Central Texas is a great place to fly! This page describes many of the area's flying opportunities. If you don't know how to fly but want to learn, or if you're just looking for someone to go paragliding with, contact Air Addiction.

Paragliding. Air Addiction maintains a separate, paragliding-only Yahoo Group Bulletin Board. The Air Addiction Yahoo Group is a positive environment for discussing paragliding and techniques, and a lot of paraglider flying outings get organized on this message board, as well (both towing and foot-launched). Air Addiction also posts its training schedule there.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/airaddiction/

 

Austin Free Flight. The local paragliding and hang gliding flying club is Austin Free Flight. Austin Free Flight offers central Texas paraglider and hang glider pilots both foot-launched and tow-launched flying opportunities.

Austin Free Flight uses three Yahoo Groups for its communications:

Anyone can join any of Austin Free Flight's Yahoo Groups, even if it's just to learn more about flying. Your initial access to these groups is manually controlled in order to keep out the spammers.

(1) The main Yahoo Group, for discussing general club business and activities. This group also houses all of the membership forms in its "Files" area.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AustinFreeFlight/

(2) The Packsaddle Mountain Interest Group, for planning foot-launch flying outings to Packsaddle and discussing Packsaddle-related club business.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/packsaddle/

(3) The Austin Free Flight Towing Interest Group, for planning towing outings and discussing towing-related club business.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AFFTIG/

(Austin Free Flight splits up the message traffic into three groups so that, for example, people who only like to foot-launch don't have to hear about the towing activities.)
Information on flying the 17 mile long Guadalupe Ridge near Carlsbad, New Mexico can be found here! The annual President's Day fly-in weekend is February 18-20.
 

Air Addiction congratulates Austin Free Flight for being awarded...

USHGA's 2004 Chapter of the year!

 
             
     

Foot Launch Flying:
Austin Free Flight manages one foot-launch flying site, Packsaddle Mountain. The landowner is extremely concerned about people being on his land, so please do not show up at Packsaddle without contacting Austin Free Flight and going through proper channels. It costs $195/year to fly Packsaddle (proceeds pay the landowner), and you have to be a member of Austin Free Flight ($20/ year). If you join Packsaddle after March 31, it's $245/year. (The membership fees for newly-rated pilots and pilots relocating to the area are pro-rated.) If you live more than 125 miles from Packsaddle you can become a member of Packsaddle for half price, and you don't have to pay the $20 fee. If you live out of state, you can fly as a visitor for $20/day, but you have to be accompanied by a local member pilot.

For more information about Packsaddle, contact the Packsaddle site administrator:
Mark Carlson
dcarlson9 (at) austin (dot) rr (dot) com
(512) 288-2728
                       

Tow Launch Flying:
Austin Free Flight has it's own pay-out towing winch mounted on a trailer and several towing locations to use it. Towing with Austin Free Flight costs $100/year, and you have to be a member of AFF ($20/ year). If you live more than 125 miles from Packsaddle (yes, Packsaddle) you can join the towing group for half price, and you don't have to pay the $20 fee. If you live out of state, you can fly as a visitor for $10/day, but you have to be accompanied by a local member pilot. For more information about towing, contact the towing administrator:
Shon Saliga
sosaliga (at) us (dot) ibm (dot) com
(512) 423-7349

 

Additional Information about Austin Free Flight: If you cannot reach either of the above people, or if you have general questions about membership in Austin Free Flight, contact AFF's 2006 Treasurer:
Gary Leach
glleach (at) yahoo (dot) com
(512) 731-7996
©2006 Air Addiction. All rights reserved.
 
                                     

 

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