OHGS Calendar, Schedule and Reservations

Full Day Hill Lesson

The Full Day Lesson is comprised of the necessary ground school and hill lesson session. It usually starts at 10:00 am and lasts till 4:00 or until dangerous fatigue sets in. Simply choose a day on the calendar and register on the form on the left. We will be in contact as your lesson approaches to adjust location and time to take advantage of the best wind for a fun first hill lesson. "Discover" or "Introductory" hang gliding coupon holders recieve the 3 hour ground school and two flat ground launches. They are strongly encouraged to upgrade to Full Day Hill lesson. See the second half of a Full Day Hill Lesson on the OHGS Facebook Page Here

Coupon Holders

The Discover Hang Gliding ground school experience is a necessary 4 hour ground school that most often involves at least a couple ground skims - not a full day's lesson of 10 flights on a training hill. It is a complete orientation to the sport that involves a 1) Interactive power point presentation that highlights the average skills of all pilots and what it takes to get there 2) Work in a flight simulator for motor skill practice. 3) Assembly of the glider and basic ground handling 4) Beginning launch flat ground runs that often get students in the air for short periods but given variable body weight, ability to run, and wind this cannot be guaranteed. 5) Use of an electronic simulator if the weather is really bad.

The ground school is designed to help people develop an accurate reference point for what constitutes success, the general strategies at various stages, appreciate the value of training in pursuing the sport and to provide some fundamental skills and realistic frustrations in the sport. This knowledge and exposure is necessary in order to a have a successful first day full day hill lesson. With those goals in mind, most people are satisfied, feel fully informed and have tested their bodies and minds with the information and glider. You are pleasantly tired, feel you have personally grown and are definitely intrigued for more. You are really ready for full day lesson now. Register for full day hill lesson after this class! But also consider upgrading right away if you cannot delay gratification.

Some confuse this introductory ground school class with full day eight hour lesson either on the hill or using tow technology. These classes are always had "on call" or "tentative" as we cannot control the wind. A scheduled group coupon experience would not work with this option. There is an "upgrade to hill lesson" option on the class registration page. See http://www.facebook.com/OregonHangGlidingSchool for video. This class can really give a feel for the sport with flight being much more likely. The value of OHGS is in the education; with any entertainment coming from the reward of effort. With the right teaching, focus, determination and effort you can fly. This ground school provides a good overview, and opportunity to develop real skills. It MAY be possible to feel light on one's feet or even fly, like many have done. Of course the less one weighs and the more wind makes that more likely. But this cannot be guaranteed because the wind gods, low slope and your ability is involved.

If a scheduled coupon day also promises to be good Full Day lesson, the class will be sent a message for the option of upgrading to a full day lesson. If more than half the class agrees the class will be scheduled earlier for the extension into the whole day. Non-upgraders may still attend the class for the value of the coupon. A full day hill lesson provides the greater slope, opportunity of extra effort, determination and time to make that much much more likely. Simply use the paypal button on the registration page to upgrade to a full day lesson.

Coupon Terms

Your coupon, when bought, specifically stated restricted availability and location changes. The issuing coupon company is responsible for orginal value of coupon, however strict terms apply there. Voucher and coupon holders for introductory ground school must choose a either Friday afternoon or Saturday morning sessions. Only one coupon value per person will be accepted for the specific available lesson dates. These are held at the Corvallis Municipal Aiport. Weekdays are often available as well especially for those that are very seriously considering attaining hang gliding official rating proficiencies and willing to upgrade to a full day hill lesson. To qualify for week day reservations be ready committ to full rate lessons beyond the coupon value. Do not call with creative offers other than wishing to pay the OHGS upgrade to hill lesson fee or late fee. The only reason we can offer this deal is because of location convenience, pooling of expenses and specific schedules. The instant any of these changes your coupon value decreases by half

  1. Check when your coupon expires. There is a $25.00 one month only expiration extension fee for coupons...unlike many other coupons. How lucky! You are still getting a 25% discount on an intro lesson. Note this in your reservation. Please pay the late fee at the bottom of the registration form. No exceptions. We cannot encourage scheduling jam-ups because of scheduling negligence and your particular priorities.
  2. Check the schedule http://www.oregonhanggliding.com/calendar.shtml
  3. Choose a class that says Voucher ( either friday or saturday) before it expires. Consider upgrading to a Full Day Hill Lesson if it is difficult to schedule a Voucher Day. Sometimes the class time to will be rescheduled to take advantage of better winds or too much rain or lack of sunlight. Be ready to change your plans. If you cannot make the new class time and the expiration date is near, it will be voided.
  4. The class limit is six per class (a number in class is in parenthesis). The class lasts at least 3 1/2 hours but may go to 4 1/2 hours depending on class attendence. Do not confuse the time/date of the email with time/date of the class!
  5. Oregon Hang Gliding School endeavors to eliminate scheduling conflicts between ground school and full day lesson customers. However, OHGS reserves the right to cancel and reschedule when such a conflict occurs. In the event such conflict impacts the expiration date of the coupon, the expiration date of the coupon will be extended one month past the expiration date. Yes, the expiration date is extended because of your inconvenience. However, if you can make it to the rescheduled time, you may still attend the ground school portion of the class. If more than half of the scheduled class wants a upgrade, then the class time may be set to earlier in the day. We recommend you don't schedule anything else on the day of the lesson in case of time changes, this simplifies conflicts for everyone! However, Upgraders may have to wait for another day if the wind gods are not cooperative. Don't worry your "wind check" is good till the weather improves.
  6. Do not use workplace email systems to communicate with the instructor! These systems often mark our communication as spam and you do not receive confirmations and scheduling changes. We will not be responsible for your communication problems. Calling on the phone does no good since we are often caught on top of a mountain providing lessons without secretaries and computers.
  7. Your email will be placed on a google calendar that will remind you and us of your upcoming ground school. Please RSVP to this invitation and time or location changes as they occur. You may receive re-confirmations as others are scheduled. You do not have to respond to these updates. Just notice any time or location changes.
  8. OHGS has been teaching all year long, almost every day so there has been ample opportunity to reserve a class. Sunny weather is not a requirement to learn hang gliding. Although safety is a large value in hang gliding, physical comfort is not. Be prepared for any weather. Be prepared to use your head, heart, legs and lungs. Bring good running shoes, waterproof boots and extra socks.
  9. Coupons are redeemed at the Corvallis Airport. Coupons may be redeemed in Pacific City or Corvallis at the instructors convenience, and may be extended into a full day lesson. However, coupons will only be honored if an instructor is already present with no commuting necessary. The coupon will be honored to flat beach, taxi-way or field launching. If you would like to experience higher and more extended flight along with the others, you must ready to purchase an all day lesson and pay the difference. Please bring cash, check or ready to prepay through paypal.
  10. We have no problem if you have a problem. However, it is our choice to make your problem our problem, so choose your problems well if you want our help. If enough people have the same problem it certainly becomes our problem.

How to Prepare

Hang gliding is an equally intellectual, physical and emotionally skilled activity. Thus, ready your kids (and yourself) to sit and listen to a presentation on the history, aerodynamics, techniques and communication of hang gliding. The instructors are very good at an animating interactive lecture. After some orientation, the use of simulators allow you to practice before the actual ground hang handling of the glider. We do lots of running on pavement and rough grass at this point, so please bring good running shows with some traction. If you are not too heavy and there is enough wind, you may get light on your feet and even fly for shorts hops. But, of course this can not be guarenteed. Learning how to hang glide is about the ability to keep wings level running in a straight line anyway.

The single most important thing to prepare for your lesson is light jogging followed by spurts of frequent long stride sprints - much like a cross country sking gait

General Schedule

The Ground School prepares you for a full day lesson in which students fly significantly higher and longer. The schedule for full day hill lessons is dictated by weather events. Therefore, for full day lessons, reservations are made and then email and twitter notifications are sent a couple days before full day lesson to confirm the lesson. Necessary ground school with flat ground launching practice may be scheduled in almost any weather. For students achieving ratings, when more than two or three days of consecutive good weather is available, students are strongly recommended to take the opportunity progress quickly through a step and then return home for book and online study. Arranging your lifestyle to be spontaneous and flexible during the training program helps immensely. The other successful scheduling strategy is being unvarying in your committment to take a lesson on regular, consistent basis no matter the weather conditions, despite the possibility of weather cancellations. This makes probabilities work for you. The worst strategy is take lessons on your arbitrary convienence counting on the probability that wind conditions will be perfect. Generally, lessons are held at the inland training grounds Fall through Late Spring. Summertime lessons are held at Cape Kiwanda, Pacific City, Oregon. A scheduling contract is strongly recommended for steady progress in learning.

Optimal Training and Equipment Pace

This training program is comprised of four 3 day-lesson training camps. The goal of the program is to create and independent and self reliant hang glider pilot. Thus, personal equipment purchase, which enhances the instructional environment, and will be used for for the major part of a hang gliding career, is integral to the success of the program. However, there is a slightly more expensive instructional fee track for those not wishing to purchase equipment. Time between camps can used to study for the written examinations and study with OHGSOnline interactive instructional resources. This creates the most effective learning pace. It is designed for timely completion and least amount of expense, yet allowing for weather and flying site variability - crucial experiences for real flying skill. Longer camps are possible but require careful pacing during the week. Sporadic lessons wastes time, money and effort in reviewing previous material. The program is based on incentives to perform the program recommendations for smooth and reliable entry into the sport. The most successful students are able to purchase their glider and/or harness-parachute at the onset of the program and then able to purchase the rest of the skills sets and equipment piecemeal in the next three to five months. Longer camp students are required to purchase their helmet radio communication systems immediately, since its needed to enhance the instruction in the intensive camp.