Mile High Gliding

I purchased a deal for a glider flight for two from Mile High Gliding last December. Mile High Gliding repeatedly rescheduled the flight (with only 3 hours notice) due to poor weather conditions. This went on every weekend for four months. Last week I had to reschedule the appointment due to a work emergency and called them with as much notice as possible (18 hours notice), but they did not receive my message until after our scheduled flight time since they do not regularly check voicemail. I even called more than once hoping they would get the message or answer the phone.
They apparently didn’t ever check voicemail over those 18 hours and let me know that my money was non-​refundable and they are unwilling to reschedule the appointment since I did not give 24 hours notice. Mile High Gliding asked me to get in touch with Amazon Local, «get my money back and buy more flight lessons».
It seems to me that they have set up a nice system of keeping people’s money without delivering any flights. After four months of back and fourth with the company, I really just wanted my money back and to be able to forget about this whole negative experience.
I absolutely do not recommend this company– terrible customer service and an irresponsible, dishonest company culture.

I rarely write reviews, but the service we received from Mile High Gliding today was so poor that I am compelled to do so. I purchased a one hour flight as a gift for my husband, and he was given a forty minute flight. Considering the cost of glider flights, this is a significant gouge. I understand that weather/​wind conditions are critical to what the pilot is able to do, but if the service is cut THAT short, I expect a partial refund. They were willing to offer nothing, not even a respectful apology for the decreased time. The pilot was in such a hurry to run and get his lunch that he left the next customers waiting on the tarmac so he could go do so. This and the disrespectful manner in which the owner handled my complaint, leaves me questioning whether the wind and weather were even an issue. I’m guessing the pilot was just in a hurry to get his break. It’s unfortunate if they schedule their pilots so tightly that it requires short-​changing customers for them to get their break. I am very disappointed, and cannot recommend this company.

Not sure what else they could do better. We got there, we glided, and we didn’t crash. The pilot was a nice guy and the day we went out the flight itself was amazing; smooth and enjoyable. We got towed up into the foothills of boulder, glided around them for a bit, and then over and around Boulder before coming in for our landing. Wife and I both went and it’s a tight fit. She’s a tiny thing at 5’2″ /​105 lbs and I’m 5’11″ /​175 lbs. If you’re much bigger than that you’d have a rough time in there. People complaining about price and weather are dumb. They need to pay the pilots, the owner needs to pay bills (insurance!) /​make money, and you can’t control the weather.

This is good as it gets! Fantastic experience from the best operator in Colorado. Try it out. They have the best friendly staff and great soaring conditions. There are few experiences like this left. I’ve been soaring since 1956 and enjoyed the best. This ranks up with the top. I had a checkout with some guy named Dave who has the best ground school for pilots I’ve ever attended. He was on staff here part time and the best instructor on earth. Been a 747 Captain and still excited about soaring. Showed me the local area and explained the Boulder soaring conditions to the exact areas. The owner, another Dave, was helpful and interested in my previous experience. These guys are here every day and so experienced and still excited about soaring to the point that I extended my stay in Colorado for another 2 days just to be here. Great conditions most days, and the days that were not so good I learned so much having lunch with Dave Seymour that I wish I could have recorded the conversation. I’ve been flying for a long time and felt that I learned more in these few days that I had since I started. Here is an example: Dave took me by his car to the walk the emergency field off the end of the runway in case of rope break. No charge for this, just did it out of extraordinary care for a fellow pilot. I have not experienced such care since flying in Germany. Go here and enjoy the comradery you want from a club at a commercial operator. Thanks to both Dave’s.

The last time I experienced the skies in a soar plane was more than half my life ago in another state. Recalling the thrill and peace from that time, I bought the S.O. an individual gliding experience for his birthday with Mile High Gliding over a year ago. He enjoyed it so much that he got us a double ride with these guys yesterday to celebrate our engagement! Therefore, this was my 2^nd time dealing with this small company.
Mile High Gliding is located on the north side of the runways of Boulder Airport. Drive too fast and you’ll miss the run-​down trailer that serves as their office. They have dirt parking right off Independence Rd. Walk into the trailer and you’ll encounter a cramped space with a picnic table covered by magazines and flying paraphernalia. There probably was a bathroom stuffed somewhere inside the trailer, but I didn’t look for it in this tiny «terminal,» so I recommend that you should take care of business elsewhere before your appointment.
The girl checked us off on the calendar and apologized that they were running a bit behind (15 min) due to the frost that had built up overnight on the canopy. Our pilot Elliot walked us out to our glider so we could help him push it onto the tarmac while keeping its wings level. Our plane was older, and because it had the double seat in the back, it wasn’t one of the high performance ones. The double seat is behind the pilot; if I remember correctly in the single seaters, it’s opposite so the passenger gets to sit up front and even get to pull the tow cable release.
Luckily my fiancé (now) and I have small butts because this double seat was no larger than our single-​seat couch: we were completely squashed in side by side! He had to put his left arm around me (awwww) for our shoulders to fit and align well inside the cockpit. Elliot showed us the air vent controls in case we got warm/​cold, and then told us not to touch the brake or cable release handle.
The tow plane was an old thing that looks nothing like anything I’ve ever seen. But both aircraft gained plenty of lift very quickly and we took to the skies in no time. The plane dragged us northwest.
And oh, my love of flying returned! Commercial jets have taken the romance out of the experience, but in a soar plane without any engines, the pilot is in absolute control to find the best thermals, to determine which direction to go, and even what tricks to perform if he so desired. On my first flight many years ago, the pilot helped me experience vertical Figure 8s and plenty of barrel rolls in the sky.
Though no barrel rolls happened Sunday in our 3-​seater, we were still able to request what we wanted to see. My fiancé had paid for the Extended 1 hour flight, which took us over the foothills, Nederland, and towards the Indian Peaks and Longs Peak. The flight wasn’t as quiet as I remembered (I think these 3-​seaters aren’t as aerodynamic as the high performance gliders), but it was the same gentle floating sensation as we drifted towards the Continental Divide. These views of the Rockies were from a perspective I never envisioned. Our pilot said, «I have the best job in the world!» and I couldn’t disagree. Though it had been a cold morning and we were wearing down jackets, the tiny cockpit warmed up enough from the bright sunshine (I wish I had worn sunscreen), but we didn’t need to open the air vents much either.
We soared back north along the jagged spine of the Flatirons (and pretty close, I should say!), the CU campus and stadium, and downtown Boulder. Overall great conditions for soaring except for the fact that at this time of year, there aren’t many thermals to catch. I did feel a little short-​changed, though, as we hadn’t been in the air for quite 1 hour. Still, the scenery was beautiful and the smooth sense of peace was astounding.
These guys may appear a little disorganized, but they want to share this experience with you and are passionate about it. The do sell Gift Certificates. Great for all ages!

Flew on a windy and before the flight I was told the air would be smooth. The ride was bumpy and I got motion sick. Flights are pricey, which the pilots claim is due to the cost of gas. 100LL AVGAS is between $ 5 and $ 6 per gallon. If the plane burns 10gal/​hr and the tow is 20 minutes that is $ 15 to $ 20 in gas, but flights cost about ten times this amount.