Paragliding Instruction
There are five levels of paraglider certification: P-1 (beginner) through P-5 (Master). At the second level (novice), a pilot may fly unsupervised at a certain designated sites. The more hours one flies, the faster he or she will ascend in rating, making more sites available for flying.
Any of the schools listed below will be able to hand out a P-2 rating, provided the student completes the necessary requirements (everyone except the SF hang gliding Center, that is. They just do tandem flights). Most have courses specifically designed to get you to the novice level. And they can take you to higher levels, too, if you get hooked.
SF Tandem Paragliding
San Francisco, CA
E-mail: GoFly@sftandem.com
Phone: (650) 873-6693
Website: www.sftandem.com
San Francisco Tandem Paragliding owner, Jeff Greenbaum, specializes in tandem flights, instruction and tours. His experience includes over 18 years of flying hang gliders and paragliders, 10 years of tandem paragliding and 14 years of paragliding instruction experience. Greenbaum offers beginning through advanced instruction. Rates vary, give him a call or drop him an e-mail.
Merlin Flight School
410 Oak Ave.
San Anselmo, CA 94960
E-mail: tipvortx@thegrid.net
Phone: (415) 456-3670
Website: www.thegrid.net/merlinflightschool
Merlin Flight School guru Wally Anderson and his staff customize their lessons to fit the needs of the individual. Anderson himself has been teaching folks to fly for over 20 years and many of his students return with all kinds of success stories after they are certified. MFS holds its training sessions on a 500-foot grassy hillside, and training continues all year round.
Individual Lessons
Introductory Lesson: $150.00
Lesson Packages
Basic Lesson Package: $850.00 (geared toward a P-2 rating)
Western Hang Gliders
Reservation Road at Marina State Beach
Marina, CA 93933
Phone: (408) 384-2622
Website: www.westernhanggliders.org
If you're going to learn to fly, the Monterey Coast is not a bad place to do it. Western Hang Gliders is a family-owned flight school specializing in, well, everything. They do paragliding. They also do hang gliding and powered ultralights. Marina State Beach is their training site -- right in their backyard, so there's no hassle for set-up or transportation. Tandem and instructor training available.
Lesson Packages
Introductory Program: $135.00
Pilot Program: $690.00 (6-lesson program for reaching P-2 rating)
Other Flights
Mountian Program: $135.00 (One-day clinic. P-2 pilots and above only)
San Francisco Hang Gliding Center
Call for appointment: (510) 528-2300
Website: www.sfhanggliding.com
The SFHGC specializes in tandem hang gliding, but they do paragliding as well. It's perfect if you want to find out what flying is like, but you're not ready to drop cash on bunny-hill instruction. Instead, you can come to the SFHGC, and they'll strap you into a glider with a qualified pilot and fly you from a 2,000-foot ridge on Mt. Tamalpias clear down to Stinson Beach. It's a hell of a flight. The Center flies 7 days a week.
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