Oregon Hang Gliding Lesson Policies

A full lesson is defined as 7 to 12 flight event opportunities where aerodynamic control is required. A flight is when the glider picks up its own weight on the hill under your own power two times or when your feet leave the ground once. If this is achieved, "practice, learning and personal flight is possible. If 7 flights cannot be achieved because of weather you will be provided a "windcheck" and will be able to take them at a future date. Once lessons are started (flights taken), flight event opportunities lost due to fatique cannot be redeemed. The instructor reserves the right to stop lessons due to fatigue. Bring extra checks in case you want a "lesson extension". There are no flight limits when a Step package of three or more lessons are purchased. Lesson discounts are provided when equipment is ordered. It requires 14 days and between 80 and 100 ground skimming/midlevel and five alitude flights to gain all hang I and II proficiencies.

Remember, there are overhead business expenses, and limited time, attention and physical effort on part of the instructor and travel costs. There is also wear and tear on the expensive equipment and different risk levels at various steps. These factors vary throughout the program. Thus some Step Package lesson costs vary depending on these factors. Low risk one-lesson entertainment groups are always more cost effective for the instructor, thus you can assure better instructional service and more effective learning if you purchase equipment at a regular pace throughout the program. Some lessons are finished within three hours some take the entire day.

Some take the whole day. It all depends on the weather.

Time and Location

Please reserve the entire day and part of the evening for the lesson. Always check your email or this website's "Lesson News" the evening before the proposed lesson date. You should arrive on time and are expected to stay the entire lesson-day, usually 10:00 am to 4:00 pm for a lesson-day unless tides, weather, or student scheduling dictate a later or earlier meeting time. Please call in the event of late arrivals.

Cape Kiwanda Training Hill

We park at the Pelican Resturant parking lot and meet at the Stimulus Espresso Shop across the street at 10:00 am. See the location button for maps or use the zipcode 97135 at google maps.Cell is 541 913 1339. If you miss us there, we are either at the bottom of the north side of the Cape (in north winds). We you get to the top, we are at the bottom. Park your car in the Pelican Restaurant lot and walk north on the beach (with all your stuff below) over the gradually sloping dune to get to the north side of dune. Click Here for a Map More unusually, we may be right in front of the Pelican on the beach or at the Straub Beach Access right across the bridge over the estuary or on the south side of the Cape on the gradually sloped dune (in south winds).

Please be on time - its not fun herding classes, but always call me or ask at the coffee shop if there is confusion. See the maps at our Location section. If you are late, simply ask the coffee shop employee where we are at.

Lessons at the inland training hill occur earlier, before the thermals and wind picks up. We meet at the Pine Cone restaurant at the Corvallis exit at 8:00 am. Camping and motels are available in Corvallis the evening before the lesson.

How to Physically Prepare

Light jogging and lots of stretching of the leg muscles a week(s) before the lesson will eliminate pulled thigh, calve and hamstring muscles. If you haven't been using your legs in exercise lately you are in real danger of pulling/tearing these muscles during the lesson. If this happens we won't be seeing you for another couple months. They do not call hang gliding "foot launched flight" for nothing. Get ready for a vigorous but fun work-out. Please don't underestimate this danger if you are have a sedentary lifestyle. The more in-shape you are in the more you can focus on what we are teaching you. That is why kids do so well!

Things to Bring

For camp students:

Towel for $2.00 shower at the end of the day.
Tent, Pad, Sleeping Bag or reservations for lodging or sleepable vehicle.
Webb County camp reservations (503) 965-5001
Pacific City Inn Motel reservation: (866)567-3466 Email: reservations@pacificcityinn.com
Cape Kiwanda Inn Hotel reservation 888-965-7001 or Click here for the Reservations Page

and all students:

Check, cash (preferred) or card payable before the lesson!
Baseball cap. This works as a sweat soaker and sun visor under the helmet. It also identifies you as a hang gliding student in the coffee shop!
Loose fitting shorts or pants. It is sometimes 10 degrees cooler on the coast. Always bring a windbreaker or light jacket.
I teach in bare feet, but sometimes in very sunny no wind weather, the sand gets very hot - ouch!. Neoprene booties can help protect the feet in these conditions.
Always bring sun-block and sunglasses
At LEAST one gallon of water per person (can be bought at the Kiwanda market next door to the coffee shop before the meeting time)

for inland hill students:

Wear loose fitting pants if we are at the inland training hill to protect against grass abrasions
Hiking shoes and later, knee-high $12.00 rubber boots are a necessity at the inland training hill.
Some extra "dry" socks may be smart.
In cooler/wetter weather, bring wool nongrippy gloves so that fingers remain warm and flexible against the cold aluminum control bar but allow the hands to slide along the bar.

Food and Hygiene

Pack a healthy lunch that will provide energy but not cause gastrointestinal problems. Fruit and nuts are great! Restroom facilities are extremely primitive. Toilet paper is provided. Showers are available after the lesson so bring a towel and soap. We eat dinner at 6:00 pm in one of Pacific City's resturants after the lesson is over to debrief, do paperwork

Alertness

The consumption or use of drugs, including alcohol, is not permitted before or during the lesson. Cigarette smoking is not permitted during the lesson or during dinner. There is no real difference between disorientation due to drugs or fatigue during strenuous exertion. The instructor reserves the right to gauge any particular student’s level of fatigue or alertness during the lesson and restrict any more activity by the student.

Friends and Family

Friends and family may attend the first two lessons. However, students undergoing the step program or sustained lesson-days must decide if significant others will be present during all subsequent lessons or none of the lessons. This decision eliminates a significant factor in performance - showing off in the presence of others. The instructor reserves the right not to teach a lesson if this or any other lesson policy is not observed.

Equipment, Safety, and Maturity

Gliders, harnesses, helment, radios, and kneepads (for the inland hill) are provided. Oregon Hang Gliding, Inc. incurs any cost due to equipment damage. Thus, you must follow all the instructor's perscriptions no matter how impatient you are to fly unassisted and high. However, the student is expected to follow all instructional guidelines and treat equipment better then if they owned it. Of course, your personal safety also depends on it. Broken aluminium also leads to broken bones.

Lesson Fee and Usage Policy

Purchasing a 3 lesson step package provides no flight limits. We practice till the instructor deems your fatique is affecting performance. Step packages and extended lessons expire 7 flyable and scheduled weekends from date of contract and issue of Step Card.
In part, you are paying for reserving the instructor, keeping him on call for the appropriate weather and keeping lessons available for yourself. You must consistently make yourself available and try to be flexible in your schedule. Your reservation requires the instructor to put forth effort in planning, preparation, rescheduling other students and forecasting. Its alot of work!
Two attendees must be present for non-private lessons.
Full lesson payment is required in advance of each lesson or start of training package. Please do not expect a lesson unless the tuition is paid in full before class. A 25% deposit is due on the wednesday before the weekend lesson. Full payment may be made through registration at this website. Otherwise, remainder of the payment can be made before each lesson or package at the lesson site. There are no refunds on used lessons, expired lesson packages, or used training camps. All unused single day lessons expire six months from the date of enrollment.
Reservations must be made no later than two days before each scheduled potential lesson and cancelled by the next day. No shows and late cancellations will be charged as if they had attended the lesson. Camp enrollees must make reservations 14 days before the start of the camp.
If Oregon Hang Gliding cancels a lesson, full credit will be applied to the next lesson. If a lesson is only partially completed, the unused portion will be credited to the next lesson. Unused portions of camps are not refundable but may be used toward full credit of future lessons.
Entire program refund is 50% of purchase cost after not more than three lessons taken or 4 flyable scheduled weekends since purchase. 30% refund after four lessons taken or 8 flyable scheduled weekends after purchase. No refund after five or more lessons or three months since date of purchase. Make sure you are committed before purchasing this option.

Safety

Remember hang gliding has many risks that must be managed. We must approach the activity with care and good judgement. Wheels, control bar pads, helmets, and radios will be used. A first aid kit will be available at the site with card in it giving the location and information you may need to send for help.

NOTE: Should an injury occur, DO NOT MOVE the victim unless absolutely necessary to remove them from further danger. Only after a thorough examination by someone trained in First Aid and/or Emergency techniques can the victim be moved. The emergency cell phone is available in the rig in the ashtry. The cell phone only works at the top of the dune. Run up to the top of the dune!