lesson course

Becoming a Licensed Novice Paraglider Pilot

Some people see paragliding, and know right away they want to become a certified pilot. Others stick their toe in the water with a one or two day paragliding training introductory lesson, and realize this is something they really want. Once you have made the decision to become a certified P2 novice rated paraglider pilot, your free-flying career begins. You will learn and develop a philosophy on which to build a long, and safe flying career. A solid foundation, and paragliding continuing education programs are principal concepts in staying safe and having fun during your paragliding career. You will have the greatest success learning to paraglide if you can immerse yourself in the course, and continue flying or kiting regularly after completing your training. The learning never ends, and that’s a big part of what makes this never-ending journey so enjoyable. 

We strive to continue raising the bar for what is available and possible with respect to paragliding service and education.

Being a certified P2 pilot means you will have the knowledge, skills, and judgment to fly without direct instructor supervision. You will acquire knowledge and skills in ground handling, glider management, meteorology, thermal flying, cross-country flying, ridge soaring, flight maneuvers, and risk management. You get as many self-paced training days as you need during your certification process. Most students complete the P2 program around 10 days. Students who travel from out of the area can expect a maximized return on the time they have set aside for paragliding training. 

Our flying sites are arguably the best paragliding training site in Metro Manila, and maybe South Asia. This facility continues to wow pilots of all levels who visit. Most have never seen a space so ideal for free flight training, which has been going non-stop at our flying site. Students who train with us get many more flights than they will at any other location, which means you get more launching and landing practice as well. A large part of a pilot’s connection and control of their wing comes from ground handling practice. The consistent and cool lake breeze offers hours of kiting opportunities, which often aren’t available at some training facilities. This is a huge part of becoming a pilot who has a good feel for their glider while flying and launching. There are also mid-day thermals, and it’s not uncommon to see pilots climbing well above launch as they work on their thermal skills. Students who choose Cloudbase Paragliding realize the value of their time, and maximizing all aspects of your pilot training by choosing our consistent location makes the most sense.

A huge part of whats makes Carmona Cavite, Cardona, and Pililia Rizal the best place to learn to fly, and visit as a pilot is our flying community. 

The local association, PPHGA(Philippines Paragliding & Hanggliding Assciation), works behind the scenes to keep all the pilots in our community enjoying flying and other events everyone is able to enjoy. 

We go above and beyond supporting our local flying community, and our community in turn supports and recommends Cloudbase Paragliding. We are the only local school to offer services like glider repairs, laser line inspections, glider trimming, porosity tests, and line manufacturing. Cloudbase paragliding instructors help anyone and everyone with landing zone walks, and flight plans from the various mountain launches in our area. Our Alumni, and the pilots we support on our team act as mentors in our flying community. The local community points potential pilots to Cloudbase paragliding realizing we will build the foundation, and offer the support each student pilots needs to safely enjoy paragliding. 

Paragliding Instructing and Tandem instructing are two very different experiences for the instructor and student. Many times the directions a particular paragliding business takes is driven by the geography and topography of the location they have for teaching and flying. Cloudbase Paragliding is truly lucky to have what many feel is the best flying site in Metro Manila for paragliding certification. Having a flying site that was made for training is a gift we don’t take for granted. Tandem flying is fun. However, building relationships with our students during training, and working with them as they continue to grow is a feeling you just can’t get being the pilot taking someone for one flight. Tandem flying is enjoyable, and it actually becomes one of the best tools to utilize for pilot education once a certified paraglider pilot is ready for cross country flying. The rewards of working with individuals, and being a part of their first solo flights is a remarkable gift. It’s a gift that keeps giving as you watch a pilot progress, and perhaps eventually fly higher and farther than you their instructor. We are thankful to have a training facility that seems to have been made for paraglider pilot certification, allowing students to fly solo from the top of our hill on their first day. We would certainly be flying mostly tandems if we had a consistent clifftop, or mountain site with a chairlift or tram to taxi tourists looking for a taste of flight. We are thankful the tandem factory is not an option in our area, since it has shown to certainly drive a paragliding business towards tandems, giving solo paragliding certification a low priority compared to flying tourists tandem. We are fortunate to have a flight park with so much opportunity, which empowers individuals to spread their own wings and take flight. It is for this reason, and our ability to operate year round, that we have gratefully shaped our focus to offering unmatched solo instruction and continuing education.

Cloudbase Paragliding’s reputation and history aren’t the only reasons students choose us for their training location. Our flying sites are open year-round. Your time is valuable, and you will get as much as 3 times more kiting and flying at our flight park than you will at any other training location. Students enjoy an environment which allows them to make the most of the time set aside for pilot certification. Our proximity to the Laguna lake means the cool breeze will keep you from the overheating like you will at inland sites. You also save energy and stay cool since we offer a ride back to launch in our van instead of having students hike back to the top after each flight. When needed, we have a the van waiting in the Landing Zone to get you back up the hill as soon as possible. This means more time flying, and less time waiting for a lift back up the hill. Flight skills are an important part of your training, and you will get more flights in a day at our flight park than you will anywhere else. Pilots need to develop kiting/ground handling skills as well. It’s a very important part of your portfolio as a pilot. Relying on forward inflations or towing to get airborne during your training keeps you from practicing the launch technique you will be using at the vast majority of launches worldwide. Our flying site offers hours and hours of prime conditions for building these important skills.

Cloudbase Paragliding offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on your initial basic equipment purchase. This applies to any item in the Basic Equipment Package you purchase from Cloudbase Paragliding during the Novice Pilot Certification Program. We are one of the biggest paragliding equipment importers in the country such as Gin, and Ozone gliders. We supply gear to new students, continuing students, and other schools all over the Philippines. This means we have a wide variety of new and used equipment on hand. We ask our team to choose appropriate equipment for each student. You have nothing to lose since you can return anything you are unhappy with at any time. We have been outfitting pilots, and we are very good at selecting the equipment which fits each students profile. The only piece of equipment we want your input on will be the harness. We will sit you in the simulator and try a few options. You can tell us what feels and fits best, as we go over the attributes of each harness with you. The harness fitting is like a ski boot fitting, and pilots need to sit in the harness options before deciding on the model that fits like a glove, and feels right for you. Wing choice is based on your wing loading by figuring out your Takeoff weight, and deciding if an EN-A or low EN-B wing is the best choice for your initial glider. Your Eagle Instructors will have a plan regarding this decision after your first two days of training. The technology and advances in paraglider design over the last two decades have given entry level wings as much performance as the higher rated performance wings of the past, while keeping all the security you can expect with an entry level glider. There are many wonderful brands of paragliders, and as long as you purchase a premium brand you will be in great shape. There is no need for new pilots in training to demo or test drive a glider before purchasing. You would need 10-20 hours of free flying on each glider you tried before you were able to really notice differences. Entry level premium gliders are very similar if we are talking about gliders with equal performance and security. We believe it’s a great idea for students to purchase their equipment by day 3 of the P2 training program. Thankfully there are no cactus or boulder fields at our flying site. Our flight park is easy on your equipment. We believe pilots have an opportunity during the training program to get a feel for their wing, and get their harness adjusted properly after trying different configurations. The glider you purchase will have different launching, kiting, turning, and gliding characteristics than the school wing used in the first training. Your training flights are a huge opportunity to get to know the traits of your glider, and develop a feel for your wing. 

Making your initial purchase of a Basic Equipment Package through us qualifies students for the discounted 30% Novice Pilot lesson course fee. The Cloudbase Paragliding Team appreciates our students support by rewarding us with their initial gear purchase. Our instructors give all they have to build a solid foundation together with our students, allowing our alumni to safely enjoy the sport. The flight park, geography, and weather conditions make it the premiere year-round training location in Metro Manila.