NO COMPROMISE FOR BEGINNERS
DON'T BUY GEAR YET!!!
Not until you've had a real evaluation from a Flight Instructor.
Most new pilots rush this decision and can only make decisions based on marketing material.
Spoiler: they all say the same thing, "ours is the best" 😅
Spend a day or two kiting with your instructor, speak about your goals as a pilot, and get REAL ADVICE from a professional who has actually met you before!
TRUST ME, YOU WANT THE BEST GEAR
Most people have an area of their life where they insist on quality, no cutting corners. This definitely should be one of those areas. It's your safety and learning curve we're talking about here!
Certain equipment designers garner respect and produce highly sought-after flight gear! Since we want the best for you, then we only sell brands that are leading the industry and that are suitable for novice to intermediate level pilots.
It's not just recycled marketing material, we have real-world experience getting student pilots through their first years of learning to Paraglide safely and without incident.
Passive Safety is a critical component that new pilots must have in order to reduce risk, especially at thermic mountain sites. We know all about this!
And you DON'T Want Used Gear!
This Flight School is built on a reputation for excellence and safety.
This achievement wouldn't have been possible through shortcuts and compromises.
We treat our students like family. We would never have our loved ones learning how to fly without the SAFEST equipment on the market. Used gear is a risky compromise.
This is why we DO NOT train new students on used/old equipment unless it's been trim tested!
There are plenty of stories of wishful dreamers wasting tremendous amounts of time and money buying used gear that turned out to be unsuitable for even one flying season.
Don't make this common mistake. A glider must be airworthy, in your skill category, weight range, and suitable for the site you will be flying most. To a beginner, one glider looks like another but then they learn later that it wasn't right for them.
That's because they don't know what they're looking at yet. They don't know the right questions to ask.
Even older but hardly used has issues. Outdated technology is compromising in areas of flying performance, recovery, and handling.
These are super important areas!
Damage to used gliders is extremely difficult for a beginner to evaluate. The fabric materials can become porous, the lines may be stretched just a few centimeters from trim, there may be fraying on the crossports inside of the wing, etc. The list goes on...
Don't rush in. You shouldn't decide on any critical details until a point that you are TRULY educated by a professional about Paragliding equipment!
It's a surprise to some, but a Paraglider is a perishable item!
We're used to cars and other vehicles that can be restored or at least preserved. But a Canopy is something to be used and enjoyed while its new and has the current, safest technology of the time. It's not something you want to hang on to forever.
With the passage of time, our gliders incur damage even when not being used. The fabric breaks down and the Passive Safety technology advances. The gliders of yesteryear just don't measure up to all of the R&D behind these new models.
What you don't want to do is buy cheap used gear off of the internet!
New pilots have very little idea what they're looking at and while it may seem like you can save some money by going cheap, there are a host of issues that you'll be dealing with and you won't even know what the cause is.
Trim
Glider lines can very easily go out of trim which means that the lengths are out of spec. This can be dangerous as the glider will be more prone to spins and stalls in flight. This is an area that you don't want to compromise at all. A glider that is out of trim will make the launch more difficult as well and this is where injury will likely happen if you cannot control the launch safely.
Even for kiting, a new pilot will develop bad timing as a result of an using an out-of-trim glider. These defects are impossible to spot without specialized testing equipment.
Porosity
The glider material has a shelf life. The best performance is to be had up front and because of use, UV exposure, and contact with rough terrain a glider's fabric performance will degrade every time it's being used. You can only check this with a porosity meter to be able to see the airworthiness of the material.
Technology
The paraglider equipment market evolves quickly. Companies invest a lot of money into R&D each year to ensure that you have access to the safest and best performing gear this sport has to offer. As a result, paragliders from just a few years ago don't compare to what we have now. Almost every innovation adds huge performance and passive safety to the flying experience.
Dishonesty
Have you every gone car shopping on Craigslist? Everyone that is selling is trying to unload a vehicle with issues hoping you won't notice before the sale. Paragliders go the same way. Pilots leave them in hot cars, get them wet at SIV, smash the nose into the ground while learning to kite, and the list goes on and on. Of course they won't tell you about the abuse and you'll just have to take their word that the glider is in perfect condition.
Testing
The right way to buy used is to have the wing tested at a proper facility which costs a few hundred dollars and requires that you leave it with them after shipping it away for a period of time so that it can be inspected. You would have to have the wing in your possession to do this. This is an arduous process. But we won't accept students on used gear unless it's been properly tested. Our recommendation is to skip the headache and just invest in new gear.
How to BUY GEAR!!!
Our online Gear Shop has
DISCOUNTED PREMIUM FLIGHT GEAR
for Students enrolled in our Training Programs!
This is our Gift to you because this school doesn't make huge margins on gear, WE'RE HERE TO TEACH and that means we can get our students into the BEST gear on the market, like BGD and Gin, and for an affordable investment that is equal or less in cost than budget brands like Ozone.
That means that when it's time to sell your gear, there will be a hot market of buyers looking for your brand!
Don't fall for marketing material, they all say the same old thing.
Listen to experienced pilots about what brands they want to fly next. Listen to the school that wants you to be the best PILOT you can be with an enjoyable learning curve.
It matters and we want you to fly through our Training Program with the best experience!
GOOD GEAR AND YOUR LEARNING CURVE
Your Learning Curve is ABSOLUTELY tied to the performance of your equipment!
Trying to learn how to kite on outdated equipment is like learning to ride a bike with two flat tires. You'll be putting in a ton of effort and wondering why it looks so easy for everyone else.
Since learning to fly is difficult enough, your gear shouldn't be adding to the frustration!
Good equipment will shave a lot of time off of your progression and you'll see the learning process as a beautiful and ongoing challenge instead of a frustrating ordeal that you have to get through.
LESSONS AND TANDEMS
Learning to fly is an Amazing and Rewarding process to watch and be a part of. I can tell you that you've never done anything quite like this before! In learning such a skill it is important to avoid taking shortcuts and that means going with quality gear and instruction.
For those committed to becoming pilots and ready to invest in the BEST training and equipment to achieve that, we offer Unlimited Lessons to get you there. That's a huge commitment and we give it to those ready to go all the way!
If other priorities in life means that you are considering shortcuts here, then the time is simply not right to begin this process. Wait until you're ready if you're not fully invested in this process.
We do not compromise when it comes to new students and the best equipment!
"The first steps are the MOST important ones, it's you becoming a pilot! Let's take it seriously together!"
- Jordan