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Learn To Fly & Equipment

You can fly like a bird, gliding effortlessly high above the ground using your skills to find lifting air to stay aloft for hours at a time, allowing you reach altitudes exceeding 5000 feet above the ground, higher than the clouds, and cross great distances by hopping from cloud to cloud. You can do this with a foldable wing that you “power” by running down a mountain slope until your feet gently lift you off the ground! Once airborne you turn in ridge, thermal, or wave lift to stay aloft. Getting down is typically the easy part and safe pilots always have a chosen landing field safely within glide.

Hang Gliding or Paragliding?

What Is Hang Gliding And Paragliding

Most of our sites are flyable by both wing types, though some sites require some hiking which are more accessible by paraglider. Lighter wind generally favors paragliding, while hang gliders typically prefer stronger wind. Paragliders are lighter and easier to carry and travel with. Most new pilots choose paragliding.

Instructors/Schools/Clubs

The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA) is a private non-profit organization with the mission to ensure the future of free flight in the USA.
The following USPHA links will help you on the way to get airborne in a paraglider or hang glider.
Learn to fly
find-a-school-or-instructor

Our region does have some hang gliding and paragliding schools if you’re eager to learn you can find a local instructor or school to teach you. If you do not mind travel, there are also many schools out west in Salt Lake City, Utah, La Jolla or St. Barbara in California, and many more places. Below are the closest options for instruction in our region.

Please note that none of the below listings are affiliated with CHGPA