Mountain Flying

Mountain Flying Clinic

Prerequisite: Para ll and spot landing proficiency
This two day event is geared toward Para II pilots. This clinic should be taken as soon as possible after completing Para II certification.

During this clinic you will see all the flying sites in the Utah Valley and Salt Lake Valley as well as fly the sites that are appropriate for both skill level and current conditions.

The pilot will learn:

How to safely fly mountains

How to analyze the safety considerations for a particular flying site

How to analyze the safety of the landing zone

Where and how to fly Utah mountain flying sites.

How to pioneer a flying site.

Clinic Feedback:

"To have fun flying I have to know what is happening with me, my wing and the air. But being new to paragliding (under 20 hours of air time), I don't have enough experience to judge these things well enough. Since I fly in mountains at home (South East Arizona), I decided I needed to know more about this aspect of paragliding so I took Ken's Mountain Flying clinic. It was a great experience because I learned what was safe and what was dangerous, what was a good site and what was bad. We flew several diverse sites to provide a broad base of applicability. Now, at my home sites (all mountains) I'll be able to evaluate the conditions, know better what is happening with the air, pick better flying times and therefore increase the fun-factor, which is my whole reason for flying paragliders. " Daryl Elam - Benson Arizona

"What did I learn? That mountain flying is a whole different ball game compared to flying at the Point of the Mountain. One has to pick conditions, flight path, and LZ approach very carefully. I learned how to evaluate the site and conditions in a way to help minimize the chances of having an unpleasant experience. Also, how to choose a route down the mountain that will increase the chances of making it to the LZ. I tend to be very conservative in my flying -- I try to keep it as safe as possible. Ken helped me in being able to decide what is a safe flying situation/condition and what is marginal or a bad idea. I now know more about launching in the mountains, landing in tight spots and observing conditions before commiting myself to flight. In the future I would like to be able to "discover" my own flying sites... This is a good first step in that direction." -- C. Christopherson, UT

"This clinic widens the scope of my flying experience under cotrolled and coached conditions. It teaches about favorable vs. poor flying conditions at all possible sites, not just those we visited." -- N. Parker, UT

"I would recommend this clinic to others because of the valuable information given and to learn about the Salt Lake sites. I learned more about terrain features and their function related to safe flying." - P. Beeson, MT

To see more photos: Click here
Mike launch
Mike Fly