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View from inside the glider over the coast near Dillingham Airfield

Our story

Hawaii Glider Rides was founded by two aviators on Oahu's North Shore to continue the tradition of world class soaring flight over Oʻahu.

Our mission

Bringing the grace of soaring flight over paradise to the world.

Illustration of a yellow and navy US Navy Pratt-Read glider soaring above the green Koʻolau ridge

An hour of your day, the one you'll retell forever

The Pratt-Read that Geza Vass and Guy Davis flew for 71 hours over the Koʻolau in 1961, the flight that closed the record category.

Pilots have soared this island for most of a century

Oahu has been soaring country since 1931. That December, William Cocke Jr. kept a glider called the Nighthawk up over the Nuʻuanu Pali for 21 hours and 34 minutes and set a world endurance record. Thirty years later Geza Vass and Guy Davis stayed aloft 71 hours along the Koʻolau range, so far past the old mark that the international governing body closed the category on safety grounds. The island is why. A 3,000 foot rainforest ridge stands square across the trade winds, and the lift coming off it does not quit.

We are flying the same air those world renowned aviators were, and most days you can look up and see a glider joining the tropicbirds, as they have for millennia.

James Alaggio smiling in front of a stone soaring memorial at an airfield

Co-Founder & Chief Pilot

James Alaggio

James grew up in New Jersey without the means to fly, so at nine years old he worked as ground crew at a gliderport in exchange for flight time. At 14 he soloed a glider, and he went on to master glider aerobatics and cross-country racing. At 18 he earned his commercial rating and launched a career as a test pilot. Thirty years and more than 300 aircraft types later, his safety record is flawless. Today he is an Airbus A330 captain here in Hawaii for the best airline in the world.

He founded the Soar Hawaii Foundation, a nonprofit glider academy, to give Hawaii's youth an opportunity he wished he had based on a safety culture, STEM learning and mentorship. Hawaii Glider Rides shares that mission. It sets a new standard of safety and professionalism at the gliderport, gives Foundation students real aviation jobs, and donates a portion of its profits back to the Soar Hawaii Foundation. Every glider ride here helps the next generation of Hawaii's pilots get off the ground.

Nathan Van Kempen smiling in a glider cockpit, the Koʻolau mountains behind him

Co-Founder

Nathan Van Kempen

Nathan is a flight instructor, software engineer, and co-founder of Hawaii Glider Rides. He began flying while finishing his computer science degree at the University of San Diego.

His first glider flights were right here at Dillingham, where he discovered what he considers the purest form of flight: no engine, just the wind, skill, and judgment.

Today, he's helping bring soaring back to the North Shore, with the belief that the magic of silent flight is something everyone should have the chance to experience.

Having traveled extensively around the world, Nathan knows how unforgettable a truly unique experience can be. Now, he's helping create one right here on Oʻahu's North Shore.

White glider parked on the ramp under a clear sky

What a glider is

The sailboat of the sky

A glider has long, narrow wings and no engine, which lets it turn the island's moving air into altitude. Ours carry up to two passengers under a canopy of clear glass that allows you to immerse yourself in Oahu's natural beauty.

No experience required. Buckle up for the experience of a lifetime.

Who flies you

Your pilot does everything

An FAA-certificated commercial pilot

Every ride is flown by an experienced commercial pilot the FAA has certified, the same agency behind the crew on your airline flight home.

A simple aircraft

A glider has no engine, no fuel system and very few moving parts, which leaves a great deal less to go wrong. We strictly comply with FAA maintenance and training regulations. Perhaps the simplest way to experience Hawaii by air.

Flawless safety record

Every decision is based on risk management and mitigation, so the margins stay as wide as we can make them.

Where we fly from

Kawaihāpai Airfield, Mokulēia

We fly out of Kawaihāpai Airfield (formerly Dillingham) in Mokulēia, North Shore, Oʻahu, about an hour from Waikīkī. Take the H-2 north and come around through Haleʻiwa. Parking at the field is free.

Field
Kawaihāpai Airfield · Mokulēia, North Shore, Oʻahu
Address
68-760 Farrington Hwy, Waialua, HI 96791
Hours
Flights daily, 7 AM to 7 PM, weather permitting

Questions

What first-timers ask

If yours is not here, send us a message and you will get a real answer.

Contact us

  • You keep gliding, peacefully. A glider doesn't need wind to fly. Its long, graceful wings make their own lift as it moves through the air, which lets it descend slowly and smoothly, just as it does at the end of every flight. Rising air simply lets us stay up longer, and your pilot always keeps the runway within easy reach.

Want to learn?

Learn to fly one yourself

We only sell rides. If you want the license, Soar Hawaii Foundation is the nonprofit academy started on the same field, and they will take you from a first lesson through your flight test. Tell them we sent you.

Learn to Fly
In partnership withSoar Hawaii Foundation