Hillside Hang Gliding Lessons in the San Francisco Bay Area.
PLEASE NOTE ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD. ALL OF OUR CLASSES ARE SOLO, WE DO NOT DO ANY TANDEM FLYING, SORRY.
We are USHPA (United States Hang Gliding/Paragliding Association) and PASA (Professional Air Sports Association) certified and ready to help you realize the joy of free flight. If you’ve ever dreamed of soaring with eagles and hawks, silently flying over whales and dolphins, or climbing up high among the clouds, we can help you make these and many other flying dreams come true!
What To Expect On Your First Hang Gliding Lesson
All beginner lessons start at 8am and are at Ed Levin Park in Milpitas
After filling out some paperwork and picking out harnesses & helmets the first thing you learn is to set up a hang glider .
The first half of the lesson is usually spent on the flat ground practicing the launch technique, learning some theory and spending some time with the glider set up in a simulator to learn the basics of weight shift so students know the proper technique to control the glider before it ever leaves the ground.
Launching and landing are the most important parts of flying, so you will learn these first. The second half of the lesson is where students who show the proper technique will be working their way up the training hill until they start to get airborne for short flights. WARNING! After several short flights on the training hill you may be hooked. As you can see in the videos at the bottom of this page, new students do get to fly almost always on the first day.
After we are done on the bunnyhill, around 11:30 am we will break down the glider and put away all the equipment to wrap up by noon.
Each hillside lesson lasts about 3-4 hours and all hang gliding equipment is provided. We recommend you wear an old pair of jeans and you need to wear a pair of shoes you can run in with ankle support and traction.
Lessons are taught most days of the week. We rarely schedule more than four students per class, this gives the students more individual instruction as well as more time with the glider. Week day classes are usually evan smaller so even more time and attention for each student.
We ask that you let us know as soon as possible if you need to change your reservation. 48 hours notice is required to change your lesson to avoid any fees.
This is a great team building activity, we can also teach larger groups if you want details please ask.
Private and group lessons available, please contact us at mike@norcalhanggliding.com for details.
Four Levels of Ratings for Hang Glider Pilots:
Hang One
Approximately 10 lessonsBeginner rating
Hang one/Beginner classes – Learn to launch, fly straight, and land, the basics of flying from the “bunny” hill.
See lesson packages below
Hang Two
Approximately 8 lessonsNovice rating
Moving to upper hills – 150′,300′,600′,1,750′
Learn to turn, set up landing approaches.
See lesson packages below
Hang Three
Intermediate rating
Flying higher altitudes, flying new sites, learning to soar.
We can refer you to an advanced instructor for Ratings beyond Hang 2
Hang Four
Advanced Rating
Advanced flying, instructor or tandem ratings, or competition.
Call for referral to Advanced Instructor or Instructor administrator.
Lesson Pricing, Packages, and Cancellation Policy
Cancellation Fees:
48 hour notice – no fees
24 hour notice – $60
no show or less than 24 hours notice and you forfeit the cost of the lesson. Sorry no exceptions, we have many students waiting to book lessons so if you don’t show up or don’t give us enough time to fill your spot, we do not give refunds.
You will receive an email after your purchase to schedule your lesson(s). You can also TEXT a message to 408 888-6598 to ask about date availability. All lessons are subject to change if weather conditions don’t allow a high level of safety for our students.