Advanced SIV paragliding course

The third Freedom level: the paragliding progression course

In the will to create a follow-up for our students, we have created a progression scale specific to Freedom which will allow you to know your level in paragliding, the different past, present and future stages in your practice and guide you in your progression and your choice to continue the courses with us.

It is important to understand that this scale is only a guideline of the "perfect path" in paragliding progression; that many will not necessarily respect it, since everyone has different sensations, learning preferences, and level of progression.

Course objective: Master your glider!

In the magnificent setting of Lake Annecy, the objective of this course is to make you work on your piloting technique through numerous personalized exercises. You will first see fundamental piloting exercises (pitching phases, braking, roll control, etc...) and then you will be able to move on to more advanced exercises such as aerobatics or fast descents. We will build a solid base of skills that will allow you to progress step by step to more advanced manoeuvres.

We will also work on the safety side of things, with exercises to work on your handling of in-flight incidents.

After the course?

You will come out of this course with a better piloting technique. You will know how to better manage the pendular movements of your wing and the associated energy as well as manage possible flight incidents. Several solutions are offered to you according to your level and your desires:

Fly independently, working on everything you have learned in the course to continue your progression solo.

To do an itinerant course (if you haven't done one yet) to discover new paragliding spots in France, in "colo" mode, and to work on flight plan and piloting exercises in places where you have never flown before.

See all courses prices

What equipment do I need for a SIV course?

To take part in a piloting course you need to bring the following equipment:

An approved wing
A paragliding harness
A reserve parachute that has been packed less than 6 months ago. If in doubt, do not hesitate to check with the instructors the day before or, better still, to have your parachute packed in advance before coming.
A helmet approved to the EN 966 standard (free flight helmet)
A charged radio
A pair of gloves

Generally a complete check of the equipment is carried out the evening before to avoid any bad surprises.

Freedom will provide you with :

A headset to plug into the radio to receive clear and precise instructions.
A lifejacket with automatic inflation (these models with cellulose pellets release the striker of the inflation cartridge on contact with water. It is therefore important to pay particular attention to your lifejacket throughout the course so as not to leave it lying around in the morning dew)

Details of the advanced paragliding course - SIV (Level 3 Freedom)

Basic content to be validated :

Braking surges
Countering rotations
Respecting a heading with the wing closed
Exit from an autorotation
Mastering the backwards safety flight
In-flight exercises: adapted to your level of piloting

Fundamentals of flying :

Pitching
Rolling
Rotation / Tilt
Accelerator
Closure management
Pendulum and inertia management
Fast descent

Advanced flying / Aerobatics :

Low speeds
Parachuting phases
Spins
SAT and its variants
Flight incident management
Use of the reserve parachute

The SIV paragliding course includes:

Instructor at take-off
Shuttle with driver
Video camera and cameraman for debriefing
Boat with pilot
Work and debriefing room
Radio guidance: qualified "piloting" instructor
Life jackets
Headset and waterproof pocket for radio (you must have your radio)

More details on the piloting progression:

How does a SIV course with Freedom Parapente work?

Generally, the base camp is set up at the La Nublière campsite, which gives direct access to the SIV landing area and to the meeting rooms, where it is easy to get off the ground in good conditions. You can therefore book your pitch at this campsite. The easiest way is to arrive the day before.

The day before the course:

In order to save time the next day, a maximum of technical verifications are made the day before by the instructors. Good packing of the rescue, checking of the extractor, administrative points...

The days of the course :

The day generally starts at about 08h00. (Depending on the weather forecast, this time may change).
A common briefing is then organised to remind all the safety rules, approach for the landing, course of the day... An interview with each student is also carried out in order to discuss the expectations and technical level of each one. A first flight exercise, mastered by the student, will then be fixed in order to check the acquired skills.
This is also the time to order a sandwich for lunch as the day will go by very quickly.
Then we head for the Forclaz take-off.
At the launch pad, an instructor from the school will take you off one after the other while on the ground the video team and the instructors will take position respectively on the bank and on the boat under the evolution box.
The exercise will be carried out in flight and then the students will land either with their backs to the lake or facing the lake, depending on the state of the breeze at that moment.
Once all the students have passed, it is time for the video debriefing where each flight will be analysed in detail. This is an important moment to understand and correct one's movements in order to progress on the next flight but also to determine the next exercise.
And here we go again for another flight ! (depending on the weather)