Hang Glider

hang glider is a small, light­weight aircraft with no engine. It is controlled by a person who hangs, suspended in a harness, below a triangular wing. The pilot controls the hang glider with body movements and a control bar.

Hang Gliding History

The hang glider concept dates from the pioneer days of aviation at the end of the nineteenth century. German aviator Otto Lilienthal made glider flights, hanging underneath batlike wings that he built himself. His contraptions fitted
the definition of hang glider because Lilienthal controlled them by swinging his body from side to side. He launched himself by running down the slope of a hill. Once in the air, Lilienthal’s control of the glider was always less than com­plete. Although he made more than

2,0 successful glides, a fatal crash in 1896 ended the career of this brave and inventive aviator.

Other inventors saw that the hang glider could lead to larger and more controllable airplanes. Hang gliding
experiments led to the development of larger, person-carrying gliders and then to the first powered airplanes.

Glider, or sailplane, flying developed for sport and recreation during the twentieth century, but hang gliders were mostly forgotten until the 1970s. In that decade, enthusiasts started building them as a cheap, enjoyable way of fly­ing. Their enthusiasm was aided by the availability of lightweight metals, such as aluminum, to construct the frames. New, tough, plastic-based materials were ideal for the wing surfaces. Hang gliding started in the United States, and it soon became popular in other countries.

Today, hang gliding is a popular sport with people who cannot afford to buy or rent a full-size glider. Hang glid­ing equipment is simpler and less costly. These small, portable aircraft are also excellent for people who enjoy flying in places that are not suitable for launch­ing a conventional glider. One of the joys of hang gliding is that the pilot can take the glider almost anyplace flying is permitted. If conditions are suitable, the pilot can be up in the air within a few minutes of unloading the glider from a car trailer. A hang glider is collapsed and folded for transportation and stor­age when not in use.