Tasks for Elementary Pilot Rating

Phase 1
Ground training 1 Introduction: BHPA membership; risk warning; site discipline and school rules; student’s health/medical conditions explanation of Training Programme and Pilot Rating Scheme; Student Training Record book; clothing / footwear.

2 Site Assessment briefing: Site and any site hazards; airflow and airflow hazards; weather assessment.

3 Equipment introduction: Parts and function of the wing, harness and helmet; how an aerofoil creates lift; daily inspections demonstrated, practiced and understood.

4 Avoiding and minimizing injury: Safety techniques discussed, including parachute landing falls (PLFs), when and how to use them – demonstrated and practiced to a good degree of competence.

Phase 2

5 Briefing: Pre-flight checks: taking off and landing into wind, airspeed control, the ‘flare’.

6 Preparation: Putting on the helmet and harness, wing layout, pre-flight checks.

7 Inflation: Learning to inflate the wing, collapsing it, and the ‘post-flight’ control.

8 Directional control: Making turns whilst running with the wing on the ground.

Phase 3

First Hops 9 Getting Airborne: The student will practice taking off, making small flights (typically no more than 5 metres ground clearance), controlled landings.


Phase 4

Flight Exercises 10 Eventualities briefing: The need to prepare, before takeoff, plans to deal with the unexpected

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11 Commands and Communications briefing: This includes briefing on signals, bats, radios, verbal, as appropriate.

12 Responsibilities Briefing: From this point the student becomes ‘pilot in command’ and will be in a position to determine the course of the flight. The student must clearly understand their level of responsibility for the safe conduct of the flight...

13 (i) Maintaining course and airspeed: including flights to maximum 15 metres/50 feet.

14 (ii) Introducing turns: – up to 90 degrees.

15 (iii) Completing simple flight plans: involving further ground clearance/height, unassisted launches, controlled landings within a designated area.

Phase 5

16 - 18 Lessons and personal study to gain knowledge to the required level on Meteorology, Principles of Flight, Airlaw, Rules of the Air.
19 Elementary Pilot Examination – Pass – you are now an Elementary Pilot!