The instructor will share controls during the descent only if the student desires. During your hill flying sessions, you'll practice solo control of the hang glider while flying in the upright position for take-offs and landings. As you and your classmates take turns flying, you'll learn the proper way to control your glider through the flight sequence and during your touchdown, either on your feet or on the safety training wheels. Then it's a short walk back up the hill with your hang glider to get ready for your next flight. Beginner hill classes last six hours, so there's plenty of flying time.
Class size is limited by reservation to six students per instructor, to assure personal attention.
Your instructor will pace you on every trial run, ready to help you steady your glider as you learn to control the forces of flight. Raven Sky Sports uses several different grassy beginner hills. All are between 40 and 90 feet high, face different wind directions, and all are gently sloped to limit the altitude that you'll achieve during your beginner training. Higher flight is achieved from the same hillsides by graduating to high performance hang gliders, typically after two or three lessons. These gliders come in a variety of sizes, from small to XL, for student pilots weighing 80 - 220 lb.