Club Pilot theory syllabus
There are two exams to sit during the BHPA club pilot course. The topics to study are Airlaw, Meteorology and principles of flight.
Club Pilot Airlaw:
- Where we’re allowed to fly
- Who is the CAA?
- Air Navigation Order (ANO)
- Understanding airmap scale 1:250:00 & 1:500:000
- Restricted and unrestricted airspace, categories A-G
- Flight levels and altitude measurement (QNH, QFE, QNE)
- ATZ & MATZ
- Notams
- Radio legality
- Ballast
- Flying over built up areas and mass gatherings
- AAIB and incident reporting
Club Pilot Principles of flight:
- How the glider flies
- Forces on the glider and centre of pressure
- Understand basic terms:• Lift,• Drag (induced & parasitic)• Stall• Angle of attack• Aspect ratio• Glide angle• Wing loading• L/D ratio
- What speed to fly; max glide, trim speed, minimum sink, speed bar?
- Understand the factors affecting paragliders’ stability and the concept of ‘active flying’
- Instability; cause and recovery from spin, stall and collapses
Club Pilot Meteorology:
- How weather is formed
- How to obtain a weather forecast and assess on site
- Wind; speed, direction, consistency
- Types of lift – dynamic ridge lift, thermals and wave
- How are thermals formed?
- Identify cloud types – cumulus, CuNim, stratus, cirrus, orographic, alto, nimbus, lenticular.
- Types of terrain we fly and the interaction of the airflow (cliffs, mountains, ridges, conical hills)
- Synoptic charts
- Pressure systems
- Frontal systems
- Wind, pressure & temperature gradient
- Stable & unstable airmass
- Types of airmass (polar maritime, ect)
- Inversion layer
- Identify deteriorating / unsafe weather for flying
- Sea breeze effect
- Valley winds systems
- Convergence
Club Pilot Airmanship:
- Daily inspection
- Site assessment
- Pre flight checks
- Keeping a logbook
- Red streamer
- BHPA rating structure (EP, CP, P, AP)
- IPPI card
- Joining a BHPA club & site guides
- BHPA coaching and progression to pilot rating
- Work examples of airspeed/ windspeed / groundspeed
- Identifying where and why rotor and turbulence is found
- Speedbar uses and limitations
- Big ears uses and limitations
- Paraglider certification and EN testing
- Equipment maintenance
- Attitude to flying; assessing safety, decision making, currency, human factors
Hill Environment Exam 2
Theory Revision notes:
- Site assessment & hazard identification
- Flight planning and building in options
- Pre flight checks
- Anti collision and rules of the air
- Where is the wind coming from?
- Airflow interacting with the terrain; venturi, lift bands, rotor
- How to identify leeside rotor and turbulence / no go areas
- Understanding the terrain we fly (hills, cliffs, mountains)
- Safe take off and landing area identification
- Landing approaches (bottom, slope & top landing)
- Localised weather; sea breeze effect, valley wind systems, convergence
- Windspeed/ groundspeed/ airspeed understanding
- Emergency procedures: water & tree landings / reserve deployment
Anti collision rules
- Rule number 1: LOOK!
- Rule number 2: Be prepared to run away
