Paragliding Schools

[joe]

Hi All,
I have been doing some inquiring into getting my licence so I can fly a paraglider. The prices vary from school to school and I was wondering..... if a school charges more, then does that mean they offer better training? Is it wise to buy a training package or to buy the wing and equipment after the course?

Cheers
Joe

[Steve O'Shaughnessy]

The price a school will charge often depends on the demand, for instance in Queenstown during the summer there are lots of visitors from overseas so they can charge a bit more down there.

Beware of deals where you buy a glider and get the training for free, the glider could be overpriced and the cost of training included in the price of the glider. Get some independant advice before entering into one of these deals.

Training packages are definately good value for money, but you are looking at committing $5-6000. Generally you can expect the school to want you to commit to a training package by the end of PG1.

Buying gear after PG2 can work out okay, I like to suggest buying a used beginners glider and a new harness. Fly the glider for 40 or so hours then trade it in on a new DHV1 or DHV1/2 glider, theres always a market for that type of glider. New harnesses tend to be a lot better all round than older harnesses but you could pay between $700 and $1000 for a good one.

Cheers
Steve O'Shaughnessy