The best way to start is with a hillside lesson, this teaches you the basics and gives you a taste of flying. You will fly solo from the training hill and progress to higher flights. The basic techniques of hang gliding -- launching, turning, landing -- are fairly easy to learn. If after your introductory [...]

Hang gliders are regulated under the Federal Aviation Regulations Section 103 and therefore a license is not required to hang glide. So, in essence, hang gliding is a self-regulated sport under the auspices of the United States Hang Gliding Association (USHGA). To keep it self-regulated, pilots and instructors alike adhere to the policies and guidelines [...]

Typically, a student will spend 5 - 10 lessons to obtain each of the first two USHGA pilot ratings (Beginner and Novice) - a process which generally takes from 3 to 6 months. At the end of this primary training process, the student is usually flying from moderate altitudes (several hundred to a few thousand [...]

When selecting a school for hang gliding instruction, first make sure that the instructors are certified by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA). Things to look for include: What USHPA ratings do the instructors have, how much do they teach and fly themselves? How many different instructors will you have lessons with, [...]