Metagliding – SIV and ACRO course – Traing with Calin Popa, APPI & IPPI certified Acro & SIV Instructor

Calin Popa’s SIV and ACRO course

APPI & IPPI certified Acro & SIV Instructor

Who is this course for?

The course addresses all paraglider pilots who want to increase their skill and safety . Whether thermalling, soaring or leisure flying, xc fans or acro freaks, the SIV training is crucial for developing correct reactions in case of incidents such as collapses, turbulent air, rapid descent techniques and avoiding in-flight collisions.

Furthermore, by learning to handle the full extent of the brake travel and managing subsequent evolutions, the flight efficiency and performance is greatly increased.

All courses are personalised, individual training programs. All students have their own progression plans. Plus, when learned methodically, it’s heaps of FUN too.

The method of teaching is based on Neuro-Muscular-Programming, employing both Direct and Active Pedagogy and targets Understanding, Experiencing and Learning. We work as much on consolidating mental comfort in extreme situations as we do on consolidating skills and correct muscle memory. It is impossible to achieve one without the other.

The course includes

Theory & dry simulation minimum 12h

The topics covered and approximate duration of each topic are detailed in the Student’s Manual.

Rescue boat, radios, life jackets and more

During the training days we provide rescue boats on stand-by, radios with headsets, life jackets, take-off supervision, daily theory and video briefing.

Practical training under radio instruction, 6 to 9 flights

Practical training under radio instruction will be between 6 and 9 flights. Those flights have to be done during the training days 3-6. Any less than 6 flights due to bad weather will result in a partial, mutually agreed upon discount. Any more than 6 but not more than 9 will not be charged anything extra. The absolute average height for training flights is approximately 1000 m over sea.

Equipment check

Equipment check includes visual inspection of paraglider, harness and rescue system. This is to ensure the functionality of the systems and does not stand as an official guarantee that they are safe.

Personalized, individual training programs

All courses are personalised, individual training programs. Although much of the theory and understanding is common, your individual progression in the course is dependent only on your starting level, ability to absorb and apply information, ability to fix correct muscle memory, and equipment.

Student will have an individual training file

Each student gets an individual training file, and as soon as I observe correct muscle memory has been established and he or she is mentally ready to progress, we move to the next manoeuvre, irrespective of his or her colleagues’ progress.

Clear and well-established training plan

A clear and well-established training plan that takes you from pitch and roll control all the way to Infinite Tumbling and Helicopter. ON the XC side as well, by selecting equipment and developing purely into safety and flight performance direction, in clear pre-defined steps, your individual progress goes from all types and styles of collapses with a low B to mastering parachutal stall ( deepstall ) and flyback with EN-D or CCC gliders.

Safety level required for progression is checked at all times

The safety level required for progression is checked at all times by evaluated muscle memory and reactions in perquisite maneuvers.

Looking for specific markers in your abilities

Important to mention that I am looking for specific markers in your abilities. It means that even though you can control ( or think you can control ) certain maneuvers, unless you are able to reproduce them in the way I ask you to, we will not progress to the next maneuver. Example: you feel confident with spiral dive, you are exiting safely in a massive pitch every time, but you are unable to exit in a progressive, energy dissipating 360 degrees turn. Until this is achieved, I will not let you progress to the fullstall maneuver or wing-over level 2. At all times you can question my reasoning and I will provide you with clear answers as to why my specific requirements are in place.

1 boat recovery, 1 radio, 1 CO2 cylinder for free

The first time when you land in the water, you will get the boat recovery, a new radio, and a new co2 cylinder for free. If you land a second time, you will have to pay for that, according to the extra costs price list. Sweet water wash, drying and rescue packing are not supported by us, those always come as extra costs. Important to know is the fact that sea water does not chemically damage your glider in any way. It is the salty water drying up on your equipment that damages the canopy, rescue and lines’ material. As water evaporates, dissolved salt crystals begin to grow and do significant microdamage to the fabric. Washing it before it begins to dry, for 1 h with sweet water, completely eliminates the risk of any damage.

We provide ground video footage

We provide ground video footage for most of your training flights. We view those videos during the course only in the cases when the learning vector obtained from doing so benefits the whole class. After the end of the course I will upload all footage filmed on cloud drive and provide you with a download link 🙂

International completion certificates

I provide official international completion certificates for students that request them and will be provided within 2 weeks after requesting them. I also provide a copy of your detailed training file, similar as the example posted in the download section.

Possibility to get tested for the APPI Open Pilot lev3

There is an option to get tested for the APPI Open Pilot lev 3 rating card and/ or APPI SIV certificate. Testing for lev 3 requires Theory Test and Takeoff and Landing practical testing. A minimum of 4 pilots is required to organize such testing and it comes at an extra cost. APPI SIV validation for holders of APPI lev 3 rating cards comes free of charge and can be done immediately after the course completion.

Admission Requirements

As long as you have a national paragliding license ( an official paper from an authorized and registered organization affiliated with civil aviation authority in any country ) and a personal health insurance with third party coverage of paragliding activities, you’re good to go, right?

Yes, but not quite. We do ask you to be able to take-off and land unsupervised in all standard conditions and terrain, and thus we have a supplementary requirement of 90 flights and 10 hours of flight experience prior to course admission.

Furthermore, you need to be a fluent speaker of English language, and have a complete set of paragliding equipment in good condition and suitable for the learning purpose ( example : no previous experience in SIV and you come only with an ED-D glider = not admitted )

Equipment requirements:

For the first SIV with me, bring an en-A or en-B glider, training on EN-C or D is possible, but please bring an EN-B to begin with as well.
Same for the harness, for the first SIV seated harness is a must, bring the pod harness as well, you begin with the seated and then progress to the pod.
Optionally, you can also bring an extra rescue with front container and a life jacket if you own one.
The harness must be with integrated rescue and speed bar mounted and adjusted, helmet, and gopro 3 or higher action camera, with an appropriate and compatible leg (knee) mount.
Bring a good compass and a dry bag (2 is even better). In the course you will fly with your mobile phone on you, secured in the drybags.
A Turkish SIM card is a big bonus to your experience in the course.

Code of conduct requirements:

1. Students are required to be punctual, honest and respectful to the teachers and their colleagues.
2. Unconstructive competition between students is not permitted.
3. Personal opinions are welcome, as long as they align with SAFETY and PROGRESS as prime objectives.
4. Commitment to the learning experience is compulsory.
5. This is not an all-inclusive vacation on the beach, this is a specific learning experience in an emotionally intense and potentially dangerous environment.

Remember that if you believe you know something 100%, you cannot be open to learning that you are wrong. A teacher can only teach, but it is the choice of the student if he chooses to learn or not.

As the learning plans are personilised, please note that i will distribute the time and resources according to what I consider necessary for each individual student at
every give time.

Financial requirements:

Students are required to have paid 50% of the course fee at least 30 days before their course starts, and the rest upon registration on the first day of their course.

The program of the course

Below you cand find a daily schedule and a detailed description activities for each day.

Day 1 - Theory & safety briefing

The course begins on the first day at 8:30 am, at the specified course location. You need to bring your equipment, a small notebook and pen, as well as digital copies of your ID, paragliding license and insurance. Please have your mobile with you as well. After greeting each other we say a few words about ourselves, and we proceed with registration & essential info list. You will get to sign a waiver based on your paragliding license and the medical declaration. At the same time, you will pay the remainder of 50% of the course fee, either cash or bank transfer. Once this is complete, we proceed with general theory.

The topics covered are:

Aerodynamics,
Flight Mechanics,
Specific Flight Planning,
Communication Protocols and radio usage,
The SAFETY BRIEFING (comprised of dangerous situations and the rescue deployment procedure) and the Maneuvers’ Description.

The material is being taught in open verbal presentation with photo video material being presented on screen.

There will be a 1h lunch break at a time of our choosing, and usually the theory for day 1 is completed by 8 00 pm. Then we have dinner together, where we continue to get to know each other better and share our interests and goals.

There will be no flying on the first day of the course.

I am currently working on providing a Course Manual for individual study and send it to you one month before the course, so that you can prepare in advance and the information load on your brain is reduced for this part of the course as it can be very dense to digest.

Day 2: Simulations, equipment check, accomodation flight

The second day begins at 8:10 am.

We start with individual interview sessions, 15 min each, when you will tell me what your background is and what your goals for the course are. At this phase, for acro pilots, please bring relevant videos of your skill/ level to discuss maneuver selection. You will get your personalized training file here.

Then we proceed with equipment check, materials’ distribution and dry simulation suspended under latest-generation paragliding Shock-Simulators (max. 3 students at a time) in pairs of 2, one trainee student and one helper student, between 20-40 minutes each.

There will be a 1 h lunch break in the middle of the day.In the afternoon, if weather allows, we will go up for one or two acclimatization flights and perform the brake check procedure and speed bar check..

Dinner will be between 6:00 and 7:00 pm, and at 7:30 pm the evening briefing begins with SIV pilots and then ACRO pilots all until 10:00 pm.

Days 3,4,5: Training Days

• The morning briefing starts at 8:15 am and goes on until 8:45 am.
• First ride up at 9:00 am at the cable car, all together with your takeoff manager. There is a takeoff order established beforehand. You will take off one by one every 10 minutes, perform your maneuvers under instruction then land on the beach.
• After landing you may get a quick debrief (2-3 minutes) regarding your flight, then you pack your equipment and go up with the cable car again.
• We try to make the most out of the flyable weather so there will be no organized lunch break, please have lunch individually – fast food if possible.
• The maximum number of instruction flights in one training day is 3, but there can also be exceptions to make more.
• The flight window closes at 6 pm, and then we head for dinner, until 7:30 pm.
• At 7:30 pm evening briefing starts, SIV or ACRO first, then the other group. The evening briefing closes at 10:00 pm. Exceptions can apply (I might stay later than 10:00 pm for students that need more info).
• In case of bad weather, we may organize supplementary dry simulations, groundhandling tips&tricks or theory extras.
• The morning briefing is a quick recap of the day overview, the evening briefing is brief-debrief that can include ground or onboard video analysis, but this depends on the relevance of the video to the task at hand.
• Pilots that complete the maximum set of 9 flights included in the course can opt for doing extra instruction flights, at the cost of 10% of the course fee per flight.
• All pilots are welcome to attend all theoretical briefings, but it is not required of SIV pilots to attend the ACRO briefing and vice versa. The duration of each briefing part depends on the group composition and the material processed.

Day 6 Completion Day

• On this day we train as usual, but we finish flying activity a bit earlier (around 4 pm ). we have a farewell dinner altogether and
• You will get the completion briefing – individually. The completion briefing has the role to acknowledge your individual achievements and to trace a plan for your independent flying and training further on. We also calculate extra flights or services’ costs here, to conclude financial aspects as well.

Day 7 Rest Day

Officially my rest day in between series, in practice a good opportunity for pilots to do extra instruction flights. I usually treat it as a normal training day.

Psychological Considerations

Even though we are training in the safest environment that is possible to organize, according to international standards and regulations, and in a knowledgeable and respectful manner, SIV and ACRO activity is inherently dangerous. Thus, there will be an intense mental strain, whether you realize it or not. It will be your duty to inform me honestly and directly of the way you feel, every time you notice something unusual or any time when I ask you. You will have to give me direct access to all your expectations, fears and desires regarding flying activity as well as allow me to make direct statements about your personality, character and way of thinking regarding those activities. Secrets and sensitivities regarding this topic will have to be left aside, as they will greatly hinder teaching/learning – see section H)3.

Furthermore, because of the intense load on your psyche, you might start to display a moody behavior. It will be your duty to constantly monitor your mental state and accept my judgment upon it, as it can be an artifact of your built-up stress and you might lack the clarity to see that.

Exceptional course termination:

The course can be unilaterally terminated by the teacher, with no refunds permitted, if the student does any of the following:

1. Does not immediately execute class 0 instructions given on radio during training rounds *.
2. Displays aggressive, racist, misogynistic or sexist behavior towards other students with the intention to harm.
3. Intentionally behaves in a manner incompatible with the teaching/learning environment.

If the course is cancelled by the organizer before it begins, we will refund the full amount of any payments made into my account. We will not refund plane tickets or any other expenses that the students have incurred in relation to the course.

About me

I was born in 1983 and discovered paragliding in 1998. I have been continuously active in the sport ever since. Education-wise, I am a graduate of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca and have a master’s in civil engineering. I am passionate about science, technology, innovation, and consider myself non-religious. My core philosophy is Soto Zen.

Why should you choose to train with me?

Well, SIV and ACRO coaching are not standardized services. In my understanding, they can never be. But, apart from the teacher’s style, method and dedication, different courses have vastly different contents! If you want to make sure, ask questions, and only if the answers you receive are satisfactory, then sign up to a course.

My philosophy in flying is both complex and simple. It can be beautifully summed up in two Latin phrases: first, and always : “Nosce te ipsum!” and never forget that “Nanos gigantum humeris insidentes !”.

How to join & logistics

Registration steps

To join my courses email me using the contact form.

As soon as I receive your email, I will write you an email and propose an interview date for a 30-60 min voice call (whatsapp or facebook messenger is also an option).

During this call we will get to know each other a bit and I will answer all questions that you will have. Next, you will send me a registration request, which I will confirm by email to secure your spot.

Payment of 50% of the course fee in advance needs to be made no later than 1 month prior to your course start date.

Travel infos ( to Oludeniz)

As the courses are in Oludeniz, Turkey, you will have to book your plane tickets accordingly.
I strongly suggest using Turkish Airlines, as they have excellent options for baggage and sports baggage up to 32 kg for as cheap as 60 euros extra!

Landing in Istanbul with transfer to Dalaman is my route of choice, but you can also land in Antalya if you wish.

From Dalaman there is a shuttle service (Havas) (https://goo.gl/maps/RMiaRXYMvyhLmnfk9) that takes you every 30 minutes on a 1 h drive to Fethiye bus station
(https://goo.gl/maps/qRHLAvi49xFSZWGF6), where you can take a 10 minutes taxi ride to your hotel in Oludeniz.

In Istanbul Airport you can buy a Turkish SIM with prepaid internet for about 40 euros. I highly recommend it, but it is not compulsory. What is compulsory is that you are able make phone calls at all times, so if you choose roaming, choose wisely. General communication is maintained through a Whatsapp group during the course.

I do recommend that you plan your trip so that you arrive at your hotel one day before the course starts. And I highly recommend staying a few more days after the course ends. It is very useful to practice what you have learned after course completion, unsupervised, to boost confidence in your skill! Students that fail to show up on the first day of the course will not be allowed to continue. Any cancellation from the student’s side less than 30 days prior to the course’s start will not result in a refund.

Accommodation info

You can book and stay at any hotel you wish. But know that I will stay at the Magic Tulip Hotel and Restaurant, and there we will host all briefings and simulation exercises. So, staying nearby or in the same hotel is a logistics advantage. I attach here the personal number of Ibrahim, the boss of the hotel, you can call him directly or write to him on whatsapp. Don’t forget to mention that you are a student of Colin. Ibrahim +905322730783.

Where do we meet

Landing area
https://goo.gl/maps/FmP9yYo3TLQfQfLCA

Takeoff area
https://goo.gl/maps/HMMditKR7bktKvvs7

Magic Tulip hotel and restaurant – briefing place –
https://goo.gl/maps/f8ZyK77KoMs4xFSk7

What's not included

Accomodation, food, beverage and transportation at the location are not covered by me in any way. Nor do I take any responsibility for any collateral losses that you might have because of or during the course.
In case your course cannot be completed due to any factors, I will do my best to inform you as soon as possible, but the only extent at which I commit to compensate is the refund of your course fee payments and only in the case that it is clearly my fault that this has happened.
Bad weather conditions can also result in partial refunds in mutually agreed circumstances.
I do not commit to organizing any extracurricular activities that have not specifically been described in my course description. However, many times students band together and go for vacation activities when the weather is bad or after completion of the course. During the course such activities are not permitted without my express approval.