USHPA Establishes Minimum Age Requirements for Pilots and Students

In an effort to protect young people from risks they don’t understand and limit liability risk for instructors, chapters, landowners, and the organization, USHPA will institute age minimums for students and ratings, effective September 1, 2025.

After a months-long consideration process, including consultations with Recreation RRG and leaders in our ecosystem, USHPA’s board voted unanimously to make this change, with one conflict abstention. 

Minimum Age Requirements

Paragliding and Hang Gliding Age Requirements

  • Solo and tandem students: 14+
  • Solo flight ratings (P2+/H2+): 16+
  • Instructor certifications: 18+

Speed Flying Age Requirements

  • Solo students: 18+
  • Solo flight ratings (S2+): 18+
  • Instructor certifications: 18+

 

Why Have Limits? 

  • Liability: Liability risks in the US are increasing across categories. Setting a clear minimum age reduces exposure to high-risk, long-tail liability, for instructors, chapters, landowners, and USHPA. 
  • Public perception: Accidents involving minors, however rare, hurt all of us. They can also trigger media backlash, regulatory pressure, and investigation by child welfare authorities. 
  • FAA: In the US, the FAA overseas all aviation activities and allows USHPA for free flight regulation, as long as we do it responsibly. These age minimums match the FAA’s sailplane rules (14 to start training, 16 for solo pilot rating, 18 to instruct). As far as tandems, the FAA has already tightened our tandem exemption once. Prior to 2018, rated pilots could fly tandem recreationally, but that’s no longer allowed. Setting age minimums helps show we’re managing the program well and helps protect the future of our tandem exemption.
 

Why 14?

  • Cognitive development: Research shows 14 is the age when teens usually have a meaningful understanding of risk. 
  • Legal precedent: Courts agree, generally requiring a person be at least 14 to be able to make risk taking decisions.
  • Insurance alignment: 14 is the youngest that Recreation RRG insured schools have been allowed. Some Professional Flight Schools that have older minimums, like 18+, will now have the option to teach 14+, expanding their market (this change won't be automatic; instructors must check with their schools).

*Note: Any current solo-rated pilots (H2/P2/S2 +) under 16 will be grandfathered in and allowed to continue flying solo and tandem with a current tandem-certified instructor. 

USHPA is supported by: