Foreign Flying Holidays

If you look through the pages of XC Magazine or Skywings you will find lots of adverts for holidays abroad. These 'guided' holidays are fine if you are an experienced pilot used to flying in thermic and variable conditions. If you only need to be told where the take-off and landing areas are or where's best to locate the 'house' thermals and the best route to take for XC. They are NOT however, suited to the newer pilot.

I've been in the unfortunate position on several occasions of being the attending first-aider having to patch up injured pilots who are on foreign holidays without the correct guidance. A local guide is an absolute must; no matter how experienced you are - if it all goes wrong, you must be able to communicate with the emergency services fluently. Unfortunately, every year people are seriously injured or killed through trying to save money by travelling with 'a mate' or someone that isn't qualified or experienced enough to look after them. Please consider this carefully - you may never get another chance to spend the money you're trying to save!

By travelling with a professional instructor (preferably one that knows your flying ability) as your coach, as well as a local guide who knows the area well; you can be sure you are in the best possible hands. This way you will be far more relaxed and in a better frame of mind to absorb what you're being taught.

I deliberately organise my trips in small groups of six to eight people at a time, this allows for more personal attention than you would get elsewhere. I will also look after you in the evenings by taking you to the most favoured (and best value) restaurants and bars unless you want to do your own thing. Be warned though; if you're looking for a mad party week and want to get drunk at night and go flying during the day - forget it, you've chosen the wrong instructor. We'll only do that if we're unlucky enough to have bad weather.

On all Skygypsy trips you will have radio guidance at 'take-off' for 'in-flight' help in mastering your thermalling technique. There will also be someone in the landing field to help talk you down (if you need it) when you've had enough or have been unlucky and not found a thermal.

Radios cannot be relied upon in case of failure (so briefings are very important), but they do offer an excellent way for me to guide you into the best bits of lift and allow me to help you improve your technique.

If you are unlucky enough to lose lift and have to go to the landing field before you really wanted to, then a ride back to take-off is only a few minutes away. By the time you've folded your glider up the minibus will be waiting for you.

If you're in a group that needs them, then there will be short lectures on some or all of the following subjects during your stay:

Thermal sources and triggers
Thermal flying techniques
Site assessment, Weather, Hazards
XC - how to join up the dots
Instability and recovery techniques

Places are only open to qualified Novice (CP) pilots or Para Pro stage 3 and above on any of my trips. You will need a recently re-packed reserve parachute, a 2m radio (wide-banded; these are available to hire if necessary), current BHPA membership (or equivalent if not a UK resident).

On all trips from the UK I will organise everything; flights (you'll have to pay for these yourself, I'll just give you flight details), accommodation, transport, local guiding, travel insurance etc. All you will need to worry about is getting to the airport on time and bringing your glider.