The tone of this video series is highly inviting to potential new pilots. Well done. This is the kind of work that might save the sport of hang gliding. Thanks.
Cant agree more. Sounds so genuine and gives a trustworthy feeling listening to him. Unfortunately i cant enlist with him despite my disappointment, as i am from Australia. Still i watched the vid in full to get a better hang on this sport thats been eluding since decades.
The only thing I’d like to comment on is the cost. Since the cost is often the #1 issue for a potential pilot, I like to say that first year (training/equipment) will cost you as much as a new mountain bike $5-6K: training around $2k, glider (in decent condition) $2.5-3.5k and a used harness $300-800/w parachute. My point is it’s relatively inexpensive to get into flying compare to other cool fun sports and especially aviation related ones. Great video!
Eric, I'm an H4 pilot. You've done a great job clarifying the details and passion needed for Hang gliding. Also, I enjoyed seeing the Andy Jackson LZ, where I spent 6 months between 2019 & 2022 flying and meeting so many great pilots and 50 hrs building the new shade structure. I'm amazed that we never met...maybe in the future. Thanks for taking the time to create this video.
Thank you for the kind words of support. I started aerotowing in Michigan in 1997, and stopped in 2001. I got back into flying in the spring of 2023, here in California. So, you haven't seen me around, because I'm still quite new to flying around here. But I'm hoping to fly a lot, and put out a lot more videos, over the upcoming months.
Hey Eric, just want to say that this is a really fantastic video! One of our pilots here at LMFP shared it and I just watched it all the way through! I’ve been an instructor here for the last 21 years and this is something that we’ve needed forever!!! Thank you for taking the time and covering so much information! I will be sharing this with all my students from now on! If you find yourself out here on the East side of the country I’d love to buy you a beer! I live here in the LZ so I’m pretty easy to find!
Wow. That's awesome. Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm flattered and humbled for my work to be praised and accepted by someone with your knowledge and experience.
What a great intro to the world of Free Flight learning. Very well written and described. We as want a bees can take away with your expertise is well displayed. I was self taught in the early seventies and taught in the early decades and have always respected the teachers in this sport and take all knowledge into account to this day as I still fly. With your take always I will say that back not so long ago was the sail of old wing designs of the past even in good shape BUT not friendly flying performance up to today’s standards. I’ve always told them that cheap used purchase of older wings are not up to today’s safety standards.
You are welcome. Thank you for the support. The good news is, many people in the hang gliding community are pleasantly surprised to discover there are far more schools and manufacturers than most pilots realize.
Built my own (early '70s) from bamboo, visqueen and duct tape. Test flew it on the Miss. River levee in N.E. Louisiana! Was generally loong 'moon walking' type steps. Also built/test flew an EasyRiser Kit and 'tested' it on The Levee. Eventually heard about the growing hanggliding activities in the Chattanooga area. Was working as a helicopter mechanic on a 7 days on/7 days off so drove up to check THAT out! Eventually got official training. Thanks to Dan & Randee, BJ, TOM and everyone else, I worked as a heli-mech on the Gulf coast of Louisiana. Wore out 2 new Celicas driving back and forth every 7 days.
about the cost of hangg-liding: buying a decent down-hill bicycle cost as much as a advanced brand new hang-glider + harness. getting the HG pilot lisence will be a one-time cost of around 1500 Euro. flying the glider with all-Dacron-sail also will give you 20 years on the sail at least (seen gliders with 30 year old sails still fit to fly - though really on the end of their life-span). And if you start with a cheap used glider and harness (which I highly recommend as long as it flies well and is well maintained), you can start you HG career with around 3000 Euros. So flying a hang-glider will over the years be an affordable hobby for many. Instead of buying a big car or new phones and computers each year, get real and learn hang-gliding :)
Very well presented. A thorough explanation of what it may take and specific steps to take to become a pilot. I used to fly in the army and would really be overjoyed to become a hang glider pilot and begin flying again. Thank you for sharing.
Many traditional aviation pilots actually learn to pilot hang gliders very quickly, since the flight principles are the same, just the controls are different. Hope you get to fly hang gliders soon!
Excellent video. I had flown a bit way back in the mid 1970s and lately, at the tender age of 69, have been interested in taking up the sport again ....with proper training this time around. Anyway, after watching this video a few weeks back I decided, "what the heck" and booked lessons with Windsports (at Dockweiler Beach) for both me and my wife. We drove all the way out from Phoenix had an absolute blast. And, in addition to Andy Beam and his great team of instructors, who did we run into? Eric!!! ...who was polishing his take-offs and landings on a WW Falcon 1. He really practices what he preaches.
I think you should promote Low Altitude Beach Flights and teach people how to hoover - glide there. Been watching Hang Gliding Videos online for a while. The ones with the most views and reacts are the smooth low altitude Beach side hang glider hovering videos.
These videos are not designed to teach people how to fly or be the "most popular" videos. These videos are designed to educate aspiring pilots, not to entertain the general public.
Osmosis: A learning process which in parallel with to a stepped and planned program bring class/lessons into "mind repetition" and hanging out at take off and landing area. So much is reinforced by hanging out. You might use the the word "Osmosis", the absorption of environment, so it becomes "you".
Great video. John Heiney's Hang Gliding school in San Diego, CA is awesome. He's a master pilot and world record holder, I'm a proud student of his. Highly recommended.
Much kudos...best most inviting intro into to any type of ultralight aviation ive ever seen. Most these days focus on the scare tactics n try n recruit by fear. While you display all the options n pros n cons. Very well done!!! Wish i could shake your hand, ppl like you will make ultralight sports more approachable for the average joe! Thanks again...👍👍👍... P.s. we could really use a personality like yours in the pg and ppg arena as well!!!
Thank you. I've gotten many compliments on the "tone" and "vibe" of my videos. Over the years of doing video work, I've noticed simple upbeat positivity tends to gain a lot of supportive response.
Thank you for this video. For 40 years I've wanted to try hang gliding and now I'm gonna! ;) Learning looks very different than I thought it would be. So now.... I live in Phoenix but I would like to start on a beach. The part of the video on the beach is what makes it feel comfortable to enter the sport. Please reply if you're an instructor in the San Diego, CA area. I visit there frequently. I'll be there on the weekend of September 14 and I can always trek there if I find an awesome teacher.... Additionally, though, when I get back to AZ, the weather will finally be cool enough to look for an instructor here too. SO. If you're an instructor near Phoenix. Yup. I'd love to hear from you too.
Wonderful! I'm glad the video inspired you. That's the whole point! Please check the Hang Gliding Flight School website to find a worldwide map of instructors. There is an aerotowing school in Arizona called Sonora Wings, but they only operate in winter. There is no beach training in San Diego, but there is beach training in Los Angeles at Windsports. You can also reach out to John Heiney. He teaches in the San Diego area. Again, go to the Hang Gliding Flight School website and you will find a map with links to all these schools.
@@HangGlidingFlightSchool Wow Eric, thanks for this info. I also live in Phoenix. I flew as a teen in the early 70s and now, almost 50 years later, really want to get back into it ...this time with good, solid training (the USHGA, later USHPA was "just a rumor" back when I flew). I know you stress patience, but I just turned 69 and figure I don't have all that much time left. I've contacted Sonora Wings, but it's early August now and they won't open in Arizona until November. Sheesh. That leaves me just watching videos and reading "Hang Gliding for Beginners" for three months. Beach training in LA would be an absolute dream. BTW, love this video. For a "dad" that's some nice skating there!
Damn this video! In the 12 hours since I watched it and posted my last reply (see above) I've thinking non-stop about getting back into hang gliding. The only obstacles: 1. Nobody's teaching in the Phoenix area till next winter and, 2. my wife will kill me. I think I've solved both problems. I just planned a trip over to LA in two weeks and booked lessons for me ...and for my wife! See you guys on Sat. 8/31 Yaaaay!!!
@@VTSifuSteve Excellent! I wish you all the best and hope you and your wife have a wonderful day flying. And be optimistic about your age. I flew with an 89 year old pilot this summer. You could still have 20 years of flying in your future.
As you can see, your first flights on a training hill are extremely low to the ground. Even if you're afraid of heights, you can still learn it. I hope you give it a try!
Well, I dropped out of flying in the mid 80's. The thing about flying is that anyone can fly one. The hard part is learning to take off and land SAFELY. I spent 2 years on the training hill learning just that. It saved me a lot of money compared to my friends who could fly well, but didn't know how to take off and land in all conditions.
True. When practicing low-wind launches, my instructor once said, "There are a lot of pilots who won't take off if it's less than 10mph." I said, "Exactly. I don't want to be one of those pilots. I want to be better than that."
We had a Pro/Am flying meet in Medford OR, maybe 1980 or so. One pro pilot took off on a gently rolling hill, pushed out on his bar while looking for his stirrup, they didn't have the body cocoons back then, and promptly stalled out and hit the grass. I would have counted that as a flight. He launched a second time, and damn near did the same thing again. My training hill prepared me for launching in all sorts of thermal conditions. If you are flying thermals, you have to be prepared.... For anything, and same with landing in thermal conditions. Ridge lift is easy.
@@GeorgeGiann Agreed. I'm always confused about people who think hang gliding is expensive. I'm like, "But there are millions of people who own motorcycles... and it's cheaper than a motorcycle!"
As soon as I saw the Tinkerbell shirt I knew this was gonna be good but you exceeded all expectations. Thanks for the advice, time to book a tandem flight
Tinkerbell is the ultimate dreamgirl. Plus, she can make you fly! Glad you enjoyed it. May your journey to flying be magical. Just think of a wonderful thought.
In the 70’s I lived up the street from the Wills brothers, they inspired me to take it up, so I built my own .. cost = 0, instruction =0, successful flights =0, course I was only 7 years old lol.
Great stuff, thank you! That said, I was amazed how you kept misstating the facts with the words certified, certification and license when there is none of that here in the USA. That level of instruction comes only from the FAA as I'm sure you know. The word you were looking for all along is "rating", which you finally get to much later in your video. But hey, I'm getting pretty picky. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
Thanks for the support. The word choice was very deliberate. Remember, this video is for new pilots, who know nothing about aviation. People who are not familiar with aeronautics have heard words and phrases like "pilot license" or "certification" but they won't understand hang gliding uses "ratings" instead. Therefore, in the beginning of the video, I deliberately use terminology they will expect and understand, then clarify the vernacular to "ratings" later in the video.
Your BHPA rating can be honored at a USHPA flying site after you have a USHPA observer/instructor approve you. You can also fly a USHPA site if you have an IPPI card as if you held the equivalent USHPA rating.
No, I'm not an instructor. The video called "Welcome To Hang Gliding Flight School" gives a little more background on my flying experience, and you can also read the "About" page on the Hang Gliding Flight School website. Thank you so much for the support and kind comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Thank you. I'm shocked by the number of hang gliding schools in Rio de Janeiro. There are something like 6 or 7 schools in that city alone, which is more than any other city in the world. I don't know how popular hang gliding is in the rest of Brazil, but the quanity of schools in Rio is impressive.
@@HangGlidingFlightSchool they are mostly tourist tandem companies. Tandem pilots are required to be instructors by CBVL. There are maybe... Two guys who actually teach there. The launch setup area is actually a production line to setup tandem wings in 3 minutes, with very few solo pilots only in classic conditions. There are many instructors around Brasil, but most don't really work with it and "might teach if asked". I think there are only two guys who live off instruction in the whole country, one of them also teaches PG. All others have more activities. For exemple, Nene and his sons run Rotor Harness. I teach but I'm a musician. The one guy you list here in Florianópolis as Vento Sul is one of my buddies, he has the website up but isn't really teaching, he has been forwarding interested people to me. He might do 5 tandems per year upon request, and I sometimes fly with his tandem equipment. That's about it here. HG isn't too popular anywhere, except in Rio where there is the biggest number of takeoffs per year in the world (mostly tourists). That launch is more busy than many international airports. There are a few dozen instructors that I know of and could send you a list for your map if you want!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making a very fantastic video. I am watching from Nepal. After watching this video, I want to learn with you. How can I contact you about this?
To hang glide in India, I suggest you reach out to the school _SkyVentures_ in Jodhpur, or the manufacturer _Ace Aviation_ in Ooty. Both are very easy to find if you look them up online. Good luck!
A simple solution to calculate cost. Tell people what the MAXIMUM price is. Then they can decide from that point if they can afford it, and what they can afford. So add up the maximum of all that is needed, and give them that number. Or slim it down to the maximum of what it costs to get started, at the time the conversation is occurring. When people ask questions, always give them a straight forward, direct answer. Not this washy washy language of well, it might be, and up to, tell them directly, point blank, all in, and give them the number that is top of the mark. They won't complain if it turns out to be less. You will NEVER hear the end of it, if it turns out to be more. I have this motto. Always under promise and over deliver. Doing that will grantee exceeded expectations, every time. For example, if you can deliver good on a promise tomorrow, tell the customer 3 to 5 business days, and when you present them with it the next day, they will be so impressed. Plus, you did it under what you told them it would cost, they'd think you're phenomenal !
I love teaching. I've worked as a tutor/mentor for high school kids in youth programs. I've made tons of educational videos on everything from action sports to firearms and skateboarding which have gotten millions of views online. I've taught multiple educational classes at Walt Disney Studios on everything from web development to photography.
The tone of this video series is highly inviting to potential new pilots. Well done. This is the kind of work that might save the sport of hang gliding. Thanks.
Thank you. I hope this project will encourage new pilots to take up the sport. That would be great.
Cant agree more. Sounds so genuine and gives a trustworthy feeling listening to him.
Unfortunately i cant enlist with him despite my disappointment, as i am from Australia.
Still i watched the vid in full to get a better hang on this sport thats been eluding since decades.
I like the way you present this sport, honest, patient and friendly. Thank you!
You are welcome. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a kind and supportive comment.
The only thing I’d like to comment on is the cost. Since the cost is often the #1 issue for a potential pilot, I like to say that first year (training/equipment) will cost you as much as a new mountain bike $5-6K: training around $2k, glider (in decent condition) $2.5-3.5k and a used harness $300-800/w parachute.
My point is it’s relatively inexpensive to get into flying compare to other cool fun sports and especially aviation related ones.
Great video!
Thanks for the comment. I think your analogy to a mountain bike is a great idea and an excellent comparison.
Eric, I'm an H4 pilot. You've done a great job clarifying the details and passion needed for Hang gliding. Also, I enjoyed seeing the Andy Jackson LZ, where I spent 6 months between 2019 & 2022 flying and meeting so many great pilots and 50 hrs building the new shade structure. I'm amazed that we never met...maybe in the future. Thanks for taking the time to create this video.
Thank you for the kind words of support.
I started aerotowing in Michigan in 1997, and stopped in 2001.
I got back into flying in the spring of 2023, here in California. So, you haven't seen me around, because I'm still quite new to flying around here. But I'm hoping to fly a lot, and put out a lot more videos, over the upcoming months.
@@HangGlidingFlightSchool well be back there at some point so hope to see you.
This is a very useful guide video for Hang gliding!!! and the guy in the video looks like a very kind person!
That is very nice of you to say. Thank you for such a courteous and congenial comment.
Hey Eric, just want to say that this is a really fantastic video! One of our pilots here at LMFP shared it and I just watched it all the way through! I’ve been an instructor here for the last 21 years and this is something that we’ve needed forever!!! Thank you for taking the time and covering so much information! I will be sharing this with all my students from now on! If you find yourself out here on the East side of the country I’d love to buy you a beer! I live here in the LZ so I’m pretty easy to find!
Wow. That's awesome. Thank you so much for the kind words.
I'm flattered and humbled for my work to be praised and accepted by someone with your knowledge and experience.
Great video. Tons of useful info for someone interested in getting into the sport. Thanks for posting!
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Always nice to hear when my efforts are appreicated.
What a great intro to the world of Free Flight learning. Very well written and described. We as want a bees can take away with your expertise is well displayed. I was self taught in the early seventies and taught in the early decades and have always respected the teachers in this sport and take all knowledge into account to this day as I still fly. With your take always I will say that back not so long ago was the sail of old wing designs of the past even in good shape BUT not friendly flying performance up to today’s standards. I’ve always told them that cheap used purchase of older wings are not up to today’s safety standards.
Thanks for the support. I have been trained by a few of you self-taught dudes from the 70's.
top stuff fellas, we need videos like this to grow the community. Thank you !
You are welcome. Thank you for the support. The good news is, many people in the hang gliding community are pleasantly surprised to discover there are far more schools and manufacturers than most pilots realize.
Great job,thank you.
As a new pilot just finished DHV A certification, I fully agree every point in this video.
What a humble, sharing man!
You are most wlecome. Thank you for the compliments. May you have many joyful decades of drachenfleigen.
Not "certificat8on", the word you're looking for is "rating". Ask an FAA CFI about that if you don't understand.
The most clear explanation I found. Thank you!!!
You are welcome. Glad you found it useful and informative.
Returning to hangliding after a 20 year rest. Great informative video to introduce Hangliding to new potential pilots.
Glad you enjoyed the video and I hope your return to the sport is fun and wonderful!
Built my own (early '70s) from bamboo, visqueen and duct tape. Test flew it on the Miss. River levee in N.E. Louisiana! Was generally loong 'moon walking' type steps. Also built/test flew an EasyRiser Kit and 'tested' it on The Levee. Eventually heard about the growing hanggliding activities in the Chattanooga area. Was working as a helicopter mechanic on a 7 days on/7 days off so drove up to check THAT out! Eventually got official training. Thanks to Dan & Randee, BJ, TOM and everyone else, I worked as a heli-mech on the Gulf coast of Louisiana. Wore out 2 new Celicas driving back and forth every 7 days.
Glad to hear you got training. Training is vital to maintain the freedom of the sport.
about the cost of hangg-liding: buying a decent down-hill bicycle cost as much as a advanced brand new hang-glider + harness. getting the HG pilot lisence will be a one-time cost of around 1500 Euro. flying the glider with all-Dacron-sail also will give you 20 years on the sail at least (seen gliders with 30 year old sails still fit to fly - though really on the end of their life-span). And if you start with a cheap used glider and harness (which I highly recommend as long as it flies well and is well maintained), you can start you HG career with around 3000 Euros. So flying a hang-glider will over the years be an affordable hobby for many. Instead of buying a big car or new phones and computers each year, get real and learn hang-gliding :)
Yes, hang gliding is far more affordable than most people think, and it's the most economical way to become a pilot.
@@HangGlidingFlightSchool yes and also the closest sensation of flying like a bird. Free flight in a hang-glider is a marvelous feeling
Your closing narration was very touching and awakened my passion for the flying.
Thanks Eric !
You're welcome.
Thank you for the support and the nice comment.
What a great host. Eric's got a way with words. Very much looking forward to it!! Thanks.
Thank you for the compliments. I do strive to be articulate. Glad you're enjoying the videos.
This is very good! Thank you for your efforts in putting this together!
You're welcome. And thank you for the kind words of support.
Very well presented. A thorough explanation of what it may take and specific steps to take to become a pilot. I used to fly in the army and would really be overjoyed to become a hang glider pilot and begin flying again. Thank you for sharing.
Many traditional aviation pilots actually learn to pilot hang gliders very quickly, since the flight principles are the same, just the controls are different. Hope you get to fly hang gliders soon!
Excellent video. I had flown a bit way back in the mid 1970s and lately, at the tender age of 69, have been interested in taking up the sport again ....with proper training this time around.
Anyway, after watching this video a few weeks back I decided, "what the heck" and booked lessons with Windsports (at Dockweiler Beach) for both me and my wife. We drove all the way out from Phoenix had an absolute blast. And, in addition to Andy Beam and his great team of instructors, who did we run into? Eric!!! ...who was polishing his take-offs and landings on a WW Falcon 1. He really practices what he preaches.
A pleasure meeting you and your wife, Steve. Glad you had fun and hope you are back in the air again soon.
Hang gliding made easy!
Thank you!
You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.
I think you should promote Low Altitude Beach Flights and teach people how to hoover - glide there. Been watching Hang Gliding Videos online for a while. The ones with the most views and reacts are the smooth low altitude Beach side hang glider hovering videos.
These videos are not designed to teach people how to fly or be the "most popular" videos.
These videos are designed to educate aspiring pilots, not to entertain the general public.
Fantastic presentation. Very good information.
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it and found it useful.
…. an adamant … an excellent description of what it takes to be apart of this form of flight and it’s communities on our oldest form of flight.
Thanks. I'm glad I had the opportunity to make it.
Cycling can easily cost more than flying. I've been a cyclist with full bling bikes and wheel sets... My comp bike was more expensive than my glider!
That is true. Cycling can be quite expensive. Once you get into carbon fiber frames and rims, the prices really go crazy.
Osmosis: A learning process which in parallel with to a stepped and planned program bring class/lessons into "mind repetition" and hanging out at take off and landing area. So much is reinforced by hanging out. You might use the the word "Osmosis", the absorption of environment, so it becomes "you".
I agree with you 100%. Simply observing and spending time around airfields and pilots is a great education.
Great video. John Heiney's Hang Gliding school in San Diego, CA is awesome. He's a master pilot and world record holder, I'm a proud student of his. Highly recommended.
Thank you. I just saw John Heiney a few weeks ago, teaching a student at Andy Jackson Airpark. His school is on the Hang Gliding Flight School map.
Oh cool, small world!@@HangGlidingFlightSchool
Much kudos...best most inviting intro into to any type of ultralight aviation ive ever seen. Most these days focus on the scare tactics n try n recruit by fear. While you display all the options n pros n cons. Very well done!!! Wish i could shake your hand, ppl like you will make ultralight sports more approachable for the average joe! Thanks again...👍👍👍...
P.s. we could really use a personality like yours in the pg and ppg arena as well!!!
Thank you. I've gotten many compliments on the "tone" and "vibe" of my videos. Over the years of doing video work, I've noticed simple upbeat positivity tends to gain a lot of supportive response.
Thank you for this video. For 40 years I've wanted to try hang gliding and now I'm gonna! ;) Learning looks very different than I thought it would be. So now....
I live in Phoenix but I would like to start on a beach. The part of the video on the beach is what makes it feel comfortable to enter the sport. Please reply if you're an instructor in the San Diego, CA area. I visit there frequently. I'll be there on the weekend of September 14 and I can always trek there if I find an awesome teacher.... Additionally, though, when I get back to AZ, the weather will finally be cool enough to look for an instructor here too. SO. If you're an instructor near Phoenix. Yup. I'd love to hear from you too.
Wonderful! I'm glad the video inspired you. That's the whole point!
Please check the Hang Gliding Flight School website to find a worldwide map of instructors.
There is an aerotowing school in Arizona called Sonora Wings, but they only operate in winter.
There is no beach training in San Diego, but there is beach training in Los Angeles at Windsports.
You can also reach out to John Heiney. He teaches in the San Diego area.
Again, go to the Hang Gliding Flight School website and you will find a map with links to all these schools.
@@HangGlidingFlightSchool Wow Eric, thanks for this info. I also live in Phoenix. I flew as a teen in the early 70s and now, almost 50 years later, really want to get back into it ...this time with good, solid training (the USHGA, later USHPA was "just a rumor" back when I flew). I know you stress patience, but I just turned 69 and figure I don't have all that much time left. I've contacted Sonora Wings, but it's early August now and they won't open in Arizona until November. Sheesh. That leaves me just watching videos and reading "Hang Gliding for Beginners" for three months. Beach training in LA would be an absolute dream. BTW, love this video. For a "dad" that's some nice skating there!
Damn this video! In the 12 hours since I watched it and posted my last reply (see above) I've thinking non-stop about getting back into hang gliding. The only obstacles: 1. Nobody's teaching in the Phoenix area till next winter and, 2. my wife will kill me. I think I've solved both problems. I just planned a trip over to LA in two weeks and booked lessons for me ...and for my wife! See you guys on Sat. 8/31 Yaaaay!!!
@@VTSifuSteve Excellent! I wish you all the best and hope you and your wife have a wonderful day flying.
And be optimistic about your age. I flew with an 89 year old pilot this summer. You could still have 20 years of flying in your future.
So awesome. I am terrified of heights but I am so interested in this. I actually want to overcome my fears and learn this
As you can see, your first flights on a training hill are extremely low to the ground. Even if you're afraid of heights, you can still learn it. I hope you give it a try!
perfect information and presentation, Thank you very much for this valuable recommendations
best regards
You are welcome. Thank you for the kind comment and I'm glad you found this useful.
Great job
Awesome
Thank you from Germany 🇩🇪
You're welcome. There are a lot of hang gliding schools in Germany. I need to add the German clubs to my map sometime.
Well, I dropped out of flying in the mid 80's. The thing about flying is that anyone can fly one. The hard part is learning to take off and land SAFELY. I spent 2 years on the training hill learning just that. It saved me a lot of money compared to my friends who could fly well, but didn't know how to take off and land in all conditions.
True. When practicing low-wind launches, my instructor once said, "There are a lot of pilots who won't take off if it's less than 10mph."
I said, "Exactly. I don't want to be one of those pilots. I want to be better than that."
We had a Pro/Am flying meet in Medford OR, maybe 1980 or so. One pro pilot took off on a gently rolling hill, pushed out on his bar while looking for his stirrup, they didn't have the body cocoons back then, and promptly stalled out and hit the grass. I would have counted that as a flight. He launched a second time, and damn near did the same thing again. My training hill prepared me for launching in all sorts of thermal conditions. If you are flying thermals, you have to be prepared.... For anything, and same with landing in thermal conditions. Ridge lift is easy.
I thought it’d be more expensive. It’s actually quite affordable. And you get to FLY!
@@GeorgeGiann Agreed. I'm always confused about people who think hang gliding is expensive. I'm like, "But there are millions of people who own motorcycles... and it's cheaper than a motorcycle!"
As soon as I saw the Tinkerbell shirt I knew this was gonna be good but you exceeded all expectations. Thanks for the advice, time to book a tandem flight
Tinkerbell is the ultimate dreamgirl. Plus, she can make you fly!
Glad you enjoyed it.
May your journey to flying be magical. Just think of a wonderful thought.
Yes! Brings back great memories!
Never too late to make new ones.
I agree with the other comments, great tone. Great video.
Thank you. I appreciate the support and compliments.
In the 70’s I lived up the street from the Wills brothers, they inspired me to take it up, so I built my own .. cost = 0, instruction =0, successful flights =0, course I was only 7 years old lol.
At least you tried!
The best explanation and presentation, very interesting I will like to begin in the wordl of hang glider, I will like to be a good pilot. Thank you!
You're welcome. That is awesome. I wish you the best of luck and many joyful years of flying.
Great stuff, thank you!
That said, I was amazed how you kept misstating the facts with the words certified, certification and license when there is none of that here in the USA. That level of instruction comes only from the FAA as I'm sure you know. The word you were looking for all along is "rating", which you finally get to much later in your video.
But hey, I'm getting pretty picky. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
Thanks for the support.
The word choice was very deliberate. Remember, this video is for new pilots, who know nothing about aviation.
People who are not familiar with aeronautics have heard words and phrases like "pilot license" or "certification" but they won't understand hang gliding uses "ratings" instead.
Therefore, in the beginning of the video, I deliberately use terminology they will expect and understand, then clarify the vernacular to "ratings" later in the video.
Thanks for this upload, Eric! I enjoyed that! Best, Rob ^^
You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.
Awesome work Eric! We needed this. Thank you
You're welcome. Just my little contribution to the sport.
Great video! Thanks for making it!
You're welcome. Thanks for the support.
Very informative video
Thanks
You are welcome. Thanks for taking the time to voice your gratitude.
Nice video. Informative.
Can BHPA pilot fly in US?
Your BHPA rating can be honored at a USHPA flying site after you have a USHPA observer/instructor approve you.
You can also fly a USHPA site if you have an IPPI card as if you held the equivalent USHPA rating.
Superior video, first I’ve seen with such a complete coverage. Do you instruct? I bet you are great at it if you do.
No, I'm not an instructor.
The video called "Welcome To Hang Gliding Flight School" gives a little more background on my flying experience, and you can also read the "About" page on the Hang Gliding Flight School website.
Thank you so much for the support and kind comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
WillsWing was my favorite brand.
Yes, there are a lot of great hang glider manufacturers out there.
great video!!
Thanks for all your support, Rudy. It means a lot and I hope things are going great at Wills Wing.
Learning to fly airplanes varies just as much.
Okay. Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic educational video!
Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for taking the time to comment.
True words!🥰
Short comment.
Thanks for the great video!
Thanks for the great comment!
thank you guys BIIIIGGGGG
You're very welcome.
Thank you good advise❤😂🎉
Glad you found it useful.
This video is great! I should probably work in an equivalent for brasilians. We definitely lack good material for those who can't speak english.
Thank you. I'm shocked by the number of hang gliding schools in Rio de Janeiro. There are something like 6 or 7 schools in that city alone, which is more than any other city in the world. I don't know how popular hang gliding is in the rest of Brazil, but the quanity of schools in Rio is impressive.
@@HangGlidingFlightSchool they are mostly tourist tandem companies. Tandem pilots are required to be instructors by CBVL. There are maybe... Two guys who actually teach there. The launch setup area is actually a production line to setup tandem wings in 3 minutes, with very few solo pilots only in classic conditions.
There are many instructors around Brasil, but most don't really work with it and "might teach if asked". I think there are only two guys who live off instruction in the whole country, one of them also teaches PG. All others have more activities. For exemple, Nene and his sons run Rotor Harness. I teach but I'm a musician. The one guy you list here in Florianópolis as Vento Sul is one of my buddies, he has the website up but isn't really teaching, he has been forwarding interested people to me. He might do 5 tandems per year upon request, and I sometimes fly with his tandem equipment.
That's about it here.
HG isn't too popular anywhere, except in Rio where there is the biggest number of takeoffs per year in the world (mostly tourists). That launch is more busy than many international airports.
There are a few dozen instructors that I know of and could send you a list for your map if you want!
@@ericoschmitt As long as they have an active website and GPS coordinates for their flying site, I'm always happy to add more schools.
Great video well done ❤
Thank you, kindly.
Thank you!
You are most welcome.
Arizona;
25 aerotow lessons at $95 per lesson.
Foot launch training at AJX, $650.
glider, $1500. Harness, $700. Hemet, $100. Vario, $100.
H2...........priceless.
#107791
I'm just impressed you found a $100 vario. 😄
@@HangGlidingFlightSchool if your not picky, it's not that hard.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making a very fantastic video. I am watching from Nepal. After watching this video, I want to learn with you. How can I contact you about this?
To hang glide in India, I suggest you reach out to the school _SkyVentures_ in Jodhpur, or the manufacturer _Ace Aviation_ in Ooty.
Both are very easy to find if you look them up online. Good luck!
A simple solution to calculate cost. Tell people what the MAXIMUM price is. Then they can decide from that point if they can afford it, and what they can afford. So add up the maximum of all that is needed, and give them that number. Or slim it down to the maximum of what it costs to get started, at the time the conversation is occurring. When people ask questions, always give them a straight forward, direct answer. Not this washy washy language of well, it might be, and up to, tell them directly, point blank, all in, and give them the number that is top of the mark. They won't complain if it turns out to be less. You will NEVER hear the end of it, if it turns out to be more.
I have this motto. Always under promise and over deliver. Doing that will grantee exceeded expectations, every time. For example, if you can deliver good on a promise tomorrow, tell the customer 3 to 5 business days, and when you present them with it the next day, they will be so impressed. Plus, you did it under what you told them it would cost, they'd think you're phenomenal !
Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Thanks Sergeant Carter..... 😆
Whats duration to learn?
The amount of time it takes to train is explained in the video.
We insisted on our friend entering the sport to first learn to fly a radio controlled glider!
Whatever works.
Nice vid
Nice comment.
is it too late to learn it in your 40s? :)
oh i just finished the video, i guess not lol
@@rvart6779 Thank you for taking the time to watch the whole thing! 👍
I’m a natural I jumped off my roof and flew for .5 of a second
It takes up a lot of time
All forms of aviation demand a lot of time be invested.
Eric, are you a teacher?
I love teaching. I've worked as a tutor/mentor for high school kids in youth programs. I've made tons of educational videos on everything from action sports to firearms and skateboarding which have gotten millions of views online. I've taught multiple educational classes at Walt Disney Studios on everything from web development to photography.
Show
Glad to see the youth taking up flying. (No one over 30 would use "show" to express approval.)
good video.
Thank you. Glad you found it useful.