James Tindle is advertising widely and marketing within 130 miles to keep his site, the Florida Ridge, hopping, especially during the hot summer months, when things
used to be (before last year) slow. You'll find him here for example:
http://www.orlandohanggliding.com/. Orlando is three hours away from the
Florida Ridge in way south Florida and much nearer to Quest Air and Wallaby
Ranch. This also:
http://www.floridahangglide.com/. Don't forget:
http://www.miamihanggliding.com/.

He's done approximately 3,000 Groupon-like introductory tandem tows (Groupon and LivingSocial). He makes
money on them (35% no shows), often by upgrading to one of his seven different
aerotow packages. The Ridge was full of people, a good number of them
getting ready for their tandem flights when Belinda and I showed up with the Oz
Report World Headquarters early Friday afternoon. Derrick Turner is one of the
tandem pilots.

We're right in the center of things here at the Ridge next to the office
with good internet connectivity.

There were half a dozen pilots ready to get towed up at 8:30 AM on Saturday
morning. I couldn't imagine that they thought they were going to stay up. Turns
out many of them were Russian pilots getting their aerotowing practice in and
preparing for the upcoming Rob Kells and Team Challenge.

There were two tandem operations going also. This place has always been busy,
but it is busier now more than ever. They are averaging forty tandem aerotow
flights a day.

Friday and Saturday were a bit windy (Saturday was averaging nine gusting to
thirteen mph). Local Steve Larson says that they tow here until the plane goes
backwards. It's as flat as a pancake here. Maybe that means we'll not be
deterred by winds during the upcoming competitions.

Jim started with Miami Hang Gliding in 1988 (after starting hang gliding in
1980). In 2000 he opened up the Florida Ridge Flight Park where pilots can
actually land on land.

Apparently it is possible to make a small fortune in hang gliding without
starting with a bigger fortune.