To learn to fly on your own, all you need is a pair of athletic shoes and be in reasonable shape! Training starts on a shallow hill where you train with instructor-provided equipment and leave the ground for a few seconds at a time. If the lessons go well, you’ll buy your own glider and harness and continue moving up the hill, learning to “soar” (stay in the air indefinitely), go higher, and learn about weather conditions to stay safe.
If you just want a one-time experience where an instructor takes you up in a large glider that fits two people, see our Tandem Flights.
Instructors
Takeo Eda
Takeo is taking only military veterans or pilots of other aircraft as new students and operates independently of California Hang Gliding. He instructs at various places as appropriate, partly at Ed Levin County Park in the hills by Milpitas. He is an USHPA Certified Instructor. Bilingual English/Japanese, retired USAF TSgt.
There are a few other local instructors we refer new students to, based on your location and situation. Fill out the form below and we’ll help match you with someone.
Outside of the Bay Area
If you like to travel, consider a week-long stay at Valle de Bravo, Mexico. Wills Wing, a major hang glider manufacturer, offers an intensive training to get you up to novice level faster than anywhere else:
Full details on the Wills Wing Flight School here.
For instruction within the US only, find a USHPA-certified instructor.
For bay area inquiries, fill out the form below.