There are different sized gliders for pilots of all sizes. For the Intro Sessions, the gliders we use have the widest weight-range of any glider. The pilot needs to be within 100 and 235 pounds.

See here. these aren't necessarily our scooter-tow winch but are various winches used in other areas

There is a great video of Scooter Towing here. It's more suited to convincing schools to use the scooter-tow method but it's a great overview for any potential pilot/student.

....and YouTube of course! :)

This is a student after completing a full-course. You wouldn't get close that height on your first day out.

Not much really. We design the Intro Session to be as easy as possible for anyone to pop out and experience. It's meant to be a social thing for groups to come out and explore what modern hang gliding is all about.

We start with a briefing on how hang gliders work and an overview of the equipment we'll be using - everything from the glider, harness & helmet to the scooter winch that will get you airborne. We'll then spend the rest of the session on the glider taking tows and getting you off the ground and towards living your dreams of free-flying.

Make sure you check out the What do I need to Bring/Wear FAQ

You need to bring:

• sturdy shoes, preferably hiking boots
• sunscreen
• water & food
• payment (exact cash on location or prepay with Paypal)
• jacket - even in the summer it gets cool up at altitude...at least bring a wind-breaker to keep the wind off of your arms

We provide:

• all the gear - helmet, harness, glider, etc
• all the fun you can handle!

Since this is a first-day introduction with no prior experience, you'll never get higher than your willing to jump from...so no higher than 5 or 6 feet. And with the glider above you, it'd be like jumping from a picnic table at worst. This is the way we keep risks to you to a minimum.

Normal session are 3-4 hours including briefing.

We are limited usually by the wind. Once the wind picks up, it becomes less safe to tow first-timers so we are keen to start as early as we can. We can also do evening courses once the winds die down (if they do) but forecasting when and if the winds die down isn't easy.

But if you have enjoyed your intro session, you can stick around and go for a tandem flight!

It varies...it's pretty weather dependent. We try to get each student pilot at least 5 flights and we can usually pick the proper days that we know the weather will cooperate.

We don't offer any refunds, even if the weather doesn't cooperate. But any unused flights can be used up in the future. If you register for a session and don't cancel within 24 hours and we can't fill the spot, no refund will be given. If you cancel before 24 hours of the session, you can rebook for any other session.

You don't necessarily have to be physically fit. Once you become proficient, it doesn't take much effort to hang glide.

You're suspended in the harness by your centre-of-gravity on your body so in calm conditions, you barely have to even hold onto the bar. This allows you to relax and enjoy the flight even more.

As long as you are a coordinated person, fly the right-sized equipment for you and in flying conditions suitable for your level of experience most fitness levels are suitable.

Here is a picture of the trainer glider we use on the Day-Taster courses. The guy is holding it up with ONE-HAND! There is a light breeze that is picking up the glider but it shows how easy it is to handle these trainer gliders.

Minors (under the age of 18) need parental consent. It usually more of a question of weight and maturity.

We use a 'scooter-tow' which is the industry standard method of instruction to introduce people to getting in the air...even with no prior instruction.

The scooter is ideal for smoothly pulling a trainer glider into the air and keep it at only a few feet off the ground. The trainer glider is a state-of-the-art, modern, super-easy-to-fly glider designed for first timers to fly. It's light and easy to handle and rather impossible to get it turned in the wrong direction....especially with the experienced winch operator ready to release tow pressure at a moment's notice.

It really is fun to float along the ground....even veteran hang glider pilots enjoy taking a scooter tow. They never had it this easy when they learned!

Check the calendar as we can usually schedule these well enough ahead of time. Space is usually limited so you usually need to Register and pre-pay for a session. We want to ensure those that come out enough turns on the glider before conditions change.

Be sure to subscribe to our Intro-Session Notifications for any last-minute openings we have.

View MacPat Directions in a larger map

Anywhere you are! In South-Western Ontario that is. Mainly between Toronto and Kitchener but if you can get a group of at least four people wanting to take the full Beginner Course, we can come to you to do the in-class portion. We just need a quiet comfy place to set up a computer. Someone's living room or a community meeting room is fine.

The Intro Sessions (including the on-glider portion of the Beginner Course) is possible to do elsewhere as well but we prefer doing that out of our main locations. The ideal location for first-timers attending our Scooter Sessions is at the SodFarm we use on Hwy 7 between Kitchener & Guelph. We certainly do do scooter sessions at our main flying location in Arthur.

Permission & Site Insurance is needed for doing the scooter towing at other locations so we'd have to inspect any remote sites and do the paperwork to get it insured ahead of time. It's just easier to come to our facilities.

All tandems are done by getting aero-towed up behind our Dragonfly Ultralight at our site near Arthur.