Why Join?
Why should I join the IHPA?
The IHPA is an association of pilots from all around the country who have come together to enjoy, promote and guide the development of the sport in Ireland, and to protect their interests with one common voice. By joining the IHPA you are supporting the sport in Ireland and helping to make it safer and more fun for all involved.
To give just one example: all the hills we fly from and all the fields we land in belong to someone, and permission must be sought to use each and every one of them before we can fly. That permission does not come easily in these letigeous times - landlords want assurances that they will not get sued if a pilot has an accident on their land and that they will be compensated in the event of damage or loss of their property or livestock, and they generally want it in writing! Over the years the IHPA has negotiated agreements with farmers and landowners all around the country to use their lands, and that permission is based on every member pilot having signed a waiver of indemnity in favour of the landowner and carrying public liability insurance. That may not sound like much, but it only takes one thoughtless non-member pilot to loose a great flying site for everyone.
Take a look at the 'About the IHPA - Benefits of Membership' and judge for yourself just how much the IHPA does on behalf of its members, and all for less than the cost of a single night out on the town!
- If this is your first time joining the Association then your membership is FREE! up to March 31st.
- If you are visiting Ireland for three months or less to fly then please join for FREE! as a visiting pilot.
Annual membership runs from 1st April to 31st March.
Just click on 'Membership' in the main menu to join. So please join us today!
New Members
If this is your first time to join the IHPA then WELCOME! We hope that you will use this website and our forums to make the most of your sport, to learn as much as you can, to make contact and friends with our many members all around the country, and to help you continue your development as a pilot by safely progressing through the Pilot Rating System.
Please read the Flight Safety pages carefully and pay particular attention to the Rules of the Air!
All pilots are required to provide verifiable evidence of their qualifications (a national pilot rating or IPPI card.) Pilots without any verifiable pilot qualification or rating are required to undertake an assessment before they may free fly in Ireland.
Student pilots are required to provide contact details for the school at which they have or still are training with. Student pilots who have trained abroad will be credited with any rating achieved but are required to continue their training in a school environment here in Ireland until they have attained the minimum Para Pro 3 (Novice Pilot) rating required to free fly here in Ireland.
Please contact the IHPA Training & Flight Safety Officer for details.
Annual membership normally costs just €40, but as you are going to be our newest member we would like to welcome you into the IHPA by waiving your subscription fee until March 31st, when all pilots renew their membership! Just click on 'Membership' in the main menu and select the New Member membership plan, fill in your details and you're done!
Welcome to the IHPA!
Visiting Pilots
If you are visiting Ireland for a short stay (three months or less) and wish to fly while you are here then WELCOME! We hope that you will use this website and our forums to make the most of your trip, to make contact and friends with our many members all around the country who will be more than willing to help you get into the air and give you the benefit of their local knowledge, full site briefings, directions to the best flying sites and local site rules.
Please read the Flight Safety pages carefully and pay particular attention to the Rules of the Air!
All pilots are required to provide verifiable evidence of their qualifications (a national pilot rating or IPPI card.) Pilots without any verifiable pilot qualification or rating are required to undertake an assessment before they may free fly in Ireland.
Student pilots are required to provide contact details for the school at which they have or still are training with. Student pilots who have trained abroad will be credited with any rating achieved but are required to continue their training in a school environment here in Ireland until they have attained the minimum Para Pro 3 (Novice Pilot) rating required to free fly here in Ireland.
Please contact the IHPA Training & Flight Safety Officer for details.
Annual membership normally costs just €40, but as you are only here for a short trip we would like to welcome you into the IHPA as a Visiting Member for the duration of your trip by waiving your subscription! Just click on 'Membership' in the main menu and select the Visiting Pilot membership plan, fill in your details and you're done!
Welcome to the IHPA!
Renew your Membership
If you are renewing your membership for another year or re-joining us after taking time out from the sport then we would like to say a big Thank You! for your continued support. While we hope that you have benefited from being a member, please don't hesitate to let us know how we can improve our services to pilots or if you have an idea that you feel would benefit other members.
All pilots are required to provide verifiable evidence of their qualifications (a national pilot rating or IPPI card.) Pilots without any verifiable pilot qualification or rating are required to undertake an assessment before they may free fly in Ireland.
Student pilots are required to provide contact details for the school at which they have or still are training with. Student pilots who have trained abroad will be credited with any rating achieved but are required to continue their training in a school environment here in Ireland until they have attained the minimum Para Pro 3 (Novice Pilot) rating required to free fly here in Ireland.
Please contact the IHPA Training & Flight Safety Officer for details.
If you are an existing or lapsed member of the IHPA then please click on 'Membership' in the main menu and select the IHPA Member membership plan, fill in your details, pay the annual subscription using our PayPal gateway, and you're done!
Annual membership runs from 1st April to 31st March. The membership subscription fee is just €40 for the year. If you can't (or don't want to) use PayPal then you may pay by cheque. Cheques should be made payable to "Irish Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association." Please try to renew your membership before the AGM in March if you wish to vote or if you wish to speak at the meeting.
Welcome back to the IHPA!
Insurance
All pilots are required to have Personal Liability insurance cover for €1,500,000 or more if they wish to fly in Ireland. This is the minimum level of cover that is agreeable to RTE, Coillte and many of the landowners from whose property we fly or land on. Please note that VHI, VIVAS and BUPA, etc. Health Insurance policies DO NOT provide Personal Liability cover and will not cover you against claims in the event of a flying related accident.
Annual Cover
The IHPA has recently secured a deal with AXA to cover Hang Gliding and Paragliding pilots resident in Ireland. IHPA members will receive a 10-20% discount when they provide their NAC membership number (available from your profile page after you have registered) depending on the product they buy.
NOTICE: SportsCover Direct have withdrawn from the Irish market (for all sports, not just free flying) due to Brexit. UK resident pilots wishing to fly in Ireland may continue to use SportsCover Direct if they are not already members of the BHPA, whose insurance is also valid here.
For Hang Glider Pilots and Paraglider Student Pilots under professional tuition.
In the past year a number of other companies have started offering similar, and in some cases more comprehensive cover for hang glider and paraglider pilots, and we invite you to examine the benefits of their policies also.
If you discover a new supplier of incurance cover, please let us know and we will include them on this page.
Holiday Insurance
If you are planning to go on a flying holiday then please check that your current policy covers you in the event of a flying related accident on holiday, including Search & Rescue, Helicopter Medevac to hospital, all your hospital fees and Medical Repatriation back to Ireland. You may need to buy an extension to your existing policy to cover you on holiday.
EHIC
European Health Insurance Card
You should, as a matter of course apply to your local health authority for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which recently replaced the E111 form. The EHIC card will save you from any out of pocket medical expenses while you are travelling overseas, such as visits to the doctor and the cost of prescription treatments from the pharmacy. The EHIC card is free to all residents of the EU and you can apply on-line by clicking on the EU flag above.
For further information on the EHIC card, visit www.applyehic.org
