Strapped into an ultramodern Revo Trike powered hang-glider, FAA-certified instructor Paul Hamilton pilots students above Lake Tahoe’s crystalline expanse, which reveals picturesque reflections of the Sierra Mountains’ snow-capped crags.

A light-sport aircraft powered by a purring Rotax engine, the Evolution Revo trike enables the prolonged airtime and weather compatibility not found in flights with a conventional hang-glider or out-of-control umbrella. During Paul’s lessons, intro students swiftly suit up in appropriate flight gear before a quick safety briefing prepares them for the journey.

An emphasis on hands-on training anchors the interactive lessons, which require no previous experience and may even take off in winter thanks to Hang Gliding Tahoe’s heated apparel and midflight campfires.