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Austin Air Sports (AAS) offers several exciting classes to introduce new students to foot launch and tow launch hang gliding. You can also experience the newest form of hang gliding instruction-tandem aero tow behind our Dragonfly Tug. On your first flight, enjoy the thrill of flying in a hang glider at high altitude, while our skilled instructors and helpful staff make your flying experience comfortable. Fred Burns is a retired NASA engineer who has been teaching out of the Houston area since 1986. Fred is an Intermediate Pilot and Basic Instructor. Bruce Mauzy also holds an Intermediate and Basic Instructor rating from the USHGA. Fred and Bruce provide foot launch and tow launch training. Aero tow instruction is provided by Steve Burns at Austin Air Park (AAP). Steve is an Advanced Pilot, Advanced Instructor, Tandem II Instructor, ICP Administrator, Tandem Administrator, Tow Supervisor, ATP Administrator, and a Basic Flight Instructor (Aerodynamic and Weight Shift Control) with the ASC. Steve is also a FAA Private Pilot (143 hrs. Single Engine Land) and Novice Paraglider pilot. AAS has many talented people dedicated to making your flying safe and enjoyable. Lt. Col. John Krueger is our Chief Tug Pilot and Instructor. John is active in the U.S. Air Force and flies the B-1 Bomber. John "The Bomb" has been flying hang gliders since the mid-seventies. Joseph Johnson is a Captain and Fleet Manager with American Airlines "Eagle" and also flies the Dragonfly. Barry Stanley is an active trike tug pilot when he is not raising horses. Neal Harris has joined the team bringing years of experience in flying, tugging, instruction, mechanics and the general scene at flight parks. Jan Burns runs the company's accounting and Gaynelle Roach oversees the company's management and provides customer service at the airpark. Click to view pricing. In the early 80's, Gerard Thevenot, who produces the Cosmos line of trikes, introduced his method of aero towing in the United States. He showed pilots a new method of towing hang gliders behind ultra light tugs. Using center of mass towing, weak links, shoulder releases and proper rope lengths, he introduced a very safe way to tow hang gliders to altitude. The early "trike tugs" had high tow speeds and were somewhat underpowered. Hang gliding pioneer Bill Moyes and ultra light genius Bob Bailey saw the need for a slow, powerful, easily controlled tug. Together they produced the Dragonfly tow plane. The Moyes-Bailey tug is still one of the best tow planes available! Slower wings and more powerful engines have made "trike tugs" very popular as well. At AAP we operate 2 Dragonfly tugs and 2 trike tugs. Aero towing has revolutionized hang gliding instruction. Tandem aero tow instruction has made the process of learning how to hang glide safer and more efficient. For the student, this means more skills can be learned in a shorter period of time. For the instructor, this means operating in an environment that is not only safer than other conventional methods, but offers more flexibility at the same time. Tandem aero tow instruction allows for most pilot skills to be developed using a demonstration/performance method. The instructor demonstrates the skill, then the student performs the skill. Repetition is easy and efficient since 3,000' tows last 20 minutes or more. It is very easy for the instructor and student to identify skills that need the most work, then concentrate the training in these areas. The end result is that instruction can be tailored to fit each individual pilot and each student develops complete pilot skills in a shorter period of time. AAP offers students one of the most accelerated training programs in the country. Our Accelerated Novice Package allows pilots to obtain the USHGA Novice certification in 4-6 days. Student pilots receive 8 hours of ground school (instructional material provided). They develop their skills with 15 instructional tandems. Students are taught how to follow the tug on tow, how to control the glider in free flight, emergency procedures, and good approach and landing techniques. The Accelerated Novice Package consists of 4-5 hours of dual airtime. Solo flights are included in the package along with their USHGA memberships and student discounts on gliders and equipment. Click to view pricing. AAS integrates aero tow instruction with conventional instruction to offer one of the more innovative instructional packages available. Our Combination Package is our premier training program providing instruction in all three launch methods-aero tow launch, foot launch, and truck tow launch. This package can be completed in 6-8 days. First, student pilots complete the Accelerated Novice Package (see above). After developing solid flying skills, students complete a foot launch clinic at one of our 3 training hills (see Foot Launch). To finish the package, students complete their training with a truck tow clinic (see Tow Launch). This combination package allows a student to experience 15 instructional tandems, 4-6 hours of dual airtime, 12-15 solo flights, and 1-2 hours of solo airtime. It includes a log book and 1 year USHGA membership, as well as discounts on gliders and equipment. Tow launch hang gliding (winch towing, truck towing, platform launch) has been a part of Texas hang gliding since the early 80's. Donnel Hewett of Kingsville, Texas developed the "center of mass" system. His method of using a tow bridle to spread the tow forces between the pilot and glider was called "Skyting." Another part of Texas history was Jerry Forberger's work with Airtime of Lubbock (ATOL). He developed the system of towing hang gliders most people know as "truck towing." In "winch towing," hang gliders are launched off of a moving platform (truck bed or trailer) and towed aloft by a towline that gradually unwinds from a reel (similar to a large fishing reel). The drag of the reel can be regulated to help assure that the forces exerted on the glider produce safe and efficient climb rates. A "weak link" assures that the tow forces exerted on the glider never exceed safe limits. These launch methods still provide a safe economical way of flying hang gliders in relatively flat areas of the country. We operate 2 trailer mounted tow rigs at the Airpark. The height of the tow is determined by the windspeed and the length of the towing area. Using our 7,200' runway, we consistently tow hang gliders to 2,000'. Paragliding tows can reach higher altitudes, because of their slower tow speeds. AAS offers several tow launch training programs at the Airpark. Click to view pricing. These training programs combine ground school (printed reference material provided), tandem training flights, and solo tows to teach students proper towing technique. Our Tow Launch Clinic allows pilots to experience tow launch hang gliding. This one-day clinic includes ground school, and 5 solo tows to 1,000'. AAS will continue to offer tow launch training programs in central Texas. AAS has been providing foot launch instruction in central Texas since 1978. Over 4,000 students have completed our introductory hang gliding course. In the past, we have offered our introductory course through several major universities and learning centers throughout Texas. Foot launch classes are offered in Houston (Addicks), Austin (Murchison), now in Hearne (our new training hill by the airpark), and Kingsland (Packsaddle). Foot launch instruction has been the traditional method of training students to fly hang gliders since the birth of the sport in the early 70's. Foot launch hang gliding is a method of flight where pilots take off and land on their feet. Beginning their training on level ground, students are familiarized with the hang glider (set up and preflight), harness functions (proper fit and hang check), and safety gear (helmets and training wheels). After learning to comfortably hold the glider on their shoulders (gliders weigh 50-70 lbs), students are taught to accelerate the glider to take-off speeds (14-18 mph). Using proper technique to keep the wings level and control angle of attack, students make their first flights from the bottom of the training hill. When the basic skills are understood, the student is allowed to move higher up on the training hill. Higher launches produce longer flights. Repetition builds confidence. As soon as the pilot masters one skill, another is added. This building block process has students flying from the top of one of our 50' training hills after 4 or 5 hill lessons (20-30 flights). With more practice, basic hang gliding skills (i.e., good launch technique, airspeed control, directional control, and good landing technique) are solidified. It is then safe for the student to move to higher launch sites. Our Novice Training Package concludes with flights off Packsaddle Mountain. This 400' flying site, located northwest of Austin, provides an excellent training site. AAS has a bunkhouse in Kingsland, Texas located only minutes from Packsaddle. This facility provides support for weekend flying trips. AAS will continue to offer foot launch training programs in central Texas.
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