Learning to Hang Glide in the Outer Banks

See North Carolina's Outer Banks from overhead, with surf and sand stretching below during a hang gliding flight few travelers ever experience.

By Heather Raulerson
May 13, 2022

Fastened into the harness, with the carabiner attached to the frame, I settled into the prone flying position. I was set to go airborne. My nerves were fully awake as I rose and prepared to step from the dune. The instructors gave the all-clear, my legs kept moving above the sand, and suddenly I was flying.

Hang gliding had never been part of my travel wish list, since I usually prefer keeping both feet on solid ground. This outing, though, changed how I think about adding more adventure travel in the future. My worry shifted quickly into a rush of adrenaline as I rode the wind above the dunes at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Kitty Hawk Kites has been teaching the world to fly since 1974 with certified instructors who have trained over 400,000 students. I’m deeply thankful to count myself among them now.

This slim band of sand along North Carolina carries a deep aviation legacy. The Wright Brothers practiced persistently until they launched their gas-powered glider in 1903, and Orville Wright came back in 1911 to become the first person to glide above the sand dune. In 1948, Frances Rogallo, taking inspiration from the Wright Brothers, created a distinctive flexible delta wing meant to make flight accessible for everyone. Today, the world’s largest hang gliding school, Kitty Hawk Kites, keeps that heritage alive by designing, building, and testing kites that allow beginners to make their first jump into the air. Thousands of adventure-seekers have begun their free-flight journeys on the same dunes where Orville once soared. I spoke with a couple from Philadelphia who had flown here specifically for the hang gliding experience, and after they landed, they made it clear the trip had been worth it and that they would return to do it again.

It may be easy to assume hang gliding belongs to younger travelers, but my experience left me strongly convinced otherwise. The three other women in my group and I were all above 50. For our first hang-gliding flights, we were every bit as thrilled and giddy as people 30 years younger. Our instructor even joked that he wished his mom would spend time with us. One of the best parts of the hang gliding experience is that it does not discriminate by age, weight, or disability. Nothing should keep you from knowing the joy of wind on your face as you glide over the sand like the seagulls along the beach.

Jockey’s Ridge State Park also hosts the longest hang gliding competition in the world. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular, taking place May 19-22, 2022. Visitors can enjoy a weekend of flying with the Hang Gliding Pilots and Kitty Hawk Kites, or simply come watch hundreds of hang gliders compete on the same sand dune Orville launched from 111 years ago.

Learning to fly is one of the greatest adventures a person can have, and now I feel a link to what Orville may have experienced when he first stepped from that dune and lifted into the air. If hang gliding belongs on your adventure bucket list, or if you want to learn how to fly, the Outer Banks is the place to take part in this remarkable tradition.

Category

Outdoor Enthusiast

Author

Heather Raulerson is a freelance writer and photographer based in Detroit. She owns Raulersongirlstravel, a travel website where she shares adventures and photography from around the world. She enjoys SLOW travel, learning about local culture, and exploring with her camera in hand. Her work has been published in several publications.