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By antoine
#405854
Hello everyone
I've watched videos of hang gliding. Few of them were recorded in Oludeniz, south Turkey. The scenery is breathtaking. I thus have the idea of going there to live my first hang gliding flight.
Some of you have already been there ? What is your experience ? Do you know a good club for hang gliding in this location (there is just paragliding companies on the internet).
Thanks in advance for your help
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By waltspoint
#406328
I've seen some videos of a spectacular flying site down there! I don't expect to ever have the opportunity to fly that site myself, as it is so far away from where I Iive. I hope you are able to fly there. Good luck! /jd
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By winDfried
#406332
Hi Antoine,
for a general idea on hanggliding in turkey please read the reporting on the European championships there in 2012,
for example in the blog of german comp pilot Corinna:
http://corinnaflies.blogspot.com/2012/08/blue-sky.html

I have a few club comrades, who used to travel to Olüdeniz with their paragliders.
For hanggliding the site is nothing less than dangerous, with the crowded beach being the only safe landing option.
Additionally the air is overcrowded with paragliders.
And that will become worse, since they are going forward with the construction of a cable car,
at least eliminating the nerve ripping drive through forest roads to the launch sites.
Maybe You will even find someone offering You a HG-Tandem flight,
but don´t expect that to fulfil any basic safety standards.

This site might be a nice adventure for an experienced HG pilot associated to a group of paras.
(You should be able to spot land on a towel on the beach, though.)
For an enjoyable first HG-experience I would strongly recommend to join flight instruction
in the Austrian, Swiss or French alps.
You decide, W.
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By Tormod
#406333
To be fair, the Europeans in 2012 was in the middle of Turkey, the people along the mediteranian coast are used to tourists and are more friendly but really, really, really invasive. They have no idea of what personal space means.