Thousands of feet above Central Florida, the world grows quiet. Among the clouds, familiar places become smaller, quieter and easier to understand.

At Paradise Airsports in Groveland, tandem hang gliding reveals a side of Lake County few locals ever see. Highways become ribbons, thousands of lakes connect like puzzle pieces and neighborhoods give way to forests and farmland stretching for miles in every direction.

To get there, The Dragonfly tow plane steadily pulls the glider skyward until the release. Then, almost instantly, the buzz of the engine disappears. What’s left is the sound of the wind and an uninterrupted view of Lake County unfolding below.

While many people associate hang gliding with adrenaline, instructor Eric Williams says the experience is far more peaceful than expected.

“Most people aren’t afraid of heights,” Eric says. “They’re afraid of falling.”

That’s why tandem flights are designed to introduce newcomers to the sport alongside a certified instructor.

“Every flight includes professional instruction and safety equipment, allowing passengers to focus less on fear and more on the experience itself,” he says.

For Eric, hang gliding isn’t about chasing thrills. It’s about finding stillness. He describes it as the closest thing to flying like a bird, quietly searching for rising columns of warm air called thermals that keep the glider aloft. Finding the next one requires patience, timing and strategy, a challenge he compares to playing chess in the sky. 

Paradise Airsports has introduced visitors to flight for more than 40 years, continuing a tradition that has made Groveland one of the country’s best-known destinations for hang gliding.

Through aero towing, pilots experience one of the most effective ways to fly in Florida’s flat landscape, where thermals and open skies create ideal conditions for soaring.

Today, the 150-acre property offers more than tandem flights and flight instruction, hosting national hang gliding competitions, aviation fly-ins, festivals and community events while welcoming visitors from around the world who want to experience one of Florida’s most unique outdoor adventures.

Eric maintains that introducing first-time flyers to the sport never gets old.

“Watching apprehension give way to wonder is one of the most rewarding parts of the job,” he says. “Especially after the towline releases and the silence takes over.”

Think you know the landscape? Add a little altitude and you’ll see Lake County like never before.    

If You Stay Grounded:

Not everyone comes to Paradise Airsports to fly. The 150-acre property also offers RV sites, primitive camping, clubhouse accommodations and a private lake for kayaking, canoeing and catch-and-release fishing.

Visitors can relax beneath the oak trees, enjoy a lakeside picnic or simply watch hang gliders, ultralights and tow planes take to the skies throughout the day.

Paradise Airsports also hosts national hang gliding competitions, aviation fly-ins, music festivals, hot air balloon events, weddings and private gatherings, making it a destination worth visiting even if your feet never leave the ground.

If You Go:

Paradise Airsports

6548 Groveland Airport Rd., Groveland | 352.429.0210

paradiseairsports.com

Photos: Gina Horan and Provided