Flying Frenzy Paragliding Courses

"Professional, friendly, and most of all fun from start to finish, I must thank Flying Frenzy for getting me started, I wish I had done it years ago."

How to book in

Please use the links to go to the appropriate booking page;

Vouchers Use this page to buy a voucher to give as a gift. We offer Taster day and Tandem flight vouchers.
Courses Use this page to get yourself onto a Taster day, Elementary Pilot course, Club Pilot course or Refresher training day/s.
Groups Use this page if you want to book your group in for a Taster day.

All our training courses follow the excellent BHPA paragliding dynamic syllabus which lays out a structured and progressive programme with enough flexibility for us to tailor your training to fit you. Our courses on offer are as follows:

Taster Day £190

The FFPG taster day is the best way to experience paragliding. We work hard to get you progressed as far as possible - usually by the end of the day you will have had plenty of low flights between 5 and 15 feet off the ground and usually at least one higher flight from the main slope.

The day will include:

  • Discussion of the risks involved in paragliding
  • Introduction to the sport and paperwork
  • Basic theory of paragliding aerodynamics and local airflow
  • The daily inspection process on your equipment
  • Things to remember to do or not do when you are flying to keep yourself safe
  • Pre-flight checks
  • Canopy inflation and control on the ground
  • Taxying forwards and steering on the ground
  • Low flights on shallower slopes (known as 'hops')
  • Higher flight/s from main slope if time, site conditions, your energy levels and rate of progress allow


Please note - The training covered on the Taster day is the first stages of the EP course - we don't treat you any differently if you are only ever going to do the one day or if you are already committed to taking up the sport. Your Taster day fees count towards the Elementary Pilot course (minus £30 to cover the BHPA one day membership) if you pay within a month of taking your taster day.

Elementary Pilot (EP) £700

The EP is the first BHPA level of competence. The course gives you the chance to get to grips with the basics of paragliding.
By the end of the EP, you will be able to:

  • Take off and land un-assisted in moderate conditions
  • Fly at appropriate airspeed
  • Make smooth turns to at least 90 degrees
  • Choose and carry out simple flight plans.
  • Pass the theory exam (25 multichoice questions)

The EP usually takes 4 days of training. You have up to a year to complete the course and a maximum of 6 days.

EP Daily rate

You can choose to pay by the day if you prefer - £175

Club Pilot £900

The Club Pilot builds on the skills you learnt on your Elementary Pilot course (which you must have completed already) and is the BHPA level of competence required to fly without direct instruction, within a club environment.
By the end of the CP, you will be able to:

  • Ground handle in a range of conditions
  • Take-off and land in a range of conditions, from light winds to moderately strong winds
  • Use your canopy's full range of airspeed appropriately
  • Make 180 degree turns, or a little more
  • Carry out hill-side and top landings (Note; this is now not an obligatory part of the CP course but we will believe you are a safer pilot if you have had practice of these tasks)
  • Be able to land accurately within a pre-decided area
  • Fly safely with other pilots soaring at the same time
  • Create pitching oscillations in the wing and then stop them (to start to get an understanding of the concept of active flying) and do more dynamic turns coordinating pitch, roll and weightshift
  • Deal with small asymmetric tucks and carry out the 'big ears' rapid descent technique

You will also have at least 50 minutes of ridge soaring flights and will have gained further theoretical knowledge of Meteorology, Principles of flight, Airlaw and General Airmanship. You will have passed the CP exams (general and hill environment papers) and shown your instructors that you have an attitude to paragliding sufficiently responsible to leave the school environment.

The CP usually takes around 6 days of training. You have up to a year to complete the course and a maximum of 8 days.

CP Daily rate

You can choose to pay by the day if you prefer - £150

Tandem flights £160

You come flying with an experienced pilot who will take you on a soaring flight on the beautiful Dorset hills or coastline. We aim to get at least quarter of an hour up in the air.

Please note, the wind needs to be exactly right for the tandem flights. If it is too windy then it is not safe. If it is too light, we can fly but the flights are much shorter. If this is the case we may need to wait and have another flight a little later when conditions have improved.

We have close links with Flyability the charity dedicated to getting people with disabilities into Paragliding or Hang-gliding. We have one of the Flyability buggies and are experienced in taking people with a variety of disabilities flying tandem with us. Call to find out more.

Refresher Days / UK flying familiarisation days £120

If you have not flown for a while you can build up your experience and confidence with a day or two with us. Similarly, if you got your rating overseas you will likely need to learn how to make the best of flying UK sites - flying with precision close to the slope, top and side landing etc. People are often surprised how much they can learn from these days. We always aim to give excellent value so if it turns out you are pretty competent and don't need too much input from us we will reduce your charge appropriately.

What is included and what is not

Equipment ~ All your flying equipment is provided for your Taster Day or Tandem flight. Once you commit to your EP course you will need to buy your own helmet - we will bring a variety out for you to try - prices start from £120 - see the Equipment page. For the EP you can fly on our wings and harnesses. When you start the CP it makes sense to get used to your own harness as soon as possible - we have a good range of new and used harnesses - come and try a selection in our flight simulator.

We suggest you are not in a big rush to buy your own wing - we will help you assess which will suit your flying style and aspirations during the CP course and let you try several different ones. We stock the best of the new wings around and have a good range of second-hand canopies.

BHPA membership ~ To participate you must be a member of the British Hang-gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA). One-day membership costs £29 and is included in the price the Taster Day and Tandem flight. As you start the Elementary Pilot course you will need to become a full member. Your first annual membership costs £199. Better value is the 2 year option which is £319 (you save £49). If you will only be in our area for a short time you might consider the 3 month Training membership at £134 (though you can't be awarded the CP rating with this). There are reductions available if you are over 67 or under 21 or if you have a family member who is already a member. Your membership of the BHPA provides you with 3rd party insurance and will get the monthly magazine Skywings. If you are going through the courses it will save time if you join before you start - click here - BHPA membership.

When you have completed the CP there is a £20 registration fee payable direct to the BHPA

Progression through the Courses:

Many people start with the Taster Day to check that Paragliding is for them before committing to the Elementary Pilot Course (EP). At the end of your Taster Day if you want to continue training (most do) you can then pay the balance of the EP course. Your Taster, Voucher or Course fees are each valid for a year. Progress is fastest when you can take your training days as close together as possible. If you exceed the year validity or the maximum number of days you can continue your tuition by paying the daily rate of £175 for EP and £150 for CP.

Your first day

We use the Telegram messaging app to keep in touch (see below) and we will let you if the day you are booked looks like a good forecast and if so, where and when we will be meeting. The weather does need to be just right with light winds, dry conditions and certain wind directions, so please don't be surprised if we need to cancel. Just keep letting us know when you are available. Usually we start at ten or eleven depending on the time of year and the forecast but please be ready for an earlier start or a later finish. Please allow plenty of time for your travel - arriving late does make it difficult for your instructors and others on the course. The first day usually takes between six and seven hours out on the hill. Have a look at the where we fly page to get maps to our main training sites.

Special offers

EP and CP combi ~ £1,500 You can save £100 on your courses if you pay for the combi deal before your first day's flying. (N.B. this isn't available once you have started.)

Couples deal ~ £40 off for one of you if you book your Taster day at the same time as your husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend or partner

Group Taster deal ~ £10 off for subsequent participants

Communications - the Telegram App

To start with please get in touch with us by phone, text, or email. When you sign up for the Elementary and Club pilot courses, please download the Telegram app. This is a messaging app that makes it easy to manage groups and let you know when it is looking flyable and what the day's arrangements are etc. Also, Telegram is now used by all paragliding clubs around our area so this will help you in your transition to the club environment after graduating from Flying Frenzy! It can be used on phones and computers. Use this link to get the version/s you need; https://telegram.org/. When you have joined message Andrew who will add you to the appropriate group. (Flying Frenzy Waiting Room; Flying Frenzy EP Students; Flying Frenzy CP Students; Tandem Frenzy group.)