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Paragliding: Learn to Fly

Reviews:
Lisa Jönsson reviews a new training video for novice pilots

You’ve recently taken up paragliding. You’re as hungry as a wolf for more information. You devour magazines, books and DVDs in search of more and more para-knowledge. You lie awake at night imagining yourself soaring gracefully away or wrestling with your bucking wing on some gusty hillside. No, you’re not a freak! You’re just like the rest of us. You see, paragliding is an addictive sport often practised by obsessive people and so there will always be a niche for new and exciting sources of quality information for the hungry new pilot. ‘Learning to Fly’ has just arrived as a five course slap up meal to satisfy your appetite.
The DVD was created by two recently qualified French pilots, who like you just couldn’t find enough quality information for themselves. With a little background in the film industry they set about creating their own video, with superb results.
Learning to Fly is divided into six chapters: equipment, flying, launching, aerodynamics, meteorology and flying rules. Each chapter is accompanied by high quality animation that explains the lessons in a detailed and easy to understand way. For me, the animation really made the DVD.
There is also a bonus chapter with first hand information and interviews with the Ozone boys. Russell Ogden, test pilot for Ozone and double British paragliding champion, explains about their gliders, from idea to design, from factory to test flying. He also explains how to go about choosing a paragliding school and a glider, and how important it is to go flying frequently. Russell also bravely tackles the subject of fear. It’s good to hear that even the top pilots run into it.
Although the teaching was very thorough, I did feel the quality of the film work could how been improved. Some scenes seemed a bit cobbled together with several sequences being repeated more than once. I found myself longing for a bit more spice with some hot flying scenes to stop me in my tracks. You can’t have too much of someone flying in a beautiful place, it gives us something to dream about.
This is not an inspirational film that’ll make you want to go out and fly over stunning landscapes, it’s a detailed introduction video for you guys that have just learned how to fly. It’s a complement to any train­ing course, a DVD that all flying schools should show to every new pilot, and every new pilot will love.