Paragliding In Wales

Paragliding in Wales began in the 1980’s and interest in the sport has grown massively since.  Paragliding is now one of the biggest air sports in Wales with Paragliding schools and Clubs right across the country.

Wales is blessed with an abundance of sites perfect for paragliding right across the country from areas such as the Brecon Beacons in the South to Snowdonia in the North.   These fly sites have been established and negotiated with landowners by a strong network of local paragliding clubs, most of whom are members of the British Hand Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA).  If you are new to paragliding in Wales then your best bet is to reach out to one of the local clubs who can give you advise of when and where to fly and if there are any local restrictions or hazards such as low flying military planes.  See our list of Welsh paragliding clubs below.

If you have never flown before and would like to either learn to paraglide or experience a tandem flight then you will want to get in touch with one of the paragliding schools in Wales.  See our list of Welsh paragliding schools also below.

Paragliding Schools in Wales follow the BHPA syllabus to teach students the skills and experience  needed to attain the Elementary Pilot and Club Pilot paragliding qualifications.  In general it takes around 5 days to pass each course, with the second taking a little long, after which the new pilots are licenced to paraglide solo.

Welsh paragliding schools have some of the most experienced instructors across the whole of Europe and thanks to the topography of the country they have access to some of the best sites for learning to paraglide whichever direction the wind may be coming from.

Lots of the schools will also offer paragliding taster days and tandem paragliding experiences so those not ready to commit to the whole training straight away.

Here you can find reviews and information for each of the paragliding schools in Wales so you can find one near to you.

Axis Paragliding is a school in south east Wales.  They fly from the Brecon Beacons and teach the Elementary and Club Pilot courses as well as running tandem paragliding experiences in Wales.  Once you’ve qualified as a paragliding pilot you can join their club as well.

Check out the full guide to this school.

Mid Wales Paragliding Centre operate near Aberystwth and also teach all the BHPA qualifications for paragliding as well as paramotoring and running tandem paragliding experiences which include options for videos and pictures.

For more information view their guide here.

Pembrokeshire Paragliding are another paragliding school in wales that runs the BHPA training syllabus for over 18 years.  They also offer paragliding taster days and tandem paragliding experiences in their base on the Pembrokeshire coast.

View the guide with all the details for the school here.

Crickhowell Paragliding are another school that runs paragliding training in the Brecon Beacons.  This Welsh paragliding school have access to over 30 sites where they train students to pass the BHPA qualifications to get their paragliding licences.

View more about the school here.

There are a number of paragliding schools very close to Wales, just across the border in England, that may be closer and easier to get to for some areas.  These paragliding schools near Wales follow the same BHPA teaching syllabus and offer the same qualifications and similar taster days and tandem flight experiences.

Leavesley Aviation Paragliding School are located just over the border from Wales in England in the Shropshire Hills. This is one of the best located paragliding schools if you’re based in the East or North East of Wales.

Get the full details of the school here.

YX Paragliding are another school conveniently located for learning paragliding near Wales.  They are based in Shrewsbury and operate from the Shropshire Hills and the Welsh Mountains.

For more info on YX Paragliding check out the full guide.

One of the joys of being a paragliding pilot comes from the social aspect of the sport, which can often be found by joining a paragliding club.  Here you will find other pilots to fly with, get information on the best fly sites around and people to share a drink with after a day in the sky.

In Wales there are a large number of well establish paragliding clubs who are all welcoming and open to new joiners or visiting pilots.

Here we have listed the paragliding clubs in Wales.

South East Wales Hang Gliding And Paragliding Club (SEWHGPGC) – https://www.flysouthwales.co.uk/

One of the oldest running paragliding clubs in Wales and the UK.  They have fly sites across the Brecon Beacons and promote the sport in the area.

Mid Wales Hang Gliding And Paragliding Club – https://www.flymidwales.org.uk/

This clubin mid Wales operates around Haeadr to Aberystwyth and from Harlech to the Preselis.  They manage a number of fly sites in the area, support new pilots and organise paragliding socials.  They are part of the Welsh Free Flight Federation so membership of this club also allows access to the sites of the other member clubs.

North Wales Hang Gliding And Paragliding Club (NWHGPGC) – https://www.nwhgpc.org/index.html

Running since the 1970’s this club is for pilots mainly flying in North Wales.  They are BHPA affiliated and work with local land owners to provide flying sites for members (and visitors for a small fee).

Snowdonia Sky Sports – https://www.snowdoniaskysports.co.uk/

This paragliding club based in Snowdonia was founded in the 1990s and works with the National Park, National Trust and other private landowners to manage and maintain fly sites in the area which give some of the finest mountain flying in the UK.

Interested in other places that you can Paraglide in the UK?  Check out our guide with an interactive map showing all the paragliding locations across the UK with links to guides for each place.  And if you have any questions feel free to send us a message.