In 1976, a Chilean named Omar went up the Corcovado road and, from the top of the mountain, he flew down on a hang glider. Among the onlookers, there was a young man from São Paulo, Assad Júnior, who is now telling you this story. He was there by mere chance, and chance had him witness that spectacular flight.
Later that year, a Brazilian named Luiz Cláudio Mattos went up the Pedra Bonita (or "The Beautiful Boulder" if you will) in São Conrado and flew down towards the beach. Those were the first hang gliders on Brazilian territory.
Time went by and in 1981 Assad Júnior learned to fly a hang glider himself. In 1983, he would become one of the first Brazilians to offer professional tandem flights. In the late 1980's, reporters from the Lonely Planet magazine came to Brazil and had themselves a hang gliding experience. The pilot they chose to fly with was Assad Júnior.

Located a few minutes away from the Southern part of the City of Rio de Janeiro, Tijuca National Park's Pedra Bonita ridge is one of the world's most beautiful and safe take-off spots. The flight will take you above centuries-old Atlantic Forest trees, gigantic granite monoliths, celebrity manors, the sea; you'll be flying high enough to see the city from angles that only those bird-men can.

Not to mention the true emotion of sprinting down the take-off ramp and diving into space! You will fly the thermals, down in circles, making your way through the clouds, color-pecking the sky, silently sharing the space with other gliders and other beings at the speed of the wind, free as birds, light as rings of smoke.

With rare exceptions, there are flights in Rio de Janeiro from sun up to sun down, every day of the month, every month of the year. There are more than 60 professional pilots making thousands of tourists' dreams come true. The year 2002 saw 12,397 tandem take-offs with tourists (Source: ABVL, the Brazilian Hang Gliding Association), and over 300 on a single day. Hang gliding in Rio de Janeiro has become a must among pop stars, that include Guns N' Roses, U2, Faith No More, Nirvana,

The Police, Gipsy Kings, Alan Parsons, George Michael, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Sean Lennon, Whitney Houston, Jamiroquai, Demi Moore, Chico Buarque de Hollanda, Carolina Ferraz, Maitê Proença and a host of others. Hang gliding is one of the best tourist options in this Wonderful City.

It makes newspaper headlines, it is in magazines and national as well as foreign TV programs. Renowned publications recommended it: Frommer's, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, Insight Guide, Footprint, Rough Guide, Michelin, Nelles Guide, Panrotas Guia Quatro Rodas, Guia Riotur, Guia Turisrio, Nomad, Rio Este Mês, Rioservice, Folha de Turismo, Jornal de Turismo, and the list goes on…

You will never know what you can really do until you try. Come see why birds sing! The world's best pilots are waiting for you.