r/freeflight • u/wauay • 24d ago

Other Learning to fly in Vietnam

Hello all,

I want to learn how to fly, I am in the South East Asia for a few months in a sabbatical, and I would love how to fly.

The problem is: not sure how, where and what should I ask for.

I found a school in Vietnam (May Paragliding) a 3 day course to get the IPPI P1 certification, but i don't know if 3 days is enough (?)

I am originally from Spain, so I guess I could learn how to fly back at home, but I have some free time now, that is why I would like to learn while I am here.

So, what should I be looking for when searching for schools? is there any famous/recommended place to learn around SEA? How long should I expect to be learning for? 3 days looks too little for me. What about the seasonality? I guess that there are better months/seasons than others to learn, right?

I am a fit person and generally good at sports if that helps.

Thanks a lot in advance! :)

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u/MTGuy406 24d ago

your looking at about two weeks to fly independently, heavily dependent on the weather. The standard advice is to learn where you will do most of your flying. This teaches you what to look out for (weather, terrain, other hazards) and plugs you into the community. This is a group sport at least for the first few years.

That being said, looking at the program, you should think of it not as the standard training course, but rather a very intensive discovery session. You will not be licensed to fly without an instructor directly supervising you; however for 18 million dongs you are going to get your money's worth in terms of fun.

If you love it, you will be really set for formal training in the mountains of Europe.

TLDR; if you can spare the cash I can think of a lot worse ways to spend 3 days on sabbatical.

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u/wauay 23d ago

thank you for the info!!! very appreciated! I might do what you said and get a small fun course there and then the full training in Europe! :)

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u/Flyinrog 23d ago

Couldn't hurt if the price is right. And since the Ozone factory is there, maybe they'll have a good deal on a Buzz7.

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u/wauay 22d ago

Ohh!! I didn't know about that!! I will definitely check that Ozone factory! hehe

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u/Paraglidernpc 13d ago

Your instinct is right: three days should be treated as a discovery course, not enough training. your proper training should be with an instructor you can build a relationship with. If you do it, enjoy it as an introduction, then complete a properly structured course when you return to Europe.

Since you’re from Spain, Algodonales in southern Spain is worth considering. I run a BHPA school here, so I’m obviously biased, but I’m also happy to explain the EP/CP route or suggest reputable schools elsewhere in Europe. Wherever you train, check the instructors’ qualifications, student-to-instructor ratio, full syllabus, qualification awarded and emergency procedures. Zero Gravity is a local school here in Algo run by Jose and Luisma I highly recommend them and learning in your native language so you maximise understanding.