[ddreg]

Curious how educated people were with the different free flying sports when they started.

Please choose only HG if at the time you started you determined that HG would be your only sport (and you knew about PG) even if at a much latter time you decided to take up both.

For the unbiased and biased options, I figure if you've been in the sport for a while you'll be able to make a good guess on whether the person you asked for advice was giving the other sport a fair review.

I would have liked to do a paragliding poll also but figure there would be little paraglider traffic here.

My story: When I started, I sent emails all the local instructors, both PG and HG only one HG instructor mailed be back and that is who I trained with. After sometime in the sport I began to believe that HG was a safer form or foot launch flight compared to PG.

That brings up another question, maybe some one can post it on a paragliding forum for me. How many PG think that PG is more risky than HG but still choose to do PG anyway. And if you think PG is more risky what is the reason you chose it over HG?

[FlyMyU2]

When I started hang gliding, there was no paragliding.

[CAL]

when i started hg in 1976 there was no pg i quit hg in 81 and started again in 2008 . in which i knew about pg. in fact most of my friends and family flew pgs.

they tried to talk me into pg but after watching them i still wanted to hg . they are still good friends but obviously i have more hg friends now. in fact some of my pg friends are now hg and pg .

wouldn't it be awesome if we all flew both that would solve the problem with ushpa. we would all be on the same page, how ever i am having way to much fun hg to learn to pg

[HangDog]

Only HG for me.

[dgs]

In '77 I looked into HG, found it too dangerous, took up skydiving instead.
In 2008 my wife started HG, I couldn't be left behind, so started as well.
She switched to PG in 2009, I swore I wouldn't (too dangerous).
I tried PG in 2010, was surprised at how much fun it was, now I have to buy more gear.

[old newbie]

Some other choices that should be available

Knew I was going to do only paragliding(some switch, some do both)

And what if paragliding did not exist when you took up hang gliding.

And if hang gliding existed when you started flying sailplanes.

And if there was no foot launched flying did you run off a cliff and hold a bedsheet.

Did you know hang gliding still existed when you took up paragliding?

Did you know that paragliders are not stunt parachutes and don't just randomly fall from the sky reardless of what Ric Masters says, when you took up hang gliding?



Many of the reason for pilots talking up paragliding(not as opposed to taking up hang gliding);
Exposure
Portablity
Instruction available
Combining hiking and travel with convinent flying.
flying community

I am not sure how many pilots approach it as I am going to take up paragliding or hang gliding and then research check out instructors and compare risks.

I started with standards in 76 and played a little for a couple years. Almost bought a new hang and took up the sport a few times. In 1990 on a extended camping and mountain bike vacation I stopped at Point of The Mountain to check out hang gliding and paragliding(I had always followed hang gliding and was watching paragliding start up) The portability matched my lifestyle and I took up paragliding but I knew I would still hang glide.

Work and family did not allow much time and I choose to do one rather then both poorly. Eventually the sand seemed to be running through the hour glass fast and I went out and bought a hang, went to the beach and started flying prone. Flying both is the answer for me, now that I have the time(well make the time)

Steve Forslund

[Windlord]

[Wingspan34]

[jimrooney]

I didn't know about PG when I started HG.

About a year later I started PG and instantly became very irritated by all the people that had and were trying to put me off PG. I had kept an open mind till I could decide for myself. When I could, what I decided was how closed minded the people giving me "advice" were.

I can say the same for aerotowing.
Many people tried to warn me off about that "impure" flying as well.

Get stuffed.
Both rock.
Jim

[Davedebogusone]

[johnpeace]

When I started flying, I lived on an island with only one HG instructor, one HG training hill and one paragliding school.

The paraglider school had essentially ruined the sweetheart deal that the sole HG instructor had using a flying site for tandems, which forced him out of hang gliding as a job. Then, they (the PG school) secured an exclusive use lease with the landowner of the training hill, convincing him that it'd be a better deal for him with liability, etc.

They stopped allowing HG to use the training hill.

So along I come with my copy of HG magazine with the TR3 on the cover, wondering how I can learn HG.

The HG instructor told me I was basically SOL.

My biwingual friend persuaded me to do some PG instruction, so I did and flew PG a little.

Then the paragliding school changed hands. While the PG dickheads were selling their flight school and during the chaos of the transition period, I saw an opportunity and got the HG instructor to use that brief window of time to do 5 days of instruction with me...enough to get my H2.

Sold all my PG gear, bought a MkIV and looked back glad that I survived a few months of flying PG.

[peanuts]

[jjcote]

When I decided that I wanted to HG, I didn't know about PG (and I think it was still primitive at that point). By the time I started learning to HG, I had already decided. At this point I don't know whether I'll also learn PG at some point, but limited time is the main reason against.

[bisleybob]

i wanted HG but was given the hard sell PG thing. had to forcefully turn it down 3 times.

every reason i gave why i wanted HG they came up with a counter argument until i finally rested on "its my choice thats what i want," the reply was a short shap OK, as if you cant help some people.

man that winds me up.

[Spark]

[DaveB]

[blindrodie]

Yepper none 'O that PGin when I saw my first few HG 's above Aspen CO., parked over the mountain. Then I get hold of a brochure from Lookout MTN FP in the mail. Then I saw the shots of flying at Grandfather MNT in N Carolina and I knew I would do that one day....

[BBJCaptain]

I started in 79, I became a member in 1980 and i couldn't wait to get the new issue in the mail every month. I lived and breathed Hang Gliding. It was the only thing that got me through my motor cycle accident in 1985 ( I was paralyzed from the chest down for 2 weeks ) I had the wife bring me down some of the issues that I had ( still have from 1980 - 1996 ) in the top of my closet. I am sorry that I can't remember his name right now ( I am getting old ) but I had just read the article about the guy that was paralyzed and his buddies put him in his harness and hooked him in and launched him into the air ( @ Ft Funston I think ) When he landed they would pick him up and put him in his chair, break down his glider and send him on his way. If I hadn't have read that article before my crash (coyote) I am not sure if I would have came through the same person I was. That was the only thing that got me through that tough time in my life ( oh yeah the wife to ) I was flying again in 6 months time. To this day I still say USHGA!!! I can't even get the words out…ush…pa…pa…pa When the two forms of free flight where combined and that first magazine came out. I read the 2 articles on HG and then threw it in the trash and never read another. I let my membership expire( but I still kept HG ) and didn't renew it until 3 weeks ago,( I wanted my H4 back in my pocket ) I took about the last 4 yrs off ( both my parents got cancer , that didn't end well ) Now that I am able to travel a little I wanted to be able to fly in Ca. again ( when the wind is strong ) I have nothing against the PG guys, I just remember what it was like when the USHGA was all about Hang Gliding 24/7 and I couldn't put the magazine down till I read EVERY page!!

[peanuts]

[BBJCaptain]