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Courses & trips
From your first takeoff to your next adventure. Explore programs from schools and organizers and confirm the details directly with them.
Programs: 6
Advanced cross-country course (Échappées d'Ailes)
Échappées d'Ailes
Advanced cross-country course at Échappées d'Ailes for pilots who regularly fly 20-30 km and want to venture beyond the ridges into other valleys. Each day starts with an analysis of aerology and terrain, choosing the site and preparing a route to personal goals. Theory on the day's topic follows (positioning in the air mass, speed regimes, tactics, transitions and ridge running, rear-riser and weight-shift steering, flying near clouds, accelerated flight, mental preparation), then the flight, with the instructor flying alongside to advise on decisions. The day ends with a debrief using GPS tracks and video. Pilots can take the theory and practical parts of the Brevet de pilote confirmé during the course. A retrieve vehicle is provided.
Dates from the organizer
Beginner course (Échappées d'Ailes)
Échappées d'Ailes
Five-day beginner course at Échappées d'Ailes for complete novices; no previous tandem flight is needed. Practice takes place mainly in the calm morning air: wing handling on flat ground, two or three half-days on the training slope with video debriefs, and then the first high flight, guided by two instructors by radio. Afternoons cover piloting, flight planning, weather, aerology, equipment, safety and mental preparation. Those who prefer can discover flying first in an instructional tandem where they take the controls after launch. Groups have at most seven students for two instructors and travel to the sites by minibus; the beginner course flies mostly around Annecy.
Dates from the organizer
Cross-country course aiming at 100 km (Échappées d'Ailes)
Échappées d'Ailes
The highest cross-country level at Échappées d'Ailes, for pilots who have already flown over 50 km several times. Each day brings a different route in Savoie, Haute-Savoie or Isère, or in the Southern Alps on late-summer editions, and, conditions permitting, the goal is to pass the 100 km mark. The programme covers morning and evening weather analysis, route planning with maps and an XC planner, group-flying strategy, flying faster with rear-riser and weight-shift steering, choosing lines and positioning relative to clouds and terrain, track analysis, and the mental balance between commitment and comfort zone. The instructor flies with the group and a retrieve vehicle is provided.
Dates from the organizer
First cross-country flights (Échappées d'Ailes)
Échappées d'Ailes
Cross-country course at Échappées d'Ailes for pilots who already climb high but do not yet know how to go on, or do not dare to leave their home hill. Each day the instructor chooses the site and possible routes with the pilots according to aerology, cloud base and the group's level, joins them on launch and then flies with them as a guide, advising on timing, positioning, height and direction. Pilots learn to follow changing conditions, wait for the group, use the radio efficiently, work with vario and GPS, and control the wing after landing in wind. Groups have at most six pilots and a retrieve vehicle saves time. Flights are debriefed in the evening, including GPS tracks. The base area is Lake Annecy.
Dates from the organizer
Progression course on varied sites (Échappées d'Ailes)
Échappées d'Ailes
Progression course at Échappées d'Ailes for pilots fresh from a beginner course and for those who want to get back into shape at the start of the season. The aim is to consolidate piloting and decision-making habits on various sites around Annecy in Savoie, Haute-Savoie and Isère. The programme covers reverse launches, harness-simulator exercises and reserve deployment, the move from passive to active piloting and damping pendular movements, preparation for thermal piloting, adjusting and using the speed bar and rear-riser steering, in-flight safety, analysing a new site, and personal debriefs with theory. Two instructors lead groups of at most seven students; equipment can be borrowed and an instructional tandem is available on request. It can be booked by the week or by the day.
Dates from the organizer
Thermal course (Échappées d'Ailes)
Échappées d'Ailes
Thermal course at Échappées d'Ailes for pilots who already fly on their own in calm air and want longer flights. It starts by checking piloting basics (pendular movements, big ears, speed bar, rear-riser steering) and moves on to priorities and safety, weather and aerological traps, how thermals form, turning and centring, landing approaches in varied conditions, positioning relative to terrain and clouds, and flight preparation. Pilots learn when to use instruments, practise reverse launches and work on the mental side; each gets a personal debrief with goals. One or two instructors, depending on the group, can fly alongside, and an instructional tandem is available on request. Flying takes place around Lake Annecy and on other sites. It can be booked by the week or by the day.
Dates from the organizer