Handgliding/Paragliding

About Flyability

What is Flyability?

Flyability is the disability initiative of the British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association. The BHPA is the UK governing body of the sport of hang gliding and paragliding. We are a small group of volunteers that work in our spare time to make free flight accessible to anyone who wants to fly.

Flyability strives to motivate disabled people to become involved in the sport of hang gliding and paragliding and to train as pilots. We do this by encouraging disabled people to train at the BHPA registered school of their choice – alongside non-disabled student pilots (where possible).

Much of Flyability’s work in the sport, focuses around changing peoples’ perception of disability and their attitudes toward disabled people. Disability awareness, education and advice play key roles in Flyability’s aims and objectives, as does the development of specialist equipment, training and flying techniques.

Flyability promotes and funds tandem flying for disabled people who may be unable to fly alone or who may need to try out different types of flying to find the form most suited to them. Flyability’s tandem flight scholarships and solo student pilot scholarships are the main use of its charitable funds.

The BHPA Flyability Initiative has formal status within the BHPA’s structure and reports directly to the BHPA’s Executive Council on disability related matters within the sport.