Airways Airsports is an airpark at Darley Moor Airfield, Derbyshire, offering hang gliding, paragliding, paramotoring and microlight training and flying. It is a British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association and British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) recognised school. Instructors include a three-times world champion, world record holders, British cross country champion, British distance record holder, Royal Aeroclub gold medal winner and members of the British hang gliding and paragliding team. Airways also teach paragliding, hang gliding, paramotoring and microlight flying at BHPA and BMAA schools in the Alps. Teaching methods Hang gliding Hang gliding teaching is primarily through tandem aerotow flights with take off and landing both on wheels. The student and instructor clip into a tandem glider side by side and attach themselves and the glider to a tow line pulled by a high powered 'tug' microlight. The tandem hang glider is then towed to around 3000' with the instructor and student keeping in line behind the microlight. At the top of the tow the line is released and the student is taken through a number of exercises before landing the glider under instruction. Once the student has completed a number of exercises and demonstrated an ability to keep the glider in line behind the microlight on tow, and land safely, then the student progresses on to a solo, wheeled hang glider. Once a student has completed a number of solo flights and demonstrated safe tows and landings solo then they are awarded their Club Pilot Certificate (aerotow) and can progress to flying in a club rather than a school environment. Airways have developed a wheeled solo glider for the initial solo flights. Paragliding Airways train pilots using a static winch for paragliding training. Compared to training on the hill this is a faster and less physically demanding way to try out paragliding as Darley Moor airfield is big enough for the winch to be moved around if the wind changes. The course or taster starts with a full demonstration/walkthrough of the equipment, the winch commands/release etc. and how to use the radio. Students are then trained to ground-handle the wing, then the flying starts with some short low level flights before progressing to basic manoeuvres and on to high flying circuits. Hill conversion By using a combination of aerotow and winch for training, pilots gain the skills necessary for flying in a club environment with winch or aerotow launching.