Peak Airsports Paragliding

Peak Airsports is one of the UK's longest-established paragliding schools, based in the Peak District since the 1990s. The school runs from Mam Tor and a network of ridge sites across the southern Peak — Hope Valley, Edale, and the Goyt Valley — which between them give reliable training conditions in most wind directions.

What to expect

The standard route is a BHPA Elementary Pilot course (4-5 days) leading on to the Club Pilot rating (further 4-5 days). Mam Tor's south-east-facing ridge is the headline training site — a gentle gradient, low cliff exposure, well-tested by decades of instruction. Tandem flights are available as introductory experiences for those not ready to commit to the full course. The instructor team has stable long-tenure staff which is unusual in the industry.

Practical notes

UK paragliding is weather-dependent. The school plans courses across multi-day windows and uses the best of the available conditions; expect to lose some training days to flat or over-strong wind. Castleton, Hope and Edale all have B&B accommodation within ten minutes of the main training sites. Lessons book ahead — popular months (May-September) fill fast. Bring layers regardless of season; ridge tops sit at 500m and can be much colder than the valley.