Your first time off the ground in a wing you can hold.
A tandem is the gentlest way into the sport. You'll be clipped into a Tandem-2 instructor on a certified two-place wing (~40 m² — about twice the area of a solo glider). We run the launch, the steering, and the landing. You take it in.
No engine. No diving. Just lift.
A tandem paraglider launch is anti-climactic in the best way. Your instructor lays out the wing, you stand in front, harnessed together, looking downslope. On the count, you both jog three or four steps. The wing comes up over your head, the lines tension, and the lift takes you off your feet. The ground drops away — not the way it does on a coaster, but the way it does when you watch someone else fall asleep on a couch.
Once you're in the air, the wing flies itself. Your instructor steers using two brake toggles and a weight shift in the harness. On a typical Henson Gap day, we'll work the ridge band 500–1,500′ over launch, try to catch a thermal coming off a warm field below, and land in the LZ at the bottom of the valley.
You'll hear the vario — a small instrument we wear — chirping the climb rate. You'll feel the wing breathing a little in light turbulence. There's no falling sensation. Most pilots compare it to a sailboat at full reach.
Who can fly, what to wear, what to expect.
Age & weight
| Minimum age | 4 years (with parent/guardian release) |
|---|---|
| Maximum age | No upper limit if you can walk and jog the launch |
| Minimum weight | ~50 lb (22 kg) |
| Maximum weight | 220 lb (100 kg) standard · 240 lb on light-wind days, instructor's call |
| Mobility | You need to jog 5–10 steps on a gentle slope at launch and stay light on your feet at landing |
| Pregnancy | We do not fly anyone who is pregnant — no exceptions |
What to wear
| Layers | Pants and a long-sleeve layer + light jacket. It is ~10°F cooler at altitude |
|---|---|
| Footwear | Hiking boots or athletic shoes with grip. No sandals, no Crocs, no slick soles |
| Eyewear | Sunglasses, mandatory. Light bouncing off the ridge is no joke |
| Hair | Tied back. We'll fit a helmet over it |
| Camera | Phone on a wrist tether, GoPro on the strap we provide. No handhelds in flight |
| You'll get from us | Helmet (EN 966), harness, radio, the wing, and a Tandem-2 pilot |
From parking lot to landing zone.
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T-90 min · Charlotte side
Drive up the night before, or out at dawn.
The launch is ~3.5 hours from Uptown Charlotte. Many tandem guests drive up the night before and stay in Pikeville or Dunlap. We can recommend the cabins at Henson Cove if you want walking distance to launch.
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T-60 min · Burnside parking
Meet, sign, get the weather brief.
Liability release, USHPA Pilot Proficiency waiver, a quick health screen. We'll show you the windsock, the latest run from a sounding, and the plan for the next two hours.
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T-25 min · Gear-up
Helmet, harness, hookup.
You step into the tandem harness. Your instructor clips your four carabiners — two main, two backup. We walk through the launch run, the brake position, and how to stand up at landing.
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T-0 · The run-out
Three steps. Lift. Quiet.
Your instructor calls the launch. You jog forward. The wing inflates, comes overhead, and the ground simply leaves. From here it's just flying.
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+ 8–25 min · Above the valley
Ridge soar, thermal, sightsee.
Depending on the day, we might ridge-soar a few hundred feet over launch, climb in a thermal to 3,000′ AGL, or just enjoy a smooth sled run to the LZ. You'll get a turn on the brakes if conditions are calm.
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+ 30 min · Landing
Stand and walk.
Your instructor sets the approach. On final, both of you stand up out of the harness and take 2–3 walking steps onto the grass. Wing comes down. Photos. You can't stop grinning.
Discovery Flight
12–25 minutes over Henson Gap with photo + video deliverable.
- One ridge or sled flight
- GoPro chest-cam footage emailed within 48 hours
- USHPA Introductory Membership (90 days)
- $50 credit toward a P2 course if you book within 60 days
Thermal Tandem
We chase lift. Up to 90 minutes airborne when the day delivers.
- Reserved for soarable forecasts only
- Climb to cloudbase if conditions allow
- Free reschedule if the day doesn't pan out
- Photo + video + IGC track log
Sky-In-A-Box
A tandem voucher with a 12-month redemption window.
- Mailed in a kraft envelope with launch coordinates
- Recipient picks the date, the site, the conditions
- Transferable, refundable for 30 days
- The "open this when scared" item on a bucket list
We fly when the air says yes.
Paragliding is the most weather-honest sport we know. Wind direction, wind speed, thermic strength, cloudbase, and surface lapse rate all have to land in a narrow window before we will launch. We will not fly you in marginal conditions, full stop.
Our policy: If we cancel for weather, you reschedule at no charge or refund — your choice. We use a 48-hour forecast window for tentative confirmations and call the day-of decision the morning of your flight.