It takes on average 10 to 15 days to complete a course. This is dependent upon weather and pilot ability. First days consists of ground handling, moving to very gentle slopes where the student first learns to control and fly the glider on flat to gentle sloping ground. Theory on aerodynamics, basic meteorology and basics of taking off, flying and landing the glider are covered with the aim of putting it all into practice! (Information overload!) After mastering these basics, the move is made to doing longer ground skimming flights followed by higher ground clearance flights, all under controlled supervision of your instructor.

After spending a few days of doing these practice flights you should be ready to move onto doing high flights. (During your course we will be on constant lookout for good weather to fit in a tandem flight or two!) The requirement for completing your training is a minimum of 5 high flights with some other practical tests along the way. During your time of instruction you will also write an exam as part of your Novice license requirement. In your time of instruction you will make new friends - (possibly even best friends!) and learn all about being aware of your surroundings. Even driving your car will take on new meaning as you glide and correct role and pitch, from one traffic intersection to the next! (Known as hang driving!) You will glance to the sky every now and then and make other people wonder why you have that extra shine in your eyes and a constant stupid grin! (Only a pilot knows the feeling!)

Course venue: Wilderness on the Cape Garden Route. (Wilderness is about 4 and half hours drive east of Cape Town) Please e-mail WhatsApp or call us on 083 2292919 or on 0833933938 for more information.

This course can be run continuously through a week of intensive training. (From the Saturday to the following Sunday) but we highly recommend two weeks if possible. This gives you more time to settle in and gain full benefit of your training. The Novice Rating forms the back bone to learning to fly a hang glider. Designed to take you from knowing nothing to satisfying SAHPA's minimum criteria for the Novice Pilot rating. This is the beginning level of your hang gliding career. Remember, you are still a Novice pilot and have just mastered the basics of piloting a hang glider. However, you will be able to look after yourself under mild flying conditions and Novice rated sites. For the most part we still recommend the presence of a senior pilot that can act as a guide, allowing you to gain more exposure and flying experience in a controlled environment. Some of the minimum qualifying criteria are at least 5 high flights. A high flight constitutes at least 1 minute in duration and at least 100 meters in altitude from top to bottom. (Remember, you will have had multiple training flights from the dunes and lower hills before you reach this stage!) You will be able to launch and land a hang glider, know and recognise flying speeds, including stalls and be able to do proper landing approaches amongst other things!

This course is all about airtime! No longer do we just glide to the bottom but work on gaining altitude and remaining airborne for some time! From the Novice Rating we guide you to progress to a stage of Ridge soaring and an introduction to thermaling. You have mastered the basics of piloting a hang glider so we can now start concentrating on mastering the art of using available lift. No more straight flights to the bottom of the hill! You learn how to actually remain airborne! Guided radio controlled flights to help you excel when things really count. This course includes a minimum of 5 hours airtime. (If you can handle it!)