Rat Route 238 Paragliding & Hang Gliding Event

Jacksonville Review – June 2026

WE KNOW SOUTHERN OREGON is a great place for wine, hiking, mountain biking, food and a vibrant cultural scene, but did you know that it’s home to one of the best free-flight sites in the country?

Free-flight is non-motorized aviation that relies on paragliding and hang gliding wings. Instead of gasoline, the wings are powered by thermals—which are rising pockets of hot air that release from the ground in the warmer months. The nearby Applegate has world-class thermals (The distance record is held by Hayden Glatte who flew 98.4 miles to Bly, Oregon!).

If you’d like to watch the sport and learn more, you can attend the spectator-friendly Rat Route 238 events which will take place June 8-13. The week’s venues include LongSword Vineyard, Valley View Winery, Apple Outlaw, Red Lily Vineyards, and Cowhorn Winery.

The venues will feature local live music, food and drinks, and a chance to meet the pilots. If conditions are favorable, you will see their colorful wings filling the sky—and you may even see them land.

If you’re feeling adventurous, consider taking a tandem flight with our local pilots, Brian Kerr and Sam Crocker! (www.airxpansion.com, www.sundogparagliding.com.)

The event is sponsored by the Rogue Valley Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club (RVHPA). The annual week-long event features non-competitive cross-country flying and is designed to support the Applegate’s community, economy, farms and small businesses.

Travel Southern Oregon and A Greater Applegate/Wander Applegate are among the event sponsors.

For a full schedule of activities, dates and times, visit the Rat Route 238 website at www.ratroute.com.