Light Flight

WhiteGum Farm sits in the Needling Hills east of York, an hour or so from Perth, where a private airstrip and hangar have hosted Western Australia's only dedicated hang gliding school for decades. Tandem flights here are aerotow: student and instructor are towed behind a powered aircraft to around 3,000 feet before releasing to fly free, with the option to take the control bar and fly the glider under guidance if conditions allow. The chief flying instructor has more than 30 years across hang gliding and microlighting, and the school runs training year-round rather than around a short season, weather on the day permitting. WhiteGum Farm itself is part working airpark, part rural retreat, with camping, a bar and grill, and room to bring the family for a night either side of a flight. For anyone wanting to try hang gliding rather than paragliding — a distinct discipline with its own aircraft and licensing — this is one of the few places left in the state to do it properly.