WHAT'S INCLUDED? IS IT REALLY A DEAL?


Do your homework when choosing a paragliding school. Realize how important getting the best instruction available is to your future in the sport. Choosing a school based on a discounted combo package or special priced new paragliding kit they offer is a bad idea. Be careful when upgrades are offered for additional cost, or equipment is offered without lessons included.


Eagle Paragliding offers Discounted Paragliding Packages without hidden costs or gimmicks, and upgrade options to students who commit to purchasing complete basic equipment set up by day three of their training. We also offer reduced priced packages for equipment set ups which go beyond the basics. These discount packages are a good idea for students who are 100% certain they wish to continue with the sport. You will save money by taking advantage of these legitimate packages offered by Eagle Paragliding, which can be purchased before you start your third day of lessons.


Everybody wants high quality equipment at the best price possible. Student pilots should not choose to learn with a school because of the equipment package deals offered. Any reputable school should offer you a discount if you are willing to commit to becoming a pilot. We require you to purchase your equipment by day three of your lessons to take advantage of the discount.


Schools with a reputation for giving high quality instruction, and more importantly continued instruction and support should be the school you choose for your training. Reputable schools don't play the low ball pricing game to try and get your business. Quality schools get business through word of mouth from pilots who fly in the community. Ask most any pilot landing after a flight in Santa Barbara and beyond whom they recommend for instruction in our area and they will send you to Eagle Paragliding.


There are a couple of things we see with special combo packages other schools offer that don't add up. You shouldn't even think about buying a package that does not include a reserve parachute and a 2-meter radio. A package offered without these items should not be offered by any one who is being honest about what you will need as a paraglider pilot. It's deceiving when you see basic paragliding equipment set up at a very low price, which does not include all the equipment you will need. Any school selling you this basic package will end up selling you more gear which is absolutely necessary at full price before you ever get a high flight from the mountains. Why wouldn't this gear be included in the special equipment package? They offer a low price on a set up which is not complete, and will end up sticking it to you when you discover you need to purchase more gear to have a complete paragliding equipment set up.


The most basic equipment package you will want as a paraglider pilot includes:


Paraglider
Harness
Reserve Parachute
Helmet
2 Meter Radio


This is the basic start up package offered by Eagle Paragliding. We offer packages with additional equipment at a discount to pilots who want to save when purchasing before day three of their Novice training. If you find a special deal online that does not include any of the above items you need to realize you will be spending money on additional items before you can fly as a certified pilot.


It's also concerning when you see a flight package for the equipment only. How is someone getting in the sport going to be safe without getting instruction? The only schools who make such offers would be attempting to sell gear to someone who is unqualified, or wants to poach other schools’ students. These attempts are unethical, and can be dangerous to the person who ends up buying paragliding equipment without getting the proper instruction.


All of these deceiving marketing specials often lure anyone looking for a deal, and take a deserving sale away from an instructor who put the time and energy into teaching the student. There is an unwritten code in our industry that a school will not sell gear to a brand new student training with another school. Schools who don't respect other instructor's new students should be avoided. They are likely not going to care much about you after you purchase your equipment if they don't respect their peers in the paragliding industry.


The other red flag you need to look for with special combo packages is the UPGRADE opportunity. You shouldn't need to upgrade anything if you're buying a paragliding package that is right for you. When you see upgrade opportunities realize the wing offered in the original package has to be the most basic wing the manufacturer produces. It is likely you will outgrow this wing in six months to a year and a half if your instructors are getting you the type of continued education you deserve. The truth is you need to begin with one of the wings you find in the upgrade category. Again this is just another tricky way to get you sniffing around while your instructor/salesman takes your money on the upgrade.


Does the school offering the special deal offer more than one brand of wing with the package, or are they selling one brand most of the time? Every student pilot is different, and often times the weight range on one brand of glider doesn't fit your ideal takeoff weight. Schools offering many brands put the student on the wing with the right weight window for your take off weight, and the right performance for your ability and experience.


The moral of the story is that you owe it to yourself to do your homework before you choose a school or buy paragliding equipment. Realize that the quality of instruction you receive should be the most important criteria when choosing a school. You are going to get a competitive price with any school who offers a legitimate discount package. You end up paying more in the end by getting a lack of service and support if you choose a school who you think is selling you gear at the best price on the internet.


The sad thing is some new students don't do their homework. They find themselves at the end of their training having paid the same price for their equipment they would have some place else which offers high quality instruction without the gimmicks. The real loss to these students is the lack of support and service as they continue as pilots.


Eagle Paragliding offers award winning instruction that is unparalleled. We have never has a single student leave our school to finish with another school. We continue to have newer pilots drop their training with other schools to finish with us. These students begin asking questions and realize after observation who the best school to learn with is after they have started someplace else. We take these students on and train them regardless if they have already purchased their equipment from the other school. We are committed to making students the best pilots they can be.


Eagle Paragliding provides opportunities for continued education that go above and beyond the basics. We have the experience, resources, and staff which allows us to be in many places at one time. This gives our students opportunities which are not available elsewhere. We can be at the training hill with newer students, and several locations in the south Coast Mountains at the same time. We have the largest tandem instructor staff available on the south coast.


We are instructor and tandem administrators. This means we are the instructor's instructor. We have been designated to train and graduate instructors who will train paragliding students all over the country. We are the paragliding program that students, instructors, and authors turn to for the latest advice and knowledge related to the development of our sport. We have the best paragliding pilots in the nation flying on our team in competitions, and traveling with us to educate our students on our tours all over the world.


Please email us or give us a call if you have any questions. We are happy to answer any and all questions you have about paragliding.