Full HPAC Certification Course - $1650 CDN (less previous course payments)
FlyBC supplies the glider, harness, radio for up to 10 flights and you supply a helmet and hiking boots. After 10 flights you must purchase your own equipment or rentals are available for $25 per flight. Used equipment is available here or you can purchase new gear from APCO, UP, Ozone, Gin and other lines at the Eagle Ranch facility. (we strongly recommend against buying used gear from eBay or other non-school sources until you are certified and understand glider certifications, and we will not train you on gear that we have not sold or are unfamiliar with.)
FlyBC's Long Range Calendar
| Training Dates | Site | Accomodations | Curriculum | Comments | Results |
| February 8-10, 2008 | Savona BC, 30 minutes west of Kamloops on Hwy #1 | Local motels or B&Bs | FlyBC is conducting a Beginner Paragliding Course, $395 + GST for 2 days. | Meet at 9:30 am Saturday to start, at the Savona Hotel & Pub in Downtown Savona | Weather has been flyable at Savona and looks like it will continue but call ahead at 604-618-5467. Directions to Savona |
| February 16-17, 2008 | Eagle Ranch, Mount Woodside BC, 30 minutes east of Mission on Hwy 7 | Local motels or B&Bs | FlyBC is conducting a Beginner Paragliding Course, $395 + GST. | Meet at 9:30 am Saturday to start, at the Eagle Ranch Training Lounge | Weather has been flyable at Woodside and looks like it will continue but call ahead at 604-618-5467. Directions to Eagle Ranch |
| February 23-24, 2008 | Eagle Ranch, Mount Woodside BC, 30 minutes east of Mission on Hwy 7 | Local motels or B&Bs | FlyBC is conducting a Beginner Paragliding Course, $395 + GST. | Meet at 9:30 am Saturday to start, at the Eagle Ranch Training Lounge | Weather has been flyable at Woodside and looks like it will continue but call ahead at 604-618-5467. Directions to Eagle Ranch |
| March 1-2, 2008 | Eagle Ranch, Mount Woodside BC, 30 minutes east of Mission on Hwy 7 | Local motels or B&Bs | FlyBC is conducting a Beginner Paragliding Course, $395 + GST. | Meet at 9:30 am Saturday to start, at the Eagle Ranch Training Lounge | Weather has been flyable at Woodside and looks like it will continue but call ahead at 604-618-5467. Directions to Eagle Ranch |
Lehora Hachey's Woodside Video - "A stable day at Woodside (June 3, 2007)
starting at the Student's Lounge including the drive up to Launch and a landing at Eagle Ranch"
Movie about Training Steps to get you in the air safely! originally produced by Scott Gasparian (2.5 mb).
Beginner Paraglider Video taken at FlyBC Summer 2006 for a TV show.
Movie about paragliding shot in Seattle!
Looking for a Paragliding Instructor?
When you are trying to locate a Paragliding School ask a few questions like . . .
Where are your facilities?
Most instructors operate out of the back of a truck and don't actually have any facilities for ground school, video presentations or reserve parachute training or even a guaranteed landing field! FlyBC maintains a full training park with Classrooms, dedicated 25 acre landing field and shuttle vehicles that are free for students and customers.
Vancouver area pilots should learn at the sites they will fly most. Some other schools teach on smaller hills in the Interior, but do not prepare a new pilot for the Big Mountain Air that we experience in the Fraser Valley. Learn where you will fly and get site briefings for local mountains before you are signed off.
What is your experience level?
FlyBC trains most of the local instructors through our Senior Instructor status and have trained pilots for 10 years. We have also flown conventional aircraft for over 25 years and know and teach Transport Canada regulations.
How many students have you actually signed off to Novice level?
FlyBC signs off 20 students per season, where other schools may train 2-3 pilots to Novice Level, many schools are more interested in single day courses or tandems. FlyBC is here to train committed pilots!.
How many hours a year do you fly?
Some instructors actually don't fly much themselves, at FlyBC our instructors average 150 hours per season, flying with our students and giving them tandem instruction when conditions are too strong for beginners. Ask around at flying sites as to which instructors actually fly. Take Highway 7 East through Mission, keep heading east through the towns of Dewdney and De Roche. Approximately 11 km east of De Roche, you will cross a bridge over the Harrison River (just past the Hemlock Resort turnoff). About 0.5 km further east you will see Mill Road, turn right on Mill Road (third right turn) and follow it until the next left on Kilby Road. Eagle Ranch is the second gate on the left.
Cell phone is Call 604-618-5467, and if you have a ham band radio we are on 146.415 mhz. Curriculum designed to instruct Beginning Pilots how to handle the Paraglider on the ground and on the Training Hill.
New students are assigned a modern Paraglider that fits their weight range, and they use only that glider for the duration of the course. The APCO Paragliders are standard rated beginner/intermediate gliders with very responsive handling and aids in developing flying skills fast. Paragliding is NOT Base-Jumping! we launch our gliders from groomed slopes, only after the glider is fully inflated over our heads. Paragliding is not Para-Sailing, the Paraglider Pilot has complete control over the glider flight path. Course Outline: Day One - glider orientation, ground school and theory of flight, basic ground handling techniques,
decision-making skills, and launch and landing practice on gentle slopes.
Then, tandem flights from 2300 foot launches on Mt. Woodside, before solo flights radio controlled by Instructors (top and bottom). Day Two - flights from 1000 to 2200 foot launches, radio controlled by Instructors (top and bottom). Specific tasks include speed control in flight, 180-degree turns and landing patterns in different Landing Zones (LZ).
Students receive HPAC Introductory Certificates and all flights qualify towards HPAC Novice Certification (30 observed flights and written test). Each student's progress is monitored using the FlyBC Report Card, kept on file until the student pilot receives the HPAC Novice Sign-Off. Paragliding Course Costs Discovery Flights/Tandem Paragliding Flights - you control the glider in the air with instructions from your
on-board instructor - $150 CDN (credited towards other courses if you continue). Basic Two Day Introductory Course - $395 CDN (credited towards other courses if you continue) FlyBC supplies the glider, harness, radio and you supply a helmet and hiking boots. Full HPAC Certification Course - $1650 CDN (less previous course payments as above) FlyBC supplies the glider, harness, radio for 10 flights and you supply a helmet and hiking boots. After 10 flights you must purchase your own equipment or rentals are available for $25 per flight. Used equipment is available here or you can purchase new gear from APCO, UP, Ozone, Gin and other lines at the Eagle Ranch facility. FlyBC Paragliding tours the province
FlyBC's Paragliding School is here in 2008 with more training formats and venues. FlyBC is the only full-time paragliding School in Vancouver.
We are looking for committed aviation enthusiasts who want to learn more about flying. More road trips, more clinics and more fun!
FlyBC has the most pilots flying after gaining certification and we have the most years of experience in training new pilots. FlyBC is certified with HPAC Senior Instructors/Tandem II Senior Instructors and Advanced USHGA Instructors/Tandem Administrators to serve you better.
FlyBC has the only "dedicated flight park" in Southwestern BC with a classroom, landing field with a guaranteed glide and towing/training hill area for the exclusive use of our students and customers.
Our vision for Eagle Ranch is "to create a community centre for fun loving hangglider, paraglider and paramotor pilots (and their families) in the Fraser Valley".
The Eagle Ranch training hill is in place and it is student tested and approved!
FlyBC has the only training hill on the West Coast with guaranteed access and conditions.
Go to FlyBC's Eagle Ranch Page for pictures of the new layout.
Planning your Paragliding Training:
FlyBC has re-designed the course times this year to help make your summer flying the best ever! We are structuring our courses to have new pilots certified by July 30, 2008, so they can attend the "Willi" Cross-Country event in Golden and our Summer SIV/Advanced Maneuver's Course in August in Mara Lake.
If you want to get certified this year, plan on making the time commitment early. Limited training from November to March on due to weather, but if it is flyable we will be at Eagle Ranch!
Location of our School:
FlyBC Paragliding is located in Harrison Mills, BC.
Eagle Ranch Satellite Map
It takes 1 hour to reach our location from the Port Mann Bridge by following Hwy 1 to Agassiz, or by taking Hwy 7 (Lougheed Hwy) east from Mission.
We start our new pilot training primarily at our private flight park "Eagle Ranch", a 25 acre paragliding field in Harrison Mills.
As pilots progress we take them to many of the sites in the local area which are less than 30 minutes drive from Eagle Ranch. Some of these sites are located at Bridal Falls (east of Chilliwack), Sumas Mountain (east of Abbotsford), Blanchard (Bellingham WA), Black Mtn. (Sumas WA).
We also take road trips regularly to Pemberton, Kamloops, Vernon as conditions and skill levels dictate for the new pilots.
Before a pilots is "signed off", we insist on supervising them at five (5) different sites minimum (7 typically), to ensure they are ready to fly on their own supervision.
Eagle Ranch Directions
Curriculum:
We layout the glider on a launch similar to the one pictured below.
We inflate the paraglider into the wind and kite it, getting it under control before we launch.
More ground school during the mid-day thermal conditions.
Evening flights as conditions dictate.
Experienced pilots at a competition, thermalling before the race. This is the ultimate goal of Paragliding . . . thermal up and go the distance. Up to 245 kms has been logged in a single flight in Canada!
Where can I stay in Harrison Mills?? Try the Sasquatch Inn for economical rooms.
The Sasquatch Inn has clean rooms for $45 and up
and flies at most HPAC insured sites
Call for an official HPAC site guide available
for $29.95 CDN.
Box 79, Harrison Mills, BC
Canada V0M 1L0
Mobile: Call 604-618-5467 
E-Mail: FlyBC E-Mail
250 H Street, Blaine, WA USA 98230
Mobile: Call 604-618-5467
E-Mail: FlyBC E-Mail
