Hang Gliding Lessons with Kitty Hawk Kites

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Foodie Flashpacker | June 10, 2022

https://www.weekendnotes.com/hang-gliding-lessons-kitty-hawk-kites/

On my first trip to the Outer Banks, North Carolina, I found my thrill hang-gliding over the sand dunes that Orville and Wilbur Wright had more than 100 years earlier on their quest to solve the challenges of human flight. We four drove to Jockey Ridge State Park in Nags Head, pulled into the parking spot, toured around the outdoor wings inviting us toward the left-side building to sign away our rights for injury or death in return for the very well-controlled opportunity at flight in a way none of us had previously placed on our bucket list … hang gliding.

When I’d received the invitation, I had the image of jumping off a cliff, tandem, of course, and soaring above the ocean. My very real concern was an old shoulder injury not allowing me to participate. I’d been turned down by the indoor sky diving programs, after all, for a frequently dislocating left shoulder.

Fortunately for us, the crew at Kitty Hawk Kites really do have this down to a science. Our instructor, Michael Vaughn, and his father, work with a specially made harness that removes the pressure from these precious joints and make hang gliding so simple that you need only be able to lay prone with your arms bent at the elbow and chin above the bar of the kite, stand from that position to take a few running steps, and then follow instruction to push the bar forward (superman pose if you’re a yoga enthusiast) to bring the glider in for a landing.

The primary issue is: Can you walk from the storefront to the sand dunes (and back) and up the sand dunes at least five times. If you have that stamina, you can do this.

If your legs don’t work, fear not. With advanced warning, Kitty Hawk Kites can set you up with the appropriate beach wheelchair (fat tires allow you to cross the sand), and all the right equipment to get you up and soaring. It’s a glorious experience and well worth the effort.

On our second walk back from the kites, I asked Michael to share his top tips for hang gliding after 50:

1. You Must Be Able To Move and Walk Up and Down the Sand Dune Five Times

The age range for the group we joined was about 16 to 75, with the mean somewhere in the 50s. All the older folks had an active lifestyle, from RVers to dog walkers, gym rats to regular travelers. All of us were ready, willing, and able, to walk out the boardwalk (wear shoes!), then through about a quarter-mile of sand to the sand dunes from which we launched ourselves into the sky.

So energized after each flight, we barely noticed the exertion getting back up the dunes … until I’d run up the first three and thought maybe walking the last two would be a better idea.

Michael had us sorted to do five “runs,” so with four of us in my group, we had the opportunity to watch the other three, resting up if you needed.

Walking back, you’re still riding a high… chatting about the experience, calculating in your head how you can fit another visit to Kitty Hawk Kites in your jam-packed schedule, wiping off sandy feet (Pro Tip: use your sock or wear beach shoes (not flip flops) throughout) to slip shoes back on for the final boardwalk return.