[Roadrunner]

Hello Dot ORG:

I do not understand the rise of popularity regarding the increase of interest, and the numbers of people flying Para-gliders. I for one do not think that I will ever have enough guts to fly the things.

I guess, flying is flying. Does what we fly really matter?

OK, goodby the Big Guy 925-497-1059

[AIRTHUG]

They're great in smooth air... like a flying lawn chair, with about the same time to setup or pack away too. Even fits in the trunk of my MR2...

That said, it will never replace hang gliding for me. The speed, control, (much) wider range of conditions.....

If we were all rich, and had appropriate sites and enough time to be current on both, we should all do both. Since most of us don't... most of us don't fly both...

Live and let fly

[stevesmithele]

I do prefer to start with an erection instead of hoping it happens. There is a time and place for everything and i am learning for the convienience of travel and being able to hike to any launchable hill and land in a backyard.


Share the air!!!!

[remmoore]

I sense that Chris is becoming a Master Baiter...

RM

[Oakdude]

Personally I am always looking for lift/textured air...the boundary from the thermal lift to the surrounding related sink is necessarily turbulent.....air rising side by side with air sinking....from what I can make out, they have a tendency to collapse in this very same air. Not for me, but I have no issue with anyone else who wants to do it. Go fly....enjoy.....everyone to their own.....Just cant imagine ever ever being mad enough to try it.

[old newbie]

My longest flight on a paraglider I was in the air 8 1/2 hours and had one small collapse about 5 hours in as I was flying a bit sloppy. Plenty of good xc days for me in pleasant air with no collapses. One of the nice things for me about paragliding is you don't need super strong days to fly xc.

Steve

[AIRTHUG]

I'll preface this by reminding you that I fly both....

[Vrezh]

So far I've refrained myself from para/hang debates on public forums.

Fly what you want.

Last weekend we were sitting in the LZ after a good flying day, drinking beer

and having good time. Busy day, lots of HGs out.

There was a non pilot visitor, asking typical questions, looked like he was

really interested in HG. Then a paraglider appeared over the LZ. Here they

usually take the late, end of the day, smoother air. Our site is notoriously too

turbulent to fly PGs, so they don't fly much here.

The guy began asking about paragliders now. I explained as good as I could,

without saying any negative word about PG or HG. As much as I was

sure we have a future HG pilot here, he stood up quickly and rushed to that

single PG in the field, who just landed, making hes way by maneuvering

between bunch of tightly parked GHs and mumbling something about how he

liked the "other thing" better.


For the uneducated, It's the visual appeal, me thinks.

[miraclepieco]

Paragliders are the only type of aircraft which, in totally normal atmospheric conditions, can completely loose their aerodynamic integrity and collapse, spin and fall to earth through no fault of the pilot whatsoever.

[AIRTHUG]

[Oakdude]

Who mentioned super strong days????Not me.
I am not imagining it, they can and do collapse, and if that happens close to the ground you are toast. Lost several very good friends that way, one had been flying both PG and HG for over 20 years. I say again, fly what you like, enjoy.....no problems with that....
Whilst doing my HG training in Algodonales in Spain, I saw hundreds of PG's. I am basing my reply on what I witnessed personally.....its not for me and I suspect never will be. But I have friends who are PG only and would never consider getting on a HG. Everyone to their own. I dont like death metal, I love to play blues but as I say we are all made differently. This does not invalidate my opinion and view of the vulnerabilites of PG.

[AIRTHUG]

[old newbie]

Sure performance hangs have better sink and glide and sailplanes even more so. I often have benched up the northside while few bags and no hangs are launching. The convenience of landing out or bombing out and getting back to launch often has paraglider pilots flying when hangs will not launch or even set-up as they want more of a guarantee of a good flight. No you don't need stronger days to fly xc on hangs but marginal weak conditions that are a crap shoot to get up are less of an investment of time and effort on a bag.

Many pilots have a limited number of days to go fly and often seem more willing to pick stronger days with a greater chance of getting up/ staying up. Of course those days also have bigger sink, turbulence etc.. As I progress as a hang pilot I hope I will be out enjoying these weak conditions on my hang.

Steve

[AIRTHUG]

Very true....

In general we're a lazy bunch

[Oakdude]

[J Fritsche]

After 10 years HG, I learned to PG. Soon thereafter, I was PGing significantly more than HGing, primarily due to the convenience combined with how mellow the conditions could be at the sites I lived near (fat, smooth lift in the afternoons; not a lot of wind). Five years ago I moved to a new area where flying in trashy air and high winds is the norm; I've barely touched a PG since. But I want to have one when I visit sites like the ones that used to be local to me. If you've got the time to fly and stay current on both, and never get cocky about PGing in rough air/high winds, you'll really appreciate having the best of both worlds.

[AIRTHUG]

I PG a lot at the Point, and fly my hang in the mountains... great combination for me!

Where you live is probably the best determinant if which one you should fly.

[miraclepieco]

[tom emery]

You gotta launch 'em, fly 'em and land 'em. Do it wrong and suffer the consequences....hang or para.

[DAVE858]