[Iainhol]

So I got my first hang gliding book - 'Flying by the seat of your pants' and wanted to ask you some questions:

How do you transport your hang glider? I presume on a roof rack, but do you have a truck? Does a regular roof rack work? Do you need additional support (i.e. support from the front bumper) not to damage your hang glider? Do you need an SUV style vehicle as most sites require some off road driving to get to? How long is a glider once it is collapsed for transport to the flying site?

When should a new pilot look into purchasing a glider? I advise people on buying and selling aircraft and have come across a number of instructors who have flogged rubbish on student pilots - not knowing much about hang gliders and not having an FAA 337 what should I be careful of? Should you buy new? What are you looking at to acquire a glider? If I am not buying a glider right away should I buy a helmet?

Should I go up tandem before signing up for my H1? How will the H1 lessons progress? How often should I be flying - I know we say in the GA world that you should fly 2-3 times a week, I think with hang gliding I would fly once every 1-2 weeks - is that enough? At completion of your H1 what are you able to do? Is it comparable to your solo where it is an achievement that allows you to progress in training? Can I just pay per lesson when I go ? I know in the GA world you never pay upfront, as once you spend that money you never get it back -

Anything else I should be thinking off.

[FMAN]

Any automobile will work ok. Pilots all seem to have a different rack setup, http://johnheiney.com/glider_racks/rack_service.htm for a good example. You kind of need to be creative because all cars/trucks are different.

Usually about 15-19 feet in the bag.

You should really try to spend an entire week at a training school or make plans to fly every weekend for a few weeks. This will help you really get a muscle memory for launching flying and landing. If you are able to go flying every couple of weeks for a couple of years it will be a great benefit.

This sport takes a commitment. Be prepared to have a lot of fun.

[Wonder Boy]

Here is a good read:

http://www.amazon.com/Hang-Gliding-Training-Manual-Intermediate/dp/093631012X

And:
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Sky-Dennis-Pagen/dp/0936310103

Check here for rack info and some pictures to give you an idea.
http://www.hanggliding.org/wiki/Car_Rack

Mike

[dievhart]

my $.02
It takes TIME and $$, the more you have of either the faster things will go.
Don't buy a glider until you take a few lessons (using instructors gliders (they expect you to be hard on it, being new to the sport, so better be hard on theirs instead of yours)) (added: IF you know you are going to do this, then YES go buy a helmet so you don't have to use the instructors "sand buckets"...) BUT as soon as you get you H1 or are able to go to the training hill to practice what you have learned by your self, go get your own training glider ASAP (and HELMET (always wear it while under the glider (during training)) and Harness.
Good used training gliders are $1500+ and $3800+(ish) new....
I started on an old training glider (superlancer200) that I got for $600 from Mission Soaring....it was about the cheapest glider they had :-( (1992) but it got me started (and gave me good launching skills)....Whenever you do buy a glider bring another pilot you trust (or instructor) (or a pilot with you, to buy it from the instructor (to make sure you don't get what you talked about) but you should build trust and not feel like your instructor will screw you anyway.
(AND START WITH A TRAINER GLIDER NO MATTER WHAT, sell it in a few months if you think your superman, but at least start with one (some pilots don't)
The chute, vario, GPS etc etc (distractions) can wait (until you have mastered launching and landing on the training hills, then get the Chute 1st, Vario 2nd and then GPS (should have one being a GA guy))
Be ready to come home and CRASH on the couch (bed) after your first day. You will be having so much fun you will not realize how hard you are working so many muscles you never knew you had...
Your H1 is a bit like a solo but not still not much in our world, you will want to build airtime and get your spots (landing right where you want to) dialed, then get your (h2 and) H3.....a lot more sites open up to H3 pilots (most welcome H2s with "helpers" though)....so thats more of your equivalent I think?

I would go at least once a week min, to start....and more if you can for that first month (but once a week works fine for most (if the weather lets you "fly" each time :-(( (almost never happen, with no engines the slightest breeze shuts down training (sometimes)).....
IT all starts out in a ground school, watching videos, learning basics, progresses outside to learn about the glider parts, setup, and equip. Moves on to understanding how to ground handle (hold the glider, move it around on the ground)....then you start walking, jogging, running with it on flat ground, feeling how it flys by it self, and what it takes to lift it off your shoulders.....THEN you get to move to a TINY hill to run down.....and get your feet off the ground for the first time (sort of)....and then sliding on your knees, belly etc etc to a stop (or landing on your feet if you understand it all).

Thats about it in a nut shell (a big nut mind you)....
oh yeah, you probably will pay upfront for the training, most schools/instructors will also give you a discount if you sign up for more classes (I would just do one, then if you like it (the instruction) add more) but the schools need to know how many students they will have per day so most make you at least do a down payment of some sort)...BUT you can go out and just watch for free I would hope (a great idea).
If you are in shape, try to get a smaller class size (even one on one) as you will not need to rest as much and you will get more airtime (but will not get to watch others and learn from what they are doing/not doing ( that is a HUGE PLUS to big classes)).

I'm no instructor, just another pilot with my $.02.
Welcome to free flight.
Diev

(ps. I also tell new students to get into RC gliders, they are great for feeling out the air before launch (or a new site, looking for ROTORS)....ALSO get "HangSim" http://www.wilcopub.com/softwares/hangsim.html from somewhere ))
(pss - this is not a cheap hobby either,(unless you go the used road) but you will sell your planes and buy a nice glider or three eventually)

[CAL]

a lot of questions were answered, they teach on such a gradual level , Tandem flying is not that necessary, i knew i wanted to get into the sport so i purchased all my equipment which gave me quite a discount on lessons, but i had previous experience hang gliding 30 years prior to returning,

everyones income level is different, because i am older, my Children all raised and my house is paid for, money was not an issue, so i purchased the whole package, i would want to start purchasing all the equipment i could afford as i take the lessons.

if you can, get videos of your first flights and share them with us, they will also be priceless to you in the future, nothing like your first flight when your feet leaves the ground. we remember that flight and love to watch others experience it

[red]

[hoguect]

I started flying a few last summer! Everyone's advice up above is spot on. Find a good instructor/school and start by using their equipment. I was able to complete my H1 pretty quickly using their equipment, and then found some gear through the school that worked really well for me. The more you meet people, the more likely you are to get the experience you want.

Just know, it takes time and $ to do this sport (at least until you are H3 certified and have all your own equipment). If you have both of those, it makes it easier. If not, keep at it anyway! Its unlike any other feeling in the world!

Good luck & Happy Flying!

[Erik Boehm]

You don't need an SUV.

A 4wd honda civic works fine (too bad they didn't make many of those).

Various Subarus are also common.

Seeing as how people mostly carpool up the hill (you need less drivers that way), not everyone needs a 4wd vehicle and you can show up in a 2wd car (just remember to chip in for gas when you take a ride in their vehicle).

a front support is good, but a metal ladder is also commonly used.

[CHassan]

My ideal HG vehicle is a station wagon. I fly almost entirely AT. The few places I have foot launched from are easily passable by my old Dodge Stratus and Nissan Sentra.

I've slept in my car on several occasions. Dropping the back seat and sticking my feet into the trunk, laying back the front seats. Neither is all that comfortable. A wagon would give me those few precious inches to straighten my legs out.

The low roof line is a blessing after a good day of flying. Lift the glider up and let it roll off the shoulder onto the rack. No balancing act, no clean and jerk to get it up over the head.

[Bobfly]

[jjcote]

You live in Saratoga? Pick some days when there's a moderate breeze out of the NW and go hang out in Ellenville, talk to the people with the big kites, and offer to ride up the mountain with one of them and drive their vehicle back down. You can watch them set up and launch, see how this all works, and they'll happily answer all kinds of questions for you.

[fieldgunner]

Here's what I use...
transports eight wings at a time...

[gasdive]

[blindrodie]

only EIGHT!

[flybop]

As a GA pilot transitioning to HG's just remember this: In a plane if you pull back you go up, as long as the wheels are pointed towards the ground, and when you push out you go down.

When flying a HG everything is bass akwards: To go up you push out, to come down you pull in. Your first landing flares will be a mental exercise as you try to remember to flare by pushing.

There is nothing like flying a hang glider though. I love airplanes, but this HG flying is simply amazing! Good luck and I know you will have fun.

[red]