Learn Paragliding on Holiday - Beginner Course in the French Alps

We have all wondered what it must feel like to fly high in the sky like a bird! Paragliding is the closest you can get to this amazing, fantasized and, let's face it, very unique and exhilarating feeling of flying!

The modern paragliding equipment and techniques being used these days is the best and safest way to experience flight in its simplest form. Our clients have been enjoying tandem paragliding flights as part of their summer activity holidays in the Alps for years and thanks to their excellent feedback, we decided to launch a full week "Learn to Fly" paragliding course so you can achieve independence in the air and fly by yourself!

Our Instructors

All our instructors are fully qualified and licensed by the French paragliding federation, the FFVL (Fédération Française de Vol Libre). The FFVL vet and monitor all French paragliding instructors on an annual basis to ensure they are fully up to speed with the new and continually evolving techniques and award the various levels of diplomas for paragliding.

Our instructors all speak English and are also local to the area with years of experience. They know the local weather systems and microclimates like their back garden and will help you learn how to make the most of the thermals and air currents of the mountains of the Southern French Alps!

The Course

The "Learn to Fly" initiation course consists of 5 days of instruction spread over the week (usually Monday to Friday). Your free day (usually Saturday) is a buffer for any eventual bad weather but can also be used for extra flights or other activities (the list of activities available is here) which we can arrange for you when you are here for an extra supplement. 

On your course you will spend some time learning the theory and science of paragliding; how the equipment works, how to identify and master the different air currents and thermals and safety. You will also spend time on the ground learning to take off and land and participate in tandem flights before you are allowed to fly by yourself. You will only be able to fly solo once the instructors are 100% sure you will be able to do this safely and you will be in radio contact with them for the duration of your flight. Everyone is different but most people are flying independently with ground support by their third or fourth day.

For full details of the course and the different skills and theory you will learn, please have a look at our learn to paraglide course booklet which colour grades the different levels of your paragliding progression. On this course we aim to cover levels white, yellow and orange so you can fly solo in calm conditions with ground support. This is your first taste of mastering the air by yourself!

The course can be arranged on any dates from early May to late September. Please note that in May, the first half of June and September, the resort is in 'off season' so most restaurants and commerces are closed. The resort starts to open up from mid June to the beginning of September. So, if you like the idea of having the place to yourselves, then choose 'off season' for your course. If you want to do other activities and enjoy nightlife, then July and August are best.

Why the Southern French Alps?

The Southern French Alps is a world famous paragliding destination thanks to its reliable good weather with 300 days of sunshine per year and unique microclimates. This part of the Alps is home to some of the best known paragliding spots like St Vincent Les Forts which is a bucket list paragliding destination for experienced gliders. We have based our course on the other side of the Serre-Ponçon lake in the ski resort of Orcières, which benefits from a similar microclimate with reliable thermals generated each day by the ever present sunshine and mountain geography but is less busy and therefore less intimidating for a first learn to fly experience. 

The ski resort is also high with possible take of points accessible by 4x4 at between 2000 and 2600m

Holiday Highlights

• Learn to paraglide and fly solo in a week
• World renowned micro climate perfect for paragliding
• High altitude access points for take off 
• Quiet and friendly learning environment
• Fully qualified and highly experienced local instructors with safety as their top priority
• Fly in the Alps with stunning mountain views and Alpine scenery
• The possibility to do our improvers course next time you're in the area!

Itinerary

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We will collect you from the town of Gap to take you to your chosen accommodation base for this holiday and once you are there you can either walk to your paragliding course each day or our instructors will pick you up. 

The drive takes about 45 minutes from Gap. We will let you know the time of your transfer nearer your holiday dates as we will group you together with other arrivals. If you have a wait in Gap, it is a beautiful town to explore and we'll give you tips on where to go. 

You can also choose to self drive if you prefer to have the flexibility to explore the area by yourself around your paragliding sessions. Check out our partner's hire car rates.

Getting to Gap by Train:

Gap has rail links to the main TGV train stations of Valence, Grenoble or Aix-en-Provence which you can link up with from most of the major European capital cities. 

From Paris there is also a very convenient overnight sleeper train that goes directly to Paris. You can plan your train journey using the Oui SNCF website

Getting to Gap by Plane:

The nearest airports are Marseilles, Grenoble and Lyon. From Marseilles, there are up to 5 shuttles a day to Gap, making it the most convenient airport to fly to if you're not driving.

Please ask us about getting here when you enquire - we have all the local knowledge to help you plan your journey!