Hang Gliding at the Outer Banks

The human fascination with flight culminated in the birth of modern aviation at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where the Wright Brothers took several leaps of faith to give birth to a new form of transportation. It's amazing that you can still share in the excitement of learning to fly at the same soft dunes where they pioneered the airplane, over 100 years ago. I'm not talking about re-inventing the airplane of course, but the esoteric art of hang gliding.

Why is it that so many people are hung up on skydiving these days, but nearly everyone has forgotten about hang gliding? A sport conceived by early attempts at flight, and then turned in a recreational direction by pre-X-Games adrenaline junkies more than a quarter century ago, hang gliders are a rare breed. You can’t beat it for an adrenaline rush. Really, what can be more exciting than gliding around the sky for an hour or more, with only the wind and various thermals holding you up? Maybe robbing a liquor store at gunpoint? Don’t forget, if something goes wrong up there, you have to skydive to safety, and your glider will probably crash to the earth below. Now what’s crazier than that? Sticking up drug dealers with a Swiss army knife?! That’s right- it can’t be beat by a law-abiding citizen.

EtE: WtF?!?

Every now and then, we reach out to embrace a new adventure. WtF includes the activities that don't really fit in with the other fun. Consider this section of our site a small group of equal-oppurtunity adventures. Hopefully we can open your eyes to a whole new world of exploration, even if it's just showing you something fun to try out this weekend.