Organisation profile

Active Edge

• School

Active Edge teaches free-flight paragliding in the Yorkshire Dales. Sites around Settle, Ingleton and Hawes are selected according to wind, weather and student ability. Training builds from running with the wing on a slope through small hops to higher flights. For a full day on the hills, the school recommends supportive walking boots, layered clothing, food and water. The school accepts students from fourteen, with parental consent required for under-eighteens.

The training path runs from Elementary Pilot to Club Pilot. The published outline allows roughly four to six training days for EP and a further six to ten for CP, depending on the student and conditions. EP covers pre-flight checks, launching, turns and landing; CP develops flight planning and soaring. Both levels include theory and a short assessment.

Groups are limited to six students and the course includes the necessary equipment. Training days can be spread out to suit individual availability. The school describes the first day as usually a Saturday, with subsequent training mainly on weekdays and occasional Sundays; actual flying remains weather dependent.