How is a hang glider controlled?
We control our gliders through shifting our weight from side to side, forward and backward. Steering is sort of like combining a shopping cart with a bicycle; we use our arms to shift our weight which causes us to bank or lean to one side.
How do I learn to hang glide?
You've taken the first step already. On your first day we will have a brief ground school lesson and then head out to a small training hill to begin learning the fundamentals of takeoffs and landings. As you progress, we move to higher hills, and eventually the mountains.
If you do not learn from us, please, learn from a United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA) rated instructor (more on the USHPA below).
How long can you stay in the air?
Usually as long as we want to. Some pilots have stayed aloft for over 24 hours. A typical flight is one to three hours, and sometimes we go "XC", or cross-country for many miles.
How do you takeoff? How do you land?
There are multiple ways to takeoff and land. In mountainous terrain, the primary method of taking off is called foot-launch. For a foot-launch we accelerate the glider with our feet at the edge of a mountain and into the air. In flat parts of the country we are able to tow behind a slow aircraft.
To land, we primarily perform what is called a flare landing. We will slow the glider down to just above stall speed and then rapidly increase the wing's angle of attack to slow and stop our forward momentum. A less common technique is landing on wheels.
How do you transport a hang glider?
Hang gliders are typically 16-19 feet long when packed up. This poses a problem for transporting it places. It is necessary to equip a vehicle with a roof rack, and a third support on the front or back of the car.
I'm afraid of heights, I mean, really really afraid. Why would I be interested in hang gliding?
Believe it or not, many hang glider pilots are also afraid of heights. However, as soon as we connect to a wing and our feet leave the ground, we're at one with the sky and heights. In most cases, it's not a fear of heights that people have but a fear of falling. Without protection from falling, all sudden drops are terrifying.
Hang gliding operates under FAA FAR part 103 and is self-regulated by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA). To fly any insured and maintained site in the U.S., a USHPA rating is required. Often local clubs will also regulate local sites. In San Diego, the San Diego Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association is that club.
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In the meantime, watch the video below to see Anna's learning to fly story.
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