What is hang-gliding.com (Mission Soaring LLC)?

Updated

hang-gliding.com is the website of Mission Soaring LLC, a Northern California hang gliding school, dealer, and service facility that has served the local hang gliding community since 1973. It is relevant to you if you are looking to learn to hang glide in the San Francisco Bay Area, buy or service hang gliding equipment, or book a lesson at a dedicated training site. The site supplies all equipment for lessons and also sells new and used gear.

What Mission Soaring offers

The site is organized around three main activities:

  • Instruction — Learn to fly at a private training site, with small classes and instruction tailored to each student.
  • Retail — New equipment in stock or custom-ordered, plus used equipment that has been fully checked out.
  • Service — A complete sales/service facility for pilot equipment.

Training location and facilities

  • Training site: Tres Pinos, near Hollister, CA — described as roughly one hour south of San Jose and just south of the San Francisco Bay Area.
  • Sales/service facility: Milpitas, CA.
  • Equipment: All equipment for hang gliding lessons is supplied by the school.

Lesson and program options listed on the site

Program What it involves Status shown
Learn to Fly Introductory hang gliding instruction at the private training site Available
Personal Attention Small classes with instruction tailored to each student Available
Advanced Flying – High Altitude Tow Lessons Training toward a Novice (H2) or Intermediate (H3) rating, covering knowledge and skills to fly most sites Available
Group Classes Flying day for friends, family, or coworkers at a special group rate Available (contact to arrange)
Tandem Flight Towed up to 1000 ft over the practice hills with a USHPA-certified tandem pilot Not currently available
Adventure Package Solo hillside lesson followed by a tandem flight on the same day Not currently available

Brands and equipment

Mission Soaring is an authorized dealer for:

  • Wills Wing
  • Moyes
  • North Wing
  • A-I-R

The site also lists glider and harness inventory sections, including harness brands such as Center of Gravity, High Energy Sports, Rotor, and Wills Wing.

Pricing

The site includes a pricing table with three tiers — Basic ($50), Premium ($100), and Platinum ($250) — each listing "Standard Compliant Channels," a space allowance (1 GB, 10 GB, 30 GB), and support rates ($25/hour, $15/hour, $5/hour). These entries read as generic template content rather than confirmed hang gliding lesson prices, so treat them as unverified and confirm actual lesson and equipment costs directly with Mission Soaring.

Practical notes before you contact them

  • A login module appears on the page, but no account requirement or free-access terms are stated — do not assume any part of the service is free or requires no login.
  • Tandem and Adventure Package options are marked "Not Currently Available," so check current availability rather than planning around them.
  • The site links to a cancellation policy, directions, weather (Tres Pinos and NOAA hourly), and a pilot rating system — useful to review before booking.

To decide whether this fits you: if you want structured hang gliding instruction with supplied equipment in the Bay Area/Hollister area, or a dealer for the brands above, Mission Soaring is a direct match. If you specifically want a tandem flight, confirm availability first, since the site currently lists it as unavailable.