BHGC is a non-profit cooperative where students learn to hang glide from volunteer instructors within the club, then eventually teach new students themselves. Training happens once a year each fall: ground school first, then three weekends of actual flight. The club owns training gliders, harnesses, and helmets, so no gear is needed to start. With more than fifty active pilots, members join weekly flying trips to sites across California and beyond.
ApplicationsFall 2026, details TBD. Signup typically mid/late September after Labor Day weekend. Dates will be posted once finalized, typically late Aug.
50
More than 50 active pilots
3
Weekends of actual flight training + ground school
1
Recruitment frequency per year (fall, typically mid/late September after Labor Day)
1970s
Founded
Events They Host
Annual Hang Gliding Ground School
Weekly Wednesday lectures in 262 Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley, September 24 – December 3 (excluding November 26). Open to anyone, including those who did not get in through the lottery.
Member Experiences
Weekly flying trips to the mountains
During flying season, the club plans weekly trips to flying sites. Local sites include Mt. Tamalpais; further sites span the Coastal Range, Sierra Nevada, Owens Valley, Lake Tahoe area, and destinations as far as Mexico, South Africa, and Europe.
Annual fall flight training
Once a year each fall, the club runs a lesson set for new pilots: ground school followed by three weekends of actual flight training. All equipment is provided.
Member social events
The members mailing list is used for planning and reporting on flying trips and social events.