In the UK free flight is supported and administered by the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, a thriving sports association catering to around 7,000 pilots.
From its Leicester headquarters the BHPA oversees pilot and instructor training standards, provides, technical support such as airworthiness standards, runs coaching courses for pilots... and a host of other services, providing the infrastructure within which UK hang gliding and paragliding thrive.
This is a catch-all term that has come to define the closely related sports of:
The BHPA works closely with numerous recreational clubs that look after flying sites and offer guidance and assistance to pilots at a local level.
Annual BHPA flying membership costs £169 and includes a subscription to Skywings, the BHPA's monthly magazine, and £5 million 3rd-party insurance cover. But if personal or travel insurance is required, this should be obtained from an independent insurance broker.
There are also concessions for those who are 21 and under, or 67 and over, and for those in receipt of Personal Independence Allowance (PIP) or Adult Disability Payment (ADP).
You can join the BHPA online as an annual, concessionary, or family member (family members must live at the same address as an existing annual member). You can also apply for 3 months trial membership of the BHPA.
BHPA members automatically receive a copy of Skywings magazine each month as part of their membership package, and can renew their membership online or opt to automatically renew their BHPA membership each year by direct debit (£7 discount).
But if you're not a BHPA member and would like to receive a copy of Skywings magazine each month, please visit our online shop to purchase a Skywings Magazine Subscription.
If you'd like to take up the sport, please visit our Learn to Fly page to get a better understanding of what's involved and the various disciplines available.
Our registered school page will then help you to find a school that best addresses your training needs.
Most BHPA registered schools offer a one day taster course which is ideal if you are not ready to commit to a full course of training, or are unsure whether the sport is for you. When you arrive for a taster day at your chosen school your instructor will ask you to apply online for BHPA One Day Introductory Membership (£29 adult or £5 under 21).
BHPA-Registered Schools will train you at a rate of progress that is suitable for you. BHPA schools are monitored for safety, the quality of the training they offer and the equipment they use, and their trained instructors are licensed by the Association.
When you see the BHPA Registered School mark you can be confident that you are getting the best free flight training available in the world today. For details on finding a training school, learning to fly etc, see our learn to fly page.
The Association takes great care to ensure that any gliders available to its members are safe to fly. It administers its own hang glider airworthiness scheme, respected the world over, and has contributed to the drafting of EU standards for paraglider airworthiness. These measures have resulted in gliders that are stable in the air and are more than strong enough for their intended use.
The centre of the BHPA operation is at Leicester, where our office based staff deal with the day-to-day running of the Association and retailing BHPA merchandise.
Our technical staff, however, usually work from home and travel widely, to monitor training standards and attend to other operational requirements.
If you require further information about paragliding, hang gliding, training, insurance, incidents, international ratings and safety issues in the United Kingdom, please contact the appropriate BHPA Officer or Staff member.
A comprehensive calendar of forthcoming free flight competitions and events throughout the UK and abroad is available on our events page.
Last updated: 16 July 2024
