Top Gun Flight School

At iParaglide Top Gun Flight School, we take pride in having taught over 1900 paragliding students in our 26 years of operation.

We are the the longest running school based in Metro Vancouver. Due to our central location, we are the only school that flies all of the relevant kiting parks, training hills and mountains within a 3 hour radius of Vancouver.  This empowers pilots to get to know the key training and flying spots early, optimizes and accelerates learning, and allows them to grow into great future pilots.  

We have the reputation of being an industry leader with an emphasis on engineered safety systems, quality instruction, the finest equipment and a positive learning environment for fun and empowering flying.

We offer the highest level of accreditation, with Senior HPAC and Advanced USHPA paragliding instructors, who coach from first flight to expert paraglider pilots and teach and qualify new paragliding instructors.

Top Gun References

We recently graduated a CF-18 Hornet Pilot from our Top Gun iP2 Novice Paragliding Pilot program.  Read about his impressions of iParaglide.

Social Links

iParaglide Location

Located at 962 - 51st Street Tsawwassen, near Vancouver, BC, Canada, for all your paragliding needs. We are ideally situated just minutes away from the finest training hill at Diefenbaker Park.

iParaglide Flying Sites

We are central to paragliding sites in the Vancouver, Chilliwack, Pemberton, Whistler, Bellingham and Seattle area so students enjoy maximum variety and we can work with weather to optimize selection of the best location each day.

Right Stuff Equipment

We regularly test fly the latest paragliding gear and select only the very finest for our iParaglide Right Stuff Paragliding Equipment Store. This ensures our paraglider pilots enjoy a state of the art performance and safety advantage to accelerate their learning curve.

Paragliding Webcams/Wind Stations

Vancouver Paragliding Webcams - get a view of cloud base to plan your paragliding cross country flight adventure.

Woodside Mtn Webcam

Woodside Wind Station

Bridal Webcam

Bridal Wind Station

Chilliwack Webcam

Hope Webcam 

Pemberton Webcam

Tsawwassen Webcam

Bellingham Bay Webcam

Tiger Mtn Webcam 

Sunday
Jun252023

Paragliding Right Site Weather Jun 25, 2023

Paragliding Weather Forecast for the Vancouver, Chilliwack, Bellingham, Seattle, Whistler & Pemberton area, based on data available at 0500.

High pressure with mostly sunny skies in Seattle, Bellingham, Chilliwack, and Vancouver.

Transitioning pressure in Whislter Pemberton with 60% POP and risk of thunder storm in afternoon.

YVR 3000 ft winds aloft light and variable becoming NW to 31 km/hr.  Main valley wind in Vancouver with early SE to 10 km/hr becoming inflow W to 15 km/hr mid afternoon.  Chilliwack with light and variable winds becoming W to 20 km/hr in mid afternoon. 

SEA 3000 ft winds aloft N to 17 km/hr.  Valley winds NW to 10 km/hr. 

iParaglide Right Site Ranking:

1. Paragliding Chilliwack-2.7C/1000ft Advanced peak lapse rate. Woodside for P2 pilots 0800-1400 and 1700-21000 with P4 conditions at peak 1400-1700.  Bridal with P2 conditons 1000-1400 and 1800-2100 with P4 conditions at peak 1400-1800. Paragliding chances 90%. 

2. Paragliding Bellingham: -2.2C/1000ft Novice peak lapse rate. Blanchard for P2 pilots 0900-1900. Chances to paraglide 90%. 

3. Paragliding Vancouver: -2.0C/1000ft Novice peak lapse rate.   Grouse for GMFT 1200-2000 for P3 pilots. Watch for possible NW wind aloft devloping and shutting things down mid afternoon.  Chances to paraglide early 90%, late 60%.

4. Paragliding Seattle: -2.5C/1000ft Intermediate peak lapse rate.  Tiger Mountain in possible lee-side with N winds aloft. P4 pilots check for actual winds aloft condition and choose to fly or not accordingly. 

5. Paragliding Pemberton-3.1C/1000ft Advanced peak lapse rate. Pemberton with 60% POP and risk of thunder storm.  PILOTs ADVISORY do not paraglide in Pemberton today. 

6. Paragliding Whistler: -3.4C/1000ft XXX peak lapse rate combined with 60% POP and risk of thunderstorm. PILOTs ADVISORY do not paraglide in Pemberton today.  

Saturday
Jun242023

Paragliding Right Site Weather Jun 24, 2023

Paragliding Weather Forecast for the Vancouver, Chilliwack, Bellingham, Seattle, Whistler & Pemberton area, based on data available at 0500.

Transitioning pressure with upper level low causing 30-60% POP and possibility of thunder showers in Chilliwack and Whistler and Pemberton. Mixed skies in Vancouver. 

High pressure and sunny skies in Seattle and Bellingham.  

YVR 3000 ft winds aloft SW to 9 km/hr becoming light and variable.  Main valley wind in Vancouver with early strong SE outflow to 25 km/hr easing and becoming S to 15 km/hr late morning.  Chilliwack with light outflow becoming W inflow to 20 km/hr in early afternoon. 

SEA 3000 ft winds aloft light and variable becoming N to 15 km/hr.  Valley winds SW to 15 km/hr. 

iParaglide Right Site Ranking:

1. Paragliding Seattle: -2.3C/1000ft Novice peak lapse rate.  Great day for Tiger Mountain for P2 pilots 0900-2000. Chances to paraglide 80%. 

2. Paragliding Bellingham: -2.0C/1000ft Novice peak lapse rate. Blanchard for P2 pilots 0900-1900. Chances to paraglide 90%. 

3. Paragliding Vancouver: -2.0C/1000ft Novice peak lapse rate.  Wait for clouds to lift at Grouse. Grouse for GMFT 1200-2000 for P3 pilots.  Chances to paraglide 70%.

4. Paragliding Chillwack: -2.7C/1000ft Advanced peak lapse rate. With 30% POP and possibility of thunderstorms forecast in Hope, watch for a very strong Advanced to do not fly conditions developing quickly.  

PILOTS ADVISORY DO NOT FLY Whistler or Pemberton today.  With 60% POP and forecast thunderstorms, paragliding is very high risk. 

Sunday
Jun182023

Paragliding Right Site Weather Jun 18, 2023

Paragliding Weather Forecast for the Vancouver, Chilliwack, Bellingham, Seattle, Whistler & Pemberton area, based on data available at 0500.

Low pressure with passing fronts, 70%-100% POP including heavy rain, over development and possibility of thunderstorms throughout. 

YVR 3000 ft winds aloft W to 20 km/hr. Main valley wind in Vancouver with early strong sea-breeze NW to 30 km/hr.  Chilliwack forecast with strong W wind 20-40 km/hr before noon.  Woodside wind gauge already SW 11-20 km/hr at 0700.  Vancouver with XXX Lapse rate -3.5C/1000ft.  Fraser Valley to Pemberton with 70-100% POP and high risk if thunderstorm. 

SEA 3000 ft winds aloft SW to 25 km/hr.  Valley winds SW to 15 km/hr.  90% POP with significant risk of thunderstorm. 

iParaglide Right Site Ranking:

Paragliding Pilots Advisory: DO NOT FLY in Vancouver, Chilliwack, Pewmberton, Whistler, Bellingham, or Seattle today due to 70-100% POP, high lapse rate and high probability of thunderstorm.  

 

Saturday
Jun172023

Paragliding Right Site Weather Jun 17, 2023

Paragliding Weather Forecast for the Vancouver, Chilliwack, Bellingham, Seattle, Whistler & Pemberton area, based on data available at 0500.

Low pressure with cloudy skies with 30-70% POP. 

YVR 3000 ft winds aloft light and variable. Main valley wind in Vancouver with early strong sea-breeze NW to 30 km/hr.  Chilliwack forecast with strong SW wind 20-40 km/hr by noon.  Woodside wind gauge already W 10-26 km/hr at 0500. 30% POP.

SEA 3000 ft winds aloft light and variable. Valley winds light and variable.  40% POP.

iParaglide Right Site Ranking:

1. Paragliding Bellingham: -2.6C/1000ft Intermediate peak lapse rate. Blanchard often has a blue hole when its raining elsewhere. Blanchard for P3 pilots 1100-1900. Chances to paraglide 70%. 

Paragliding is not recommended today in Chilliwack due to blown out conditions and 40% POP.  Paragliding in Vancouver is not recommended today due to 30% POP and gusty West valley winds.  Pemberton and Whistler are not recommended due to 30-40% POP and probability of arrival of strong South Whistler express valley winds.  Paragliding in Seattle is not recommended today due to 40% POP and low cloud. 

 

 

Sunday
Jun112023

Paragliding Right Site Weather Jun 11, 2023

Paragliding Weather Forecast for the Vancouver, Chilliwack, Bellingham, Seattle, Whistler & Pemberton area, based on data available at 0500.

Transitioning pressure with cloudy skies becoming sunny.

YVR 3000 ft winds aloft light and variable becoming W to 22 km/hr.  Main valley wind in Vancouver with early strong sea-breeze 20-30 km/hr.  Chilliwack with outflow E to 10 km/hr becoming W to 10 km/hr.

SEA 3000 ft winds aloft N to 22 km/hr.  Valley winds NW to 10 km/hr. 

iParaglide Right Site Ranking:

1. Paragliding Bellingham: -1.9C/1000ft Novice peak lapse rate. Blanchard for P2 pilots 0900-1900. Chances to paraglide 90%. 

2. Paragliding Vancouver: -2.1C/1000ft Novice peak lapse rate.  Wait for clouds to lift at Grouse. Grouse for GMFT 1200-2000 for P3 pilots.  Chances to paraglide 60%.

3. Paragliding Pemberton-3.8C/1000ft XXX peak lapse rate. Watch for XXX lapse rate and early arrival of strong Whistler Express south wind.  P4 pilots monitor conditions and choose to fly or not accordingly. Paragliding prospects 40%.

4. Paragliding Chilliwack-2.6C/1000ft Intermediate peak lapse rate. Watch for east wind aloft and summits in clouds until mid-day and lee-side conditions. Watch for rough P4 conditions in afternoon. Paragliding prospects 30%.  

5. Paragliding Whistler: -3.8C/1000ft XXX peak lapse rate combined with early arrival of Whistler express strong south wind.  DO NOT FLY Whistler today.

6. Paragliding Seattle: -2.0C/1000ft Intermediate peak lapse rate.  Tiger Mountain in lee-side with N winds aloft. DO NOT FLY Tiger today.