AHGPA
 

Welcome to British Columbia's Kootenay Region and the
 Acrophobia Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club
 Revised Jan 30th 2013
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Our BCHPA Regional Director for the and South East and Northern BC is
Brett Yeates. Email: Brett_Yeates@REMOVE_THISmail2Canada.com 250-421-0670
BCHPA 

HPAC

HPAC Insured Pilots

Flight Schools:

KootenayParagliding

SpokaneHanggliding
Acrophobia means "fear of heights" and what an appropriate name!
With altitude records of 15,700' ASL and single thermal climb out records of 9,000' feet,
this is a dynamic flying area with some of the most spectacular mountains, valleys, lakes,  parks and hotsprings on this lovely earth we call home.
Find us on a map: here.
 
Come visit us soon. We promise you one of the best family orientated holidays of your life.
Note that a good 4WD vehicle is required at most of our flying sites. If in doubt, check the Site Guide and / or contact the locals.
Kootenay Paragliding - Instructor Email: Jason Leus
7007 2nd Avenue. PO Box 196, Ymir, BC. V0G 2K0 - Ph: 250-357-2490
 
Kootenay Paragliding is pleased to offer tandem flights, instruction, and guiding/logistics for individuals or groups wanting to fly the Kootenays.
Located in the town of Ymir, BC. Mt. Dundee experiences consistently good thermic and ridge soaring conditions throughout the spring, summer and fall.


The West Kootenays is an area of mountain ranges and lakes that offers many and varied flying sites.
 (Arrow, Duncan. Kootenay and Slocan Lakes being the largest)
90% of the flying is thermal with cloud base usually in the 10 - 12,000' range.
A high percentage of soarable days, good altitude gains and scenery combine to provide some nice flying in this area.
The many different sites and spectacular scenery do make for the most pleasant flying get-away imaginable.

For a good example, check out these Mt Thompson Videos: Part 1: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6dWUytnjfek
and Part 2: http://youtube.com/watch?v=HPP91cnkLbU

Plan your cross country flying in the Kootenays with Tom Payne's magnificent app: XC Planner
Information for visiting pilots:
 HPAC (temporary) membership and insurance is required at major flying sites.
 USHPA Membership and Insurance is adequate for most of our other sites.
Camping, Fishing, Boating, Canoeing and Hiking et cetera in this area is world class - for those days when you want to give your wing a rest.
(If there are such days.)

With the exception of Kootenay Lake and Creston Valley, the area does not have a long straight valley like the East Kootenay's with it's Rocky Mountain Trench.
The valleys tend to be cross-hatched, as is evident from the  Road Map

The population is sparse in most areas, with little cleared land.
Therefore, although the XC potential is good, the total distance on the great circle is not usually great.
Valleys come to an end and 90 degree changes in heading are required to keep landing zones and access roads for pickup within reasonable distance.
Out and returns or triangular flights are more common.


Information Re: access via Logging Roads in the Kootenays.


VHF radios are a requirement for safe flying in the Kootenays as most launch access roads are shared with active logging trucks.
These roads are not wide enough for two vehicles, and only have occasional pull-outs, so if your kilometer markers are not announced on the correct channel as you ascend / descend a road there is a high risk of a head-on collision (death or serious injury - the end of your vehicle's life for sure).
Active logging roads will have multiple trucks ascending and descending at any given point during the day, seven days a week, unless otherwise posted.

 

The name of a logging road and the radio frequency used on it is posted at the beginning of that road: don't miss the sign!

 

Kilometer markers are posted on trees at the side of the road.

 

The correct radio call-out follows a common formula:

Name of road, kilometer marker, and "up" or "down" depending on if the kilometer marker numbers are counting "up" (1, 2, 3) or "down" (3, 2, 1).

 

Example: "Porcupine Road - 3k - up" (I'm on Porcupine Road at kilometer 3 and heading to kilometer 4.)
or "Porcupine (Road) - 3k - down" (I'm on Porcupine, at 3k, heading to 2k).
Also, announce that you are entering a road when you start out.

 

It is our experience that logging truckers talk fast.
If you didn't understand a transmission ask them to please repeat - they might be just around the corner and moving fast!