Freedom Flight School

In April of 2022 I spent 12 days at the Freedom Flight School completing the P1 and P2 courses with my brother.We had wanted to fly since we were kids, and we finally decided it was time to do it, so we traveled from Montreal and Toronto to Lumby to learn from the best instructors in Canada: Dave, Terry and Jason.The experience of learning to fly was incredible. We always felt safe with our instructors supporting us on the radio, and we got to see so many beautiful things. My brother flew next to a bald eagle, and I got to see a black bear with her cub walking in the forest down below.The ground school was also a lot of fun! Our instructors have a million stories to tell, and each one is more interesting than the last. Even waiting for the right conditions at Cooper's Launch was fun. We would look at hawks and how they adjust their wingspan to spot thermals and turbulent air, and also at the clouds. It's crazy how you start looking at nature in new ways when you learn how to fly.I recommend camping at the Flight Park if you can. It's awesome to live and breathe paragliding while you are there, and they have everything you need: trailers and space for tents, a fully equipped kitchen (fridge, BBQ, kettle, plates, utensils, etc.), an outdoor shower and bathrooms.My only regret is that I didn't learn how to fly sooner. I don't know why I waited so long to do something that I had always wanted to do. So stop hesitating. You already found the best school ever, so go and learn how to fly! You'll make lots of new friends along the way too :-)

I recently spent 2 weeks down in Lumby at Freedom Flight School to obtain my P1 & P2 rating in May. It's hard to imagine a more down to earth, knowledgeable, inclusive and helpful group of people to learn from. From day 1 of getting in touch with the school I was offered the flexibility of working around my own personal schedule rather than having set intake dates which doesn't really work out with the sort of schedule I have with work.Upon arrival at the flight park I was warmly welcomed by all the patrons who were there (no students at first!). It's a unique setup with a large area for camping and a fully equipped lounge+kitchen that students are guests were able to use. This setup allowed for a nice social environment getting to know locals and other members of the community in an easy way.Both instructors Dave & Terry were fantastic. In both a technical and personable aspect they excelled at presenting the material they were teaching. Time spent waiting for better weather up on launch was rarely wasted, rather it was spent teaching things like observing birds to gauge thermal conditions, observing nearby weather systems and teaching how they may affect the upcoming flight or simply sharing some of the incredible stories these 2 have experienced throughout their flying career.The wealth of knowledge shared between the two of them is enormous and is delivered in a matter that made it incredibly easy to pick up on the nuances of something that may not make sense in the beginning. It was clear that rather than just feed you the information required they truly cared about making sure it was understood why they were teaching certain things. In a safety conscious environment like freeflight this really made me feel much more comfortable in my training. The program was delivered in a well thought out matter and took steps to make sure that you were prepared for the next stepping stone along the way each time.Having completed my P2 rating with the instruction from Dave & Terry I feel very comfortable being a solo pilot and making smart decisions whilst I do so. You can't go wrong learning from Freedom Flight School.

LOVED IT! The vibe at this place is amazing ❤️A friend of mine is doing his P2 certification with this school, he recommended them to me. I never tried paragliding before. I had such a blast flying in tandem wit Terry!! I really loved the atmosphere at the place, how cute and chill it was. You can bring your family and lounge together watching paraglides launch from a hill and land in front of you. The instructors are very knowledgeable, went over all the safety and steps before take off, so I knew what to expect and what to do. Lovely! 10/10 recommend!

Highly recommended. Completed my P1 and P2 here. A great, progressive course that lets you gradually build up your skills. Dave and the rest of the staff were amazing. Can't say enough about them. The location provides great amenities. Just amazing!

I had a wonderful experience at Freedom Flight School. They taught me how to paraglide in a way that was fun and safe. I appreciated the pace of their lessons, which were tailored to my skill level and goals. The location was also great, as it was very close to Coopers Launch site, which is a great spot to learn to fly at. The instructors, Dave Underwood and Terry Butcher, were knowledgeable and very friendly, and were a great source of feedback and encouragement. I would *highly recommend* Freedom Flight School to anyone who wants to learn how to paraglide or improve their skills.

A great school to learn to paraglide. Lessons are flexible, and adaptable around the student's schedule. All flying gear is provided. Great instructors, and a welcoming environment. During the summer, the school's flying site (Cooper's) is flyable nearly every day.This is also a great place to book a tandem flight and get a taste of paragliding!

This place is what dreams are made of.My brother and I did our P1 and P2 courses at the Freedom Flight School over the course of 12 days in April 2022. Dave, Terry and Jason taught us how to fly. They are incredible pilots and teachers. I didn't have a single dull moment here, even the ground school lessons were fun. I felt completely safe under their supervision.Camping at the park is also an experience in itself. You are constantly bumping into new faces who are friendly and eager to share their passion for flying. The park also has great facilities: trailers you can rent (or you can just bring your own tent), a fully equipped kitchen in the lounge (BBQ with a burner, fridge, plates. cups, utensils), and an outdoor shower.After a day packed with fun and learning my brother and I would cook food on the BBQ and go sit by a massive fire pit to hear stories (Dave is an amazing storyteller). On the right nights you can expect to see a sky overflowing with stars and so clear that you will be able to spot satellites with your naked eye. It's magic.I can't recommend this experience enough. Learning to paraglide is insanely fun. I plan to come back to the park in the future to continue exploring all the flying the area has to offer (I have only scratched the surface!).If you want to learn to paraglide, you can stop searching for schools now. Contact the Freedom Flight School. They are the best.

Can't say enough good things about Dave and the Freedom Flight School! Got my P1 and P2 here and what an ideal place to do it. Lumby provides a very safe environment to learn in terms of air stability and landing areas with opportunities to catch some awesome thermals as a learner. The Freedom Flight School is unique in that it's run out of the Freedom Flight Park which is essentially a flight hostel with a warm community of experienced pilots that will take you under their wing. There is camping and a lounge right adjacent to the landing zone. If you decide to camp on site which I would recommend, you'll enjoy the camaraderie of other learners, experienced pilots and Dave. Felt just as much like vacation as flight school, didn't expect to have near this much fun. The instruction was of top quality and I always felt safe. Dave was very in tune with my needs and goals as a learner. I feel well equipped to begin my career as a paraglider pilot!

11/10! I did my P1/P2 training here last spring and couldn’t recommended them more. Dave is very accommodating and was able to get me flying on short notice. He and Terry’s passion for the sport is reflected in their instruction and they made the process a breeze. Their program is relaxing and efficient, with an obvious focus on safety. What’s best is that the support doesn’t end with the completion of the course. They obviously care about their people!Beyond the school, the flight park offers an ultra welcoming environment and is a great spot to spend some time. If you are looking for a place to go for a tandem flight, try the sport or get licensed, I’d highly suggest that you “call Dave from Lumby”!.

A friend and I learned to paraglide here recently (P1 + P2) and we have nothing but great things to say about Freedom Flight School and the instructors there! We booked 2 weeks of holiday and drove over from the west coast without knowing ANYTHING about paragliding or what we were getting into. We returned pilots, and hooked on flying!Our instructors were primarily Dave and Terry, and both were excellent. Instructions were always calm, clear, and precise, demonstrating both of their extensive knowledge and expertise. There was an emphasis on understanding the material, rather than just memorization for the purposes of passing the written tests. This is especially important since paragliding can lead to serious injury, and safety was a constant point of discussion. Their goal is to educate you for a long and safe flying career, rather than just pumping out students as fast as possible.Lessons were well structured and had excellent progressions to build upon skills, ensure you don't get overwhelmed, and have mastered concepts at one level before continuing to the next. We started with ground handling to learn about our paragliding equipment and how to perform a clean forwards launch. Next was the training hill"