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5-Day Intro to XC in Bir Billing, Himachal Pradesh

Pilot Rating: Club Pilot / APPI 2 Explore

Going Cross-country flying is the ultimate adventure. That a paraglider pilot can fly hundreds of kilometers using invisible thermal air currents like an eagle is seriously amazing. Join the tribe of xc pilots pursuing the dream to fly higher and further, aiming to push their boundaries and perfect their art.

Conducted at Bir Billing, India’s iconic paragliding site this course will be led by Sunith Rao an avid XC pilot with real-world XC and race-to-goal experience. ‘Sunith is highly passionate about competition & XC flying. He spends all of October and April flying here improving his xc skills. His current xc record in Bir is 245 km which he hopes to top real soon. Check out his tracks on XContest

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

Once you can fly confidently at your home site you can sign up for this course and learn to fly distances. If you have some thermalling experience and an SIV course, it will be an added advantage.

WHAT DO I LEARN FROM IT?

Bir Billing is one of the best flying sites in the world for learning and improving XC flying. In this course, you will learn to understand the local conditions and develop your flying skills based on them. Learn to thermal, and fly distances – small ones in the beginning, and occasionally long ones – depending on the conditions and your flying abilities. Gain the confidence of flying by working on your thermal flying and coring skills in local conditions.

When?

Nirvana Adventures conducts the 5-Day Intro to Cross Country Clinic in Bir Billing in the Himalayas in the month of October as this is the best time for low-experience pilots looking to fly the big mountains. Exact dates will be announced closer to the clinic. Mail us and we will keep you posted. A certificate will be provided on completion.

Syllabus

• Route planning
• Valley winds and leeward thermals
• Best glide speed
• Inversions
• Convergence
• Navigation
• Judging thermals
• Thermalling mistakes
• Weather forcasts
• Understanding clouds and how to read the sky
• Understanding how, when, and where thermals form
• Identifying trigger points
• Formulating a flight plan
• Identifying thermals in the air and knowing which way to turn
• How to make use of a vario for thermalling
• Thermal Mapping
• Finding the core of the thermal
• What to do if you fall out of a thermal
• Landing option considerations
• Flight analysis
• Proper briefs and debriefs

Note: This course is meant for pilots with their own equipment. Equipment rental, site fees, insurance accommodation, and food are not included in the price.

Read the Blog on our last XC course

Sunith Rao’s on the competition trail