Leavesley Aviation Paragliding School Paragliding

Leavesley Aviation Paragliding School operates from Bishops Castle in south Shropshire — on the Welsh Marches between the Long Mynd and the Welsh border. The terrain is undulating upland farmland with clean prevailing-wind exposure, which makes it an unusually consistent training environment for the wider Midlands region.

What to expect

Standard BHPA pathway: tandem flights, Elementary Pilot, Club Pilot, with continuation training for licensed pilots. The Long Mynd is a 5-mile ridge at 500m that catches prevailing south-westerlies all year — one of the most reliable ridge-soaring sites in central England. Bishops Castle’s training sites are smaller and lower but useful for first-flight conditions.

Practical notes

April-October is the practical season. Bishops Castle is a quiet medieval town with two breweries, several pubs and good B&B options — pleasant for a multi-day stay even if half the flying days get weathered out. Church Stretton (under the Long Mynd) is 20 minutes’ drive and has a stronger walking-town infrastructure. Combine a course week with hiking on the Mynd and the Stiperstones for non-flying days. Welsh Marches accents and dialect — ask for “a quart of bitter” and you’ll be welcomed.