Hang gliding
Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered with synthetic sailcloth[1] to form a wing.
Early hang gliders had a low lift-to-drag ratio, so pilots were restricted to gliding down small hills.
By the 1980s this ratio significantly improved, and since then pilots have been able to soar for hours, gain thousands of feet of altitude in thermal updrafts, perform aerobatics, and glide cross-country for hundreds of kilometers.
The Federation Aeronautique Internationale and national airspace governing organisations control some regulatory aspects of hang gliding.
Starting in the 1880s, technical and scientific advancements were made that led to the first truly practical gliders, such as those developed in the United States by John Joseph Montgomery.
His rigorously documented work influenced later designers, making Lilienthal one of the most influential early aviation pioneers.
The various stiffening formats and the wing's simplicity of design and ease of construction, along with its capability of slow flight and its gentle landing characteristics, did not go unnoticed by hang glider enthusiasts.
In 1960–1962 Barry Hill Palmer adapted the flexible wing concept to make foot-launched hang gliders with four different control arrangements.
[9] In 1963 Mike Burns adapted the flexible wing to build a towable kite-hang glider he called Skiplane.
Due to the poor safety record of early hang gliding pioneers, the sport has traditionally been considered unsafe.
In case of serious problems, the parachute is manually deployed (either by hand or with a ballistic assist) and carries both pilot and glider down to earth.
Pilots also wear helmets and generally carry other safety items such as 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 communication with other pilots or ground crew), and first-aid equipment.
Training programs have been developed for today's pilot with emphasis on flight within safe limits, as well as the discipline to cease flying when weather conditions are unfavorable, for example: excess wind or risk cloud suck.
Modern winch tows typically utilize hydraulic systems designed to regulate line tension, this reduces scenarios for lock out as strong aerodynamic forces will result in additional rope spooling out rather than direct tension on the tow line.
After initial testing, in the Hunter Valley, Denis Cummings, pilot, John Clark, (Redtruck), driver and Bob Silver, officianado, began the Flatlands Hang gliding competition at Parkes, NSW.
Selecting the sources of rising air currents is the skill that has to be mastered if the pilot wants to achieve flying long distances, known as cross-country (XC).
Rising air masses derive from the following sources:[16] Thermals With each generation of materials and with the improvements in aerodynamics, the performance of hang gliders has increased.
Some performance figures as of 2006: Because hang gliders are most often used for recreational flying, a premium is placed on gentle behaviour, especially at the stall and natural pitch stability.
In calm air, a properly designed wing will maintain balanced trimmed flight with little pilot input.
Furthermore, the fact that the wing is designed to bend and flex, provides favourable dynamics analogous to a spring suspension.
Gliding pilots are able to sense the acceleration forces when they first hit a thermal, but have difficulty gauging constant motion.
[19] Some electronic variometers make the calculations automatically, allowing for factors such as the glider's theoretical performance (glide ratio), altitude, hook in weight, and wind direction.
Operating a VHF band radio without an appropriate license is illegal in most countries that have regulated airwaves (including United States, Canada, Brazil, etc.
), so additional information must be obtained with the national or local Hang Gliding association or with the competent radio regulatory authority.
Third is to allow greater liberty regarding distance flights in regulated airspaces, in which the aircraft radio is normally a legal requirement.
[20] Judy Leden (GBR) holds the altitude record for a balloon-launched hang glider: 11,800 m (38,800 ft) at Wadi Rum, Jordan on 25 October 1994.
[22] The altitude records for balloon-launched hang gliders: Competitions started with "flying as long as possible" and spot landings.
