Free flight is a type of unpowered flight in which the pilot takes off on foot from a mountain or is towed by a winch. Despite not having an engine, the pilot manages to stay in flight for a certain time, and can even travel many kilometers away by taking advantage of updrafts. These currents are generated both by the wind and the terrain, as well as by the heat of the sun acting on it.
Humans have always had the desire to emulate birds. Free flight makes this dream a reality and allows you to fly in complete freedom and in constant contact with nature.

Flying a paraglider by yourself will be an experience you will never forget. Regardless of whether you just want to enjoy a few days in the heart of the Pyrenees doing something different, if you just want to try it and see if paragliding is for you, or if you are determined to become a paragliding pilot: don't think twice, come and take a course with us! This will be an experience you will remember the rest of your life.
You should know that, in addition to enjoying one of the most beautiful sports that brings you in touch with nature, paragliding is the easiest, most practical and cheapest way to fly. It is the smallest aircraft in the world, can be transported easily (it fits in a rucksack!) and allows takeoff and landing in really small spaces.
Starting out is simple and your evolution as a pilot is very fast compared to other forms of flight.
If you want to, you will fly.

Castejón de Sos and the Benasque Valley are one of the main free flight destinations in Spain. The small town of Castejón de Sos is part of the history of paragliding. It is considered one of the best mountain flying areas in the world, where its particular location surrounded by mountains more than 3000m tall allows flying many days a year, even during the winter months.
Year after year, a large number of pilots and future pilots come to "the Cathedral of Free Flight" to soar above the highest peaks of the Pyrenees. Learning to fly can be the best experience of your life, but in Castejón de Sos, the view from the takeoffs alone is already worth the visit.
Castejón de Sos is a paradise for Hike & Fly, a modality that consists of hiking up to the take-off areas, usually with special light equipment. The high pastures in this valley offer endless possibilities.
For those not inclined to walking, there are many takeoffswith road access in different directions and locations, from 300 to 1400 meters of elevation.
And, for seasoned pilots, it is the perfect starting place for long flights across beautiful valleys and along formidable mountains.
If you fly and do not know Castejón de Sos, you are missing out.

The current team at Parapente Pirineos is young but with great experience. We have taken over the oldest school in Spain, we are the «third generation» of owners, and we are aware of the responsibility that this entails. Our goal is to improve, update and modernise paragliding instruction with a student-centred approach.
Like any paragliding company, we split our resources between tandem flights and courses, but if there is one thing that makes us stand out at Parapente Pirineos, it is the almost exclusive dedication of our instructors during courses, without interference from tandem flights. We achieve this through an excellent human team with differentiated functions and exclusive vehicles dedicated to the weekly courses. This allows our students to move around with their own schedule, independently of any tandem flights, and to benefit from a true school dedicated to teaching solid foundations.

We live in Castejón de Sos, our particular paradise where we breathe paragliding day in, day out. We are people like you, who decided one day decided "to check out this paragliding thing" and it totally changed our lives.
Through our many years of experience and the hundreds of students we have taught, we are technically prepared to share our knowledge with you in clear and simple terms. We are patient and understanding, and as motivated as the first day to help you learn to fly in the best and safest way possible.
No level is unattainable, you just need time and dedication to reach the goals you set for yourself.
The main instructors of Parapente Pirineos are: Marcelo Pairoa, David Ferrer and David Díez.
Remember that we are all born without wings and have to learn from scratch. If you want to, you will fly.

After the introduction course, we will provide you with a document that certifies the number of practices, flights, elevations and paragliders used, which will help you to continue your training in any certified school.
If you continue your flight training at Parapente Pirineos, you will have several certification options. We will explain how to obtain the different federative titles through our school (advanced student, solo pilot, tandem pilot), as well as the option of introducing you to the APPI system (Association of Paragliding Pilots and Instructors). As you complete each level and pass it satisfactorily, you can obtain an APPI/IPPI license from the FAI, which is valid worldwide.
The law in Spain does not require you to have a pilot's license for free flight. However, we will always recommend that you fly with accident and civil liability insurance. In addition to guiding you with possible private insurance options, we can help you process your federative pilot's license (with associated insurance).

More about the APPI Education System here: https://flyappi.org/education_system/

You do not have to be super fit to enroll in any paragliding course. However, you must be prepared to perform unusual movements while running. The first two days of the introduction course (during groundhandling practice) are the most physically demanding.
Once you have passed the ground training phase, flying a paraglider could be compared with driving a car: at the end of the day you may notice fatigue due to tension and concentration after a number of hours of piloting.
Don't forget that you will be getting up early every day so you can make the most of your course in the Pyrenees.

At our paragliding school, the minimum age to take the complete introduction course is 14 (we require permission from a legal guardian from 14 to 18).
There is no maximum weight limit if you want to learn to fly. We have paragliders for students starting from 35 kilograms.
Size is not a problem either: we have a multitude of paragliders, harnesses and accessories of all sizes that we can easily adapt to the needs of each student.

The introduction and progress courses at Parapente Pirineos include all the equipment (wing, harness, parachute, radio, helmet), transportation between the practice areas, takeoffs and landings and the Castejón de Sos office and, of course, insurance.
In the event that you want to take the course with your own equipment, the instructors will assess its condition and handling and decide if it is suitable for taking the course. The price of the course is the same whether or not you bring your own equipment.

The regulations of the air sports federation are clear on this point: until passing the advanced student exam, students must complete at least 50 flights within the framework of a registered paragliding school. We will encourage this type of learning environment but, in certain cases, we could give our approval as long as it is at specific times, in proper conditions and at known flying sites. In Spain it is not currently mandatory to have taken a course to fly a paraglider, but that path is completely mistaken. Don't rush. Every pilot needs time to be able to fly safely, with proper judgment of atmospheric conditions and correct decision-making.

Once you have completed the introduction course, you have several options to continue. You can take guided flights whenever you come visit (with prior reservation) or enroll in the next level, the progress course.
It is recommended not to let too much time pass from one course to the next in order to make the most of the learning experience.

We are importers and distributors of equipment, and can help you get any gear you want.
If you want to buy your own equipment to continue flying, please do not hesitate to ask us for help. We know that choosing gear for the first time can be a difficult task.
Sometimes, due to lack of knowledge or poor advice, students buy gear that is not suitable for their level or that is not in optimal condition. Therefore, being advised by professionals is essential at the beginning.
Ask us for help so you don't make any mistakes, even if you are going to buy your gear elsewhere or second-hand.