British Paragliding Racing Academy is calling all pilots

Something new and exciting is happening in the UK competition scene and it is ram-packed and ready for the 2016 season!

The UK has announced the creation of the “British Paragliding Racing Academy”, with the aim of providing a training program to develop the necessary skills for becoming a top-level competition paragliding pilot.

The Academy, managed by Malin Lobb and Barnaby Woodhead, is supported by the BHPA (British Hang-gliding and Paragliding Association), and aims to train UK pilots through a development programme which includes coaching from some of the sport’s world-class professionals. SIV training by Fabien Blanco at Flyeo and race tactics with Russ Ogden and Guy Anderson are among some of the mentors behind the driving force for the next generation of British competition pilots.

Academy Organisers, Malin Lobb and Barnaby Woodhead, tell us, “It was important to us from the start to have a transparent selection process which was open to all….There is no ideal candidate. Attitude, goals and aspirations are more important than current skill level”.  As places are expected to be oversubscribed, interested candidates need to show real dedication, both physically and financially  Becoming a top-level athlete in any sport takes years of dedication which is certainly case for competition paragliding, and which comes at a price.  It can take anything up to five years to reach the required level to compete against the world’s best pilots.

Pilots wanting to apply should download and fill out an application form which can be found on the Paragliding Competitions website (www.pgcomps.org.uk). The application is open to all ages and levels of experience, and for those unsure of the commitment, the Academy will have a social media platform where progress on the next generation hopefuls can be followed on Facebook.