What Is Hang Gliding?
From Hang Gliding Wiki
Hang gliding is an airborne sport in which a pilot flies a simple aircraft known as a hang glider, or "glider", by means of shifting his weight. A typical flight can last anywhere from 5 minutes to many hours if the pilot finds a source of lift, usually either from a thermal or ridge lift. Several major types of flying are possible including recreational, cross country, aerobatic, and speed gliding.
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[edit] History
The first recorded controlled flights in hang glider were by German engineer Otto Lilienthal who published all of his research in 1889, influencing later designers. The hang glider lost in importance through the introduction of wing warping by the Wright brothers in 1902 and subsequently of aileron control by the French.
On 1948, aeronautical engineer Francis Rogallo invented a self-inflating wing which he patented on 1951 as the flexible wing, also known as the Rogallo wing. The flexible airfoil was tested by NASA as a stearable parachute for space capsules' return to Earth and some images of these tests were published in the early 1960s by NASA and by some aviation magazines. Rogallo's wing simplicity, ease of construction, capability of slow flight and its gentle landing characteristics did not go unnoticed by hang glider and ultralight glider enthusiasts, like Australian John Dickenson, who in 1963 fashioned a water ski kite airframe on a Rogallo airfoil; The pilot sat on a swinging seat and made use of a unique frame to push/pull for enhanced weight-shift control. Dickenson's water ski hang glider was further refined and by the early 1970s, the concept was copied by manufacturers across the world. The extreme nature of foot-launched hang gliding appealed to the freewheeling culture of the late 1960s across America more as an expression of freedom and the sudden commercial availability of water ski hang gliders starting in 1969, revolutionized hang gliding into a popular airsport.
[edit] Typical Flight
A typical flight begins with the pilot setting up the glider and doing a thorough preflight inspection of it and the harness. The pilot will then launch by one of several methods, usually either by foot launching, aerotowing, or scooter towing. Once airborne, the pilot will generally start looking for a source of lift in order to extend their flight. If the pilot finds a thermal, he will start doing 360 degree turns within the thermal and will be carried up along with the rising air. By doing this with various thermals, a pilot can fly for several hours and dozens of miles.
Another source of lift can be found when wind blows against the face of a mountain or ridge and rises up over it. If the pilot stays in this band of lift, known as ridge lift, he can remain aloft for as long as the wind blows.
When a pilot decides to land, he will head for a landing zone, or LZ. Each flying site will have a landing zone, usually a field that is cleared of buildings, trees, and bushes. The pilot will try to arrive at the landing zone with enough altitude so that he can check for wind direction on the ground along with any obstructions or hazards such as power lines nearby, air traffic, or ground traffic. The pilot will fly a standard aircraft approach consisting of a rectangular box around the field until he is low enough to land. The pilot will always try to land heading upwind, as long as the approach and size/shape of the landing zone allow it. After landing the pilot will take down his glider and reflect on his flight.
[edit] Safety
This section needs more work
Modern hang gliders are fairly sturdy when constructed by HGMA, BHPA or DHV*-certified manufacturers using modern materials, though they remain lightweight craft that can be easily damaged, either through misuse or by continued operation in unsafe wind/weather conditions. All modern gliders have built-in stall-recovery mechanisms (such as luff lines in kingposted gliders) and are designed and tested for as much stability as possible, depending on the performance characteristics desired. Pilot safety is, as in all other forms of aviation, a matter of training (through certified instructors) and perhaps most importantly, self-discipline. Nevertheless, the inherent danger of gliding at the mercy of unpredictable thermal and wind currents, often in proximity to dangerous terrain, has resulted in fatal accidents and serious injuries over the years, even to experienced pilots, and the resultant adverse publicity has affected the popularity of hang gliding.
As a backup, pilots carry a parachute in the harness. Parachutes are commonly hand-thrown but can also be rocket deployed. In case of serious problems the parachute is deployed and carries both pilot and glider down to earth. Pilots also wear helmets and generally carry other safety items such as hook knives (for cutting their parachute bridle after impact or cutting their harness lines and straps in case of a tree or water landing), light ropes (for lowering from trees to haul up tools or climbing ropes), radios (for calling for help) and first-aid equipment.
Another issue that has dramatically improved the safety of the modern hang glider pilot is training. Early hang glider pilots learned their sport through trial and error. Many of those errors have led to effective training techniques and programs developed for today's pilot, with emphasis on flight well within safe limits, as well as the discipline to cease flying when conditions are unfavorable. Most flying sites in the U.S. require pilots to be members of the USHPA, and to have achieved an appropriate rating for the conditions at the site. In addition, several special-skills ratings exist to certify pilots for specific activities such as aerotowing or flying cross-country.
Here is a comparison of the risks of participating in various activities. It was put together by the USHPA using data collected from various air sports organizations and melding it with data from the National Safety Council and other sources.
Activity Participants Fatalities Rate per 100,000
per year participants
All accidents 230,000,000 96,000 42
Traffic Fatalities 162,850,000 46,000 28
Power Boat Racing 7,000 5 71
SCUBA 300,000 140 47
Mountaineering 60,000 30 50
Boxing 6,000 3 50
AIR VEHICLES:
Air Shows 1,000 5 500
Homebuilt 8,000 25 312
General Aviation 550,000 800 145
Sailplane 20,000 9 45
Balloon 4,500 3 67
Hang Gliding 25,000 10 40
SKYDIVING 110,000 28 25
[edit] Training
Training begins with instruction on how to properly set up and inspect the glider, harness, and all related equipment. A hang glider is a simple aircraft and learning to assemble it will come quite quickly to all students. The student will be given instruction on proper methods of performing a preflight inspection, the process by which the pilot verifies that his equipment is in proper working order. This will be followed by instruction on getting into the harness and performing a hang check.
The first training flights may be performed either in a tandem glider -where the student pilot flies with the instructor in the same glider- or over shallow slopes or bunny hills, where the student repeatedly flies short distances at a couple of feet above the ground. The training required to fly solo in mild conditions can be completed over several weeks by most people and is the least expensive type of aviation training. It is also a very rewarding and fun experience, as it is most people's first taste of the freedom of flight. The general flow of training will progress a student through a series of lessons covering ground handling, training hill practice, tandem flights, and then a solo flight from high altitude. Schools that do not have training hills or mountains available will usually provide instruction via scooter towing and/or aerotowing.
The goal of most instructional programs is to get the student competent to the point of earning their Hang 2 rating. This rating means that a student can successfully and safely launch, fly, and foot land a glider in mild conditions. The only requirements to get this rating are to demonstrate certain skills in front of an instructor. Further ratings (H3, H4, etc) have airtime and other requirements that will be accomplished as the pilot flies on their own.
The training required to be a solo glider pilot is the most affordable training that someone who wants to soar with the birds can get. It can usually be accomplished for a cost of $700-$1200, depending on the student, the region, etc. Certified instructors can provide individual training, usually on a per lesson basis, or established schools can provide training packages. See the list of flying sites or request info about lessons to find an instructor or school in your area.
