D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S U M M E R 2 0 1 7
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WHERE TO FLY
Missoula is a
hot spot for hang
gliding. Mount
Sentinel in Mis-
soula is the oldest
registered inland
hang gliding site
in the US, offering great conditions and good seasonal access. Road
access opens May 1, allowing hang gliders to drive there, whereas
paragliders can hike up any time.
Mount Jumbo also has a launch site but it is foot access only,
limiting the flying to mainly paragliders. Pilots are asked to call the
Missoula Air Traffic Control Tower when flying in the Missoula
area to avoid any problems with aircraft.
Other popular Montana launch sites include the Hogback near
Livingston, the East Ridge above Butte, Waterloo and the Bowls
near Whitehall, and the M Trail close to Bozeman.
Bozeman is
a great place to
learn paraglid-
ing. People come
from around
the world to
learn from Andy
Macrae of Boze-
man Paragliding
(406) 581-2955. Andy has been teaching paragliding since 2002,
and he is an internationally competitive flyer.
"Most of my students fly within an hour of meeting me," Andy told
me. "Ninety five per cent of my students complete the beginner program."
A full course of instruction leads to a P2 paragliding certificate
that allows you to fly on your own. In the Novice, or P2 course,
you can learn "glider handling, glider aerodynamics, meteorology,
launching, landing, in flight skills, mountain flying, ridge soaring
etc." In other words, you will learn to really fly.
No matter how you fly, you can make it happen in Montana!
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Immerse yourself in the realm of crocodilians with
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Now thru September 10
Contributing Sponsor:
406-587-5501
resslerchevy.com
Supporting Sponsors: Assisting Sponsors:
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THRILLS FOR
PARAGLIDER AND HANG GLIDER PILOTS
IS TO FLY WITH BIRDS OF PREY
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