Documents & Books
Resources
- European Hang Gliding Union
- Foundation For Free Flight
- Hang Gliding Association of Canada
- Hang Gliding Org
- Hang Gliding UK
- Japan Hang Gliding Federation
- Korea Hang Gliding Association
- National Aeronautic Association
- National Free Flight Association of Guatemala
- New Zealand Hang Gliding Association
- Oz Report
- Philippine Hang Gliding Association
- Scottish Hang Gliding Federation
- South African Hang Gliding Association
- Sports Aviation Federation of Australia
- US Hawks
- United States Hang Gliding Association
- United States Hang Gliding Rating System
- World Air Sports Federation
About The Website
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Hang Gliding Flight School was founded in California during 2023, as an online free educational resource sharing the fun and adventure of flying, by encouraging, teaching, and inspiring aviators, from the ages of 14 to 104, who dream of soaring through the sky. Beginning with the most fundamental aspects of the sport, Hang Gliding Flight School aspires to share the basics of getting started in the excitement and thrill of becoming a hang glider pilot.
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Hang Gliding Flight School was conceived to present a concise contemporary reference, to help beginner pilots get started. We even give you a map, showing the location of instructors all around the world, so you can find training close to you. Hang Gliding Flight School provides ample information a new aviator requires, without overwhelming you under a barrage of extraneous knowledge.
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Finally, it's important to emphasize, the Hang Gliding Flight School videos are intended to supplement, never replace, in-person training with qualified teachers and face-to-face instructional courses.
About The Tagline
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The alleged last words of Otto Lilienthal, the founder of hang gliding, were, "Sacrifices must be made."
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The tagline of Hang Gliding Flight School honors both NASA and Mr. Lilienthal with the phrase, "Ad Coelum per Sacrificia", which is Latin for, "To The Skies Through Sacrifices".
About The Pilot
My name is Eric Muss-Barnes (USHPA #70575) and I created Hang Gliding Flight School in 2023, as a beginner pilot, to encourage potential aviators to start the adventure of becoming pilots themselves. I first became a hang glider pilot 27 years ago, at the age of 26, in August of 1997, when I flew under the tutelage of Norman W. Lesnow (USHPA #18009), by footlaunching off a 20' training hill at Green Acres Park, in Hazel Park, Michigan. After earning an aerotow rating, I moved on to train with Tracy Tillman (USHPA #29852) at Cloud 9 Sports in Webberville, Michigan (often towed by pilot Lisa Colletti (USHPA #65433)). Over the course of 5 years, I had nearly 40 solo launches, reached over 6000' AGL (from a 2500' release), enjoyed a thermaling flight 90 minutes in duration, earned a USHGA Hang II rating, and accumulated over 18 hours of airtime. My last flight at Cloud 9 Sports was in the summer of 2001.
Since then, I have developed multiple instructional videos, promoting actions sports. My Learn BMX Racing videos garnered over 340,000 viewers and 3,000 subscribers while Learn To Ride A Skateboard earned over 5,500,000 viewers and 33,000 subscribers. When I returned to flying in California, after my 22 year hiatus, I decided to start a curriculum for hang gliding, similar to my endeavors with BMX and skateboarding. Thus, I conceived Hang Gliding Flight School as a nonprofit educational resource for beginner pilots.
United States Hang Gliding Rating System (USHGRS):
H2, HGP, S-SA Otto
