Prices for Paragliding P2 Lessons in Vancouver, Whistler, Pemberton.

Provider	Price	Location	Accepts PayPal*	Notes
JetSet Paragliding	$2500	Fraser Valley	No
FlyBC	$2184	Fraser Valley	Yes
DeimosPG	$2000	Fraser Valley	No
iParaglide	$2397	Fraser Valley	No	Price does not include $160 - $320 in 'i4x4' fees
Sea To Sky Paragliding	$2362	Pemberton	Yes

* If the provider does not accept PayPal (with its purchaser protection) - make sure to get a receipt.

** Schools will often advertise 'includes X flights' - it is important to know there is no established standard in Canada as to what constitutes a paragliding flight. It could be a single run down the training hill or a proper flight off the top of a mountain. Be sure to inquire what the program actually entails before making any payment.

DISCLAIMER

The posting of prices/links is in no way an endorsement for any of the above paragliding businesses. It is the responsibility of the client (you) to confirm that the instructor is properly trained, certified, licensed, and insured by an appropriate body. Paragliding is a dangerous activity that can result in serious injury and/or death.

Paragliding Economics 101A: Shopping Around (First Paraglider Purchase).

Looking at lessons, trying to sort out the true costs.

No rental option, local used market is dried up (there is an ebb and flow to used wing availability - very dependant on time of year).

Guess a new wing it is.

If you are part of the rare 1% who has reigned in impulse and taken a step back to consider the true costs - you're likely wondering how to best save some coin on equipment purchase. 

The majority of the worlds wings are fabricated in a small number of factories that cater to multiple brands (a secret manufacturers don't make very public) and are made from a very small collection of fabrics. The result -> production costs are relatively similar.

In addition - R&D, administration, and marketing typically scale. Larger manufacturers pour more into marketing (sponsoring competition teams and factory pilots), have in house designers, and employ test pilots. Smaller shops outsource the entire design process and limit marketing to very specific regions/segments. 

What does this all mean?  

Commoditization.

A wing in EN class X should cost Y no matter the brand. A price above this is either result of inefficiency or the padding of margin somewhere between you and the manufacturer. The former will die due to decreasing market share, the latter will perish with an informed customer.

What can you do?

Become informed. Window shop around. This can be a touchy subject as it will eat into a schools margin. A *pre-authorized* purchase outside the school is sometimes offered as an unspoken option for an 'uncorking fee'  - typically around $500. It will not hurt to ask up front before paying for lessons, if I want to buy a different brand than what you carry, what is the additional cost? If nothing else, it could pressure the school dealer to price match if they wish to maintain market share.

How much could you save?

Pricing options for low end EN-B (a common first wing here) plus harness and reserve in the Vancouver market:

Equipment	Dealer A	Dealer B	Dealer C
Wing	$3900	$3500	$4000
Harness (with back protection)	$900	$650	$1100
Medium Reserve	$660	$700*	$1000

* I had to query the reserve price, as none was published.

The right combination of the above can net over $1200 in savings.The catch is the need to negotiate. A smart dealer will realize a customer who feels they are getting a good deal will become a repeat customer.

In the end the right questions cost you nothing and can save you alot.

Purchasing a used paraglider.

By this point, you've gotten a sense that I am very much in favour of finding the most cost effective means possible to get and remain in paragliding (and still retain a high degree of safety).

I've outlined how you can go about evaluating your local schools to find the true 'soup to nuts' cost of getting a license with Paragliding Economics 102: Lessons.

I've also outlined why with your first wing you should favour a used paraglider over new and rental over used with Paragliding Economics 101: First Wing Purchase.

But lets say your local school does not offer wing rental? Now what? Assuming suitability (as discussed with your instructor) and availability, into the 'pre-owned' bazaar we venture.

Two Simple Rules

Rule 1: The seller needs my money more than I need their wing. 

This is my variant of the age old 'there is no such thing as savers remorse'. I remind myself of this before any interaction with someone looking to sell. Putting myself in this frame of mind helps keep me objective and enables me to easily walk away - a deal that fails leaves me with money everyone wants and the seller with a wing few people want.

Rule 2: Trust no data that is not readily measurable. 

Launched off grass, accordion packed, no SIV, closet stored. None of these statements mean anything to me as I can't readily verify them. As a buyer I want to know four things - the 'Four Ps' - price, pilot, pics and porosity.

The Four Ps

Price - Price is self explanatory.

Pilot - I want to know who has been flying this wing. This info allows me look up the flight logs in Leonardo and XContest. I can also look up videos on YouTube and Vimeo. I can even look the pilot up in ParaglidingForum.com. Sounds creepy? I don't think so. This is how I determine if they are being honest with me - compare the description of the wing with their digital paragliding foot print. I have seen cases where a pilot selling a wing claimed it had only X hours but was bragging a month earlier on Paragliding Forum how they had clocked 2 times X on the wing that summer. Likewise with track logs and videos. Only grass launched, how about those tracks in Turkey? No SIV, funny that video of acro over Annecy. If there is any inconsistency, remember Rule #1 and walk away.

Pics - Pictures of the wing are always nice, but what I am after is a pic of the manufacturer label. This will have the Make, Model, EN rating, Serial Number (S/N) and Date of Manufacture (DOM). With the DOM I apply my previously suggested depreciation of 20% per year and check it against the sale price. Also, if there is any doubt in the legitimacy of the sale, I ask that a sticky note be placed in the photo of the manufacturer label with my name and date. I would reserve the use of the sticky to be a condition of final sale after price is finalized and not something to push for right away.

Porosity - I will not touch a used wing that has not had a proper test done by a porosity meter. I would also ask for a photo of the test result.  My minimum is leading and trailing edge centre top cell - it is the part most likely to be smacked nose first into the ground on landing and dragged tail last during take off. I suggest researching the relationship of porosity to wing lifespan, there are a few graphs floating about. One note of caution - a wing can retain porosity well after the fabric has passed its useful life - you will frequently see this with wings from the last decade flown only one season and closet dumped. The porosity will be high, but the fabric will have the strength of tissue paper. Another reason to ask for a pic of the manufacturer label. I personally will not consider a wing more than a few years old because of this.

Summing it up

With a little 'leg work' and an objective mind, there is quite a bit of savings to be had by going into the secondary paraglider market rather than purchasing new outright. If you keep the Two Rules and Four Ps in your kit while evaluating options, you stand a much better chance of walking away with a deal you are happy with as opposed to an unexpected surprise a season or so down the road.

Paragliding Economics 102: Lessons in Vancouver.

In my previous post, I began explaining the importance of reining in impulse and delaying the purchase of your first wing (favouring rental over outright purchase during training).

During that discussion, it became apparent that there needs to be an additional investigation into the economics of lessons, including the importance of shopping around and asking questions.

Using three local schools posted rates (and rough estimates of retail equipment prices) - you can see the impact a little legwork can have on your pocket book. The assumption is total cost to get to the HPAC mandated minimum of 25 flights, assuming you as the student meet all learning objectives within that time. Some may not, requiring additional instruction (and cost) - ask about this up front.

In my opinion, each school has turned out some remarkable novice pilots since I started flying.

	School A	School B	School C
HPAC required 25 flights for Novice	$2000	$2400	$1650
Equipment rental	yes	no	yes
- if yes, flight required.	11		10
- if yes, cost per flight.	$25 ($50/day flat rate, assuming two flights per day)		$25
- if yes, total cost to 25th flight.	$350		$375
- if no, equipment purchase flight required.		6
- if no, estimated purchase cost (based on last available price).		$6000
Total cost to HPAC Novice	$2350	$8400	$2025

This pricing assumes worst case, you finish your lessons and forget about flying. It happens. More than you think.

If instead you continue on, you now have full access to the secondary equipment market and have a relationship with an instructor (or two) that you hopefully trust the opinion of. 

In end ask questions of the school(s) you are looking at, find an instructor you are comfortable with, and make a spreadsheet like I just did - your wallet will thank you.

Happy Hunting!