The South East Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club

Hang Gliding and Paragliding in SE Wales

Club Webcam at Nant-y-Moel View full size image Located at Red Dragon Paragliding Last updated

if you‘ve ever watched hang gliders and paragliders soaring effortless overhead, and yearned to join them, you‘ve come to the right place.

The South East Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club web site is packed with information about hang gliding, paragliding and paramotoring, and the Free Flight (vol libre en français) scene in Wales and the rest of the UK.

Read how the sport began in America and Australia, and then spread to Wales, the UK, and Europe.
See how modern day hang gliders and paragliders have turned the dream of Icarus into reality.

So come on in, and find out more about the world of hang gliding & paragliding.

See how easy it is to learn to fly a modern hang glider or paraglider (delta ou parapente en français) at a British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association (BHPA) registered school.

Read how experienced hang glider and paraglider pilots can today use their wings to climb up to 4 miles (6.4 Km) high, and cover distances in excess of 300 miles (482 Km), with no power save the movement of the atmosphere.

Check out the flying sites of South East Wales, some of the best hang gliding and paragliding sites in Wales and the UK.

You can also visit our Photo Gallery for a closer look at hang gliders and paragliders in action over the Welsh and UK countryside, or take a look at the latest issue of the Club‘s colourful online magazine Dragonfly issue 8 Dec 2010.

When you‘ve been flying your hang glider or paraglider for a while, and gained the necessary experience, you may wish to consider adding an engine to your wing.

Most UK hang gliding and paragliding schools have experience of powered hang gliders (PHG) or powered paragliders (PPG or paramotors), and can help you gain the additional flying skills required, and advice on the most appropriate kit to purchase.

The South East Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club has 19 flying sites.

Eight of these are "Open" and can be flown by any suitably qualified and insured hang glider or paraglider pilot, the remainder are "Members Only".

Visiting pilots are welcome on any of our "Open" sites provided they meet the minimum rating requirement for that site and carry adequate third party insurance. UK pilots must be members of the BHPA.

Unless otherwise stated in the SE Wales Sites Guide, our "Members Only" sites can only be flown by members of the SE Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club.

The majority of our "Members Only" sites can also be flown by members of the Welsh Free Flight Federation, please see the SE Wales Sites Guide for further information.

SE Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club members can enter cross country flights in the SE Wales XC League, and can also keep up to date with events, competitions and late breaking sites news by subscribing to the Club Mailing List (Cymfly).

The Club also hosts the South East Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Forums and Shout Box, serving pilots living and/or flying in South Wales. You can use our "Shout Box" and Forums to link up with fellow pilots, to seek advice about sites or flying kit, or to post details of your latest flight. If you can access twitter on your mobile phone you can also post flying info from the hill in seconds so that those following the Club on Twitter will know where to go. Your tweets will also appear on this page.

A full list of major events and competitions taking place in SE Wales and elsewhere at home and abroad can be found in our event and competition calendars. If you‘re looking for a bargain, or want to sell surplus flying kit, check out the SE Wales Classifieds.