Frequently Asked Questions - Tandem
Get a taste of what hang gliding is all about without having to do a thing! Come for a tandem where you go two-in-a-glider and all you have to do is relax and enjoy the view.
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.
We use our state of the art high-powered winch to tow us up. The winch is designed specifically to tow hang gliders. It's how we tow up the tandem flights as well as how our students pilots get in the air for high flights, and it is the safest method of launching a hang glider. The rapid climb it creates is also very exhilarating!
You take about a 10 minute tow up to about 1500' above the ground where you then release the line and you are free! The ride up is as fun as the ride down. The flight is then about 10 minutes or so before you are back on terra-firma.
You don't even land or launch on your feet! You use the hang glider's wheels to roll in so you don't even have to worry about stumbling on landing!
Your tandem pilot needs to be pilot-in-command while taking off and landing but once you get to altitude, if you're up for it, the controls can be handed over to you and you can experience first hand how to control the hang glider. Your tandem pilot is right there to teach and correct your mistakes.
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!
Hang gliding is for the kid in all of us! From 8 to 88!
For kids, it's more of an issue of size (over 100lbs), maturity and if they are under 18, they'll need their parent present to sign consent.
For the 'older-kids'...all you have to do is lie there and enjoy the ride. As long as you are healthy and willing, come on out! You even take-off and land on wheels so you don't have to worry about running a step!
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.
Tows are usually about 1500' or more above-ground-level....that's the height of the CN Tower deck! That will give you about a 10-15 minute flight including the tow up to your release altitude. Flights are extended if the conditions bring thermal lift strong enough for the tandem to stay airborne.
Weather & time permitting. None of us do this full-time but we get out there as often as we can. Any nice weekend, we're there, in addition to many nice weekday evenings. Be sure to subscribe to our Tandem Notifications in case we zip out at the last minute and you wish to join us.
Or season starts as soon as the snow melts and the fields are dry. And the season goes until there is too much snow to access the field!
You don't need any physical strength at all to do a tandem. You're strapped in your own harness suspended to the glider right along-side your tandem pilot in charge. You wrap your arms around the pilot (just so you move along with the pilot, not to stay in/on the glider!) and enjoy the ride!
Minors (under the age of 18) need parental consent. It usually more of a question of weight and maturity.
