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

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