Hang Gliding School Teaches the Art…

Hang Gliding School Teaches the Art and Science of Flying

Hang gliding is either viewed as a daredevil activity, much like sky diving and bungee jumping, or as a more casual pursuit similar to parasailing or surfing. Like all these sports, hang gliding is thrilling and anyone can have a supervised and assisted experience - even children.

Hang gliding is a foot-launched aviation sport that is part art, science and athleticism with ratings similar to general aviation. It requires energy, study and careful training. At the Oregon Hang Gliding School, beginning lessons start in the nest. In ground school, the instructor provides an overview of the hang gliding world: its history and culture, the proper approach to learning and the skills that can be attained through time.

Though viewing a video of pilots reaching heights of 15,000 feet or more and flying 100 miles is intriguing, beginning students are reminded that these kinds of thrills are for higher rated pilots. The goal for beginners is to learn how to launch and land the glider successfully in low elevation ground skims. The extremely slow and large gliders the school uses make learning the basics easy and fun. After all, launching a glider is an option; landing it is a requirement.

The two-hour ground school becomes less theoretical and more physical with each topic. Eventually, participants practice their ability to vicariously fly using a ground flight simulator. Some say the intense imagining is enough! But an hour later, students fly off small, soft dunes with their feet gradually getting lighter as they lift off the ground. These beginning ground skims are done on an inland hill, at the coast or by a mechanical tow line at the Oregon Hang Gliding School airpark.

Following the first solo ground skims, students become prime candidates for tandem flights with instructors as pilots in command. During these flights, beginners will have the opportunity to steer the glider with the instructors’ approval at the appropriate phases in the flight. Following tandem lessons, students return to the training hills or the airpark to continue honing the specialized skills of launching in different weather conditions and terrain types such as flat slopes and steep slopes, cliffs). They also learn how to make safe approaches in various landing zones. Once beginners get to the point of knowing what they know and knowing what they don’t know, each will be able to make proper decisions on their way to becoming real hang glider pilots.

The cost of hang gliding is about the same as other gear-intensive outdoor sports such as off-road motorcycling, all terrain vehicles or scuba diving. For around $5,000, students can receive excellent instruction and purchase an airworthy aircraft! Most of the time, the investment is made over several months as lessons progress. It is best to have a lesson and an equipment purchase plan with any good school. But beware! The consequences of skimping on instruction, having sporadic lessons, purchasing inadequate equipment or not having the necessary equipment for later lessons is high in this sport. For many, the introductory hill/tandem lesson is enough and is well worth the $220.

For more information, contact Oregon Hang Gliding School by registering at www.oregonhanggliding.com or contact John Matylonek, USHPA certified advanced instructor at 541-913-1339.