It completely depends on what type of paragliding you want to do. This is the most common question I get from people who've never flown before — and it's the right question to ask before booking anything. There are three different scenarios and three different answers. Read the one that applies to you and ignore the rest.
The Quick Summary
| Flying type | Licence needed? | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Tandem (as passenger) | No | Age 14+, within weight limits |
| Solo (your own wing) | Yes | P1/P2 or equivalent |
| Learning at school | Handled by school | Just show up |
| Coaching week (with Behrooz) | Yes | Existing licence + insurance |
Scenario 1 — Tandem Paragliding (You as a Passenger)
No licence required. Not even close. A tandem flight means you are a passenger strapped into a harness in front of an experienced pilot. The pilot — me, in this case — holds all the qualifications: a Portuguese PGI certification, current insurance, an EN-certified tandem wing, and more flights at these specific sites than I can accurately count. You contribute nothing to flying the wing. Your one job is to run at takeoff when I say run, and to lift your feet and sit back during landing. That's it.
The requirements to book a tandem flight are practical rather than regulatory: you need to be above a minimum age (typically 14, though younger children can sometimes fly with parental consent and the right conditions), and within the weight limits for tandem operation. There's no paperwork, no test, no preparation. You message me, we agree a date, you show up at the meeting point in comfortable clothes and flat shoes, and we fly.
This is the most accessible form of paragliding precisely because the expertise is entirely on the pilot's side. If you've never flown before and want to know what it feels like, this is where you start.
Scenario 2 — Solo Paragliding (Flying Your Own Wing)
Yes — a licence is required, and it's non-negotiable. In Portugal and throughout most of Europe, solo paragliding requires at minimum a P1 or P2 level qualification from a recognised national federation. You cannot legally or safely buy a paraglider and start flying it without this.
The P1 licence (equivalent to what the BHPA in the UK calls "Club Pilot," or the DHV in Germany calls "A-Schein") is the basic solo licence. It means a pilot has completed a structured course at a certified school, demonstrated competence in ground handling, launch, flight, and landing, and is authorised to fly solo at appropriate sites with supervision. P2 (BHPA "Pilot" rating, DHV "B-Schein") represents greater independence and broader site access.
The licence is obtained through a paragliding school. You cannot skip straight to it — the skills take time to build across structured instruction, and the licence is the verified confirmation that you've built them correctly.
Scenario 3 — Learning at a Paragliding School
If you want to learn from scratch, the school manages the qualification process entirely. You don't need a licence before you start — you're working toward one. On your very first day of a beginner course you'll be flying under supervision on a gentle training slope, attached to a wing, learning the feel of it. By the end of a standard beginner course (typically five to ten days of instruction spread over one or two weeks), you'll be flying solo and working toward your P1.
The school provides the licence process, the certified instructors, the equipment, and the appropriate site access. You just need to show up ready to learn, in good physical condition, and with an open mind about how different the real thing is from watching YouTube videos of it.
What Joining Behrooz for a Coaching Week Requires
This is where I need to be specific, because I get questions about this regularly.
My coaching weeks are designed for licensed pilots who want to improve. I work with intermediate and experienced pilots who already have their P1 or P2 (or DHV, BHPA, SHV, USHPA, or equivalent national licence) and want to develop specific skills — typically XC flying, thermal efficiency, or coastal ridge soaring. I am not a beginner school. I don't teach people to fly from zero.
What I need from a pilot joining a coaching week:
- Your home federation licence (P1 minimum, P2 preferred for XC weeks)
- Current third-party liability insurance — required for flying in Portugal regardless of nationality. Most federation memberships include this; check yours before travelling.
- An IPPI card (International Pilot Proficiency Information card) — strongly recommended and required at many Portuguese sites. More on this below.
If you're a complete beginner who wants to learn paragliding from scratch and then progress to coaching, the path is: complete a beginner course at a certified school near you, obtain your P1, get some local flights under your belt, and then come to Sesimbra for coaching. That is the correct sequence, and it's one I'm happy to discuss with you before you've even started your beginner course.
Why You Can't Just "Try It" Solo Without Training
I understand the impulse. Paragliding looks accessible — it's a fabric wing and some lines, not a machine with an engine. But the wing is a genuinely complex piece of aerodynamic equipment that requires real skill to manage safely. A paraglider can surge, collapse, stall, and spin in ways that are recoverable only if the pilot has the training to recognise and respond to what's happening. The collapse that's a non-event for a trained pilot is a serious incident for someone who hasn't learned to deal with it.
The licence exists because the skills take time to develop through proper supervised instruction. There's no shortcut — not because of bureaucracy, but because the physics require it. I say this not to discourage anyone, but because the pilots who try to shortcut it are the ones who end up in the statistics. The path through proper training is faster and safer than any alternative.
The IPPI Card System
The IPPI card (International Pilot Proficiency Information) is separate from your national licence — think of it as an internationally recognised travel document that confirms your licence status to foreign sites and operators. It's issued by your home federation when you have a valid licence, and it allows sites and instructors abroad to quickly verify what level you're qualified to fly.
Most visiting pilots to Portugal carry an IPPI card alongside their home licence. If you're flying at official sites or joining an organised group, the card will be checked. It's a simple document to obtain — contact your federation once you have your licence. Level 4 on the IPPI scale corresponds broadly to a P2/BHPA Pilot rating and is the level I'd expect from pilots joining XC coaching.
Third-party liability insurance is a legal requirement for flying in Portugal. BHPA membership includes this automatically. DHV membership includes it. SHV and other European federations typically include it too. Check before you travel — don't assume your home membership covers you abroad. If it doesn't, standalone paragliding travel insurance is available from several specialist providers and costs very little relative to the trip.
Your First Step If You've Never Flown
If you've never been in a paraglider and you're trying to work out where to start, the path is simple:
- Book a tandem flight. No licence, no paperwork. Message me and we set a date. You'll know within the first five minutes whether this is something you want to pursue further.
- If you want to learn solo flying, find a certified paragliding school near your home. Don't pick a school based on price — pick one with good instructor-to-student ratios and a clear path to the P1 licence.
- Once you have your P1 and some flights on your own, contact me about a coaching week. By that point you'll have specific questions and specific things you want to improve, and we can design the week around them.
There's no rush to the third step. The pilots who get the most out of coaching weeks are the ones who arrive with real questions — not just "I want to get better" but "I keep losing thermals after the second turn and I don't understand why." Those questions come from actual flying experience, and experience takes time to accumulate. Get the time. It's worth it.