Over the years the PKA has formulated a tried and tested series of training courses that cover everything from your first day in a parakart to becoming an instructor.

The introduction to parakarting is greatly enhanced by attending a training course with a qualified instructor; it will speed up your learning of the sport, be way safer and introduce you to the whole parakarting world.

These courses start with the level 1 beginners course then an intermediate level 2 courses.

Level 1 - Will teach you all the basics of flying four line parafoils, get you going in the parakart and teach you how to stop again as well as introduce you to the safety kit, the PKA and the sport.

Level 2 - This course will increase your basic skills, enabling you to parakart in all wind directions, improve and extend your kite flying skills, get you parakarting safely around others and introduce you to the race formats.

Following these initial courses you may well have got the bug bad, seen a few race events and now want to get involved yourself. Well level 2 and a few hours of practice will have given you the skills, but racing is fast and furious, often with fleets of up to 50 pilots in a race, so to ensure you are up to speed the PKA run a pilots race licence scheme.

This ensures that -

1. You know and understand the race rules.
2. You have the practical skills
3. You are competent and safe racing with other pilots on a set course.

The race licence you take is a Club Pilots Licence and enables you to race in the PKA Club Series once successfully completed. After a year in this class you may choose to move up into the National Series, with the potential of qualifying for the British team. National and international race licences are awarded on merit as you qualify for each level via the racing itself.

Pilots licencing is generally available at all PKA events or can be arranged directly with a PKA instructor or training school.

Instructor Training

The PKA instructors are in the unique position within the power-kiting world of currently being the only instructors recognised by the government through Sports England. This is due to parakartings status of being a class 8 landyacht, which provides the recognition.

Not only that the PKA also has the most comprehensive instructor training course programme that has now even been adopted by other national associations.

The PKA has two types of instructor -

1. Those who work solely within the association, conducting pilots licencing and instructing only to people who are paid up members of the PKA.

2. Commercial instructors and schools who may teach directly to members of the public who are not members of the association

Commercial instructors are required to hold a different level of insurance to cover public liability when teaching to members of the public. This is due to members of the public not holding insurance of their own by virtue of their PKA membership. So please check your insurance situation with your instructor before undertaking a course.

Parakart instructor training course take place twice a year if the demand calls for it. The courses run over two days and cover all aspects of teaching the sport, running your own school and operating within the PKA. Following The two day course you are then asked to complete a logged period of actual live teaching at PKA events and obtain a first aid qualification to enable your instructor licence to be awarded fully.

To find out more about PKA training and instructor courses please contact Neil Godbold the PKA National Trainer.

Phone 01305 750270 or e-mail paracademy@aol.com

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