Mission Soaring Center

I actually gave a low rating before due to some communication problem that I had with Mission Soaring Center at Tres Pinos, for one of the class that I booked. Actually I got a call from them and did apologized for the problem. That was really good and added to that the first class that I had with Dave was very good. I am updating my reviews with 4 stars.

5 stars for my instructor Dave YOUNT!!! This guy not let you get down on yourself if you have a rough landing or two. Super relaxed, totally pro. He’s getting a gnarly workout running up and down that hill too, bravo!
Hurts me to do it, because I really did have a great time, but I have to deduct stars for a bad policy that left me feeling like I was getting swindled:
When my first lesson got cancelled halfway through because of strong unexpected winds, I was not offered a partial refund or the option to reschedule a half-​lesson. I was told that my only option would be to book another full lesson. So my choices were to pay them even MORE money or watch them take my $ 80 and run. I think it’s a stretch to call the whole business a scam like the previous reviewer, but policies like that definitely feel scammy.
I work in this same industry (outdoor rec. guide/​instructor, small business) and we would NEVER make our clients pay if we canceled for weather. It’s absolutely contrary to the industry standard. The person I discussed this with on the phone was polite overall, although not particularly apologetic.
That having been said, I booked the 2^nd lesson and a 3^rd lesson a year later when I brought my boyfriend here for our anniversary, so the experience itself was excellent thanks to the expertise and patience of Dave Yount!
If it were in my budget to return, I would, but I sure hope that the policies become a bit more customer-​friendly in the future.
Rock on Dave!!!

This place is a scam. I got tickets for me and my friend, and weren’t able to even find the location. I called in a few days prior to make the appointment. the employee instructed that the location can’t be pulled up by a map. so I did as the guy instructed. he said to follow the directions on the website that were provided. Did that and plugged in those directions into my gps system. Followed their directions to the nail.2 hour drive there, to the middle of no where. no cell service… waiting for the instructor to show up. The service they provided was horrible. The location that the directions brought us to was in the middle of nowhere. no call service. To top it off, we waited for an hour… they didn’t tell us what to look for on location and didn’t even have a number that we could call to contact and get us headed in the right direction. I politely called them back a week after during their business hours and politely asked for a refund. The manager was rude, ignorant, and extremely condescending – absolutely no refunds were given. I ultimately went to Wells Fargo fraud department and disputed my transaction – they deemed it as a scam and I received my full refund on that transaction.

I had definitely a very memorable experience with them. It was so good that I came back as soon as I recovered from my first crash there, when I hit the ground due to some unexpected crosswinds.
They give some instructions and screen motivational video in Milpitas and then you need to drive somewhere near Hollister to do the actual, hands-​on training. The training site is perfect — bare hills that are not too steep. I didn’t expect to fly much during my first time there, but I was pleasantly surprised being able to take off and soar over the ground. It’s an awesome feeling when you run down the hill, your steps become bigger and bigger, and finally — you fly!
Dave was a perfect instructor. I am giving four stars, since other instructors there don’t live up to his standards.

I just got back after my first hand gliding session and loved it !!! Dave is an excellent instructor very methodical, patient and encouraging. It was a fantastic day to for hand gliding. Everything looked beautiful… it was perfect!
Looking forward to my next session.

I just got back from my first lesson. I had so much fun! Dave was an amazing instructor; so calm, reassuring, and confidence-​inspiring. Jeff, an apprentice instructor, was also fantastic. Nothing but encouragement from them both all day long. I highly recommend flying with Mission based on this experience. I’m hooked!

Would have given 2.5 stars. I did the tandem flight, and being in the air was awesome. However, $ 160 for a 10 minute flight was a bit steep, and the field in Hollister is not exactly picturesque. If they’re going to charge that much, especially for such a short flight, they should at least do it somewhere prettier.

I chose the adventure package — with 3 hours of ground to air training + tandems. Pat, Jonathan and Dave are extraordinary people & flyers! I did it with my bff for my 50^th birthday, felt so natural, got up immediately & stuck my landings too. The tandem was nothing less than a spiritual awakening: I was human-​less; just one of the elements. I highly recommend the drive to this fantastic learning & soaring place!

As the year comes to an end, I wanted to end on something a little different (for my 300^th review too! :D).
For one of my friend’s birthdays, we decided to go hang gliding. Hang gliding has long been on my «bucket list,» and I was excited (and a tad nervous) to go. The meeting spot was a tad unusual, you meet at a gate and then there is a bumpy truck ride to the spot where you take off — I felt a little nauseous at the end of the mile long ride (there are cows that get in the way and the roads aren’t paved well so it takes awhile!). As we got there though, everyone who worked there (Ryan who drove us from the meeting point to the take-​off spot and set us up, and Dave who was the instructor /​hang glide operator) was so kind and made us feel really comfortable and safe. They assured us that any problems would be very unlikely, and I felt like I could completely trust them. The set up took longer than I expected so each person going took awhile (getting people into the glider, having the tow line ready, etc.), but I patiently waited my turn. Dave even let us borrow one of his spare jackets because it was pretty cold especially going up.
The experience of hang gliding was amazing. It really feels flying! In fact, while we were up there, I turned to Dave and said, «It feels like I’m flying!» and he replied, «You are!» The view, though mainly of Hollister, was still beautiful with the hills and the sun starting to set — it really was a great day for flying. During the flight, Dave let me take over the steering for awhile and that was a bit nerve-​wracking but really cool! The ride seemed both long and short, and when we reached the ground, I wished I could go again.
Mission Soaring Center was a perfect choice for a first time tandem hang glide. I’m not sure if I would try to fly on my own, but I would totally go on another tandem hang glide ride again! Thanks to Dave and Ryan for making the experience fun and stress-​free!

I went here with my siblings and cousins. We were split into 2 groups with Dave and Big Dave. Long story short — we had a BLAST!
Big Dave was my instructor and he was awesome. His instructions were simple — Light grasp and took at the horizon. I took it all in and I was able to fly my first run down the hill! By my last run, I soared higher than anyone that day. I enjoyed it epicly and definitely recommend it as a unique and amazing time!

I started taking lessons from Mission Soaring back in 2004 and it was probably the best single thing I ever did for myself after the age of 40. I am an inactive private pilot who hasn’t flown much due to the expense and the fact that it really felt more like operating a machine than actually flying. Hang gliding is different from that. Some guys go hang gliding for the adrenaline rush (whoohoo!) and it is thrilling but the kind of flying I prefer is where you can just boat around for hours and feel nothing but relaxed. I did that for an hour or so yesterday at the coast.
Fortunately, I happen to live near Mission Soaring. I probably would never have been able to start «real» flying if it weren’t for a school and a shop like this being accessible. Pat has it organized an structured like a business and a school and I do well with that. He has a collection of instructors, all different in some way, a regular site and a system of ground school and teaching that reliably turns out successful students with the minimal amount of risk. There are wags in the area who derisively refer to it as the «puppy mill» but I can tell you there a lot of puppies out there including me who are perfectly happy with that.
Your alternatives are to either a) go out of the region to another school or b) go to one of the independent instructors working the area. Check the USHPA web site and you can find all of them. I know many of the guys in the area and they are all excellent pilots who all have different teaching styles. Regardless of that if I had it to do all over again I would have done the Mission Soaring route if for no other reason than the sense of organization and stability it brings.
So go by the shop and check it out. They are easy to talk to there and they have videos that give a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Took my girlfriend here for her birthday.
Great experience, epic time.
Note that you don’t go soaring off cliffs your first lesson. I got about six feet off the ground on a few occasions, and after my first taste, I really wished I WAS soaring off cliffs!
Please note the grassy fields are a real problem for people with bad allergies, at certain times of the year.

My husband and I have now had two lessons with Mission Soaring in Hollister, CA. We’ve had Mike as our instructor both times and absolutely fell in love with hang-​gliding.
The price is steep but it’s 4 hours of flying fun and learning about the gliders. It’s a bit physically demanding as you have to run down the hill, and then push the glider back up the hill. (Not super demanding, just be aware.)
Here’s my blog write up on our experience, along with some videos:

Had a great time with mission soaring center. Stacey was great and helped me make sure that everything was set up.
I’d advise bringing gloves, a hat and a coat because it can get cold out there! The instructor (Dave) was fantastic and made my first hang gliding experience really enjoyable. I’d suggest getting both the tandem and hillside training flights. They were both fun!

So i got this trubate deal for my first hanggliding lesson and thought… I’m not going to be really hanggliding all that much for the rest of my life… I should probably just do the tandem thing first.
first of all, i hate their VM system. BUT, when I emailed them, they were ALWAYS responsive AND they answered EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY QUESTIONS directly and thoroughly.
They were HAPPY to upgrade my deal and the instructor was super friendly!
Ben Dunn was so nice and talked me through everything. He’s been flying for 20 years and it seems he hasn’t lost his enthusiam for it. I liked that he wasn’t pushy, he seemed genuinely interested in flying and making my experience a great one. you know how some people just want to get it over with? like, here’s your time, now be off? all business? not ben. he didn’t care how long we were in the air. i absolutely was thrilled about that. and how calm and real he was.
when we were in the air, he pointed out things below and was really engaging. But not so much where i wanted to scream shut up at any time.
Now that i’ve flown, I’m thinking that I should’ve just kept my lesson. I MAY end up flying ALL the time.
GREAT SERVICE! FRIENDLY PEOPLE! THANKS!!!

My Biggest Complaint — Business Professionalism:
Pat has a history of overcharging actual students for equipment. If you are buying your first hang glider-​harness-​etc, you have been warned. The owner also has been known to put people on gliders that they are not ready for in hopes of getting a sale, and people have been injured as a result. The «spotless» safety record touted by the school does not reflect reality.
Tandem Flights:
Going for a tandem ride is a fantastic experience. It is in line with a tandem skydive and very little is expected of the student. The flight will typically be 5 – 20 minutes, the view will be amazing, and the ride can be very exciting. The learning opportunities are limited as you are not piloting the craft yourself. I would also be remiss if I did not mention that commercial tandem activity is legally prohibited at certain flying sites. The Fellow Feathers of Ft. Funston for example has a use agreement with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area or GGNRA that expressly prohibits any tandem instructor or organization from charging for a tandem flight. The pilot can be fined, and it puts the flying site at risk for qualified pilots. Ask where the flight will be prior to payment. Mt. Tam is open to commercial activity, Ft. Funston is not and club officers could prohibit your flight.
Taking Lessons:
If you would like the experience of controlling the craft and ultimately being responsible for your safety (let me say that again, being responsible for your own safety) then a lesson is the way to go. You will learn some basics about the sport, you will work solo or in small groups with an instructor. Most people will experience some limited (1ft to 8ft off the ground) but very real flight under their own power. This will be a very magical moment in your life. Some injuries can occur here, but all of the Mission Soaring instructors I have met have been diligent in minimizing this risk at this point in student progression.
Early Students vs. Long Term Student Progression:
Mission Soaring does a good to excellent job in taking people off the street and turning them into beginner and early intermediate pilots. Your ability to progress through these early stages will be very dependent on your motivation, maturity, and to a certain extent your inherent athletic ability. Mission Soaring is also one of the few places I know about that actually does road trips to beginner-​intermediate sites with its more advanced students.
Long term progression in the sport however is not something that Mission Soaring excels at, or necessarily should. At a certain point in your training the «bunny hill» at Hollister is no longer helping you develop the skills you need to be an intermediate-​advanced pilot. The Mission Soaring Center solution to this is to use a winch to tow students and their aircraft up to ~600 feet in the air. Obviously they have a progression of skills and tasks that help you transition from a 50 – 60 foot «bunny hill» to the 600 feet above the ground that I mentioned. I believe that the methodology and staged progression is well thought out. I believe that all the instructors are genuinely interested in helping students progress in a safe and controlled manner. I do not believe however that the RISKS ASSOCIATED with this TOWING OPERATION are realistically described to students. This method of instruction does allow for very rapid skills progression and advancement through the time and number of flights requirements for an intermediate rating. I have personally used this system to make this progression. The potential for grave injury however is much higher than most students realize. I have been involved as a student, and personally witnessed flights where the student impacted the ground at a high rate of speed which could have resulted in serious injury. My assertion is that towing removes some degree of flight control from the pilot and that this puts inexperienced pilots in harms way. Towing removes the pilot’s ability to control the speed and at times the direction of the aircraft. The towing lines are contact with the control frame in a way that exerts pressure on the controls and are providing pitch and roll inputs to the aircraft which do not originate from the pilot. This can result in loss of control of the aircraft at any time including those in which a student could not be reasonably expected to recover prior to impacting the ground. Beginning-​Intermediate pilots would be well advised to seek independent guidance from advanced pilots outside of the school prior to engaging in any towing.
AllenJ
H4-​AT FL ST AWCL CL FSL RLF TUR X-​C

Anyone lucky enough to be living anywhere near Pat’s whop is exactly that: lucky. There are not a lot of hang gliding schools with shops for equipment and instruction. They have taken great care of me through my training hill and tow lessons and helped me get great equipment: some used, some new. Bryan in the shop tailored my used harness to better fit me and improved both aerodynamics and comfort. He did this while I waited. Can’t beat that service! Its this sort of comfort that has made me a loyal customer of Mission. I can’t wait for my next lesson!

Holy poo that was fun!
My buddies and I had our first hang gliding lesson with Mission a couple weeks ago.
Since the Milpitas office was closed during Memorial Day week, we didn’t have to do the one hour orientation in Milpitas (although most people normally do). They instead sent us the packet with the waivers and directions to the Hollister site via mail.
We called the instructor when we arrived and he drove us up through some dried up grassy hills with his truck. There were 4 of us (two per hang glider) and one instructor, which meant that we got plenty of attention, each did 7 – 8 jumps off the hill each& got 8 ft of air at the end of the day– yea we no beginners yo!
I must admit I was scared, but with each jump, the instructor ran beside us and reminded us of what to do (e.g. to steer left/​right/​up/​down). He also reminded me to breathe& relax each time before I took off. Breathing is important!
We spent a good 4.5 hours that day on that hill. For $ 160/​per person, this lesson was about $ 40/​hr which in my opinion is much cheaper than sky-​diving or tandem hang-​gliding.
We put away the hang-​gliders just as the sun set. Exhausted &hungry, we walked back to the truck ready for the long drive home. To our surprise, our instructor pull out a huge cooler and handed us some beers. «My students always get beer!» He smiled. Already dehydrated from the sun, the beer hit me fast. And then like he can read my mind, he hands me a soda and Iaughs.

I did my first hang gliding lesson last Saturday, 7/​3, in Hollister with Mission Soaring and had an absolute blast! The entire crew were friendly and professional – an absolute joy to deal with. From being greeted by Megan in the store to meeting Pat the owner during orientation to getting training by Arturo out in the hills of Hollister. Arturo provided excellent instructions and was witty and helpful.
Minus a star for price and location. To to be fair, I don’t have anything to compare this with. I just know that $ 160/​lesson is a tad bit steep for my budget ATM and Hollister is a bit far for my lazy butt to drive to on a Saturday morning. And yes, they did explain to me that Hollister provided the ideal location for beginners. I can still whine, damnit.
I’m looking forward to taking more lessons and eventually getting my Soar 1 and 2 as budget and time permits. Hang gliding definitely a bucket list item of mine.

While initially confused because we were told to come to Milpitas and upon arrival in Milpitas told that the lesson would actually be in Hollister, I had a great experience here.
The hills just outside Hollister are great for learning to hang-​glide, and our instructor Dave Yount was very nice and helpful in his instructions. We accomplished a lot more in the 4 or so hour lesson than I expected, and his encouragement and clear guidance were definitely extremely useful. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to take one (or multiple) beginning hang-​gliding lessons. It is pricey (though I don’t know how much other places compare), but worth the cost.
If you go on a hot day though, bring more water than you think you need. You basically are sitting in the sun waiting your turn to glide most of the afternoon, so it gets pretty scorching. And don’t wear white shorts lest you fall down :)