About Our Club

The Rochester Area Flyers (RAF) is a hang gliding and paragliding club dedicated to promoting and protecting the sport in Western New York including the greater Rochester Area and Finger Lakes region.

The RAF manages and maintains six flying sites suitable for both hang gliding and paragliding.

Visiting Pilots

All pilots must have a Full Membership ($100) or a Temporary Membership ($50). Pilots who are not USHPA members (mainly Canadian Pilots) must fill out the temporary USHPA membership form that is valid for 10 days ($6 per form).

If you are not a local member of the RAF and would like to hang glide or paraglide at our sites, you must purchase a membership and be accompanied by a local RAF member.  The RAF Google group is a good place to ask questions about our flying sites and rules. 

Learning to Fly

RAF operates an all-volunteer hang gliding training program for student members. The program teaches foot launched hang gliding during the months of April - July.

If you are interested in paragliding, powered paragliding or aerotow instruction, please visit the USHPA for a list of qualified instructors.

Check It Out!

Introductory Hang Gliding Lesson
Saturday April 20th, 2024 - 1:00 PM

Weather permitting, the RAF will be running our annual Check it Out program where students learn how to set up a glider and handle it on the ground. Some students will have their first taste of free flight as their feet lift a few inches off the ground.

Tandem Flights

The RAF does not offer tandem hang gliding or paragliding discovery flights. If you are interested in a discovery flight, your best resource is the US Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association. They maintain a list of tandem-rated instructors offering discovery tandem flights.

Monthly Meetings

Meetings are generally held the 2nd Tuesday of each month from September - November and January - April.