Hang Gliding

Filed under: high energy sports

The sport of hang gliding is defined as flying a lightweight and non-powered aircraft. The launch of your hang glider is accomplished by taking off from a high place such as a cliff or hill. The hang glider attained its start when the fathers of flight developed it. The sport, during its evolution within flight history, has enjoyed continual innovation with respect to the glider. Following are some highlights of that history as well as a brief scenario of how the hang glider works.

1. Beginning in 1891, Otto Lilenthal of Germany made several thousand successful glider flights. However, most unfortunate, a hang gliding accident ended his sporting career in 1896. During his time as hang glider, Otto published glider plans and supplied interested aeronautical sportsmen and women with hang glider kits.

2. Within the early designs of the hang glider, the rider would hang from his armpits on parallel-style bars directly beneath the hang gliders wing structure. Here he would swing his legs and hips. His shifting motions backward and forward were used to influence pitch.

3. Modern day hang gliding came about toward the end of the sixties. During that time, California residents were observed hang gliding down the coast on a home-built variety of the craft. The homemade versions had Delta-shaped wing structures. The kites had been developed by Francis Rogallo and his spouse Gertrude. The Rogallo kites gained recognition due to NASA space center’s interest in using them in retrieving spacecraft. During the time the Rogallo kites were receiving high praise, water-ski performers were using swing seats. The seats allowed showmen to use the weight of their bodies in order to effect roll and pitch. The swing seat was coupled with the Delta-shaped Rogallo wing and the modern-day hang glider was created.

4. The sport had spread to America and Europe by the early portion of the seventies. Materials specific to aircrafts were used in the manufacture of the hang glider kite and subsequently the performance of the aircraft greatly improved. Further, the wing and harness features slowly evolved.

5. The original hang glider using the Rogallo kite achieved a glide ratio of three to one. This means for every three feet of forward travel made by the glider, descent was one foot. The hang glider ratios have changed dramatically from earlier years. Just prior to the year 2000, the average ratio was fifteen to one; with some ratios calculated as high as twenty to one. The top speeds, respective to flying the glider, are approximately sixty miles per hour.

Launch of the glider is achieved within a very small space. This is amazing, particularly considering a hang glider can reach (such) top speeds. The hang glider works using gravity as a source of propulsion. The hang glider is continually sinking. The pilot therefore seeks air that is moving upward faster than the hang glider is sinking. Sources of lift with respect to the hang glider include the following:

1. Where wind is deflected upward by way of a mountain ridge; and,

2. By warm air, also referred to as a thermal. Thermals are caused when the sun heats the earth’s surface in an uneven manner.

The aircraft is easily maneuverable. Also it has a record of safety which is comparable to other aircraft. If hang glider participants receive the proper instruction and pay attention, they may find hang gliding highly addictive and wonder why more people do not participate.