Glider (Sailplane) Training in Paradise

You can learn to fly gliders in Hawaii. In the summer, we have awesome ridge lift that will keep a glider aloft for hours. And Dillingham Airfield is among the most beautiful soaring sites in the country. It is an unbeatable combination; Plus, the runway is almost two-miles long.

Training aircraft at this airfield include the Schweizer SGS 2-33, Schweizer SGS 2-32, Schleicher ASK-21, and Grob 103-Twin II. Our instructors are FAA-certified (CFIG). Flight instruction is by reservation.

Dillingham Airfield is officially known as Kawaihapai Airfield, but after over 50 years of tenancy at this location, the old name is still acknowledged. Dillingham Airfield is a busy General Aviation airfield with a mix of traffic that includes gliders, twin-engine aircraft, turbo-prop aircraft, ultra-light aircraft, and a very active Sky dive Drop Zone. An aerobatic box is located off-shore, parallel with the runway, to accommodate acrobatic gliders and airplanes doing maneuvers above 1500-ft above sea level (ASL).

Wind conditions in this area are typically between 5 to 20 MPH, occasionally stronger and sometimes gusty.
In the summer months (May thru September), the prevailing tradewinds blow from the northwest. Since the runway heading is basically East/West, cross-wind take-offs & landings are the norm. From October thru April, wind directions are more variable.    † When Strong SOUTH and WEST winds are the order-of-the-day, most glider activity is curtailed. †   It is not unusual for winds to reverse direction during the day.