accommodate flexible short trips for qualified pilots (minimum BHPA Club Pilot, FAI IPPI ParaPro Level 3) during these dates. Contact Us to let us know which days you would like to do!
What's included & the cost?
The following is included in the cost of the trip:Â Â
- Airport transfers to/from the accommodation
- 8Â nights accommodation, sharing rooms
- Full board: Breakfast; packed lunch and evening meal are all included (Wine and OJ with meals included, all other alcohol and soft drinks available to purchase)
- 8 days transport to/from take-offs and landing fields
- 8Â days of expert paragliding guidance, thermalling instruction and cross country coaching
- General 'site & flight' guidance by Carlo Borsattino
- Working with local paragliding experts
- Additional 'site & flight' guidance by local paragliding experts who speak good English
- Weather, local area and flight information from local paragliding experts
Cost: £835.00 (8 days, 8 nights, accommodation, full board, airport transfers, transport to/from take-offs, expert paragliding guidance/instruction/coaching by Carlo Borsattino working with local paragliding experts who speak good English)
Can't do the full trip? We may be able accommodate you!
This trip is also available as a flexible short trip for qualified paraglider pilots: If you can't do a full week (i.e. you'd like to do a long weekend or a few days) then we can also accommodate you for this at £110 per day. This includes all of the following: Expert paragliding guidance, thermalling instruction and cross country coaching; General 'site & flight' guidance by Carlo Borsattino & local paragliding experts; Weather, local area and flight information from local paragliding experts; transfers to / from take-offs / landing fields; Shared accommodation and full board. This cost doesn't include airport transfers, unless you are arriving or departing on the same days as the main group. You should consider hiring your own car, the approx cost for 4 days would be 200 Euros.
What's not included?
The following things are not included in the cost of the trip...
Airline flights
Airline flights to Portugal are not included in the cost of the trip. Once we have received deposits from the minimum number of pilots required for the trip to go ahead then we will try to find the best price for flights for each trip and then reserve flights for the individual to pay for directly themselves. It is always best if everyone is on the same flight, but we understand this is not always possible as people come from all over the UK. All we ask is that, to minimise unnecessary delays, everyone is at the arrival airport at the same time, or earlier than the main group arrival time for the airport transfer.
Flights from London Gatwick with EasyJet are approx. £225.00 (May 2010).
Suitable for me?
If you are wondering whether this trip is right for you - and whether you are right for it - in summary you should consider at least the following criteria…
What pilot ratings / licence do I need?
You will need at least BHPA Club Pilot rating, International Pilot Proficiency Identification (IPPI) Para Pro level 3, or equivalent.
What 'level' of paraglider pilot do I need to be?
Although ideally you should have 10 hours airtime plus to make the most out of this trip, you don’t need to be an ‘advanced’ pilot or 'skygod'. More important are the following pilot skills and criteria, which you should feel reasonably confident about in yourself before signing up for this trip...
What skills do I need for this trip?
1) Take-off ability.
Although there should be an experienced pilot on take-off to assist you with setting up, should you wish them to, and to keep an eye on conditions most of the time, you will need to be able to launch reasonably competently in a variety of conditions, both forward and reverse. We will advise you on the conditions for the day as they develop, and give you our opinion on their suitability for you, but we will never 'order' you to launch. Remember, the final decision to take off will ALWAYS be your own!
2) Flight plans and decision making.
Although we will brief you about the area in detail at the beginning of the course, and the anticipated ideal flight plan before each flight, you will need to be able to follow your own flight plan independently, and make sensible decisions about where (and when) you choose to fly - or not fly! Never forget, you are the pilot in command, the one who is actually pulling the strings, at all times!
3) Landing.
You will need to be able to set up your own landing approaches into a variety of landing areas and avoid any potential obstacles. For any cross country flights landing areas will be, by definition, varied! Depending on how safety conscious you are, and how late you leave the decision to pick out a safe landing field, you could end up having to land in a small field with many obstacles in and/or around it. Of course you can avoid this predicament by choosing a larger field earlier on, rather than flying low over tricky landing areas!
To book or enquire
Come on this trip to learn our XC SECRETS and expand your XC horizons!
To reserve your place we need to receive a 50% deposit from you.
Places are strictly limited so BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment!
If you have any questions or want to reserve your place then please Contact Us
Photos
Photos from our Portugal Paragliding Trip June 2010...
Carlo Borsattino - Vila Cortes & Airport
Photos by Carlo Borsattino taken in and around Vila Cortes and Porto Airport during the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carlo Borsattino - Vale de Amoreira
Photos by Carlo Borsattino of Vale de Amoreira from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carlo Borsattino - Serra da Estrela
Photos by Carlo Borsattino taken in the Serra da Estrela mountains from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carlo Borsattino - Linhares da Beira
Photos by Carlo Borsattino of Linhares da Beira village from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carlo Borsattino - Linhares XC to SW
Photos by Carlo Borsattino taken on a cross-country flight from Linhares, heading southwest, during the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carlo Borsattino - Linhares Launch
Photos by Carlo Borsattino of the launch at Linhares from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carlo Borsattino - Linhares Landing
Photos by Carlo Borsattino of the Linhares landing field during the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carlo Borsattino - Linhares Flying
Photos by Carlo Borsattino of flying at Linhares from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carlo Borsattino - Linhares Evening
Photos by Carlo Borsattino of evening soaring at Linhares from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carlo Borsattino - Surfing Clouds
Photos by Carlo Borsattino of cloud surfing at Linhares from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carlo Borsattino - Kayaking
Photos by Carlo Borsattino of Kayaking from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carlo Borsattino - Azinha
Photos by Carlo Borsattino of Azinha launch from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Nancy Elliott - Vila Cortes
Photos by Nancy Elliott in and around Vila Cortes during the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Nancy Elliott - Serra da Estrela
Photos by Nancy Elliott in and around the Serra da Estrela mountains during the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Nancy Elliott - Linhares Launch & Landing
Photos by Nancy Elliott of Linhares launch and landing field from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carol Moyse - Paragliding
Paragliding photos by Carol Moyse from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Carol Moyse - Touristic
Photos by Carol Moyse from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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Arnold Marx
Photos by Arnold Marx from the Flybubble Paragliding trip to Portugal in June 2010.
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