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There are different types and methods of instruction offered, and most instructors
use several different methods in combination. We’ll give a brief
outline of some of the most common here.
See Ryan Voight's video showing instruction at Point of the Mountain, Utah
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Tandem Instruction:
Tandem instruction is when you go up with an instructor
in a special glider built to carry two people. Since the instructor
is always there with you, this is the easiest, and most comfortable way
to get a taste of what it’s like to fly. For your first lesson,
the instructor will do the take off, and landing, and will take the controls
whenever it’s necessary, but you can usually fly the glider yourself
for a good portion of the flight. It’s a great way to see just
how easy it is. On more advanced lessons, you’ll learn techniques
for turning the glider, controlling your speed, and setting up a landing
approach.
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Solo Flight On The Training Hill:
This is where you launch yourself, by running down
a small, very gently sloping hill. You will not be more than a few
feet above the ground on your first flights, and an instructor will be right
there by your side. By choosing the right glider, the right hill,
and the right wind conditions, your instructor can ensure that your first
flights are not scary or intimidating, but rather fun and exhilarating.
The first time your feet leave the ground on a flight that you launched
all by yourself is an experience you will never forget.
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Solo Flight From Higher Hills
After you’ve mastered the basic skills of launching,
landing, and control of speed and direction, your instructor will move you
up to a higher hill from which you’ll get a longer flight. Here
you’ll refine your flying skills, and learn how to set up an approach
to the landing field. Your instructor may use a radio to guide you
through new maneuvers. Always the emphasis will be on taking small steps
into new experiences, so that your safety and comfort level are maintained.
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Flight Simulators:
Some instructors use flight simulators to help their
students get a feel for controlling the glider. The newest simulators
use computer generated graphics to provide a very realistic flight experience.
Ground School:
Once you start flying, you’ll want to learn
more about the wind, the weather, and how the wing works. One of
the great things about flying is that you can understand the basics of
how it all works pretty quickly, and yet you can spend a lifetime learning
about it and never run out of new discoveries. Your instructor
will get you started, and then there are books, your fellow pilots, and
your own experience to be sources of lifelong learning.
Launch Methods - Foot Launching and Towing:
In areas where there are hills and mountains, the
most common way to launch a hang glider or paraglider is to run down a
hill until the wing lifts you away from the ground. (We usually don’t
“jump off a cliff.” It can be done, but it’s an advanced
skill, and in most places, it’s not at all necessary!) In the flatlands,
where there are no suitable hills, people launch by being towed aloft.
You can tow up behind an ultralight airplane, or behind a boat or a car,
or by being pulled by a stationary winch. Each method has its own
specific techniques - worked out from years of experience to ensure the
highest level of safety. In many hang gliding tow launch methods
it’s possible to launch without any need to run - the glider is mounted
on wheels, and you simply roll into the air. With some types of
gliders, you can land the same way - on the wheels.
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The most important first step in your flying career
is to find a good instructor. Wills Wing strongly supports professional,
safety conscious instructors. Click on the "Schools" link
at the top left of this page to find a flight school in your area.
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The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association
offers a fantastic video (DVD) "Discover Hang Gliding Today".
The video is filled with exciting video footage from around the
world and gives a superb introduction to the experience of hang
gliding and paragliding.
Click
here to order the DVD directly from USHPA
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