Big Air Hang Gliding

My brother bought me a Hang gliding flight in Tandem with Mike for Christmas, that I used in March. I realized one of the dream of my life: To fly. I had a wonderful experience with Mike and his son Paul. They were super nice, and I had a wonderful time, I came by myself and I was (A little) bit stress, and they took care of everything, they reassure me, we took plenty of pictures, I enjoyed the wonderful view, they teach me many things about the wind, the flights, bird in the sky. I choose what I wanted to do slow to enjoy the flight and then a little bit of swing for fun. You can trust Mike at 100%, they take no risk, you have the helmet, the safety instruction. I am french and he explained me very well, several time, to make sure I got everything and with lots of patience. Mike and his son are passionate, and I wish them to be very successful in what they are doing because they are AWESOME .
I recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy a nature activity and to see the beautiful landscape … and to feel free and fly like a bird: MAGIC, UNFORGETTABLE.

My daughter was home from college for the Thanksgiving break and we had planned to go hang gliding during that time. I spoke with both Mike and Robert and was able to confirm a tandem flight for both of us on Thanksgiving eve. We enjoyed the ride up the hill, carefully avoiding the cows and their calves :) After some prepping at the top, we were ready to fly! Both of our flights were amazing though my daughter’s landing was much better than mine :-D I would definitely do it again, but first I’m going to skydive and cross that off my bucket list too. For planning purposes, I would suggest a two-​hour block of time from arriving to leaving.

For my birthday I decided to confront my fear of heights and treat myself to a hang gliding lesson. I corresponded with Mike, who was very prompt with his emails. I had a beginners class with Robert and right from the beginning he made me feel relaxed and safe with his knowledge of flight. He’s very observant and encouraging of his students. The entire experience was amazing, made even better by Rob’s guidance. I had a great first class and I hope to have more with Big Air.

We took our 16 and 19 year old boys for a tandem hang gliding experience with Mike yesterday at the beach. Lucky enough to have excellent weather, their flying experience was nothing less than awesome! Mike was a thorough, calm and patient instructor. They each had a nice long ride, smooth take-​off and landing. The video camera that Mike was able to set up and attach to the glider gave a perfect play back to the entire flight! My hats are off to Mike (and his adult son who helped) for giving my entire family such a wonderful and memorable experience that will last a life time.

Wanted to leave a review of my experience with the company even though I didn’t get to use it. I had bought 2 tandems as a gift for my boyfriend about 1 year ago. Due to weather not cooperating and then me finding out I was pregnant we kept rescheduling and it just never worked out. When I told Mike that I just wanted a refund, he obliged, no questions asked. Thanks Mike!

MIke and Robert from Big Air Hang Gliding & East Bay Hang Gliding were AMAZING. They were super professional and yet laid back at the same time — striking the perfect balance between this awesome (laid back culture) sport and also really caring about their customer.
I wanted to buy lessons for my boyfriend for his birthday, so I called Mike and got a call back within an hour. He talked to me for a long time, walking me through all of my options and advising me on the best package to get. I got the 10-​pack, because it’s been my boyfriend’s dream his whole life to REALLY fly.
Trust me — you need at least the full 10 pack if your goal is to really eventually do a solo flight high in the sky. If you’ve been thinking about flying on your own for a long time, and you think you’ll just figure out how on your own … or go to a cheaper lower-​end instructor: DON’T do it. Save up and make the investment in Mike and Rob … they were great every step of the way. Their lesson pricing was reasonable against other instructors in the area, and it’s worth it.
I took the first lesson with my boyfriend, and had a BLAST. Everyone was so friendly. Robert was an awesome teacher and so friendly. Mike was very communicative via text even when I texted him with a last-​minute notice telling him I was running a little bit late. I felt safe and had so much fun.
If you want to try the tandem, I don’t really have enough knowledge to tell you what that’s like, but I know if you’re working with Mike, Rob, or anyone on their team, it’s going to be a great experience — they rock.

I know people who take classes here love them from reading reviews, however, I really share a different opinion of the tandem flight experience. Mike is a nice guy, but he didnt amaze me with the experience.
1. I had to reschedule for THREE times, with one time I already got there. I had to drive all the way back. I was called one hour b4 the scheduled time and told that weather is okay, things were all set, so I started to drive there immediately, no calls during the drive. After I got there I was told it wont work out.
2. After I finished my flight (only 20 mins total including taking off and landing for $ 300!!), somebody approached him and said they are interested and want to try. Mike told them that it was a fund raising day and they could pay only $ 100 for a tandem flight. SERIOUSLY? After I just paid $ 300 for my delayed appointment?
3. When we were in the sky, we just circled the SAME route twice for only 12 – 13 mins before landing. I asked if we could fly a little further or higher or maybe even a different route several times, he told me that the wind isnt that good. Not amazed.
I just think it is really not a $ 300 experience.

My husband and I went to the first lesson with Big Air Hang Gliding with two friends today and absolutely LOVED it. I felt totally confident in Mike’s abilities and at ease with trying something completely new. We weren’t able to do the tandem flight because the wind conditions weren’t good, but we will definitely be back to do the tandem flight and probably more lessons. Excited about the new hobby! I recommend Big Air Hang Gliding to anyone. It’s not scary, it’s just awesome!

I went for my first tandem flight with Mike on 10÷27÷13. That was truly amazing experience, can’t really put it all in words, but it was so great. I think it is probably the closest you can get to feel what the bird feels. Definitely recommended!
Mike is very professional and explains all the process. We launched from Fort Funston in SF and flew for about 25 minutes. Landing (the part I was worried about) was very smooth, not scary at all. Thanks!

A couple months ago, my friend planted the idea of flying. I’ve always wanted to go zip lining, but then my friend brought up hang gliding. I was extremely curious, so I started googling hang gliding. I eventually ended up on Unilocal and found Mike. I found these fantastic videos that convinced me that I had to go hang gliding! You should check them out. You can find them on his website and on youtube.
So my experience with Mike was great! He was very friendly and happy. And when I was flying with him, I felt extremely safe. I am actually terrified of heights, but when I was up there, my fear left. The flying part was AMAZING! I felt like I was on top of the world, and I could die happy. The first dive you take is exhilarating, and I can’t believe how much fun I had.
So I absolutely recommend this, and it’s worth the money. Plus, you get a video so you can always watch and relive the experience.

Big Air offers both tandem flights and lessons. This is a review of the lessons.
The lessons were tons of fun! During the first few lessons you will be running down a small hill and getting a few feet of air on a training glider. I expected that to just be a stepping stone to the next level, but it’s actually surprisingly fun by itself! It’s very satisfying when you finally manage to control everything properly (not a trivial task, even on a small hill).
Mike is a great teacher and really fun to talk to. He’s really good at giving you enough information to know what to do, but not so much you’re overloaded. If you listen to his advice and follow it closely, you’ll be flying in no time!
You might want to bring a buddy or two to the first lessons, because if it’s only you going up and down the hills you might get exhausted by halfway through.

Went hang gliding on July 2^nd, 2013 out at Ft. Funston with one of Mike’s colleagues, Zac, who was very professional and patient. My experience from the first email contact to the actual flight day and experience was excellent! It was very surreal to be gliding above the cliffs and watching birds doing the same. This is definitely an experience that everyone should do. Big Air Hang Gliding was very safety and first timer friendly. Thank You.

Bought my boyfriend a hang gliding lesson from LivingSocial for his Christmas present. He’s really bad getting around to calling and making reservations. The first time he finally called, he booked for a day when we already had plans. He called to reschedule and Mike rescheduled for a date after the deal expired but said he would still accept it without any hesitation.
Lessons are held at Ed Levin County park in Milpitas on the same side where the dog parks are. Turn left at downing road, it’s the first left to get into the park and pay the parking fee and continue down the road to the gravel parking lot on the left.
Mike was really easygoing and my boyfriend had a great time! He’s even thinking about signing up for more lessons. Thanks Mike!
I’ll add pictures later.

I must have been a bird in my previous life.
Anything that gets me high (in the air) makes me a very happy cow. I’ve jumped out of a plane (tandem) from 13,000 feet. I’ve zip-​lined above tropical forest canopies and snow-​covered mountain tops. Roller coasters and rides/​attractions with high elevations make me feel alive. I want to ride a hot-​air balloon and fly in a stunt plane… someday.
In the meantime, I signed up for a hillside hang gliding lesson with Mike. It was an exhilarating experience.
He balances instruction with humor and is very patient. I had a blast (usually laughing my ass off every time I landed) because he never made me feel stupid when I made mistakes.
*****I can lift the glider, but I forget how to run. I can run, but I forget to let go. I can fly, but I forget to steer. I steer, but I forget how to land.*****
I was quite entertained by our group’s attempts to fly. I was lucky enough to «get air» on all but one attempt. It definitely requires a good balance of skill, finesse, and a surprisingly light touch… there’s no strong-​arming your way into flying!
Mike is a great instructor– he knows just how much to feed you to ensure you don’t bite off more than you can chew. He was able to turn a 4-​hour lesson into a fun and enjoyable experience that zipped right by. I had a class with two other beginner students, taking turns with the glider and it was just right (believe me, you’ll want that waiting period between flights to rest because what goes down the hill must come up the hill… quite a workout haha).
Time truly flies when you’re flying! ;)

So my hubby surprised me with hang gliding lessons as a graduation present. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for 15 years. Mike and his guidance did not disappoint! He promised we would fly by the end of the lesson and we flew indeed.
He walked us through step by step and made sure we were ready for the next one before moving on. His patience and encouraging nature was just what we needed as beginners. He was really great with instructions after each run and knew exactly what we needed to do to fly better. We would definitely take another lesson with Mike!

Ever have a bizarre dream that your flying?
I was talking to one of my girlfriends about this bizarre flying dream I’ve been having, and since dreams are a map to the future, so we decided to go hang gliding!
This was probably one of the greatest experience I’ve ever had! Mike was super friendly, and dealt with my whining quite professionally! (Sorry if I was a pain in your ass, Mike!) He assured me that we would be safe, he’s been doing this for like 12 years, thousands of students, no casualties. So we went to the launch area, got all tied up (Not like 50 Shades of Gray tied up, though that would be kinda funny!), I whined some more, we ran off a cliff and WHOOOOOOM I was flying.
I was up in the air for a good 5 minutes, then my stomach started to rumble. (Note: Don’t look down for a long time, or else you’ll feel like puking.)
At the end of this end of this adventure, Mike was super fun, super professional and I had a great time. I’d definitely go back, I’ll bring a date next time!!!
(Side note: Don’t go with a hang over either!)

What a great experience! I bought a tandem flight for my dad for his 72^nd birthday. Mike met us as the chosen location, was right on time, friendly and courteous and the adventure began! After a short drive up to the launch area (or whatever it’s called) Mike gave my dad very thorough instructions and a concise explanation of how hang gliding works. As he set up the glider he took pics of us and told us about the glider parts and information about the upcoming experience. My dad loved the flight and is hoping to try it again where he lives. I’d also like to try it now! (my birthday is ⁴⁄₂₃ if anyone wants to treat me).
Mike is extremely professional, organized and calm. He definitely knows his sport and will make anyone feel confident about trying it. We highly recommend him!