FAQ

What are the prerequisites to attend a course?

At a minimum, you will need a USHPA P2 or internationally recognized equivalent rating. 10+ hours of flight and 75+ logged flights are preferred, though this is flexible on a case-by case basis. What is most important is that you are comfortable performing unassisted take off and landings. In particular, it is imperative that you can confidently perform zero-wind forward launches, and can do so on a moderately steep slope. The launches regularly feature light-wind/no-wind conditions at high altitude (6400' MSL), though occasionally stronger conditions are possible. While the landing zone is quite large, it can be very busy at times featuring both pedestrians and other gliders landing simultaneously. As a general rule of thumb, the process of setting up, launching, landing, and packing up should be routine and without stress, ensuring that you are in the right mindset to be conducive for learning. Your abilities as a pilot in the air aside from launch and landing are actually the least important skills to bring, because that's what you are here to learn!

What is the flying like in Ölüdeniz?

During the high season, conditions are among the most consistent of anywhere you can find on the planet. On a typical day you can expect light winds in the morning and late afternoon, with the potential for mild to moderate thermal activity mid-day. The air is typically very smooth, especially once you glide away from the mountain, though occasionally mid-day conditions may become mildly turbulent in the areas around the upper parts of the mountain and especially near all of the launches, as is typical for any mountain site. The mountain features 5 different launches which in combination allow for launch from all aspects. Launch is accessed either by shuttle van or, more recently, via cable car. The cable car opens at 8am and runs until about 1 hour before sunset, with a closing time that varies throughout the year from roughly 5pm-7pm. A motivated and efficient pilot can perform up to 1 flight per hour, though in the context of this course more moderate rates of turnaround of roughly one flight every 1.5-2 hours is more realistic and sustainable. Thus while it is theoretically possible to make 9 or more flights per day as an independent solo pilot, 4-5 is a more realistic goal for clients of this course. When launching from the upper areas of the mountains most gliders typically arrive to the maneuvers 'box' close to 4000' above the water and land right next to the beach of the Mediterranean sea.

What is a typical course day like?

We typically meet for first flights at 9am. Depending on weather conditions and group efficiency, I aim to get all participants 2-3 one-on-one radio-coached flights per day with a debrief between each flight. Our goal is to complete those flights by 1-2pm, leaving the remainder of the day for less-structured free-flying with mentorship. In my experience, most students, especially beginners, typically see diminishing returns due to psychological fatigue beyond 2-3 flights of new information each day, and beyond that burnout after many days becomes a concern that must be managed. In order to avoid burnout and to optimize the learning environment, the latter part of each day is focused on repetition of tasks and drills that each student understands sufficiently to execute on their own without step-by-step supervision. During this phase of the day, I will be riding up the mountain and flying with students interested in participating in this "homework" style of flying and available for advice, feedback, video-review and all-around general mentorship as we attempt to complete additional flights at a faster pace than the morning. Students who need to take a break during the afternoon are absolutely welcome to fly on their own schedule and to link up with the main group at any time as we stay in touch throughout the day via radio and instant messaging services.

What kinds of maneuvers will I learn

I do not believe in a one-size-fits all strategy. While all of the fundamental building blocks of controlled maneuvers flight are the same, every student is different in terms of their abilities and goals. I have successfully worked with students ranging from those that simply want to improve their confidence in starting with the most slight deviations from straight and level flight, all the way up to students who want to master helicopters, the infinite tumble, and other high-level acro tricks. I am less concerned with exposing every student to every maneuver, and more interested in prescribing a program of exercises which optimizes what each individual student is able to learn. My intention is to send everyone home with skills that they can be confident in using during their everyday flying. I believe it is more useful for a student to master just a few maneuvers which they feel completely confident in performing unsupervised and managing the risk on their own after the course is over, rather than "ticking the boxes" and attempting a wide range of maneuvers a few times without sufficient repetition to enable complete integration of the information. Thus, every student receives a customized training plan and moves up to increasingly complex and demanding maneuvers only once they have demonstrated confidence and consistency. The level of difficulty of maneuvers we cover is entirely dependent on our working relationship, and it is my job to provide guidance on exercises which provide an appropriate level of challenge and keeps you in the ideal ratio of learning : stress

How are safety and risk managed?

As you are undoubtably aware, paragliding is an inherently risky activity. Risk can be reduced but cannot be eliminated entirely. As pilots we have the ability to manage our risk by minimizing our exposure, mitigating the possible downsides, and ensuring that the risks we engage with are appropriate for both our short and long-term goals. Training with altitude high over the water provides significant risk-reduction by offering a less hazardous location to land under reserve. However, I will be blunt: water is not an infallible risk-mitigation. If you hit the water hard enough you can be severely injured or killed. I do not say this to scare you, but rather to prepare you and to ensure that you do not treat the water as a foam-pit which you can throw yourself into with reckless abandon. In order to reduce the risk as much as possible while still enabling a learning environment, we protect ourselves with a layered approach.

Our first line of defense is choosing an appropriate progression and selection of exercises which minimizes the likelihood and potential severity of mistakes. Every student will receive a detailed briefing of every maneuver, and then be expected to provide a detailed explanation in your own words to the before executing any new maneuver. Before moving on to more complex and demanding exercises, you will demonstrate a high level of control and consistency in the prerequisite tasks, and we will only move on once we both agree that your performance is satisfactory. In addition to the technical understanding of each maneuver, we will also work together to assess your mental and physical state to ensure that detect and avoid fatigue before it can become a source of error. You will be expected to take care of yourself in the form of getting enough sleep and rest, as well as taking care of all physiological needs and most importantly, knowing your limits. Remember, the most important concept is that you are the pilot in command. If you don't feel adequately prepared, or if an instruction seems wrong or doesn't make sense - don't do it!

The next most important risk-mitigation strategy is to ensure that you are using appropriate equipment. Your glider and harness must be in good working condition, and your equipment selection should be appropriate for your skill level and training goals. It is highly recommended to fly with a second reserve parachute, either integrated into your harness or as a front-mount. Prior to the start of the course, we will inspect your equipment together and ensure that you understand when and how to properly deploy your reserve.

The final layer of security after proper preparation, mindset, and use of good equipment is having abundant altitude of the water. In the event of a reserve deployment you will be picked up via rescue-boat and returned to shore. Additionally you will be provided with an automatic-inflating life jacket with 300N of buoyancy, twice the size of the typical life jackets many pilots use. These large life jackets use 60g CO2 cylinders rather than a 24g or 33g alternative, as simulated tests have shown that these larger life jackets do a superior job of keeping the head of an incapacitated user above the water line.

It is important to remember on every flight that all of the usual risks of paragliding are present at takeoff and landing. It is ultimately every pilot's responsibility to know when conditions exceed their abilities and to know when to not fly. This program intentionally does not charge by the day or by the flight so as to not create pressure for students to fly when they are not comfortable and confident.

What kind of glider should I bring?

In a perfect world, an EN-B or EN-A glider are the most ideal gliders to learn on, ideally a "low" EN-B. Understandably, this is not possible for all students and I am happy to assist you in working with whatever glider you choose, so long as it is in airworthy condition and appropriate for your skill level. However, students who learn on lower-end gliders tend to progress faster and with less stress. Once the fundamental skills are learned on a lower-end glider, they transfer remarkably well to hotter wings. If you can manage, an ideal situation is to bring two gliders; one to learn on and one to practice your refined skills on once you understand the maneuvers well. It is strongly recommended NOT to use a freestyle or acro glider until you have already learned all of the basic acro tricks on a serial glider first.

How do I get there?

The closest airport is Dalaman (DLM), about a 1 hour drive to the north. This is the most convenient and straightforward option, but several alternatives exist. The next closest airport is Antalya (AYT) which requires about 3 hours of driving. Both of these airports can be booked directly as part of an international flight, or last minute bookings from Europe are readily available and typically reasonably priced. A final option is to fly into Rhodes, Greece and take a ferry which runs daily during the high season. This can be an attractive option for travelers interested in visiting a beautiful and interesting location while processing the jet lag

Is Turkey safe?

The town of Ölüdeniz and nearby Ovacik are extremely safe. Both towns are highly westernized and host a large expat community. There is a regular police presence as well as emergency medical services. The nearby city of Fethiye (population ~200,000) hosts a full complement of services including hospitals, dentists, and wide variety of stores and markets. Petty crime is practically non-existent in Ölüdeniz, to the point that it is common practice for pilots to leave the equipment in plain sight unattended for hours without trouble. The country of Turkey is officially secular and does not impose the kinds of social restrictions that foreigners often associate with the traditional middle-eastern countries. Because the town is heavily driven by tourism, it is exceptionally easy to navigate as an english speaker - often even easier than much of Central and South America.

What is required to fly in Turkey?

American citizens will need to procure a Turkish Visa to enter the country, but this can be procured online in just a few minutes for about $50 here: https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/

Officially a P3 or higher license is required to gain access to the launch areas on the mountain, but P2 rated pilots are permitted to fly with a letter of endorsement from a qualified instructor, which I can provide for my students

What is the cancellation policy

Life happens and sometimes you simply can't keep plans despite your best efforts and intentions. My goal is to provide value through excellent instruction and a fantastic experience, not by administrative work. But at the same time, pilots who are eager to attend a course often need ample time to make international travel arrangements, and filling a vacancy can be difficult and costly without sufficient lead time. So rather than a complex fee schedule, the fairest deal for everyone is simple: your spot is secured by providing payment in full, and if you need to cancel you will get your money back so long as a suitable replacement is found. You are welcome to change your slot to any other courses offered within the same block of courses so long as there is availability or another participant agrees to switch with you.