P3 program - Outline and Objectives

The P3 program is designed to take the P2 pilot to the next level. As a P2 pilot you should be able to spot land and have good ground handling and both reverse and forward launching skills. In this program we spend a considerable amount of time to perfect these skills.

Being a P3 pilot means being confident in many aspects of paragliding. The main purpose of the program is to train you to become a independent pilot (not meaning a pilot that seeks to fly alone); one that can make responsible solo decisions and one that knows his own ability as well as being able to judge conditions, read new sites and assess microclimate weather conditions.

Having a P3 rating also marks the most dangerous time in any pilots’ career. This stage better known as the intermediate syndrome has gotten a lot of pilots in trouble. During the P3 program we strive to get you through this stage by teaching good decision making and flying skills.

The final goal in the P3 program is to teach excellent thermaling skills which will prepare you to leave the local hill and exercise healthy decision making during cross country flights.

Following is a detailed outline of the different aspects which we will focus on during each stage.

Stage 1: Kiting

-Kiting skills
-Kiting obstacle courses
-Inducing collapses during forward and reverse kiting
-Keeping glider above head for in determent time

Stage 2: Launching

-Perfecting launches
-Strong wind launches
-Downwind and zero wind launches
-Judging launch conditions

Stage 3: Landing

-Spot landings
-Small field landings
-Down wind landings
-Mid day landings
-Soft landings
-High wind landings

Stage 4: Flying in different conditions

-Turbulence
-The threat of cloud suck and how to escape it
-Flying at altitude
-Reading a new site

Stage 5: Active flying

-Emergency decent methods
-Wingovers

Stage 6: Excelling in thermals

-Efficient thermaling
-Finding and detecting thermals
-Thermal types
-Thermal theory
-Flying with clouds

Stage 7: Cross country flying

-Beginning your odyssey
-Leaving your local hill for the first time
-Landing considerations, preparing for XC
-Retrieval
-Using your GPS
-Proper use of a vario
-Cross country decision making

Stage 8: Dealing with fear

-How to control and handle fear
-The reason why we do this

Once again, the P3 program is geared to take you to the next level and prepare you for more challenging flying.

We all want to become better at anything we do and for obvious reasons this makes more sense in paragliding than a lot of other sports. Even if my main goal is not to fly the furthest or longest but purely to make my experience safer and more fun, the P3 program is surely for you.

During my thirteen years of flying I think the biggest mistake I made in my first few years was to have an attitude of “Oh, I don’t need to do any further courses, I can figure it out on my own; I am a good athlete.” In that time I saw all my friends that put the effort and money in to learn as much as they can excel and leave me behind.

In order to become a good pilot you have to make the effort to fly different sites, surround yourself with pilots that wants to learn and get coaching from instructors that have really done the things they try to teach you.

During the Adventure Paragliding P3 course we will use one weekend out of each month in the spring, summer and fall (weather depending) to visit different sites and hone our skills.

Schedule of events for 2008 season

April 12-13 Grand Junction (Reeder Mesa and Otto's Ridge)

April 26-27 Glenwood Springs(Red mountain and Lookout Mountain)

May 17-18 Glenwood Springs (Red Mountain and Lookout Mountain)

May 31-June 1st Roan Cliffs combined with SWXCL

September 6-7 Roan Cliffs

Sept 27-28 Rone cliffs

October 11-12 Glenwood and skinny ridge

Oct 18-19 Glenwood and skinny ridge

(Note: Locations may change on short notice depending on weather, etc.)

Anyone interested in the P3 course please contact me and reserve your spot.

Price: $1350.00 for the whole course or $250 per weekend.
Includes: Transport, Instruction, retrieval and camping for all weekends.

We are arranging a maneuvers clinic during the spring somewhere close to Aspen. Those of you who signs up for the whole course also gets one day included in there course price, a $150.00 value.

Thanks and hope to see you all soon. Fly high!

Regards,
Pine