Over the Water
There are two things that nearly all great pilots have done after being certified as a P2 pilot. One is Mexico, the other is a maneuvers course (and most often several of both).

Please withhold online payment and pay with cash or check during course.

A maneuvers course is one of the best ways to understand the physics of paraglider flight, and to better understand what action should be taken during abnormal glider configurations. It is all done in a controlled environment with experienced instructors, radio communication, flotation devices, a rescue boat, and other precautions. Maneuvers courses are recommended for any pilot who hasn’t already taken one, and every time a pilot moves to a different wing. Although it is highly recommended, very few pilots throw their reserves at these courses. If the pilot does throw, it is most often because they wanted to experience a reserve ride, not because a certain maneuver was “unrecoverable.” An added bonus is that if the pilot throws their reserve or gets it wet, re-packs are free during the course.

Acro: Bozeman Paragliding teaches aerobatic maneuvers including stalls, spins, helicopters, wingovers, asymmetric spirals, loops (reversals), and SATs.

Hydraulic pay-out towing over water is one of the safest ways to get in the air, arguably safer than hiking up a mountain and flying off. Towing has come a long way in the last 20 years, and Bozeman Paragliding has one of the lowest maintenance and easiest to operate winches in the business. This winch has given us thousands of beautiful tows since 2005, with absolutely no technical issues!

Maneuvers courses are so important that Bozeman Paragliding recommends them for P3 (Intermediate) sign-off, and believes they should be required for a P4 (Advanced) rating. If you haven't participated in a maneuvers course and would like to get signed off as a P4 with Bozeman Paragliding, guess what? We’re going to the lake!

A typical course outline looks something like this:

Meeting at campground in the morning (typically Hellgate Campground near site #64)
Load boat and ferry pilots and gear to launch site (often a short boat ride from camp)

Discussion about towing procedures:

bridle connection
take-off
releasing the line
maneuver terminology
body posture
speed bar and harness position
weight-shift, tweaking the A risers and stabilo pulls

Towing and Maneuvers:

good, clean, high tows
big ears - with and without speed bar
360 degree turns - both directions
asymmetrical collapses, small to big - with and without speed bar
frontal collapses - with and without bar
b-line stall
wingovers
spirals - symmetric and asymmetric with smooth, clean exits
full stalls
spins
SATs
and any other form or technique you may need help with

The course runs for three days with a minimum of 4 high tows under instruction, although it is common to get up to 6 tows during a weekend with good weather. You will need:

your own tow bridle (available for purchase on location or online)
wing, harness, reserve chute, helmet and speedbar in working order

We hope to see you at the lake! Email Bozeman Paragliding for more info or to sign up.

Please withhold online payment and pay with cash or check during course.

Fine Print: It is often flyable at the lake even when it "looks bad from your house." To get all four (or more) tows in, we need to be on site, ready to tow at all times during the weekend.

Maneuvers Training (SIV)