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Progression: the ultimate guide

Bastienne Wentzel

1 februari 2025, Cross Country magazine [»]

Finally, the day arrived that you can fly free. You just passed your exams and received the coveted pass to free flight: your pilot's license. Classic psychology tells us that you have graduated from 'unconscious incompetence' - when you started to fly you didn't know what you didn't know - to 'conscious incompetence'. You've become conscious of the fact that full competence in flying is still a long way away. Or as one instructor put it: you've learned to launch, land and not hit anything. But there is so much more to learn when it comes to flying. Where to start?

Paragliding Buitensport

Find a club
The easiest way to progress is to keep in touch with the school where you learned to fly. It's where you know the people, trust the instructors and where their flying locations are convenient for you. They will most likely offer progression courses as well.
It doesn't hurt at all to go and take a look at other schools. Every school is different. There are different instructors with different characters and teaching styles. They have different knowledge, backgrounds, experience and preferences. While one may love to go on long xc flights, another prefers hike&fly, or they love to fly acro or strong wind soaring. Needless to say, these instructors are likely to put an emphasis on different skills. Choose a skill you like or try them all to find out.
Better still, look outside your own country, as teaching methods - not to mention flying conditions - vary quite a bit worldwide. Shop around, travel as much as you can and like and you will broaden your view and skills.
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This feature was published in full in Cross Country magazine 255, February 2025