New York's most professional hang gliding school!
Now with three exclusive training hills to learn on.
At Mountain Wings you can explore the exciting world of personal flight. Whether you are beginning to explore the wonders of flight or are an experienced Hang Glider pilot, you will find the service and support you are looking for. We are a full service aero sports flight shop servicing the North East. We feature training, repairs, sales and service of all hang gliding and ultralight aero sports.
Mountain Wings Flight Park sits at the foot of the Shawangunk Mountains in Ellenville, New York, which is considered the "Hang Gliding Capital of the Northeast."
Hang gliding is a sport that is somewhat dependent on weather conditions since gliders must launch and land facing into the wind. Mountain Wings offers three gently sloped hills facing different wind directions so that you will have the best chance of being able to fly if weather conditions safely allow it.
Our instructors, as well as the school itself, are certified by the USHGA (United States Hang Gliding Association) and are highly qualified to teach you to fly safely. The first part of your introductory lesson is the ground school, during which you will watch a short informational video tape, then get fitted with your harness and helmet. It is mandatory that students wear long pants for classes and hiking boots are highly recommended. Now, it's out to the training area for the "hands on" part of your instruction. You will learn to assemble the training gliders and to evaluate the conditions for the day. You'll hook into our stationary simulator where you begin to understand how the hang glider speeds up, slows down, and turns. Most of all, the simulator lets you practice responding to commands that your instructor will be giving you.
Next, you will start handling the glider itself. By balancing the glider on your shoulders and running with it, you create airspeed and actually get the glider flying. You learn to launch and land the glider while still on flat ground. Be sure to listen to your instructor and ask as many questions as you like. You can expect the ground school to take about 1 hour. The remainder of the day is flying time. Once you have completed the first day of instruction, (the hardest day) you will have a good idea of what hang gliding is all about. What's next? The Eagle package...
The fun is now about to start...You have mastered the ground work and are ready to move to the training hill. The key here is to remain relaxed and remember what you have learned. You will be flying solo and will have to carefully and quickly respond to directions from your instructor. Flights will start from close to the bottom of the training hill and you will slowly work your way up the hill, taking longer and higher flights as your skills improve. The glider will fly best when you relax and let the glider do what it was designed to do, FLY!
As you approach the Novice level rating, you will be preparing to do some higher altitude flying. At this point, you should start thinking about buying your own equipment. Your instructor can guide you and provide literature to help you select the right hang glider for your needs. We look forward to helping you have a wonderful experience and enjoy the beautiful Rondout valley from a new perspective.
Contact us today!