How much does a hang glider cost? A typical beginner hang glider will cost about $5500 new and other associated equipment such as a harness, parachute, instruments and a helmet may add an additional $2500. Remember that during your training course all of this equipment is provided for you. Many pilots who complete their course elect to buy some or all of the necessary gear secondhand which can reduce the costs by up to two thirds. If you are buying secondhand gear please seek your instructor's advice as some ”bargains” are not as good as they may first appear! What do I wear to my hanggliding lessons? Please wear comfortable long pants and a long sleeve top. Dress for the time of year of course, a long sleeve fleece and thin jacket is best for cooler days. Bring a cap or hat and sunscreen as well. Sunglasses (preferably plastic or shatter proof glass lenses) are great for most days as well. Best foot ware are track shoes or even hiking boots for wet ground. How long does it take to learn to fly hanggliders? Students will vary in their ability. You will get a chance to fly a hangglider in your very first lesson. To learn enough to be considered ready for your supervised certficate most students will take about 7-8 training days. Bear in mind that on many days you will not be training all day so probably allow about 3 months to learn allocating 1 day per week. What do my Supervised course fees cover? Your course fees cover all aero and ground tow fees, tuition to supervised certificate level, equipment hire, training notes, exam fees, HGFA student membership and a course textbook. Why should I learn with Freedom Airsports? More airtime. Most of your initial training will be done with your instructor in the same aircraft right by your side-just like any other type of flying training. They are there to teach and correct any mistakes right there and then. Remember you would never learn to fly a plane by yourself! Who flys hangggliders? All sorts of people, from doctors, to tradies, from scientists to lawyers, from engineers to astronauts (well almost-there is a great story). Their one thing in common is they love free flight. Most are male however we have some very good female pilots as well. Indeed it is easier than ever for women to learn because the way we teach alleviates the traditional “carry the glider up the hill a million times technique” which put off many women. How do you transport a hangglider? When packed up most hanggliders are between 4 and 5.5 meters long and weigh between 23-35kg. The easiest way to carry a hangglider on a car is using roof racks with one additional support either at the front or at the back to stop it flexing up and down. We can advise you on this. How much does it cost to fly a hanglider? What happens when the wind stops? This is probably the most common question that hangglider pilots get asked and causes many pilots to chuckle. The answer is not much. If the wind stops the hangglider will not plummet to earth, it will simply glide to a safe landing. You will learn why during your course. Then you can giggle with the other pilots the next time a spectator asks the question. How do you control a hangglider? You control a hangglider by moving your weight in the harness. Forward to go faster, back to go slower, left to turn left and right to turn right. What is it like to fly a hangglider? Awesome, magic, unreal. If you have ever flown in your dreams it just like that. But I'm afraid of heights. We are all born with a fear of falling and most people equate this to fear of heights. Most hang glider pilots go weak in the knees at the edge of a cliff- this is a hard wired fear in all of us. The funny thing is that when you learn to fly and are strapped into a glider you can easily run off the same cliff because you know you will fly-weird and wonderful! Do I need to be strong to fly a hangglider? No. Flying doesn't take much effort at all. The hardest work is carrying and manhandling the glider on the ground. The way we teach at least there is very little of this. What happens if I let go of the controls? Nothing. The hangglider is designed to fly by itself and only speed up, slow down or turn when you tell it to. If the air is smooth and you take your hands off the controls the glider will continue to fly just fine. We will show you this in the very first lesson. How do hanggliders stay up in the air for so long? Hanggliders are always sinking thorough the air. However if the air they are flying in is rising as fast or faster than their sinking speed they stay aloft. You can do this near cliffs or hills where the wind is blowing up their side. Many pilots prefer to fly inland where giant bubbles of warm air rise into the sky like invisible balloons. Hanggliders