Stellar Paragliding was formed in 2010 by myself, Aaron Price, as a small paragliding school focused on unsurpassed quality of teaching. The excellence of teaching at the school is a direct result of my passion for paragliding, my dedication to always improving my skills and the desire to raise the bar for the skill and safety of students learning to fly. Many schools may offer cheaper packages or promise fast sign-off times, but think about what you are getting for that. Learning to fly a paraglider is literally learning to fly an aircraft (albeit a different kind of aircraft), do you really want the cheapest instruction or least amount of instruction before getting your license.
Being a small school has its advantages... I only accept a handful of students each year which means each students gets an unprecedented amount of 1 on 1 instruction. I tell all my students that I will be as dedicated to them as they are to their training. I've yet to find a student who can't learn this sport or who has exhausted me with their enthusiasm! Another advantage of being a small school is that you won't find any hard sells around here. Some schools require you to buy brand new gear right at the start, perhaps even before you've decided that you really want to pursue paragliding. This can add $6000 on to your novice license... no wonder some schools offer cheap courses!? At Stellar Paragliding I want to make paragliding as accessible as possible to every student regardless of budget. All my gear is available to purchase but I will help you find the right gear for you in your budget whether it comes from me or a 3rd party.
To me the most important part of any hobby is the company that you spend it in. At Stellar it's more than just flying, it's about building relationships and spending time with fun people! I'm proud to have met every single one of my students that have come through my school. I consider each one a friend and want to ensure they have the best experience possible. Beyond the school, I give students the opportunity to come out to competitions and league events to meet other experienced pilots and really become immersed in the paragliding community. If you don't like who you are hanging out with you simply won't continue doing the activity, no matter how much fun it is!
Finally, Stellar Paragliding is about excellence in flight! A lot of my philosophies about paragliding come from my instructor, Tom Clark of Deimos Paragliding. Most importantly that kiting is the single most important skill you can learn. Everything you need to know in the air can be practiced on the ground. Secondly, theory matters! At Stellar we spend time on the ground going over advanced topics in weather prediction, risk management and advanced maneuvers to ensure that by the end of your P2 you will have all the skills and knowledge you need to see you safely through the rest of your flying career. I've seen way too many P2 students come out of other schools that have barely a fraction of the knowledge and skills that Stellar students have. To me this is unacceptable! I don't teach the minimum requirements of USHPA, I teach well beyond to ensure the safety of all my students. Quite frankly safe students are confident students, and confident pilots have the most fun!!
The final thing that sets Stellar Paragliding apart is that you will be learning from a competitive cross country pilot. That my not sound important but you need to realize that paragliding is only abut 20 years old, this sport is still incredibly new. Each year the wings are designed better and more efficiently then last year, but these new designs have ramifications on how we fly them. Teaching paradigms that existed 10 years ago are simply out of date now. By learning from a pilot that is active in the competition scene, you will be learning the latest and greatest skill set in paragliding, a sport that is evolving every single year! As well if you are interested in getting into cross country flying or just learning to thermal more efficiently you won't find better instruction than Stellar.
Stellar Paragliding may not be the right school for you, but give us a call today (424-242-3342), and we'll be happy to answer your questions and get you sorted. There are many great schools out there and unfortunately just as many I wouldn't recommend. I'll be happy to point you in the right direction and arm you with the knowledge and questions you need to ask to find the best school for your needs.
Sincerely,
Aaron Price
Being a small school has its advantages... I only accept a handful of students each year which means each students gets an unprecedented amount of 1 on 1 instruction. I tell all my students that I will be as dedicated to them as they are to their training. I've yet to find a student who can't learn this sport or who has exhausted me with their enthusiasm! Another advantage of being a small school is that you won't find any hard sells around here. Some schools require you to buy brand new gear right at the start, perhaps even before you've decided that you really want to pursue paragliding. This can add $6000 on to your novice license... no wonder some schools offer cheap courses!? At Stellar Paragliding I want to make paragliding as accessible as possible to every student regardless of budget. All my gear is available to purchase but I will help you find the right gear for you in your budget whether it comes from me or a 3rd party.
To me the most important part of any hobby is the company that you spend it in. At Stellar it's more than just flying, it's about building relationships and spending time with fun people! I'm proud to have met every single one of my students that have come through my school. I consider each one a friend and want to ensure they have the best experience possible. Beyond the school, I give students the opportunity to come out to competitions and league events to meet other experienced pilots and really become immersed in the paragliding community. If you don't like who you are hanging out with you simply won't continue doing the activity, no matter how much fun it is!
Finally, Stellar Paragliding is about excellence in flight! A lot of my philosophies about paragliding come from my instructor, Tom Clark of Deimos Paragliding. Most importantly that kiting is the single most important skill you can learn. Everything you need to know in the air can be practiced on the ground. Secondly, theory matters! At Stellar we spend time on the ground going over advanced topics in weather prediction, risk management and advanced maneuvers to ensure that by the end of your P2 you will have all the skills and knowledge you need to see you safely through the rest of your flying career. I've seen way too many P2 students come out of other schools that have barely a fraction of the knowledge and skills that Stellar students have. To me this is unacceptable! I don't teach the minimum requirements of USHPA, I teach well beyond to ensure the safety of all my students. Quite frankly safe students are confident students, and confident pilots have the most fun!!
The final thing that sets Stellar Paragliding apart is that you will be learning from a competitive cross country pilot. That my not sound important but you need to realize that paragliding is only abut 20 years old, this sport is still incredibly new. Each year the wings are designed better and more efficiently then last year, but these new designs have ramifications on how we fly them. Teaching paradigms that existed 10 years ago are simply out of date now. By learning from a pilot that is active in the competition scene, you will be learning the latest and greatest skill set in paragliding, a sport that is evolving every single year! As well if you are interested in getting into cross country flying or just learning to thermal more efficiently you won't find better instruction than Stellar.
Stellar Paragliding may not be the right school for you, but give us a call today (424-242-3342), and we'll be happy to answer your questions and get you sorted. There are many great schools out there and unfortunately just as many I wouldn't recommend. I'll be happy to point you in the right direction and arm you with the knowledge and questions you need to ask to find the best school for your needs.
Sincerely,
Aaron Price