Proof on this matter
The statement that someone placed in the article: "shorter women tend to take somewhat longer." seems to be something that needs proof from studies, else it seems hurtful without warrent.
Radical solo flight learning
- Generally there may not be much support from established aviation circles for a person to learn to fly a hang glider in a solo fashion. However, careful examination indicates that when one is launching, flying, and landing, what one has in knoweledge, skill, awareness, attitude, and awareness is all one has; all the other stuff in others is not in oneself. Even the decision to act on faith of authority is still a decision that is in oneself; better choose one's authority for the immediate act very well.
- Some people may be situated where a hands-close field flight instructor is just not reasonably obtainable. Sans libraries and sans Internet, it can be conceived that a remote hermit would not even have guides from books or other media, but still wanting to fly in the air. Others may have libraries; others yet might have the Internet. Other situations may be described where there is a tease to learn to fly a hang glider without mentors, coaches, field flight instrutor, ground-school teachers, and other flight-learning assists. There seems to be a continuum of remoteness and radicality that could be addressed.
- Some people will very much want to fly wings that they make themselves, yet want to have an experienced flight instructor and ground-school teacher. Others may also want to learn to fly the aircraft they built via a radical solo training. Even deeper, some people want to design, build, and learn to fly via profound radical solo operations. Perhaps there is a Bell curve on these matters where one is overly dependent on things outside themselves to a center where a balanced judgement and involvement occurs between the self and inputs from others, and then to the outlier where a person knows nothing of culture but wants to be in the air as s/he finds the birds. Theoretically, one might find safe flows any place on that curve, as well as unsafe flows any place on that curve. Unthinking dependence on wrong information from an imperfect expert flight controller has brought fatalities to aviation. The pilot in command has his or her immediate decision forming a difference in what happens next.
- Risk managment may smartly be well done at any part of that Bell curve of involvement with culture and others. Even in radical solo flight learning, a comprehensive identification of risks followed with risk managed adjustments can result in a happy flight life.
- Being able to fly a hang glider with great skill and lacking the awareness of the rotor scene in the lee of objects (trees, buildings, ridges, blimps, etc.) can too easily bring on a very sad flight session.
- Quote found from BobK: "The key is to know your limits and stay well within them. The urge to fly will be great (you've got the bug!), but it must be tempered with the discipline to recognize your limits and stay within them." Such would apply well at any point of the above described Bell curve.
- A compromise system is the MyHGCoach system that invites safety at any point of the above Bell curve. In MyHGCoach risk management, fine-tuned attitude maturation, ever-the-learning pilot habit, radical self-and-environment awareness, and constant awareness of equipment integrity are coached in various ways. Taking pleasure in all the aspects and steps, savoring appropriate fears with a readiness to adjust and even abort regardless of ulterior influences can be part of the flight adventure.
