When neighbors heard we experienced Lookout Mountain hang gliding, they stopped me in the street to say, “You went hang gliding? Where was that? How can I do it?” Need an awesome gift for the man in your life? Try a hang gliding session. Oh yeah, and kids love it too.
Just 20 minutes outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Lookout Mountain Flight Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia, is the perfect mountain escape with gorgeous views of Lookout Valley.
Hang gliding involves soaring through the air on non-motorized ‘wings’. My boys LOVED their time hang gliding and their first question when they hit the landing zones was, “Can we go again?” Ready for your own Lookout Mountain hang gliding adventure? Here’s everything you need to know before you go!
A LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN HANG GLIDING ADVENTURE
Our adventure started at Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding in Rising Fawn, GA near Chattanooga, TN. We spent the night camping at Cloudland Canyon State Park and headed to the hang gliding facility for a morning flight. Flights are by reservation only, so be sure to call ahead of time to schedule your adventure.
Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding is the only hang gliding school between Florida and North Carolina. They offer a tandem experience that lasts about 20 minutes in flight, as well as a full day experience, which includes instruction, training flights and the tandem flight.
PREPARING FOR YOUR HANG GLIDING FLIGHT
We did a Discovery Tandem package. It wasn’t scary, in fact, I felt very safe with the flight instructor. Prior to the flight you watch a short video about hang gliding and are handed your flight passes. Each person is suited up in a full-length vest and leg straps. This holds you up in flight and probably helped to make me comfortable and feel safe in the air.
Flights start on the ground in a prone position, so there is no running. Tandem riders lie next to the instructor and hold on to handles near his hips. The glider is pulled into the air by an ultralight airplane that is specifically designed to tow hang gliders. Once you reach an altitude of about 2,000 feet, the instructor lets the tow go and you are gliding through the air.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO FLY?
In-flight, they allow you to take control if you’d like and show you how to move it back and forth, stall out and gain speed. Turning the hang glider is done by shifting body weight. As someone said, it’s more relaxing than thrilling, and affords gorgeous views of surrounding Lookout Mountain.
Landing was smoother than I would have expected. Each hang glider has wheels to help with take-off and landing.
KIDS AND HANG GLIDING
The age minimum for tandem flights is 10 years old. Training hill students must be at least 12 years of age and weigh at least 100 lbs. All students under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian to help fill out waivers.
I would recommend bringing a sweatshirt and wearing jeans. We went on a sunny, clear day, but it was cool up in the air.
OTHER LIMITATIONS
The weight limit for tandem flights and training hills is 250 lbs. Students between 230 lbs and 250 lbs will require smoother conditions to fly. (They do actually weigh their guests.)
They do not fly tandem flights with anyone who weighs over 250 pounds for safety reasons, but encourage students over the weight limit interested in learning to fly to call to go over other options!
HOW TO GET THE BEST SELFIE IN FLIGHT
You can’t bring a camera on the flight, although you can get some great pictures on the ground. If you want in-flight pictures, purchase a package from Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding and they’ll take them for you.
The camera is positioned on the wing and snaps periodically. Make sure to look over every once in awhile so you get a good pic of your smiling face!
WHERE TO STAY DURING YOUR ADVENTURE
We camped at Cloudland Canyon State Park during our stay, but you could just as easily stay in nearby Chattanooga, TN, if you are looking for posher accommodations. There are plenty of camping and lodging options nearby.
Lookout Mountain Flight Park also offers their own accommodations, too. You can choose from Pentagon Cabins, Mountain View Cabins, or their campground…which is only $5 a night/per person!
For additional photos of hang gliding at Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding, visit Field Trips with Sue on Facebook
MORE INFORMATION FOR YOUR ADVENTURE
- YOUR GEORGIA VACATION
- CHATT HOTELS: 5 Perfect Chattanooga Hotels for Every Travel Type
- ROCK CITY: See Rock City: Still Awesome After 90 Years
- RUBY FALLS: Chattanooga TN Breathtaking Natural Wonder
- TN AQUARIUM: Chattanooga Aquarium: 45+ Essential Things To Know Before Going
WHERE TO STAY IN CHATTANOOGA
Follow us here: Facebook | X | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | MSN | TripAdvisor | Flipboard | NewsBreak
All articles belong to 365 Atlanta Family LLC, and all photos belong to us as well, unless otherwise noted. It’s all copyrighted. Please don’t repost anything elsewhere without asking me first. All rights reserved. This site uses cookies to enhance your experience.
We make no guarantees of any price listed on our site. We are not responsible for content on external web sites linked from ours, including linked resources, an external blog post, any partner site, hotel property sites, or affiliate sites. We only write about places we love in an attempt to help you in your adventures, but we can’t guarantee you will love them, too.
Posts may contain affiliate links at no cost to you. Several of our trips are also compensated by the respective tourism boards for the city or state we are visiting, restaurants, attractions or brands. This never impacts how we share the destination with you – opinions are always our own and we pride ourselves on that. We do not sell links or accept unsolicited guest posts under any circumstances. Don’t even ask.
United States Copyright, 365 Atlanta Family, LLC
View our Privacy Policy | Subscribe to our Newsletter | Contact Site Owner | View Terms & Conditions | About Us
