Soar high along the stunning mountain range,
with the gentle flatlands to your south and the spectacular back drop of the Himalayas to your north. This is flying utopia and a wonderful
place to discover by air!
Trips run every April / October
We aim to focus on one big XC flight per day, going up to launch for 11am and getting ready to launch for about 12-1pm. Then we fly as far as possible, along the impressive Himachal mountain range, with the stunning Himalayan back drop, to either Dharmasala to the west or Mandi to the East.
October is prime season for flying Bir. The month starts off with mild conditions and shorter days, ideal for learning thermalling and small XC flights.
Around mid-October, the base rises between 3000-5000', allowing longer days and the potential for long XC flights of 100kms and over.
The plan is to fly in and out of Delhi Airport. From there, you can either take a domestic flight to Dharamsala, followed by a 2hr car drive to Bir. The other budget option is to take the overnight Delhi-Bir bus.
We will be arranging a group transfer van from Dharamsala-Bir. Alternatively we can help you make your own bookings.
Daily mountain transport is included in your course fees. We do not run a retrieve service in Billing, as the local taxis are plenty and very effective in bringing you back home.
During the course, all morning briefings and evening debriefings being held at the Colonel’s Resort. The transport for takeoff will leave from here every morning, so those staying in town will have to make their way either to takeoff or come to Colonel’s Resort at the given time to get on the bus.
The HQ for the course will be the Colonel’s Resort, which is the best place to stay in town. We have booked rooms here for our team and group of pilots. Set amongst tea gardens, orchards and the mountains, this flowering resort is very comfortable to relax in after a long day of flying. Evenings start with soup around the campfire and finish with a lovely buffet spread every night in the verandah dining area.
There are many other options to stay in town. These vary from £5/night to £30/night, and you can book what suits your budget.
Fees include guiding & mountain transport
Spring XC :
Apr 1 - 12, 2022 (12 days)
£750
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Autumn XC 1 :
Oct 4 - 15, 2022 (12 days)
£750
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Autumn XC 2 :
Oct 17 - 28, 2022 (12 days)
£750
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Vol Biv :
Oct 17 - 25, 2021 (9 days)
£1200
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This intensive trip is designed to give you much more knowledge in Cross country flying and glider control as possible, it will enable you to fly in thermals, and on XC’s, with a better understanding of coring, decision making and route planning etc. With this new knowledge & skill, you will be able to focus on the positive aspects of flight like finding lift and flying further.
To make the most out of this trip, you need to have flown one minimum XC flight of 20kms and have logged at least 50hrs airtime as a pre-requisite.
We do not guide pilots into landings, this you do yourself, making sure that you always have an easy landing option throughout your flight, if you are tired and want to land, or don’t like the conditions, or just lose the lift. Please go and land if you feel tired.
Once you are all oriented with the terrain, typical XC Routes include flying to Dharamsala to the west, or flying to 360 campsite, which is a turn point on the east ridge, or continuing further on to Mandi.
We are aware the conditions can be strong sometimes, so if you ever feel you have had enough, or you just want to chill-out, then just let us know and we will set more relaxing tasks.
We assume that you will arrive with a functional paraglider, harness and reserve parachute, vario/gps.
We recommend you bring along your own trackers (Inreach / Spots). If you do not have a tracking device then let us know and we will provide one for you.
It is very cold at base, we recommend flying in thick down jackets, multiple layers and thick or ideally heated gloves. On the ground, days are warm and nights are quite chilly, so bring adequate warm gear.
It is essential that you have travel insurance which covers you in respect of the following :
1. Medical Treatment
2. Medical Repatriation
3. Search & Rescue by helicopter
We will hand out a central grab sheet form, where we would like all pilots to fill in their emergency contact details, insurance policy and contact numbers.
This grab sheet also mirrors all the Risk Acceptance sign offs that are a part of this document. Please give it a good read and make sure you understand and accept the risk involved.
