Portugal Paragliding Trip :: 2-10 July 2011 [FULLY BOOKED]

General information

This will be a thermalling and XC trip, aimed at qualified paraglider pilots and above wanting to hone their thermalling and cross country flying skills, and get lots of AIRTIME! Expand your XC horizons...

Aimed at BHPA CP (= FAI* ParaPro* Level 3) rated paraglider pilots and above who want to hone their thermalling and cross country flying skills, and get lots of AIRTIME. 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 2nd to Sunday 10th July 2011

Trip duration: 8 nights, 8 possible flying days!

What's included & the cost?

The following is included in the cost of the trip...

• Airport transfers to/from the accommodation
• 8 nights accommodation, sharing rooms
• FULL BOARD: Breakfast, packed lunch, evening meal, wine and fruit juice with meals are all included!!
• 8 days transport to/from take-offs and landing fields
• 8 days of XC retrieves
• 8 days of expert paragliding guidance, thermalling instruction and cross country coaching from Flybubble Paragliding instructors & guides (tailored to the individual, if you want it!)
• 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 and Carlo Borsattino
• We will do all we can (within reason) to get you to the right place at the right time and maximise your chances of getting as much great flying as possible on the trip!

Cost: £820 (8 days, 8 nights including FULL BOARD and all of the above!)

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.

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 to be at least BHPA Club Pilot rated or equivalent (= FAI* ParaPro* Level 3, as shown on FAI IPPI* card).

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 ability
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 would 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