Hidden Gems: Meet David Hanning of Flying Camp Paragliding

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Hanning.

Hi David, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I opened my paragliding school and tandem flight services here in TN 10 years ago after being invited by local legend, Rick Jacob to teach from his property. We were immediately successful with the SE region of the USA being ready for adventures in aviation on the newer ultra-light aircraft, the paraglider. Already there was a 40+ years history with Hang Gliding here in the Sequatchie Valley because of a local flying club and Rick hosting the Hang Gliding world championships regularly here in the valley in the 90s. Dunlap, TN was named the Hang Gliding capital of the East because of all the flying here.

Paragliding is a 30-year-old sport and I have been involved for 25 years traveling the world chasing flying adventures. I met my wife in Nepal where we were both working as tandem pilots for trekking tourism clients. When we started our family 10yrs ago with the birth of our son, Alex, we set up our business here and began building a community of paragliding pilots. In short order we became popular and now on any given good weather window, you can find pilots flying colorful fabric around the sky, just like the birds. We host flying from our flight park which has two locations here in the Sequatchie Valley, Dunlap & Whitwell. With many students and several hundred tandem flights every year we operate year-round. Additionally, we sell all the equipment and host guided tours around the world. Our main event happens at the end of Aug. and the beginning of Sept. as we host the annual competition, the Tennessee Paragliding Open. We enjoy fantastic weather for flying here in TN at one of the best places to fly paragliders in the USA. Definitely the top location in the EAST!

It is my great honor to turn my passion for flying paragliders into a career of hosting friends and fostering community growth here in TN at this world-class location as I raise my family on country living and TN family values. The green grassy views from our mountain tops are famous, but the view from up at the cloud base of this valley is on a whole other level of incredible.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Challenges are real in any business, but especially in the adventure tourism industry. In the beginning, I thought we were too remote without a large enough population to pull from, which turned out to be a wrong assumption I made being that I didn’t grow up here in the SE and I didn’t really understand the location’s significance within the USA. Of course, being the new guy had its challenges as we set up our school and forged our path for the new flying sport in what was traditionally only Hang Gliding territory.

Naturally, people resist change until they gain understanding and a comfortable feeling from the new, and our presence here took a minute for some to get used to…but time makes it all easy on everyone and we are happy to keep plugging away and proving ourselves by doing a good job at producing safe quality pilots and hosting happy fun events. Covid was a time when we experienced the beauty of being out in the countryside of TN with many joining us to gain positive interactions during that stressful time. Weather is always our director and as such we are flexible to allow for it to determine when it is good for us to fly, but this can cause strain for those on a schedule. What to say, Mother Nature is in charge.

As you know, we’re big fans of Flying Camp Paragliding. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
www.flying.camp. We are a paragliding business selling equipment, teaching courses for certification, and providing tandem flights to clients and tourists. We are a business formed by pilots from the sport and of the sport of paragliding that have moved into the Sequatchie Valley of TN to participate in the world-class flying location that is the Sequatchie Valley.

We own 2 locations from which you can launch a paraglider. At these locations, Whitwell & Dunlap, we host solo pilots, offer tandem flights to the public, and teacher certification courses. Utilizing the foot launch mountain cross country ethics and tactics we train for cross country flying. A majority of the pilots are focused on how far can they fly during the day utilizing the winds and thermic lift available. Each day is different, so it is always a challenge to go anywhere, but big distances have been made. (Whitwell to Crossville 70 miles, Whitwell to Gurly AL 75 miles: Dunlap to Cedar Town GA 136 miles…)

For a week starting August 26 thru Sept. 3rd, we will be hosting the 5th Annual Tennessee Paragliding Open competition. This is a great time to watch people flying all over the valley. Our presence and business here have attracted great attention and revitalized a great location for flying. We are lucky to have this great place to enjoy this amazing life among the clouds above the green pasture and agriculture in the valley below.

We wish to host anyone interested in flying…
1. Tandem flight – $200
2. Certification course to become a solo pilot – $2500
3. View flying from the flight park – free

What we offer to our friends and clients is access to experience the sky and the great beauty that this location in TN has to offer to everyone who is willing to seek the view from above or has always dreamed of flying and touching the clouds.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Our commitment to the sport and the community has given back the greatest benefits and most rewarding success as we develop new pilots and introduce new friends to flight thru a tandem.

Our dedication to safety and learning how we can improve and develop as pilots are strong in our foundation. We share as we grow and this is core to the whole community growing strong with the cohesion of friendship thru education and shared experiences.

Pricing:

• Tandem $200
• Solo course $2500

Contact Info:

• Website: www.flying.camp
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flying.camp.paragliding/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TN.flying.camp.paragliding/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Flying_Camp
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChZNylMhaXmE0lcoB-KiPwA

Image Credits
Paraglide Tennessee