Hang Gliding
Soaring solo over the earth, hardly making a shadow below as a wing silently cuts the air is one way to describe the fascinating sport of hang gliding. Other enthusiast's would describe it as a hobby pursued by people looking to enjoy the camaraderie of a shared love of flight both on the ground and in the air. Whatever the reason, hang gliding is an extremely popular sport, with an excellent safety record that continues to turn heads skyward in wonder.
It is not uncommon for people to get hang gliding and paragliding confused. Introduced much earlier than paragliding, hang gliding involves a semi-rigid frame, usually made of durable aircraft aluminum, with a V-shaped canopy and a pointed nose that rather looks like a butterfly. During flight, a strap attached to the frame tethers the pilot parallel to the ground and they "steer" the wing by shifting their body to the left or right while holding onto a bar in front of them. This prone position, unlike a paraglider where the pilot sits under a soft canopy, provides an amazingly unobstructed view around and below the glider. The fixed wing and sturdy frame of the hang glider makes reserve parachute deployments and crashes extremely rare.
If problems are to arise while hang gliding, it is usually operator error caused by an inexperienced or inattentive pilot or an experienced pilot attempting aerial acrobatics that push the glider past its structural limits. There is no established certification required to purchase, own or even operate a glider but most take off and landing sites require that a pilot earn at least a level 1 certification by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, or USHPA.
The USHPA certification typically requires ten to twenty-five lessons with an instructor for around $65 to $150 per person, per lesson with the cost of the equipment rental included. The pilot attains certification for levels one through five based on their level of skill. "Hang-1" is the lowest level where the pilot can safely setup and break down their glider and fly level and straight without assistance from their instructor. The highest level, "Hang-5" is the Master level where the pilot has shown competence in everything from tandem flights to cross-country flights and likely has years of experience or is even a training instructor.
A single takeoff can keep a pilot in the air for several hours or hundreds of miles through either ridge loft, where a mountain or cliff deflects rising air, or thermals, where the sun warms the earth and the ensuing warm air rises, keeping the wing aloft. The sport of hang gliding is easily attainable for adventurous souls with equipment pricing starting at around $1500 for a quality used wing up to around $10,000 for the most advanced wings. Whether it is the thrill of the take off or the tranquility of the flight that intrigues people, hang gliding is a great sport for anyone looking to try something new.
It is not uncommon for people to get hang gliding and paragliding confused. Introduced much earlier than paragliding, hang gliding involves a semi-rigid frame, usually made of durable aircraft aluminum, with a V-shaped canopy and a pointed nose that rather looks like a butterfly. During flight, a strap attached to the frame tethers the pilot parallel to the ground and they "steer" the wing by shifting their body to the left or right while holding onto a bar in front of them. This prone position, unlike a paraglider where the pilot sits under a soft canopy, provides an amazingly unobstructed view around and below the glider. The fixed wing and sturdy frame of the hang glider makes reserve parachute deployments and crashes extremely rare.
If problems are to arise while hang gliding, it is usually operator error caused by an inexperienced or inattentive pilot or an experienced pilot attempting aerial acrobatics that push the glider past its structural limits. There is no established certification required to purchase, own or even operate a glider but most take off and landing sites require that a pilot earn at least a level 1 certification by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, or USHPA.
The USHPA certification typically requires ten to twenty-five lessons with an instructor for around $65 to $150 per person, per lesson with the cost of the equipment rental included. The pilot attains certification for levels one through five based on their level of skill. "Hang-1" is the lowest level where the pilot can safely setup and break down their glider and fly level and straight without assistance from their instructor. The highest level, "Hang-5" is the Master level where the pilot has shown competence in everything from tandem flights to cross-country flights and likely has years of experience or is even a training instructor.
A single takeoff can keep a pilot in the air for several hours or hundreds of miles through either ridge loft, where a mountain or cliff deflects rising air, or thermals, where the sun warms the earth and the ensuing warm air rises, keeping the wing aloft. The sport of hang gliding is easily attainable for adventurous souls with equipment pricing starting at around $1500 for a quality used wing up to around $10,000 for the most advanced wings. Whether it is the thrill of the take off or the tranquility of the flight that intrigues people, hang gliding is a great sport for anyone looking to try something new.