Advice on getting started

[paraglider 0]

Greetings to all,

I have always wanted to sky dive. That got me into paragliding. It has been an obsession for more than 6 years. I can honestly say that not one day has passed since 7/4/03 that I have not spent a good amount of time flying a PG or wishing that I was. I have many hours of canopy time, but have never fell through the sky towards the earth. I was in Vegas this past weekend and did a tandem skydive. I loved it! I know that it won't supplant PG in my life but this summer I want to get certified/licensed and do a good number of jumps. I'm thinking AFF. I'm in Ohio near Cleveland.

Any advice is very much appreciated.

FWIW, I'm leaning towards http://canton-airsports.com/index.php.

[IanHarrop 37]

May not be what you are looking for, but...

Start reading
http://www.dropzone.com/content/Detailed/519.html

http://www.dropzone.com/safety/Students/index.shtml

http://www.dropzone.com/safety/index.shtml

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[riggerrob 558]

To the original poster ... please complete your profile.
Once we know where you live, we can give you more precise advice (e.g. Which is the nearest skydiving school?).

Since you already understand how to fly a canopy, the next step is learning the basics of freefall.

Your next step should be a return trip to Las Vegas and a session in the wind tunnel.
A wind tunnel will give you a solid introduction to freefall sensations ad wind speed. Expect to flail around during your first visit to a wind tunnel, but smooth out quickly.
Other posters may say that the wind tunnel in Las Vegas is not the best on the planet, so a quick visit to the "wind tunnels" forum will give you plenty of advice on choosing the best wind tunnel.
During your second visit to a wind tunnel, tell staff members that you are planning to attend Accelerated Freefall training in the near future and you want to practice for that. Ideally, they will assign you a tunnel coach - who is also an AFF Instructor - who will practice AFF Level 1 skills with you in the tunnel.
Tunnel time is far less expensive than freefall (from airplanes) time.

Plan several tunnel sessions over the winter, so that when weather warms up in the springtime, you can take your canopy skills and your new found freefall skills to an AFF School and put them to together.

AFF Schools are listed on the United States Parachute Association's website.

[jax4343 0]

There are 2-3 dropzones close to Cleveland. Cleveland Parachute center is currently closed, but should be opened again this summer under new management. Word on the street is that they will be getting back their old instructors, who I went through AFF with, and they are very good. Canton Air Sports isn't too bad, but they are more of a tandem factory. AFF students will get bumped off loads if a tandem shows up. Skydive PA is a very professional dropzone and should have a turbine aircraft this summer again. I started at Canton but have jumped at 3 different dropzones while getting my license. IMHO Skydive PA was the most organized and professional for AFF training. But if Cleveland opens back up you can't go wrong with their core instructors.

Good luck and Blue Skies

[laughn_gas 0]

Thats funny!!! I'm a skydiver thats interested in getting started in PG. Any advice for me?

See ya in a minute. Peace out!

[SafetyNate 0]

Greetings!
I jump near Cleveland. I would love to help put you through AFF. I am also interested in para gliding. Shoot me a PM if you want to talk details.

SafetyNate

[PhreeZone 14]

Listen to Nate. He's one of the better instructors I know of in the Cleveland area and he will not steer you wrong. CAS had a larger plane off and on for 2009, Skydive PA seems to have good jumpers at it but its a haul and CPC is closed right now but if they reopen and some of the area jumpers return to it then I'd recommend talking to Nate to see what his thoughts are on the new set up.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[paraglider 0]

Safety Nate and laugh gas,

I have little doubt that both of you guys will love both PG (paragliding) and PPG (powered paragliding). Hell, I'd bet that that goes for everyone here!!

If you live in the flatlands (like me), as opposed to hilly/mountainous areas that are ripe with PG sites, then you will probably want to be primarily a PPG pilot. Otherwise (1) you will not get much air time and (2) you will have to travel for it.

Paramotoring is an absolute blast. You can fly for 2-3 hours at a time in buttery smooth air. You can fly 2 inches off the ground, 30 feet or 3000 feet or more. You can fly local (out-and-back) or go on "cross-countries" of 20, 40, 50, 100 miles, etc. The perspective from the harness is unreal, to say nothing of the thrill. I have several hundred hours of PPG time and I still daydream about my next flight every day. I'm doing it right now. Right now I'm thinking that they're forecasting a heat-wave to come our way this weekend (40's) and I know that me and a few other locals will definitely be in the air for some relative shorties over the snow-covered tundra of NE Ohio.

Having said all of that, I am still a big advocate of learning PG first, and then adding the motor. I would recommend learning PG at a site like http://www.flyaboveall.com/index.php or http://www.flytorrey.com/cms/, where the winds are consistent and the instruction very good. On the other hand, I have never given paragliding advice to a seasoned sky diver before. For that kind of person, I would be okay with recommending the motor-first route, for obvious reasons: you already have plenty of canopy time in the sky. You mainly need to learn the different feel of the paraglider (It goes up!!, hehe).

Nate, I want to take you up on the offer. If you're really interested in getting up in the air on a paramotor I'll get you there. I have 4 motors and 5 wings (okay, I admit it, I'm a FREAK, lol). I also have the skills/talent to get you in the air safely.

Just give me a call 216-410-4870.

Dominic

PS -- Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. It is appreciated.