HISTORY

In the summer of 1977 in the Delta Club Bigourdain from Argéles Gazost (French Pyrenees), Jorge Ibargoyen enjoyed his first altitude flights at the age of 16. In the years 1977-1980 he went into developping and improving his technique in France.

In 1980 he starts up the school "Escuela Delta Bidasoa". A simulator-vehicle is used for training instruction.

In 1984 he undertakes a series of expeditions to different areas in the world, for hang gliding. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Pichincha, Chimborazo and Cotopaxi in Equador and different sites in Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia, Perú, México, Israel, Usa, Australia as well as in multiple countries in Europe.

In 1986 he starts up the school Escuela Delta Parapente Bidasoa. He developpes a mobile towing system for hang gliding instruction. The school is located in Irun (Gipuzkoa) but the school is also providing instruction in different sites in France: Normandy and the Pyrenees.

During the years 1987-1991 there is a strong development of the paraglidinghay in the spite of hang gliding, which suffers a heavy regression. 

In 1992 Jorge Ibargoyen decides to give up the school to keep flying, travelling and investigating new flying instruction systems and in the manufacturing of products related to free-flying. He cedes the management of the school during this period. 

During the years 1993-1994 he manufactures own-designed carbon-fyber full-face helmets, conical and cylindrical pipes for hang gliders, as well as accessories. 
He also deeply researchs new systems for training pilots in both hang gliding and paragliding; he has the feeling what he has found worldwide can still in this domain can been improved.

By the end of 1994 while considering the possibility of permanently settle down in Brasil, recives bad news and complains from the functioning of the school in Irun. He decides at that moment to take a fundamental decision for his future and personal life, returning back to Irun to take back over the school.

From 1994 to 1997, he works hard to create a first simulator pneumatic device with two basic movements or displacements in the space. Launch-landing and lateral displacement. The simulator is used for training purposes  with trainee-pilots for paragliding and hand gliding, but by the end of these years, the limits of this first machine were already obvious.

During the years 1998-2000-2003-2006 he realizes a strong investments to equip the school with the latest flying material as well as teaching equipments, while intensivelly researching, designing and developping a new training system for teaching hang gliding and paragliding.

In the summer of 2003 with the support of Maner S.A. (a company from Hernani-Gipuzkoa) he inaugurates the new simulador device SMAAP, which is installed at the top of the training hill in Irun. 

During the last 3 years of the period 2003-2006 endless modifications are applied while the whole training program receives a fundamental boost: the completion training methodology to be used with the simulator. The "box method" including 2 levels (orange box-basic and blue-box-advanced) for both hang gliding and paragliding disciplines treated separatedly, as well as the box trainer or Green box for instructors. 

Jorge Ibargoyen keeps flying, reasearching and innovating. The free-flying, paragliding, hang gliding and rigid wings, have a promising futur for all. People and training systems will necessarily be forced to recycling. It is the only way for schools to ensure a profitable and growing environment for all us ,"free-flying actors": manufacturers, professionals and pilots. 

GOAL 

Create an innovative brand: SMAAP, from the base of the continuous formation, throught the intensive use of the simulator device, alltogether with the specifically methodology for the SMAAP, to cover all the fields of this business development:
 
1. Development and internationalization of the brand through franchises:
- Outdoors fixed SMAAP.
- In-door fixed SMAAP.
- Mobile SMAAP.
- In-door mobile SMAAP.
 
2. Research, development and manufacturing of SMAAP products for its franchises.

1980. Mobile vehicle hang-gliding flight simulator used by Escuela Delta Bidasoa in Hondarribia.´s beach.

1997. First pneumatic simulator with two basic movements in the air, KMA System.

2003. Inauguration of the first SMAAP device-simulator.

2006. Evolution from the first SMAAP device.