Hang gliding over Orlando

Waking up at 4:30am is everyone’s dream start to a day right?... right? C’mon! You get to fit so much more into your day. It’s also the best time of day for amazing outdoor activities like hang-gliding! We arrived at Wallaby Range Hang Gliding Flight Park before sunrise today. So early in the day, the air was incredibly still and the temperature perfect. If sky-diving is a bit extreme for you, hang-gliding could be just the ticket! The experience is a curious mix of peaceful, yet exhilarating.


My glider was pulled into the sky behind an ultra-light plane which was much smaller than my glider! We took off over the grass, the wheels bumping along the ground before we lifted into the air. You are very close to the ground, lying prone, suspended in a kind of sleeping-bag contraption next to the instructor. The first component of the flight involves a number of loops behind the plane as it drags you higher and higher into the Orlando air. The views are breathtaking and it feels like you can see forever over the lush green of the Florida landscape. Just as you have settled into the rhythm, the glider detaches from the plane and you begin your glide back to the ground.



The instructors at Wallaby Ranch are complete pros – mine had been flying gliders since 1974! – and are quick to explain how to steer and let you swoop and weave through the sky. You use your arms as levers to turn right and left, and pull your weight forward over the hand bar to go fast. It’s a surprisingly relaxed experience, though I found myself wishing I had better arm strength! After a time at the controls, the instructor asked if I liked rollercoasters and proceeded to take us through a series of crazy loops and spins as we returned back to earth. The flight was over quickly and after a smooth landing it was time to extract myself from my ‘sleeping bag’. An amazing experience and one I would love to have the opportunity to try again!




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Wallaby Ranch
Where: 1805 Deen Still Road, Davenport, FL. 33897
Web: http://www.wallaby.com
Phone: +1 (863) 424 0070