Welcome
Welcome to the Blue Mountains Hang Gliding Club. Founded in March 1987, the Club is committed to providing safe and regular flying opportunities throughout the Blue Mountains for all of it’s members, from novice through advanced. Regular activities include monthly Club competition days, novice days, towing days and heaps of social flying. We also hold regular trips away to other well-known hang gliding areas.

We cater for pilots of all abilities, and invite all pilots who are keen and enthusiastic to explore the excitement of inland flying to join us.

Feel free to contact the Club executives with any questions or queries that you may have. A full list of Club members is available on request. Ideas, suggestions and volunteered help are also most welcome.

Click on the Members link in the menu to find out how to join our club.

The exciting sport of hang gliding has opened up new vistas for those who have taken up the challenge of becoming a pilot. Pilots are transported far beyond their earthly limits and then land ecstatic from the aerial feats they have accomplished.

How do you start?
Several hang gliding schools are located within a day’s drive of Sydney, including Newcastle, the Mid-North Coast, Stanwell Park and the Southern Highlands of NSW. After initial training on the basic theory and skills required for flying, you progress to the training slopes for your first flight. When you can demonstrate competence and confidence in controlling the glider’s airspeed and the ability to perform turns, you are ready to leave the training slopes. At higher hills you will then be able to experience your first soaring flight and from there progress to thermal flight and eventually cross country flying.

Who Runs the Sport?
Hang gliding in Australia is administered by the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia (HGFA). The HGFA’s role is to co-ordinate and promote the development of the sport at the national level. This involves the regulation of all pilots regarding safety standards and procedures, proficiency standards and any other matters relating to the safety of all participants and spectators.
Australia’s civil aviation laws require all hang gliding pilots in Australia to hold a pilot certificate issued by the HGFA. These certificates are only issued once a pilot has completed the necessary theoretical examination and practical demonstration of flying skills. Your initial student level certificate can only be obtained once you have completed your training with a qualified hang gliding instructor.
Under the umbrella of the HGFA, affiliated Clubs have been formed of which the Blue Mountains Hang Gliding Club is one. The role of these Clubs is to supervise and control hang gliding operations at sites within their geographical area and to encourage the local development of the sport and sites.

The Blue Mountains Hang Gliding Club
Clubs are the major medium for encouraging new pilots to increase their flying skills at sites appropriate to their level of ability. There are always new pilots joining the sport but many have little idea on where they can safely fly. With the guidance of experienced pilots their level of experience and enthusiasm can be increased.
The Blue Mountains Hang Gliding Club (BMHGC) was originally formed in 1987 mainly as a social gathering for local pilots and to go flying together on weekends.
The BMHGC has now grown into a incorporated Club of over 60 members with regular Club flying days and weekends away to visit other Clubs and their sites throughout the State.
The Club is run by a committee of office bearers and holds meetings every two months to discuss future events and tell those ever amazing stories of "There I was at 5,000 feet ....". Input is encouraged from all members, for example, do you know of a potential new flying site to investigate?
The Club’s monthly newsletter, "The Leading Edge" keeps members informed of up coming Club events and gives technical and safety tips for all to digest. The Club membership listing is always useful when looking for that elusive lift up the hill.
Our Club is committed to actively targeting new pilots when they need encouragement to gain those vital first few flying hours. Each month the Club conducts a flying day for new pilots. One of our advanced pilots takes a group of novice rated pilots to a suitable site to increase their flying experience and knowledge. As experience is gained, the Club’s activities promote further pilot development through a monthly flying competition held in the Blue Mountains region.
Within our region we have flying sites to cater for pilots of all levels of experience with most sites over IOOO ft elevation and having good cross country flying potential, especially in the warmer months of the year when thermals are more abundant. These sites are located at Blackheath, Cox’s River Valley, Mt Ovens, Wolgan Valley and Sofala. See our "Blue Mountains Site Guide" in the members section of this website for further details on our sites.
Most long weekends the Club plans trips away to other flying areas in the State such as Manilla, Tumut, Hunter Valley, Mid-North Coast and Canberra where we meet up with local pilots to experience their sites.