Mountain Wings
Mountain Wings
Hang Gliding in New York
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Website: www.mtnwings.com Location: Mountain Wings Shop 77 Hang Glider Rd. Ellenville, New York 12428 GPS Coordinates: N41° 41.236′ W74° 24.268′ Contact: Email: mtnwings@verizon.net Phone: (845) 647-3377 Connect with Mountain Wings on Facebook! © Mountain Wings |
About:
At Mountain Wings you can explore the exciting world of personal Aero-Sports. Whether you are beginning to explore the wonders of flight or are an experienced Hang Glider pilot, you will find service and support you are looking for.
Mountain Wings sits at the foot of the Ellenville Mountain site in New York, which is considered the “Hang Gliding Capital of the Northeast.”
It boasts a distance record of 201 miles and a duration record of 11-1/2 hours. Our most frequently used training hill is at the base of the mountain and students can just turn their eyes skyward to catch a glimpse of pilots soaring and anticipate the thrill that they may soon experience. You’ll learn to fly high at Mountain Wings!
Hang gliding is a sport that is somewhat dependent on weather conditions since gliders must launch and land facing into the wind. Mountain Wings offers two gently sloped bunny hills facing different wind directions so that you will have the best chance of being able to fly if weather conditions safely allow it. Mountain Wings is a full service Aero Sports flight shop servicing the North East. Headquartered in New York, we feature training, repairs, sales and service of all Hang Gliding and Ultra Light Aero Sports. Contact us today!
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Driving Directions: 
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Greater New York City New York Thruway (I-87) North to Exit 16 Harriman toll plaza. Route 17 west to Exit 113 (30 miles), 209 North towards Ellenville (13 miles), & make the right onto Hang Glider Road. At the end of the cul-de-sac, go left over the bridge. West New York State Route 17 West from Binghamton, NY. Exit 100 at Liberty, end of ramp, left onto Route 52 east to Ellenville (21 miles), right on Route 209 South for two miles & make the left onto Hang Glider Rd. At the end of the cul-de-sac, go left over the bridge. Northeast New York State and New England New York Thruway (I-87) South to exit 19, Kingston, NY. Route 209 south, to Ellenville (27 miles). Drive through the Village and two miles on turn left on Hang Glider Rd. At the end of the cul-de-sac, go left over the bridge. Shortline Bus: Service direct to Ellenville several times daily from Port Authority Bus Terminal (212) 736-4700 Private Aircraft: Wurtsboro Airport (845) 999-2791 OR Joseph Resnick Airport in Ellenville New York (845) 647-2100 |
FAQ:
Mountain Wings Hang Gliding Center would like to welcome you to the exciting sport of Hang Gliding … the most exhilarating form of recreational flying known to man. We would like to take a moment to answer some of the more common questions, as well as to preview the flight course that you will be taking.
Q. How safe are hang gliders?
The first questions we usually hear pertain to safety. As with any adventure sport, the possibility of injury exists in hang gliding, but is not likely. A safety minded pilot who uses good judgment, will probably never have a problem. Mountain Wings stresses a safety oriented program. As one would expect, weather conditions are extremely important when it comes to hang gliding, and although it can be frustrating when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate, be assured that you will fly only when it is safe to do so. Like any form of sport aviation, hang gliding can be dangerous if pursued carelessly. Gliders in the US are now certified for airworthiness by the Hang Glider Manufacturers Assn. (HGMA). Also, hang gliding instruction has been standardized and students learn from certified instructors using a thorough gradual training program. The vast majority of pilots fly their entire careers without sustaining a serious injury. Hang Gliders are tested to over 6 G’s positive load and 4 G’s negative which is almost twice as strong as a Cessna airplane. Hang Gliders cannot go into dives, cannot spin, will not stall and are tested not to break, they fly hands off. The United States Safety Council says that hang gliding is one of the safest recreational sports the public can be involved in. Safer than football, kayaking, skiing, skydiving, bicycling, skating, rock climbing, air planes, etc. Hang Gliding is a very safe sport and very regulated.
Q. How do you steer?
Hang gliders are controlled by shifting the pilot’s weight with respect to the glider. Pilots are suspended from a hang strap connected to the glider’s frame (hence the name “hang” glider). By moving forward and backward and side to side at the end of this hang strap, the pilot alters the center of gravity of the glider. This then causes the glider to pitch or roll in the direction of the pilot’s motion and thus allows both speed control and turning. Hang Gliders have the quickest roll rate (turns 90 degrees to 90 degrees) than any commercially built aircraft. And fly with your fingertips, not a strong grip.
Q. What happens when the wind stops?
Nothing! – a controlled, smooth, gliding decent. Hang gliders (and all aircraft) create their own “airspeed” from gravity, and gravity never stops. We do not need to have wind to fly, in fact we teach with no wind. But if you want to soar, (stay up for hours or gain altitude) you need to have wind that is going up faster than you are falling, we fall about 160 ft. per min which is not very fast.
The HD War – Hang Gliding in New York
Dana’s First Soaring Flight
Kenny Brown Comments on the Freedom Glider
Tom Glavin Hang Gliding Over Ellenville, New York