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The instructor, as well as the school itself , is certified by the USHGA (United States Hang Gliding Association) and is highly qualified to teach you to fly safely. The first part of your introductory lesson is the ground school, during which you will watch a short informational video tape, then get fitted with your harness and helmet. Now, it's out to the training area for the "hands on" part of your instruction. You will learn to assemble the training gliders and to evaluate the conditions for the day. You'll hook into our stationary simulator where you begin to understand how the Hang Glider speeds up, slows down, and turns. Most of all, the simulator lets you practice responding to commands that your instructor will be giving you. Next, you will start handling the glider itself. By balancing the glider on your shoulders and running with it, you create airspeed and actually get the glider flying. You learn to launch and land the glider while still on flat ground. Be sure to listen to your instructor and ask as many questions as you like. You can expect the ground school to take about 1 hour. The remainder of the day is flying time. Once you have completed the first day of instruction, (the hardest day) you will have a good idea of what Hang Gliding is all about. What's next? The Eagle package... The fun is now about to start...You have mastered the ground work and are ready to move to the training hill. The key here is to remain relaxed and remember what you have learned. You will be flying solo and will have to carefully and quickly respond to directions from your instructor. Flights will start from close to the bottom of the training hill and you will slowly work your way up the hill, taking longer and higher flights as your skills improve. The glider will fly best when you relax and let the glider do what it was designed to do, "FLY". This will become easier as the lesson progresses and you are able to be airborne for a longer period of time. Be patient with the winds and fly only when the conditions are good and after the instructor tells you it is safe. Some days, weather conditions don't cooperate and flying can't take place at all. On these days, wind checks ,( similar to rain checks) are available and you can return to do the flying part of your course when conditions allow. There is an old saying that goes like this : There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots. Be patient, remember, safety and good jugdment are the primary factors here. As you approach the Novice level rating, you will be preparing to do some higher altitude flying. At this point, you should start thinking about buying your own equipment. Your instructor can guide you and provide literature to help you select the right Hang Glider for your needs. Most of our students do their first few high altitude flights off of tow. We find that this is the easiest and safest way to get you airborne. Towing provides a much more controlled environment, and with radio contact at all times you feel more secure and are safer as well. Use of the tow system means that wind direction is less of an issue and that you can fly pretty much whenever you want to. If you have any other questions, now or in the future, feel free to ask any of our professional staff. We want to help you in any way we can. Our goal, in addition to delighting you with the gift of flight, is to promote the growth of our sport by producing proficient, safe pilots through effective personal learning experiences. You will soon learn that Hang Gliding is more than just flying - it's a lot of fun people and a lot of good times. Some recommended reading materials for those of you who wish to continue in Hang Gliding include :
You will also need to get a log book and keep a record of all flights for future rating purposes. See you in the sky... Greg Black & Staff |
