New Student Info
New Student Info
Welcome and thank you for choosing Lookout Mountain. You are becoming a part of a school that has been teaching hang gliding for 30 years. We are here full time, year round for you. This is not a part time gig. We are dedicated to getting you safely in the air.Here’s some information that will help you get going…
General Information
One of the most important things about your training is scheduling. We can’t stress it enough; you need to schedule your lessons! There are times that we run out of space on the training hills and in the tandem program. There are also times when there is no one else scheduled for that day’s class, so there will be no instructor. All you need to do is call 706-398-3541 between 9-6 Eastern Time any day except Wednesday and we will take care of you.We encourage you to do a little work before you get here. Stretching is the best way to prepare. It is especially important to stretch your quads and hamstrings in advance.You can also prepare by doing a little studying. There are several written tests you need to take before flying solo. The material for two of the three tests is covered in Hang Gliding For Beginner Pilots. If you want to do some reading ahead of time, you can order this book from our estore. It is okay to wait until you get here to read the material, but any work you do before you arrive will speed up your training.
Where to stay
Check out our accommodations page for information on places to stay while you’re here training.
What to Bring
We train year round so you should dress for the season, but there are some items that we recommend you bring with you. During training hill classes you should wear long pants and either sneakers or hiking boots. Your choice of shoe depends on what you will feel comfortable in while running down grassy slopes.You should also bring a change of shoes, socks and pants because the early morning grass is dewy and your feet and legs can get wet.For your tandems, again dress for the season, but bringing layers like a sweater or jacket will prepare you for different weather conditions.You should also bring water and a water bottle.
Your First Day
On your first day of training you should be at the pro shop at the top of the mountain at 8am Eastern Time. Because we want to fly in the calmest, early morning conditions of the day, it is very important to be on time. If you have questions about directions to the pro shop, please call by 6pm the day before (or by 6pm on Monday if your are scheduled for Thursday). At the pro shop you will check in, fill out all of your paper work, and receive your training packet.If you are enrolled in a training package with both training hills and tandems, after checking in, you will drive out to our training hills to start ground school. Ground school should last until around noon, but there is no set ending time to the class. The end of class is determined by the weather and by how the group is progressing. You will then have a break in the middle of the day, and depending on the time of year, your tandems are scheduled around 4-6pm. You will meet your tandem instructor in the landing zone at the scheduled time. Your tandem will take off from either the north end or south end of the landing zone. This is determined daily by the wind direction. Don’t worry, we will give you detailed directions on how to get to each training location. We only train in the morning and again in the late afternoon because that is when wind conditions are calmest enabling you to get the most out of your lesson.
During your break, you can get some lunch, rest, study for your written tests, attend orientation, and watch pilots fly. You can really learn a lot by watching launches and landings.If you are on the Mountain Package, your first day of training is done after Ground School. However, we do offer evening classes for $35 per session. You can arrange for your evening class by calling the pro shop at 706-398-3541. We only offer evening classes when an instructor is available so you need to try to arrange your evening class by noon. The $35 fee can be split among students. If you are enrolled in the Novice Aerotow Package, after checking in at the pro shop you will drive down to the landing zone and meet your instructor for tandems. After your morning tandems you will have a break until the evening student tandem session. Depending on the time of year, your evening tandems will start around 4-6pm.
Four Wheelers
Gone are the days of huffing your glider back up to the top of the training hills. We offer four wheelers to carry you and your glider up the hill after each flight. The addition of four wheelers has really enabled students to get more flights and progress further in each lesson. On the first day, there is no charge for the use of the four wheeler. Then there is a $2 per carry charge on the small hill and $3 per carry charge on the big hill.
Orientation
Every student, regardless of what training package they’re taking, needs to attend orientation. Orientation is at 3pm at the pro shop. Orientation will let you know about the ins and outs of Lookout and answer any questions you may have.
After Day One
After your first day of hill training, each training hill class starts at 7:45am and you will meet directly at the training hills. After your first morning of tandems, you can report directly to the landing zone for your scheduled tandems.We are here to help. You can always ask questions. The pro shop is open 9-6 Eastern Time every day except Wednesday.
Remember to schedule! 706-398-3541
