RVHPA began in 1977 as RVHGA, the Rogue Valley Hang Gliding Association. The small group of local pilots that formed the club put on the first Starthisle Fly-in in the spring of 1977 at the primary flying site of the day, Medford Baldy. Woodrat Mountain wasn’t flown until 1978 and it took several years for it to catch on as a popular flying site. The club, now named the Rogue Valley Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, is composed predominantly of paraglider pilots and remains a close-knit and inportant organization for free-flying in Southern Oregon and Northern California. RVHPA now stewards two world-class flying sites, Woodrat Mountain near Ruch, Oregon and The Whaleback near Weed, California. The stories and photos below tell some of the early history of flying at
Starthistle and Woodrat.