Frequently Asked Questions - Intro Session

There are different sized gliders for pilots of all sizes. For the Intro Sessions, the gliders we use have the widest weight-range of any glider. The pilot needs to be within 100 and 265 pounds.

For tandems, the weight limit of the passenger is 230 pounds.

See here. these aren't necessarily our scooter-tow winch but are various winches used in other areas

There is a great video of Scooter Towing here. It's more suited to convincing schools to use the scooter-tow method but it's a great overview for any potential pilot/student.

....and YouTube of course! :)

Following is a Youtube playlist with many videos of our towing, from first-timers to experienced students:

Not much really. We design the Intro Session to be as easy as possible for anyone to pop out and experience. It's meant to be a social thing for groups to come out and explore what modern hang gliding is all about.

We start with a briefing on how hang gliders work and an overview of the equipment we'll be using - everything from the glider, harness & helmet to the scooter winch that will get you airborne. We'll then spend the rest of the session on the glider taking tows and getting you off the ground and towards living your dreams of free-flying.

Make sure you check out the What do I need to Bring/Wear FAQ

You need to bring:

• sunglasses or eyewear
• sturdy shoes
• long pants if you are doing the Intro/Discovery Session
• sunscreen
• water & food
• payment (exact cash on location or prepay with Paypal)
• jacket - even in the summer it gets cool up at altitude...at least bring a wind-breaker to keep the wind off of your arms

We provide:

• all the gear - helmet, harness, glider, etc
• all the fun you can handle!

Since this is a first-day introduction with no prior experience, you'll never get higher than your willing to jump from...so no higher than 5 or 6 feet. And with the glider above you, it'd be like jumping from a picnic table at worst. This is the way we keep risks to you to a minimum.

Normal session are 3-4 hours including briefing.

We are limited usually by the wind. Once the wind picks up, it becomes less safe to tow first-timers so we are keen to start as early as we can. We can also do evening courses once the winds die down (if they do) but forecasting when and if the winds die down isn't easy.

But if you have enjoyed your intro session, you can stick around and go for a tandem flight!

It varies...it's pretty weather dependent. We try to get each student pilot 3-4 flights and we can usually pick the proper days that we know the weather will cooperate. Our goal is to have you flying to the end of the line by the end of your first session.

We don't offer any refunds, however will resume your lesson at another time if weather doesn't cooperate or stops it short. If you register for a session and don't cancel within 24 hours and we can't fill the spot, no refund will be given. If you cancel before 24 hours of the session, you can rebook for any other session.

You don't necessarily have to be physically fit. Once you become proficient, it doesn't take much effort to hang glide.

You're suspended in the harness by your centre-of-gravity on your body so in calm conditions, you barely have to even hold onto the bar. This allows you to relax and enjoy the flight even more.

As long as you are a coordinated person, fly the right-sized equipment for you and in flying conditions suitable for your level of experience most fitness levels are suitable.

Here is a picture of the trainer glider we use on the Intro/Discovery Sessions. The guy is holding it up with ONE-HAND! There is a light breeze that is picking up the glider but it shows how easy it is to handle these trainer gliders.

Minors (under the age of 18) need parental consent. It usually more of a question of weight and maturity.

We have a state-of-the-art tension controlled hydraulic winch, in addition to a 'scooter-tow' which is the industry standard method of instruction to introduce people to getting in the air...even with no prior instruction.

The scooter is ideal for pulling a trainer glider into the air and keep it at only a few feet off the ground. The trainer glider is a state-of-the-art, modern, super-easy-to-fly glider designed for first timers to fly. It's light and easy to handle, flies incredibly slow and very difficult to turn - perfect for first-timers. Coupled with your certified, experienced instructor operating the winch ready to release tow pressure at a moment's notice, it's a very controlled environment.

It really is fun to float along the ground....even veteran hang glider pilots enjoy taking a scooter tow. They never had it this easy when they learned!

Check the home page as we can usually schedule these well enough ahead of time. Space is usually limited so you usually need to Register and pre-pay for a session. We want to ensure those that come out enough turns on the glider before conditions change.

We need next-to-no-wind for these sessions so they are usually at dawn (yes...6AM in the middle of summer) and as we approach sunset. Evening sessions are desirable as we can wait for the winds to die down but the morning sessions in the uber-calm air are the best....you just have to be there nice and early before the sun starts warming up the ground which starts an undesirable breeze which often shuts down the session for the morning.

Be sure to subscribe to our Intro Discovery Session Notifications for our session notification emails

Please check out our contact us page for our current flying site information: http://instinct.pro/contact

We also post our location with an interactive map for customized driving directions on every session we schedule.