In New Zealand you can legally train on an enA or enB rated paraglider. However, most responsible instructors will not advocate that a student train on an enB glider as the risk vs reward equations doesn't balance from either persons perspective. The choice is usually between what style of enA glider should you train on. Low, Mid or High enA? The higher the rating the less safe they are. The decision depends on an honest assessment of 3 personal categories. The first is: Your natural talent. Are you a highly physically capable person that learns fast and has excellent coordination? The second is: Your risk aversion. Are you risk averse and value safety above all else or more of a risk taker, with a tendency to go hard and learn on the fly? The third is: Your training ambition. Are you keen to learn as fast as possible or take your time. A careful consideration or these three categories will make glider safety rating selection a breeze. So talk to your instructor with these categories in mind.

It takes a minimum of 8 days practical training and 5 hours of flight time. However, the actual calendar time will vary from person to person due to natural talent, and the weather. Some will take a couple of weeks while others can take longer. If not on a full time course it can take up to a year or more. The more consecutive days you are able to train, the faster you will progress.

In almost any situation an instructional tandem is highly valuable and definately worth the extra investment. It becomes more valuable if you are wanting to perfect a particularly difficult skill like top landing or are struggling in a certain area. Learning how a highly skilled pilot flys from an 'in air' perspective is extremely beneficial.

Absolutely, you will normally sacrifice some performance and ease of learning. But it's definitely possible. You do however need to make sure that the glider you purchase is suitable to learn on given your personal attributes and the applicable equipment standards. It is highly recommended to train on the best glider and harness that you can afford and choose the safety category and style of glider/harness to suit you and your flying objectives. Your first glider is by far the most important equipment decision you will make in your flying journey, especially given that it's the most safety critical time. Consult with your instructor to make sure you get it right.

There is no age limit to learn. You must be 16 years old to hold a pilots licence but nothing stops you beginning your training earlier than this. However, in practical terms you need to be big enough to fit a harness and heavy enough to fit the glider. About 1.5m and about 40kg. Also, you need to be under the supervision of an instructor until you have a licence which could get a little expensive if you begin too soon. On the upper limit I have trained students at 70 years old. So if you're fit, active, upwardly mobile and have the tenacity to get the job done. Older age is really not a limiting factor.

You should bring, comfortable walking shoes, some food and water + sunscreen, a wind proof jacket and sunnies.

Before your flight you need to purchase an additional one day membership from the New Zealand Hang gliding and Paragliding Association (NZHGPA). The cost is $20 per person and should be done just before your flight on your mobile phone. (It is non-refundable) You should also visit a public toilet before the adventure as there is currently no toilet on the launch site.

As SkyWings is not for profit, all the money from Tandem Trial Flights goes to the HighSide Community Project. You can learn more about it here.

WALKING - 30 minutes moderate to high difficulty. Park in the Karioitahi beach carpark - don’t leave any valuables visible in your car. Walk north (turn right if you’re facing the water) along the beach for 200 meters, until you cross the waterfall stream flowing down the beach. Go exactly 40 meters more north past that stream and you’ll see (on your right), the entrance to the track up to the top of the cliff with ropes and steps. (It’s well hidden so look carefully for a low wooden marker pole) Once you hit the top of the cliff, carry on along the cliff edge track north, another 200-300 meters to the main takeoff. You may need to go through an electric spring wire fence (only touch the plastic handle) until you see the weather station mast and a seat 30m south of takeoff, head to the seat and take a well deserved rest. From there you'll meet your instructor. After the flight we’ll land back on top and then you can continue down in your own time. Many people choose to stay a while and watch the other pilots fly while they wind down from their own flight. ATV ride - cost $30 If the walk is too much for you or you want an additional adventure you can book a ride on our 4 seat ATV. This is a fun little adventure through the farm to the takeoff and will save you a fair amount of exertion. This will need to be organised in advance and you will need to drive to 119 kohekohe karioitahi road. (Don’t use apple maps, it will take you to the wrong address). Turning right off Karioitahi Rd after about 800m you’ll pass a place called Carmelglen (wooden sign) on the left and mine is the next driveway. Just an old white letterbox and an old, white fridge and a wooden gate at the road side. You’ll drive up past a big shed on the neighbours property and through a second metal gate. Keep going and you’ll see an old barn and then up on the hill you’ll see my blue bus. Park in the parking area by the old barn. IMPORTANT: "Please leave all gates as you found them because it’s a working farm and we don’t want the cows to escape".

Tandem flights at the HighSide are highly weather dependant. Unlike many paragliding destinations that conduct tandem flights, it's not simply a glide down from a high point. We are actually flying upwards in lifting coastal air! This is a unique experience and for this reason it's more difficult to schedule a flight. The best method to book is to email the day before you have some availability to fly. If the weather is suitable I will reply after 6:30pm when the latest forecast becomes available and let you know if the weather will be suitable and what time to arrive. (We're looking for a light west to southwest breeze)

You can pay with a credit card on the day via our payment app or by direct bank transfer into the following bank account: BNZ Hunter Hawker 02-0184-0251604-00 or via PayPal. Or if you want it for a gift or to use at a later date you can purchase a gift certificate from the HighSide shop here.