Frequently asked questions tandem flying

Surprise Factory or National Gift Certificate voucher: If you have a Surprise Factory voucher that will expire soon, you can send the original voucher to us by post. Please include your own postal address! We will then send you a new PaHo voucher that is valid for 2 years. We charge € 5 administration costs per voucher for this. Payment information will be sent to you with the new voucher. Postal address: Hoefzijde 4-09, 3961 MX Wijk bij Duurstede. Note: already expired coupons are NOT accepted.

Paragliding Holland voucher: Our vouchers have a longer period of validity and are NOT renewed. Read the text on the receipt carefully and check the issue date to avoid disappointments.

Your voucher MUST be valid on the date you fly. Expired coupons are not accepted! If you have an expired Surprise Factory voucher and you do not agree, we kindly request you to contact the organization that issued this ticket: the Surprise Factory.

Two possible solutions:
1. If you have an almost expired Surprise Factory voucher, you can send it to us for an extension, see question 1.
2. If you come and fly during the week then you can usually make a reservation on the short term, see question 4.

Paragliding is a weather-dependent sport. If it rains or the wind is too strong for example, we can not fly. So you always have to check on the day itself whether or not it is flyable. We will publish this on our website under 'Flying foreacst', located at the upper right corner of our website. Here, on the actual day of your flight, you will find a message after 08.30 am saying if it is flyable that day and from what time onwards we start. You will also find a link to directions here.

Paragliding Holland also flies regularly during the week. We always announce our weekday plans on our website on Monday evening at 'Flying foreacst' (top right of the website). In that same message there will also be a link with which you can easily book your weekday tandem flight. Usually we fly on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday because most people can come by and it is worth to rent the towing field from the farmer. Do not forget to check 'Flying foreacst' on the day of your flight to see if we can actually fly that day. If there is no planning for weekdays on the website, it means that we do not have plans to fly for that week.

On the day itself, after 8.30 am, we will announce on our website at 'Flying foreacst' (top right of the website), if we can fly, the final location where we will fly and from what time you are welcome. The location of your tandem flight depends on the month of the year, our capacity and local weather forecasts. In principle, from April 1st to October 31st we fly on our field in Houten on both Saturday and Sunday. From November 1st until the end of February our pitch at Houten is usually too wet and we fly both weekend days on our field in Terlet. Although we try to stick to this schedule, PaHo always reserves the right to change the location on the day itself! It can sometimes happen that the farmer is fertilizing his land and we can not use the field.

We only make it known on the day itself whether we can fly, where we fly that day and from what time we start. This will be announced on the website at 'Flying foreacst' (top right of the website). You can click here after 8.30 in the morning to read our message. In good weather we usually start at 11 o'clock in the morning. In case we have some doubts about the weather this may be a bit later. So please read our message carefully! It is best to be there a quarter of an hour before the time you have actually booked. After you have reported to one of our instruction team members, you will be placed on a starting list. So you will probably have to wait a bit before you can go into the air.

You can pay in four ways for your tandem flight:

With a valid gift voucher from the Surprise Factory

With a valid gift voucher from Paragliding Holland, provided that it has an activation code

With cash euro's

With a card payment

In the Netherlands we go up with the help of a winch cable of about 800 meters in length. The harder the wind blows, the longer it takes before we are above the winch and disconnect the cable. If there is no wind we will reach around 250 meters altitude, with wind upto 3 Bft we might get uo to around 400 meters. If it blows even harder, it will become too dangerous and flying will be cancelled. We go down about one and a half meters per second after disconnecting the cable so the entire descent lasts between 3 and 5 minutes. An average flight lasts in its totality between 5 and 10 minutes. Occasionally in thermic conditions we can stay in the air longer (for example, half an hour), but it is hard to predict when and what time of the day that happens. This can be both summers and in the spring or autumn. Sometimes early in the day, sometimes later. It is just a matter of luck.

A route description to our towing field can be found on our website. Look at 'Locations' and then choose the towing field where you want to go. You can also find directions at the 'Flying foreacst' (top right of the website): click on it and you will automatically find a link to the route descriptions.

Our terrain is of course also accessible by public transport! Travel to Houten Castellum station and pick up a public transport bicycle ('OV fiets') there. It is then a little more than ten minutes of cycling, so you do your warming up! And at our towing field in Terlet, a bus stops within walking distance of the towing field.

We advise you to wear high and sturdy work / mountain shoes for extra support of the ankles. Wearing protective clothing that may become dirty and can take a beating (eg long trousers, shirt / coat with long sleeves) is also recommended.

Appointments are never automatically transferred to another date. If your flight happens to be cancelled (for example due to bad weather), you will have to make a new appointment via the online booking system. We would like to point out that you can also visit during the week, see for explanation question 4. And in the period from 1 November until the end of February you can also come by on weekends or during the week. In this winter period we announce a weekplanning at 'Flying foreacst' on Monday evening. From that moment you can reserve a tandem flight for the weekend or during the week.

Photographing is of course possible, only during the start and landing you can not use the camera. Make sure in any case that your camera is secured by means of a rope, so that it can not fall down during the flight.

It does not matter to Paragliding Holland who uses the gift voucher. It does not necessarily have to be the person mentioned on the voucher. You can also share the voucher if it is valid for more than 1 tandem flight. However, both people will then have to pay a contribution for the farmer for using his land.

Paragliding Holland flies (weather permitting) throughout the year every weekend, regularly also a day during the week and almost every holiday. We always mention our flight planning of that week on Monday evening at 'Flying foreacst'. On the day itself, you have to check in the morning after 08.30 hrs at 'Flying foreacst' whether we can actually fly or not!

In the period from 1 April to 1 November, you must make a reservation for your tandem flight for the weekend days. This is easily done through our reservation system. During this period we also fly regularly during the week: for the weekdays you can only make a reservation from Monday evening after we have announced the flight planning. See question 4 for more information.

In the period from 1 November to the end of February, we only fly in good weather. Both for the weekend days and during the weekdays you can only book from Monday evening onwards, after we have announced our flight planning at 'Flying foreacst'.

Paragliding Holland also flies regularly during the week in good weather. On Monday evening, we will announce at 'Vliegverwachrtingen' (top right of the website) on which weekdays we want to fly. In that message there is also a link with which you can book your weekday tandem flight. On the day itself you MUST check in the morning after 8.30 hrs at 'Flying foreacst' whether we can actually fly or not. If there is no planning for weekdays on the website, it means that we do not have plans to fly at that moment.

Paragliding is an air sport and therefore involves risks. But we can also reassure you: we make hundreds of flights every year without any accidents. Tandem pilots are experienced pilots that have been trained to fly under all possible weather conditions. We only use first-class materials and an experienced 'ground crew' keeps an eye on things. A bruise occurs with some regularity, sprains can be counted on one hand...so don't worry, sit back and enjoy your flight!

Elsewhere on this site you can find more information about paragliding and insurance, but in this place we explain a few things that have to do directly with participation in a tandem flight.

We hear very often that 'my insurance' excludes paragliding. However, that is usually not the case. The problem with this statement is it's lack of nuance. We do not know of any (Dutch) health insurance or private health insurance that excludes the medical costs resulting from an accident related to paragliding. However if you are insured in another country and you are in the Netherlands for a short period (e.g. holidays), then your travel insurance should not exclude paragliding activities.

There are generally two types of possible damage: First of all the damage to clothing, glasses, etc or loss of objects. And second the risk that after an accident you may not be able to work, or no longer fully, and as a result, you will lose income. In case you have a dutch health insurance, you carry these financial risks yourself. In case of a travel insurance some of these risks might be covered by your insurance, we advice you to look carefully into these matters.

Paragliding Holland has a liability insurance for damage caused by the pilot (and the passenger) to third parties. If you, as a passenger, accidentally do not follow our instructions and you cause damage, then this falls under the cover of our liability insurance. But the pilot and the passenger are not covered under this insurance for any damage that they incur themselves.

We do not accept any liability for damage that the passenger suffers as a result of one of our activities. Fortunately, there is very little going wrong and the biggest damage is usually only a few dirty clothes or a few bruises. Yet we emphasize once again: paragliding is a risk sport.

If you have a Surprise Factory voucher whose validity date has already expired then we can unfortunately no longer accept it. For an application for an extension of the validity of a Surprise Factory ticket, please refer to surprisefactory.nl.

An expired coupon from Paragliding Holland is no longer accepted.

No. We have several tandem gliders to be able to fly with very light passengers. Flying with children is therefore also possible.

Persons up to 100 kg can easily fly with us. If you are much heavier than 100 kg it depends a little on the circumstances: with sufficient wind the start is easy and a good height can be achieved. In the case of windless weather, the start is more difficult and, because of the large joint weight, you do not get that high. In the latter situation it would be better to postpone the flight to a more suitable time.

No, very little effort is required. You must be able to run a few steps to help with the start and landing. The more wind, the less you need to run. In windless weather you need to run a little further, but you are helped by the winch cable.

No. Our youngest passenger was four years old and the oldest around 80 (who came on a motorbike!). You have to be able to run a few steps and have the ability to jump off a chair.

On our towing field in Houten is a paragliding terrace where you can buy snacks and drinks (if it is open). In Terlet there is a restaurant where you can eat and drink (if it is open). If you bring your own food & drinks: please clean up all your waste yourself and take it with you !! We have to leave the field spic and span! Do not leave cigarette butts behind, otherwise the cows will get hooked on nicotine!

Yes, without problems!

At our site in Houten we have a field that is arranged as a parking lot. When you drive over the Achterdijk you will automatically see a blue 'P' sign. You are urged to not park in the farmer's yard.

There is also sufficient parking space at our site in Terlet. It is very important that you strictly adhere to the marked routes in this area (follow the PaHo signs) and only park where it is indicated.

We are guests at working farms. Because of damage to the land, nuisance for the animals present and / or because of the risk of contamination, it is not allowed to take any animals to the towing field.

Due to a combination of bad weather and increasing interest, it is possible that all reservations are fully booked. What can you do now to make your tandem flight?

You can visit us during the weekend in the period from November to the end of February. During this period, we will announce what our flight plans are on Monday evening at 'Flying foreacst'. From that moment you can reserve your tandem flight. In the message itself there will be a link through which you can reserve your flight.

You can visit us during the week. We always announce our flight planning for that week on Monday evening. If we have plans to fly during the week, then you can make a reservation for that weekday through our website. In the message itself there will be a link through which you can reserve your tandem flight.

You can make a reservation for next year (if the new program is already on the website).

We always do our utmost to catch up, we hope for understanding from your side for this. If you have a gift voucher from Surprise Factory that will soon expire, you can extend it with us for a year. See question 1 of frequently asked questions.

No, it is not possible to go into the air with 2 people at the same time. You go into the air 1 by 1, together with the tandem pilot.

Unfortunately, we cannot and will not answer that simply because we are not doctors. You will need to discuss this with your doctor. You should realize that you have to put on a harness (seat) with a strap that runs quite tightly over your stomach.

You have to be able to do a short sprint at the start. We cannot estimate whether you can do that if you have knee or back problems. So we cannot answer this either. You will need to discuss this with your doctor.