Can anybody help me. I am chasing information about hang gliding schools/ organisations in the Perth region, specifically where I can get lessons, training and licence etc... Thanks
www.hgfa.asn.au/http://www.hgfa.asn.au/Schools/schools.htm
The WA bit is half way down the page.
The VHPA sites guide lists WA sites
www.vhpa.org.au/sitesindex.html
If you want to fly then consider hang gliding and paragliding. Hang gliders are the superior aircraft but paragliders are much more convenient and practical and slot in nicely with surfing (when the wind is onshore), and wind surfing and kitesurfing (when the wind is too strong to fly).
Gorgo is on the money there.
Need a big van to get your HG kit inside - even with the break-down wing sections.
Having said that - I always felt safer in an HG - U have much more control over your direction in dodgey moments..
I had hours and hours of fun ground hogging with mates along hill lines at the sea side -for that matter on non-thermic days in-land too (quiet alot of those in UK!!).
Once U learn the progression is for x-country flying - never did this on a PGlider (jellyfish[}:)]) but remember being surprised at catching up (finally!!) to one approx 60 Kms along the course at 3500 metres - over Forbes way. The performance although levelled out like HG's is really good.
BTW the kit for both is not cheap, but once you have your basic set-up (way more sophisticated than when I started
) it is manageable (without kids[}:)])
Inventory:
1. MBike helmet.
2. 1 Hanglider (Homemade)
3. 1 Harness (Homemade)
4. 1 big dose of can do -- yeeee hhhaaaaa.
...
9. 1 fortune cookie -- Tomorrow U Will fly high!!
When I stopped a few years back, for X-C, the inventory was huge.
Good luck - research B4U Buy
AP
I did a lot of H G back in the 80's in Europe mainly in the Swiss Alps. When I came here I gave it a miss and went into gliding, lot more comfortable, safer, faster, longer distance flight, competitive and not that expensive. I was member of the Beverley Soaring Society and it was a great club to join. Glider hire was $0.60 per minute up to 3 hours and then free, a tow to 3000 ft about $ 20.00 the club has a school with instructors and charge nothing for tuition (done at the weekend) or you can join a fast track course done over a week that would give you your licence for a modest fee.
Check it there www.beverley-soaring.org.au
after years of large traction kite flying I wouldnt even go near a paraglider!!
(some para dude crashed into Bells beach cliff recently too)
Hanglider - definately!!
much more control in those critical moments in the lulls and gusts.
Theres heaps on youtube, some guys even done a step by step tutorial on there.
The man asked about hang gliding and I gave him the info requested.
Hang gliding and paragliding are both expensive. The days of building your own out of bamboo and old tarps are long gone.
Used para and hang gear can be bought quite cheaply and this is a good idea at the start. The performance and safety of new gear is far superior. The continued and recent developments in equipment is amazing.
Many of my friends are moving on to sailplanes. Buying is expensive but you can rent and you only have to rent when you are flying.
All forms of flight, and hang and para in particular, require a lifestyle committment. You can't just rock up and go for a fly when you want to. You have to put in the hours and gain experience.
All forms of flight cost about $100/hour of airtime. It can cost a lot more if you factor in fuel, accommodation and time off work to go flying (the biggest expense).
Hang glider pilots tend to break arms and necks. Landing is a particularly dodgey time for them. They are known as "lawn darts".
Paraglider pilots can break ankles and crush vertebrae. Poor launches can be a problem or collapses at low altitude.
While hang gliders are the superior aircraft in terms of glide and speed, paragliders can fly in weaker lift. In terms of acro flying, adventure flying, fun flying and general all-round accessibility paragliders have well and truly left hang gliders behind.
Gorgo - is on the money again - but having supplied the answer - decided to broaden the scope...
I flew 168.75 hours on home made HG's
Never used tarp 
Never used Bamboo
Used aircraft quality ALI, SS lock tight bolts, would have to look up the low speed profiles we adopted at the start for pattern profiles (alot of static flight testing) - and wire / swaging done at the yatch chandelers at the time started with 4 oz rip stop (double stitched - phew) and moved on from there -First up tried a rogallo - pile of cow dung - first flying design had a bow-sprit High aspect ratio - will try and find a photo started flying at the same time as the proto-type Gryphon came out - went in size from 136 sq feet down to 123 and back up to 134. Used wind tunnel tests (student at the time) and alot of experience from designing / flying RC gliders.
Got the static testing, low gentle slope tests, and then off the southern downs - and beyond - loved it - great experience.
AP
Get in touch with "Mr No One" (AKA Grant)
www.seabreeze.com.au/Members/Profile/Details.aspx?member=Mr.+No-one
To get in touch with Western Soarers
I think we have one certified instructor "Mike Duffy" here in Perth but there is one more instructor "Shawn" which do not have a license to teach but most of the HG pilots here in Perth has passed their courses with him
See you up there buddy no matter what you fly with
Paramotors used to be crap. Now they are getting good. It is still a bit of a fringe activity.
Everybody I know who bought them sold them fairly soon after. They are slow, they are noisy, they are expensive, you can't fly in windy conditions or near where people live (noise). You need to fly with landing options within glide (as you do for all wings), so you can't just punt off over the nearest mountain or cross the sea or something.
There are people who live in the country and have their own paddocks. They sneak out for a fly in the morning or the evening. They enjoy it.
Some guys are putting motors on mini-paragliders and acro wings and whizzing around on them. It sounds kind of fun.
Most of them use Rotax engines. Seriously high performance.
Some guys like to do high speed skims dragging a foot over water. One guy was doing it between the surf on the northern beaches of Sydney. It was all good fun until he dunked his foot a bit too much and sprayed his air intake. The motor stopped and dumped him in the surf.
Usually get caught on a paraglider in the surf is fatal. The waves roll you over and you get mumified in the lines. The motor floats too so he woukld have been floating face down under the water. Some people noticed his problem and held him up until he could be cut free of the gear.
Electric paramotors are starting to appear on the scene. They sound very cool but also very expensive at 9000 euro.
Nice to see all these other seabreeze members who have an interest/finger in flying!
Im 13 hours into my PPL and am planning on getting my Commercial license too. Its expensive tho at $200 a lesson for 7 more lessons then i need to start using the bigger faster plane at $250 and hour. Worth every cent its sooo much fun,
Am very keen for a fly in a glider tho, and the price of roughly 25k quoted above is very tempting to buy one! power planes start at 40k for a old worn out nugget with loads of hours. The one i have been drooling over is priced at $675k and its still only a 4 seater! 
one day i keep telling myself haha
Fair enough. Most schools offer tandem flights for fairly reasonable prices. Go and try them out and see which one you like. I think prices range from just under $100 for a 15 minute flight up to $200 for an extended cross country flight.
PS. While paragliders are extremely portable modern gear can be quite heavy (~20kg) and very few people actually walk very far with their gear. Hang gliders are much heavier (30+kg) than paragliders but once you have the glider packed up and on the roof of your car then it is arguably not much more hassle to go flying (of course hitching back is almost impossible).
Some of the powered paraglider guys have tow bar mounts for the motor so it doesn't take up space in the car.
There has been a revolution in lightweight paragliding gear in recent years so you can go super compact and super light if you want. I have a kit that weighs in at 4-5 kg complete.
Hi surfnsirhiss
I took up Hanggliding about 7 years ago and its gotta be the best thing ive ever done in my life! Starting with Instructor Tony Barton in Newcastle, Learning on Stockton sand dunes then high flying off the Hills along Newcastles beaches, Awsome stuff.
From there i went flying inland on thermals achieving a best distance of 308km in a single flight. The sport is mentaly challenging and there is allways a level to step up to no matter how experienced you are.
The Hang gliding scene in Australia peaked in the 80's, it was a macho sport back then and every playboy had a Porche, Speedboat, Several Blondes and a hang glider.
Similar to the windsurfing "craze" Popularity dropped off to small numbers. This was a shame as the progression of equipment really made the sport much safer and user friendly. Right now is a good time to be a hangglider pilot.
On the East coast there is a small increase in pilot numbers with 2 of the worlds best manufacturers - Airborne, Who make Hanggliders and Trikes. They make a sweet beginner glider called the "Fun" aawesome intermediate glider - The sting 3, and have just released the Rev, A high performance wing capable of 140kmh! then there's Moyes who have just released a bigginner glider- The Malibu. Not many on the second hand market yet so expect to pay Big$ for this wing. They also have several world champions on thier books, They make top wings.
Sadly the scene in WA is much smaller, Due i beleive to limited sites...? However the guys ive met from WA are keen as anyone so get on the HGFA website for contacts and also a forum with for sale stuff too.
Give the "Bags of shame" a miss, Freinds dont let freinds parraglide! Ive seen heaps of wing collapses and rapidly descending screams, Many back injuries and uncrollable backwards flying when the wind picks up a bit. While flying at Manilla Nsw once i remember looking down from 6000ft at the launch where they were holding a parragliding comp, 4 of them had landed in trees and from above it looked funny as the canopys were covering the crown of the tree.... Hereby known as tree condoms.
I'll probably get flamed for the last comments but I stand firm on it!
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