Training Troubles

I am utterly amazed that anyone ever qualifies as a paraglider pilot or for
that matter bothers to go through a recognised training course having come
back from spending an afternoon at a local paragliding school training site.
I know things are a little difficult at the moment as most of the hills are
closed due to the current difficulties with foot and mouth and schools have
now had to move their training activities to flat field sites and commence
winch training but what I have just seen and heard is unforgivable.
Of the dozens of people standing around waiting, I spoke to several people
during the afternoon and did not find a single happy person.
One pupil explained that he had driven sixty miles each way on the Saturday
and had only managed two launches. On Sunday, the day I visited, he had
arrived at 10.00 am and as I left, around 5.00pm he was just about to get
his first and last launch of the day. This it appeared only happened because
he had told one of the instructors he was so angry and dissatisfied that he
was not coming back next weekend. He was one of the lucky ones. He was only
there for a winch conversion and had refused to pay up front. Others were
not so lucky and had paid their full course fees up front. Not many people
can afford to turn their backs on the best part of £600! The people I spoke
to said that if they could get their money back they would. The level of
disenchantment was amazing.
It seemed they were then expected to stand around doing very little whilst
others were given precedence because they were either paying for experience
tandem flights or were qualified pilots just paying for a launch. Whilst I
was there I witnessed the instructors take several people up for pleasure
flights and even aerotow experienced pilots whilst the students.....waited!
Amazed by the apparent lack of organisation, I asked where the instructors
were to be told that they were flying themselves! All in all an unbelievable
experience. Frankly, I cannot believe why so many people who had paid so
much for instruction would put up with such disrespectful treatment, perhaps
the 'halo' factor of being taught by some of the big names in the sport had
something to do with it.
Perhaps this is something common to all large training schools, or just an
isolated occurrence. I am sure that the school in question will say that I
just happened to visit on a bad day!
Somehow I doubt it!
I have no financial axe to grind, I have already qualified as a club
paraglider pilot. Thankfully I did not learn through one of the large
schools for a start I could not afford the huge fee up front, nor could I
justify the year or two of time that some people take to learn through one
of these schools. I learnt with a small school, no more than three pupils at
any time, and managed to qualify in less than three months.
It just seems unjust to me to see people treated in such a poor way
Perhaps the BHPA could take on a roll here on behalf of its members and
ensure that schools provide a minimum standard that students can expect such
as a minimum instructor to pupil ratio and an expected syllabus that,
weather willing, should be adhered to



--
Less than 200mph - that'll be the Kawasaki ZX12R
Me, I ride a Busa!

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