Successful test flight shows hang gliding potential in Pokhara

POKHARA, April 3: A large crowd had gathered at Sarangkot hill in Kaski district on Sunday afternoon to watch the test flight of hang gliding and many of them were taken by surprise when a pair of American pilots performed mid-air aerobatics during the flight.



The American pilot duo of Jeff O Brian and Jeff Sapiro, with over two decades of hang gliding experience in many countries across the globe, had flown in to Nepal from the USA to fly the hang glider. [break]



They said they had come to Pokhara to gain experience of hang gliding in the Himalayan range. The Pokhara-based Avia Club had made arrangements for the test flight after taking permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).



"Hang gliding has great potential in Pokhara as many adventure tourists come here," O Brian said upon landing at the bank of Phewa Lake after a successful flight that lasted one-and-half hours. "The flight went really well, and the view from above was simply breathtaking."



He said that it was an interesting experience to see vultures flying along with them. "The vultures were surprised to see the wings of the glider," O Brian said, "Pokhara is really beautiful and perfect for hang gliding."



The duo said Pokhara´s beautiful landscape and mountain ranges had stolen their hearts. "We have done hang gliding in many parts of the world but the experience in Pokhara was very different. I´ll send this message to adventure tourists back in America," said O Brian.



Managing Director of Avia Club Natasha Shrestha said hang gliding would help attract more adventure tourists to Pokhara. "It will also help promote Pokhara," she added.



According to Shrestha, one can make either solo or tandem flight in hand gliding. "Hang gliding is faster than paragliding. Paraglider flies at a speed of around 40 km per hour while the speed of hang glider is around 60 km per hour," said Shrestha.



Prabin Gauchan, the manager of Avia Club, said hang gliding would emerge as a new product in Nepali tourism. He informed that they had already obtained permission from CAAN for hang gliding.



"The test flight was successful and it has paved the way for commercial operation of hang gliding," said Gauchan. "We plan to start operation in the near future."

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Successful test flight shows hang gliding potential in Pokhara