Why ParaPro
Learn to fly properly.
Paragliding is a lot of fun. But learning to fly well takes more than getting airborne. ParaPro combines practical training, modern teaching methods and a strong safety culture to help you become a capable, independent pilot.
More than just getting your licence
Your first goal might be learning to launch, fly and land. Ours is bigger.
We want you to leave training with the knowledge and judgement to make good decisions, understand the conditions you’re flying in, and continue developing as a pilot.
Because a good pilot isn’t simply someone who can control a paraglider. A good pilot knows when to fly, when not to fly, how to behave at different sites, and how to contribute to the people around them.
Safety
Make good decisions before you leave the ground.
Safety isn’t something added at the end of training. Weather, terrain, equipment, preparation and decision-making are part of every flight.
Knowledge
Understand what’s happening around you.
You’ll learn to read weather, terrain and conditions, rather than simply being told whether it’s safe to fly.
Independence
Build the skills to think for yourself.
Our goal is to gradually give you more responsibility as your skills develop, until you’re doing the flying and making the decisions yourself within your training limits.
Community
Become a pilot people want to fly with.
Paragliding is a small community. Knowing how to share sites, respect local rules, help others and behave responsibly is part of being a good pilot.
Training that keeps evolving
Paragliding training shouldn’t stand still.
ParaPro continually brings new ideas, teaching methods and technology into the way we train. Experience gained from flying, teaching and training in New Zealand and Europe is used to keep improving how students learn.
Modern teaching methods
Clear explanations, practical demonstrations and progressive training designed around how people actually learn.
Technology
Modern weather forecasting, flight planning and training tools help you understand what’s happening before you arrive at the hill.
Learning by doing
The aim is not to memorise information. It’s to understand it, apply it and eventually make the decisions yourself.
We teach you to understand the weather
New Zealand weather can change quickly. Learning to fly safely means learning to recognise those changes and understand what they mean for your flight.
We look at forecasts before training, compare them with what we actually find on site, and use those observations to build your understanding over time.
And when the weather isn’t suitable for flying, that’s part of the lesson too.
More places to learn
ParaPro has access to flying sites outside Christchurch, including sites where we have exclusive rights to operate.
That gives us more options when conditions change and, importantly, more opportunities to train.
Different sites also mean different terrain, conditions and challenges. Learning to adapt is part of becoming a capable pilot.
ParaPro has access to flying sites outside Christchurch, including sites where we have exclusive rights to operate.
That gives us more options when conditions change and, importantly, more opportunities to train.
Different sites also mean different terrain, conditions and challenges. Learning to adapt is part of becoming a capable pilot.
Training is kept personal and adapted to your experience and progression.
As your skills develop, you’ll gradually take more responsibility for your own flying. The goal is not to have an instructor doing everything for you. The goal is to have you doing it yourself.
By the time you’re flying independently, you’ll understand more than just the controls.
- Launch and land safely
- Assess weather and flying conditions
- Understand terrain and local sites
- Make basic pre-flight decisions
- Recognise when conditions are unsuitable
- Manage your equipment
- Understand ridge soaring and thermalling fundamentals
- Fly independently within your limits
- Know how to continue progressing
- Understand how to be a responsible member of the flying community
What our students say
Ready to learn?
If you’ve been thinking about learning to paraglide, start with an Intro Day. You’ll get a chance to experience flying, meet your instructor and see what the training is actually like before deciding where you want to go next.