A USHPA P2 course will take a minimum of 5 flying days, 25 flights and eight hours of ground school. There are skills to demonstrate and tests to assess knowledge of flight theory and rules. To learn more about USHPA click on the name and explore.
At Parafreedom we utilize film, round table discussions, hands on practice, instructor demonstration and flight simulator to cover ground school material. We have student manuals that include a companion DVD and will follow the general syllabus within the manual.
For flight we will start with short tows using a "scooter tow" as seen below on the trailer (first photo). It is a rewind system that we'll use to go from initial practice inflations and "moonwalks" to the first higher tow and release flights.
As we progress we will go to a larger "payout" winch for high tows and beginning thermal flights.
We decide together how quickly you progress. Remember that if you're not having fun then you're not going to remember your lessons. So the name of the game is practice practice practice, watch , listen, learn....have fun and smile 'cause life is great!
A typical session will be to show up at our designated site and work on a little ground school as the grass dries. We'll switch to hands on training and tow for those ready for flights for as long as the winds and conditions allow.
At noon we will head into town and grab lunch while watching DVDs -some are ground school related and some are just for fun.
As conditions allow we head back out to fly or work on kiting skills until the day ends.
On some days we will work on foot launch skills at our local training hill.
Some schools limit the days allowed to train and then charge for additional days after a point. The USHPA ratings are skill oriented not time oriented so expect more than the minimum days and flights. In a perfect world you could complete your P2 in five days however family issues come up and weather will cause delays -this is expected. Parafreedom will not limit your time but it is imperative that the student come in with a dedicated mind set if they want to progress. Come prepared ready to learn, have fun and discover a few muscles you may have forgotten. You'll take away what you put into this sport.
We try to foster a community feeling with our groups. As you come in you will have pilots that are ahead of you helping out and re-enforcing their own skills. Later on you may fill that role and help yourself by helping the next pilots coming in. Ask and we will provide current students to talk to for references. Feel free to call Bud anytime with questions as well @ 979 235 0340.
We will be making trips to Utah to work on skills and we make an annual trip to Mexico that needs to be on everyone's list of things to do. Packsaddle Mountain in central Texas has a free flight club to join for ridge soaring and thermal flights - Houston and Austin Texas have USHPA clubs that meet once a month for meetings and plan events throughout the year.
We also will arrange for maneuvers sessions when available where pilots can improve skills and confidence with over the water training.
