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Hang Gliding Information |
| The
Beginning
The biggest question that a pilot is asked is "What does it feel like?". If you have ever wished to be a bird and experience its freedom of flight, hang gliding delivers just that. It is everything you can possibly imagine flying like a bird could be and more. Its like the perfect flying dream that you never want to awaken from. |
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People have dreamt of flying since they laid eyes on the birds. In the early days, hang gliding was only accessible by those dreamers who built there flying machines in backyards and some paid the ultimate price to realize there dream. Nowadays hang gliding with the help of modern technology has become one of the safest and cheapest forms of flight. As well as the closest thing to experiencing the freedom once only felt by birds. |
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It is a sport that can be enjoyed by all walks of life from the recreational pilot to the extreme aerobatic pilot. Flights can last in excess of 10 hrs and distances over 400klms not uncommon. When you become apart of the flying community you enter into a new way of life and a family that shares a unique bond. Pure freedom. The first basic hang glider was invented by Francis Ragollo for the NASA Gemini project. With the help of Australians John Dickenson who introduced the triangular control bar (A frame) and Bill Moyes, who put his life on the line by testing the early kites, humanities dream became a reality. |
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To get airborne air must travel over the wing of a hang glider at a certain rate of knots. As there are no engines attached to the glider the pilot must provide the initial force to get the wing flying. There are several ways in which to achieve this, the most common being the foot launch where pilots run off mountains or sand dunes. Pilots are also able to be towed aloft by the use of cars, winches and ultralight aircraft. |
| When you see pilots setting
up on the launch site you may feel as though they are in a world of
their own. This is not far from the truth as the pilot prepares their
hang glider for flight and check their gear meticulously and then
there is the mental preparation. Pilots are often happy to chat with spectators and answer questions when waiting for the conditions to become optimal for launch. But when it comes on it is all go go go. As a spectator you can assist the pilots by standing well clear of the launch runway and keep an eye out for gliders moving into position. A round of applause is always appreciated when a pilot launches as well. |
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Staying Aloft As there are no propellers on the hang glider a pilot must rely on ridge lift, air blowing up the hill and or thermal lift, hot air rising from the ground. Just like eagles pilots search for the best lift and it takes a lot of practice to master the art that birds are naturally born with. The experienced pilot can even predict where the lift is, by looking for trigger points (different things that will make hot air rise from the ground). Clouds are mainly formed by this rising air and hence are an excellent reference when searching for lift. On good days pilots are able to fly from cloud to cloud as the world passes slowly below. Hang glider pilots are restricted with height regulations depending on surrounding airports but the maximum height they can fly too is 10,000 feet and then even higher with prior permission and oxygen. Recently a pilot flew over the top of Mt Everest. |
| Safety This is the biggest misconception in the sport of hang gliding. In the beginning it was extremely dangerous with no rules or regulations to govern the sport. Now however it has become one of the safest sports around. Hang gliding is strictly governed by the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia (HGFA) and all gliders are rigorously tested for structural integrity. All pilots must follow a strict code of conduct and maintain their equipment regularly. As the flying community is like one big family all pilots look out for each other and help one another. |
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Who Can Fly Learning |
| M:
0427 876 095 |
E:
info@cloudbase.com.au |
W:
www.cloudbase.com.au |