Paragliding to me is one of the greatest inventions of mankind. A back-packable aircraft that with proper training and judgement you can foot launch and soar up to the clouds and fly to cloudbase then cross country for miles and miles....softly landing hours later to pack it up and walk away to fly another day. It's absolutely incredible. All fitting in a backpack that can weigh from 25 to 50 lbs. The gear and wings are getting safer as well as lighter and more compact. FULL SET UPS THAT FIT INTO THE OVERHEAD BIN ARE GETTING COMMON NOW!!!!! So if you want to take your time, learn thoroughly from the ground up, and become a Desert wind Paraglider.....my passion is to teach you how. Soar coastal sites, Fly thermals cross country, Acrobatics, fun and sanctioned competitions...I indulge in all types of paragliding and enjoy teaching them as much if not more at times. I've trained all sorts of people who weren't sure if they had the time, money, courage and or discipline to follow through and become a paraglider.......and they did it!!! Just like you can. So come on out to the hill and check it out!! Next thing you know you could be soaring with the birds.
Stick to the good stuff when you're running off mountains with it. I'm an authorized dealer for GIN, NOVA, ADVANCE, FLYTEC and can also get dealer pricing on GRADIENT and most other quality, top of the line paragliding equipment. Pilots that fly with great new gear have a confidence that's essential to have in this sport. I fly and love the brands I sell. The attention to detail, the quality and the support I get and can pass on is top of the line.
I learned to fly in AZ and have been instructing here for years now. I know from experience what it takes to cultivate great pilots who end up with the proper judgment, experience, and a proper understanding of the weather that it takes to be a safe paraglider who has a ton of fun. And the simple fact is this. There is NO WAY to do it here in Phoenix for the same price as the schools that have a great training hill right outside their door do. Not to mention aren't training in the weather of the Southwest/AZ desert. I did it and it's just not possible. So, if you will be living here you will want to train here. You will want to have an instructor who is known to be safe from the local pilot community and will be at your flying sites to continue your training with. I have spent a great deal of time, money and passion to now have a scooter tow system AND a hydraulic pay out tow system for my students. If you don't know what these are let me just say they are what is needed to get you trained safely in a practical amount of time along with trips to our training hills. If you learn the right way to fly in our desert....you will be able to fly anywhere. As my students our out proving all the time.
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testLearn to Fly With Desert Wind Paragliding
Yes, You too Can Soar to Cloud Base in a Thermal like the Birds!
"It's as if once the harness goes on it's part of your body, the risers become your muscles through which you feel every movement of your wings."
As a beginner pilot it is key to understand that a lot of the practice that needs to be done, especially in the beginning, is done in the park or nearby field, throughout the days learning weather, and gaining judgment appreciation. Knowing that this sport will require the proper judgement, which at times takes great respect, patience, and many other virtuous principles, is also a vital component to having a life of fun adventurous flying.
For the Love of Safety Read This!!!
Don’t let financial insecurity effect your decisions with a sport like paragliding. Accept the fact that it is not a cheap sport and that you might have to save in order to get quality instruction and quality gear. YOU'RE NOT SAVING MONEY BUYING CHEAP PARAGLIDING GEAR!! There is plenty to do for the season or two you are saving. There is an incredible amount to be learned by coming to the hill and watching, driving for the pilots flying XC, being a volunteer at comps, going to your local pilots meetings, studying weather, studying weather, studying weather, check out the local instructors, ask the locals who’s the safest, and you will also be helping to teach the pilots who bought cheap used gear, got bad instruction, and fly like it, that there is a better way to go as long as you respect the sport and have patience. It’s that type of attitude that will insure you with a life full of fun flying. I have had numerous students save for 2 seasons plus, now they are flying well with great equipment. I'M SURE YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW MANY STUDENTS WE HAVE TO TELL THAT THE STUFF THEY BOUGHT ON EBAY IS NOT AS AIRWORTHY AS THEY WERE TOLD.
Kiting is a Sport Unto Itself
With me you will become the type of pilot who frequents the parks/fields, a lot now and always. I will go to the park a lot with you to show you how to get good at inspecting while you lay out, lines and wing. Set up, hook in, hook in forward, backwards, practice launching turning left and right. Practice reverse and forward launches as many times as it takes so that with your eyes looking forward your focus is on feeling the weight in your harness and the subtle pressure so well that if any part of the paraglider isn’t fully inflated YOU will FEEL IT, and everything el
Finesse is the name of the game. When you let it start to get away from you if you try to over power the wing the wing will win. Wings love weight shift kiting and flying. Practice kiting with big ears in stronger winds, bring it up and fold half strongly and try to keep it in the air. Practice getting really really good at kiting so in the right wind you could walk over, around and on top of obstacles in control.
Practice aborts in stronger winds and know how to deflate the wing in numerous ways. Deflate it with A’s, C’s, D’c, with brake wraps. Experiment so you know for yourself what gets your wing back down on the ground fast for yourself, before it picks you up.
Master Your Pre-Flight
I will show you first then you will have ample time to practice and MASTER YOUR PRE-FLIGHTS. You doing this on your own will save a bundle of time with me on the training hill, enabling me to get you in the air that much quicker for more flights. I can can teach you a pre-flight,
Learn to take a hint from Mother Nature. Don’t make her tell you twice. When you’re kiting and that big gust comes out of nowhere, wrap it up. It’s amazing what you can learn by kiting a lot when you’ve learned to have the right attitude. Plus you get to master your pre-flights, which is one of the most important of them all. And my bet is that you won’t be one of the pilots letting their wing frontal then horseshoe way too close to the hill. You can practice setting up so you’re ready for launch sites. You will know that launch is for launching. Not setting up. You won’t need your instructor to help you off the hill after your P2 in P2 conditions at a P2 site. You will know and respect your limitations and be ready. Not to mention people of all levels will love flying with you because no matter your experience, you will be observing the site rules and never in the way of the other pilots or doing things that makes them scared of and for you.
So,..if you know you want to become a paraglider, you want to get good thorough instruction, be in an atmosphere where you feel free to ask any question, buy airworthy equipment, learn your limitations and respect them, kite kite kite kite like a pro, study weather study weather study weather so you have a whole new appreciation for it, and know your limitations so you are your own pilot from the first flight on...... train with me and join my students who will all tell you they're really glad they started and continue to train with me.
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Desert Wind Paragliding LLC
Chandler Papas
Advanced Instructor 81661