49th Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular

The 49th Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular will be held on Thursday, May 13th-Sunday May 16th. We invite pilots from all over the country to come fly with us for this four-day event at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head, NC, and the Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg, NC (see full schedule below). We will have gliders from Wills Wing and Moyes and new Flytec equipment to demo.

*Please do not attend the Hang Gliding Spectacular if you feel ill, have a fever, or have been exposed or potentially exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days. Please note that all participants will be screened upon arrival.

Join professional hang gliders, fans, and families for this Kitty Hawk Flight School tradition. This event is the longest-running hang gliding competition in the world!

The Hang Gliding Spectacular and Air Show is FREE TO THE PUBLIC FOR VIEWING with fun activities all day long.

It’s going to be a fun weekend showcasing some great flying! Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest scores. https://twitter.com/Kitty Hawk Kites

If you have any questions about the Hang Gliding Spectacular and Air Show, contact the Hang Gliding School at (252)441.2426. Please submit all videos for the Film Festival to hangglide@kittyhawk.com.

Schedule

*Please Note: Schedule is subject to change.

Thursday, May 13

8:00 – 9:00 AM Check in // Registration @ Cotton Gin

9:00 AM Pilot Meeting // Aerotow Competition @ Cotton Gin

Friday, May 14

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM Registration and Set Up @ JRSP

11:00 AM Pilot’s Meeting

11:00 AM – 4:00 PM Dune Competition

8:00 PM – 10:00 PM Film Festival @ Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint*

*Please submit all film festival entries to hangglide@kittyhawk.com

Saturday, May 15

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Set up @ JRSP

10:00 AM Pilot’s Meeting

10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Dune Competition

6:30 PM Instructor Alumni Reunion @ Kitty Hawk Kites, Nags Head

7:00 PM Rogallo Dinner @ Kitty Hawk Kites, Nags Head

7:30 PM Woody Jones Memorial Street Dance, featuring live music from Ben Saltzman @ Kitty Hawk Kites, Nags Head

Sunday, May 16

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Weather day for Dune Competition if needed (competitors will know by the end of the day Saturday)

2:30 PM Awards Ceremony @ Kitty Hawk Kites, Nags Head

Demo Gliders + Gear

Wills Wing Falcon 4 170 & 195

Wills Wing Sport 3 155

Moyes Gecko 155 & 170

Moyes Malibu 2 188

Flytec Oudie 4

Glenn Hockett

Glenn Hockett was the second hang gliding instructor hired by Kitty Hawk Kites in 1974. Over the following years, Glenn taught thousands of people to fly, and helped build the Kitty Hawk Kites flight school into what it is today. Glenn was an excellent pilot and won the hang gliding Spectacular numerous times. He also competed at Grandfather Mountain and became a test pilot for Seagull Aircraft. Glenn was a great person and contributed so much energy to build our sport. He was an outstanding example of “teaching the world to fly.” Glenn passed away in 2020 from complications from a car accident. We hope this fly-in will honor his friendship and many contributions to hang gliding.

RSVP

If you plan on participating in the 49th Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular, please RSVP here

Please note that this is for planning purposes only, and does not count as your registration for the competition.