Norway is a great country for flying hang-, para- or speedgliders. If you are a foreign pilot who come to visit Norway as a tourist, with your hang-, para- or speedglider you should read this:
(Note: Any pilot with a Norwegian adress must hold a Norwegian licence no matter nationality)
All foreign pilots with a membership in a foreign organization for hang-, para- and/or speedgliding and a valid licence visiting Norway as a tourist are allowed to fly for up to 6 months as a guest pilot (up to 12 months for exchange students). You are allowed to fly according to your national licence, but are required to follow Norwegian laws and regulations. Norway also acknowledge the IPPI system. You are obliged to bring your licence and proof of 3rd party insurance with you and show them upon request. We have a lot of free airspace (G airspace) where you can fly up to 4000 meters. But we also have a lot of regulated airspace and if you are in doubt, seek information from the local club or the federation. Do not attempt to fly in places in conflict with the commercial air traffic. This might lead to closing of a local flying site, disturbance of commercial/non-commercial air traffic and you might be fined.
Special regulations apply for flying powered para- or hanggliders.
- You need to respect minimum altitude limits (the same as for other aircrafts).
- As a general rule, you need the groundowners permission to take off, unless it is a registered PPG/PHG site, where it is stated you do not need to ask for permission every time.
- There may be 'no fly zones' - like over a national parc.
- Norwegians like privacy and are not to happy about noise, so do not stay for a long time in the same area, specially when close to lower altitude limit.
Contact the federation if you have questions about flying a powered hang- or paraglider in Norway.
Note that even if there are no compulsory training and/or licensing required for flying a hang-, para- or speedglider in your home country, you will still need an insurance and a valif license to fly legally in Norway (national or Norwegian). Flying without a valid license may result in fines and your flying gear might even be seized by the authorities.
Norway have more than 5 000 registered takeoffs spread around the country and there are even more suitable places to start that is not regulated. Places to land near the registered takeoffs are usually in agreement with the landowner but always check first. We have more than 40 clubs, 100 hanggliderpilots and 2000 paragliderpilots. The administration of the flying in Norway is done by the Norwegian Airsport Federation situated in Oslo. Telephone number is +47 908 67 560.
We have a National Centre for hang-, para- and speedgliding situated in the middle of southern Norway in a village called VÅGÅ. It is about 300 km north of Oslo. Here we offer beds inside the building, a camping site, a big facility with kitchen, living rooms, showers, a big landing and transport to the top with locals on request. Within 1 hour driving we have a variety of take offs up to 1700 meters above sea level. The phone to the centre is +47 482 97 972 and the mail is rikssenteret@gmail.com (only during summer)
If you have moved to Norway, you need to convert your national licence to a Norwegian licence before flying. Your local club can help you arrange this. You will need a membership and insurance which can be arranged in Min Idrett.
Fly safe!