hkpa.net

Start by choosing a licensed operator. In Hong Kong, anyone running a paragliding school or offering tandem (two-person) paragliding experiences must hold a permit issued by the Civil Aviation Department (CAD). The Hong Kong China Paragliding Association (HKPA) publishes a list of HKPA-certified instructors and schools that hold CAD permits — that list is the practical starting point for finding instruction. Paragliding carries inherent risks, and the CAD's safety guidance warns against unlicensed schools or tandem operators that attract customers with low prices or free offers.

The legal requirement you cannot skip

Under Hong Kong legislation, operating a paragliding school or a tandem paragliding experience requires a permit from the Civil Aviation Department. Operating without one can lead to prosecution.

This matters for you as a customer in two ways:

• For tandem flights: the operator flying you must be permitted. A cheap or "free" tandem offer is a warning sign, not a bargain.
• For learning: the school or instructor teaching you must be permitted. Certification through HKPA is the signal that an instructor or school has met the association's standards and holds the required permit.

How to find a licensed instructor or school

1. Go to the HKPA website (hkpa.net).
2. Open the Learning to Paraglide section.
3. Check School/Instructor Information for the list of HKPA-certified instructors and schools holding CAD permits.
4. Confirm the specific person or school you plan to fly with appears on that list before you pay or book.

If an operator cannot show up on that list, treat it as a reason to walk away rather than negotiate.

What to understand before you commit

Pilot ratings and progression

HKPA maintains a Pilot Ratings system, which sets out the recognised levels of pilot qualification. If you have trained or flown abroad, there is also a Foreign ratings equivalence process for having overseas ratings recognised. Knowing the rating structure helps you judge what a school is actually offering you and what you will need to progress.

Sites, weather and airlaw

Paragliding in Hong Kong is site- and weather-dependent. The association publishes:

• Site Guides covering locations such as Lantau East (Sunset Peak), Lantau West (Lantau Peak), Long Ke Wan, Ma On Shan, Pak Tam Au, Pat Sin Leng, Sai Wan and Shek O.
• Weather information, including Hong Kong Observatory data, a wind summary and weather warnings.
• Hong Kong Airlaw, covering the local aviation rules that apply to flying.

A Lantau webcam is also available for checking conditions. These resources are aimed at pilots, but reviewing them before you start gives you a realistic picture of where flying happens and how much conditions matter.

Safety material worth reading early

The Safety section includes safety articles, safety notices, a mechanism for submitting accident/incident reports, and specific guidance on:

• Minimum equipment (including helmets)
• Right of way
• Radio usage rules
• RC models
• Accidental tree landing
• Emergency landing

Reading the minimum equipment and right-of-way pages before your first flight will make your instructor's briefing much easier to follow.

A practical sequence

1. Decide whether you want a one-off tandem experience or to learn to fly.
2. Find a CAD-permitted, HKPA-certified instructor or school via the HKPA list.
3. Ignore offers built on unusually low prices or free flights.
4. Before flying, review the site guide for your location, the weather summary and warnings, and the minimum equipment guidance.
5. If you hold an overseas rating, check the foreign ratings equivalence page to see how it maps to HKPA ratings.

The single most important step is the first one: verify the operator's permit status through the HKPA list. Everything else — site choice, weather, equipment — follows from training with someone licensed to teach you.

Start by choosing a licensed operator, not by finding a hill. In Hong Kong, anyone running a paragliding school or a tandem (two-person) experience must hold a permit issued by the Civil Aviation Department (CAD). The Hong Kong China Paragliding Association (HKPA) warns against unlicensed schools and tandem operators that attract customers with low prices or free offers, and notes that operating without a permit can lead to prosecution. So the practical first step is to check that your instructor or school appears on HKPA's list of certified instructors/schools that also hold a CAD permit.

The legal starting point

Two things are true before you fly:

• Tandem flights and instruction are regulated. A commercial tandem experience or a teaching operation needs a CAD permit. If someone offers you a cheap or free flight, that is a reason to check credentials, not a bargain.
• You are flying under Hong Kong air law. HKPA's Flying Info section includes a dedicated page on Hong Kong Airlaw, which is worth reading before you commit to a school, because it shapes where and how you can fly.

Learning path: ratings and recognition

HKPA's "Learning to Paraglide" section sits alongside a Pilot Ratings page and a Foreign ratings equivalence page. That structure tells you the intended route:

1. Train with a certified school/instructor.
2. Progress through HKPA pilot ratings.
3. If you already hold an overseas rating, apply for equivalence rather than starting over.

If you are coming from abroad with a licence, check the equivalence page first — it determines whether you can fly as a visitor or need to re-train. HKPA also has a Visitor Pilots page and an Overseas Flying section for pilots flying outside Hong Kong.

Where people fly

HKPA publishes site guides with an overview plus individual sites:

Each site has its own wind window and hazards, so read the specific guide rather than treating them as interchangeable. There is also a Lantau Webcam for a live look at conditions on Lantau.

Check weather and wind before every flight

HKPA's Weather section links to:

• Hong Kong Observatory — the official forecast source.
• Wind Summary — HKPA's own wind overview.
• Weather warning — active warnings.

Wind direction decides which site works on a given day. A site that flies well on one wind direction can be unsuitable or dangerous on another, which is why the site guides and the wind summary are meant to be read together.

Safety rules and minimum equipment

HKPA's Safety section covers the rules you are expected to know:

• Minimum Equipment — what you must carry.
• Helmet — helmet requirements.
• Right of Way — who has priority in the air.
• Radio Usage — radio rules and conduct.
• RC Models — sharing airspace with remote-controlled models.
• Accidental Tree Landing and Emergency Landing — what to do when a flight ends badly.

There is also a Safety Articles library, a way to Submit Safety Report (accident/incident reports), and Safety Notice announcements. Reading the tree-landing and emergency-landing pages before you need them is more useful than after.

Joining the association

HKPA has a Join us page and a members' area with login (Google, Microsoft, or Apple sign-in, plus password reset). Membership is separate from booking a flight — it connects you to the community, news, and events rather than being a prerequisite for a tandem experience.

A sensible order of operations

1. Read the CAD safety guidance and Hong Kong Airlaw pages.
2. Pick a school or instructor from HKPA's certified list (confirm the CAD permit).
3. If you hold a foreign rating, check equivalence before booking anything.
4. Study the site guide for wherever you will fly.
5. Check HKO forecast, HKPA wind summary, and any weather warnings on the day.
6. Know the minimum equipment, right-of-way, and radio rules before you launch.

The single most important decision is step 2. Everything else — sites, weather, ratings — follows from training with someone licensed to teach you.

A paraglider is the complete flying kit: a fabric wing, a harness, and the lines and risers that connect them. You sit in the harness below the inflated wing and steer by pulling brake lines, not by shifting weight as in a hang glider, and the wing is a soft aerofoil rather than a parachute canopy. If you want to fly in Hong Kong, the practical starting point is a tandem flight or a course with an instructor or school that holds a Civil Aviation Department (CAD) permit and is recognised by the Hong Kong China Paragliding Association (HKPA).

The parts of a paraglider

• Wing (canopy): made of ripstop nylon, divided into cells that inflate through front-facing openings as air flows in. Its curved profile generates lift the same way an aircraft wing does.
• Lines and risers: thin suspension lines run from the wing down to risers, which are webbing straps you hold and connect to the harness. Lines are grouped so that pulling one side changes that side's angle and turns the glider.
• Harness: the seat you sit in. It holds you, carries the reserve parachute, and transfers your inputs to the wing.
• Reserve parachute: a separate emergency canopy packed into the harness or front container, deployed by hand if the main wing becomes unrecoverable.

How it flies and how you control it

The wing only becomes a wing once it is inflated and moving through air. On launch you pull it up overhead; as you run forward, air fills the cells and the aerofoil starts producing lift. Once airborne, your inputs are:

• Brakes: pull down on both to slow or flare for landing; pull one to turn.
• Weight shift: leaning in the harness adds to the turn.
• Speed system (accelerator): a foot-operated line that increases speed when you need to push into wind or out of sinking air.

The pilot's job is to keep the wing above the head, manage the angle of attack, and read the air. Nothing about the wing flies itself; it responds to what you do with the lines.

Paraglider vs hang glider vs parachute

A paraglider is not a parachute. A parachute is designed to descend; a paraglider is designed to stay up and travel.

Safety gear and the rules in Hong Kong

The HKPA's safety guidance is direct: paragliding carries inherent risks, and you should not use unlicensed schools or tandem operators that attract customers with low prices or free offers. Under Hong Kong legislation, anyone operating a paragliding school or a tandem experience must hold a permit issued by the Civil Aviation Department, and operating without one can lead to prosecution.

Minimum equipment the association points to includes a helmet. Beyond that, a reserve parachute and a properly fitted harness are standard parts of the kit, and the HKPA publishes separate guidance on right of way, radio use, and emergency procedures such as tree landings and emergency landings.

For beginners, the two legitimate entry points are:

1. A tandem flight with a permitted operator, so you can experience the air under an instructor's control.
2. A training course with an HKPA-recognised instructor or school holding a CAD permit, leading toward a pilot rating.

Where to go next

The HKPA site is organised around exactly the questions a beginner has:

• Learning to Paraglide and Pilot Ratings — how progression and qualifications work, plus Foreign ratings equivalence if you already hold a rating from elsewhere.
• School/Instructor Information — the list of HKPA-certified instructors and schools.
• Site Guides — overview plus individual sites including Lantau East, Lantau West, Long Ke Wan, Ma On Shan, Pak Tam Au, Pat Sin Leng, Sai Wan, and Shek O.
• Weather — Hong Kong Observatory links, a wind summary, and weather warnings, which matter because conditions decide whether a site is flyable.
• Flying Info — Hong Kong air law and the HKSOS app.
• Safety — articles, safety notices, and a form for submitting accident or incident reports.

A sensible first move is to check the certified instructor/school list, confirm the operator holds a CAD permit, and then arrange a tandem flight or an introductory course before buying any equipment of your own.

Paragliding is a form of unpowered free flight in which a pilot sits in a harness suspended beneath a fabric wing and launches on foot, typically from a hill or mountain. In Hong Kong, getting started safely means training with an instructor or school that holds a permit from the Civil Aviation Department (CAD); the Hong Kong China Paragliding Association (HKPA) publishes a list of instructors and schools it certifies that have obtained that permit. If you are considering a tandem (two-person) experience instead of learning to fly yourself, the same permit requirement applies to the operator.

What paragliding actually is

A paraglider wing is a soft, ram-air canopy. It has no rigid frame and no engine. The pilot inflates the wing by moving forward, then controls direction and speed with brake lines and weight shift. Because the whole kit packs into a backpack, paragliding is often described as the most portable form of flight.

That distinguishes it from related sports:

• Hang gliding uses a rigid, metal-framed wing and the pilot lies prone.
• Parasailing involves a canopy towed behind a boat; the passenger has little or no control.
• Skydiving starts with a freefall from an aircraft, and the parachute is a descent device rather than a wing you launch with from a hill.

Paragliding launches are usually on foot from slopes, and flights can last from a few minutes to several hours depending on conditions and pilot skill.

The legal requirement in Hong Kong

According to Hong Kong legislation, anyone operating a paragliding school or a tandem paragliding experience must obtain a permit issued by the Civil Aviation Department. Operating without one can lead to prosecution.

The HKPA states plainly that paragliding carries inherent risks, and advises against patronising unlicensed schools or tandem operators — specifically those that attract customers with low prices or free offers. A cheap or free tandem flight is a warning sign, not a bargain, because the operator may not hold the required permit.

Steps to start safely

1. Decide what you want first. A one-off tandem flight lets you experience flight as a passenger. Learning to fly solo is a longer commitment involving training and a pilot rating.
2. Check the operator's credentials. For either path, confirm the instructor, school, or tandem operator holds a CAD permit. The HKPA publishes a list of certified instructors and schools that have obtained the permit, which is the practical place to start your check.
3. Train through a recognised programme. The HKPA's learning section covers pilot ratings, so you can see what progression looks like and what a rating represents.
4. Understand the flying environment. The HKPA's flying information covers Hong Kong air law, site guides for locations such as Lantau East, Lantau West, Long Ke Wan, Ma On Shan, Pak Tam Au, Pat Sin Leng, Sai Wan and Shek O, plus weather resources including Hong Kong Observatory data, wind summaries and weather warnings.
5. Learn the safety material before you need it. The HKPA safety section includes articles on minimum equipment (starting with a helmet), right of way, radio usage, accidental tree landings and emergency landings, and it accepts safety reports and publishes safety notices.
6. If you already hold a foreign rating, the HKPA has a page on foreign ratings equivalence, which is relevant if you want your existing qualification recognised locally.

Common traps for beginners

• Treating a low price as a good deal. The HKPA's guidance links suspiciously cheap or free tandem offers directly to unlicensed operation.
• Skipping the permit check. The permit is a legal requirement, not a quality badge you can assume.
• Ignoring conditions. Hong Kong flying depends heavily on wind and weather; the HKPA maintains weather warnings and a wind summary for exactly this reason.
• Assuming a tandem flight makes you a pilot. It does not; solo flying requires training and a rating.

Where to go next

The HKPA site (hkpa.net) is the practical starting point: its instructor and school list for verified operators, its learning and pilot ratings pages for the training path, its site guides and weather pages for where and when flying happens, and its safety pages for equipment and emergency procedures. Note that some parts of the site, such as member areas, require login; the public information pages do not.

Getting started with flying usually means choosing one of three entry points: a standard flight-training path toward a pilot certificate, the lighter sport pilot route, or the builder path into experimental/homebuilt aircraft. The right choice depends on your goal (recreational flying vs. professional aspirations), your budget and time, and whether you want to own, rent, or build. A local EAA chapter—EAA Chapter 62 in San Jose, California, is one example—can connect you with fly-outs, Young Eagles flights, builder resources, and flight-planning tools before you commit money to a school.

The three main paths into flying

If you are unsure which fits, the cheapest way to find out is to take an introductory flight lesson and visit a chapter meeting before enrolling in a full program.

What a local EAA chapter gives you

EAA Chapter 62's site shows the kinds of resources a chapter typically offers:

• Fly-outs — organized group flights, useful for seeing how pilots plan and fly trips.
• Young Eagles flights — introductory flights for young people, a common first taste of aviation.
• Builder resources — builder's logs, builder assist, and tech notes for anyone considering a homebuilt aircraft.
• Flight planning and weather links — local weather and planning sites to prepare for lessons or flights.
• Events and newsletters — general meetings, board meetings, and chapter news to keep you connected.

Chapters are volunteer-run and sit alongside EAA National, which provides the broader programs (Young Eagles, AirAcademy, and similar) that local chapters deliver.

A practical first sequence

1. Decide your goal. Recreational flying, a career track, or building. This determines which path above you follow.
2. Take an introductory flight. You'll learn what a lesson feels like and get a realistic sense of cost and commitment.
3. Visit a chapter meeting. At a chapter like EAA Chapter 62, you can talk to pilots and builders directly and ask what local training and rental options exist.
4. Check the weather and planning tools. Before each lesson, use the flight-planning and local-weather resources your chapter or school recommends.
5. Choose an instructor or school. Compare based on aircraft availability, instructor schedule, and how the training fits your goal.

Common sticking points

• Assuming one path fits everyone. Sport pilot, standard training, and homebuilding have different limits; pick based on how and where you intend to fly.
• Skipping the intro flight. It's the lowest-cost way to test your interest before committing.
• Overlooking the chapter. Builder assist, tech notes, and fly-outs are hard to replicate on your own.
• Ignoring weather planning. Weather and flight planning are part of every flight, not an afterthought.

Your next step

Contact a local flight school or an EAA chapter near you and ask about an introductory flight and the next chapter meeting. That single step tells you whether flying is for you and which path to pursue.