![]() There are many different levels on which hang gliding and paragliding can be pursued. There are those who enjoy simple top of the hill to bottom of the hill sled rides. Some who enjoy soaring in smooth ridge lift. And others who want to gain thousands of feet of altitude and fly long distances. This is a sport of progressions - it is truly a lifelong pursuit with a lifetime of learning. “EAA is about recreational flying, and hang gliding is one of the purest forms of recreational flying,” said Rick Larsen, EAA vice president of programs, chapters, education, and museum, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “It’s affordable, and it’s accessible, whereas you might go up to warbirds and say, ‘This is awesome,’ but owning a P-51 for most people will never be in the cards. But you go to the other end of field, and you go, ‘I can do this. ![]() I can afford this.’ Another reason we are highlighting them this year at AirVenture is because a lot of people still think it’s flying off hills, mountains, cliffs, but you don’t have to have that. You can fly them off flat land with a tow. It’s a different way to experience flight, and we want to show people who want to fly that this is an option, too.”įUN FLY ZONE At a 900-foot grass runway adjacent to the Ultralight Barn, you will find the mecca of all things related to hang gliding, and more. Attendees will have the opportunity to take a look at a classic vintage 1970s hang glider on display that Rick donated to the EAA Aviation Museum. “Hang gliders have come a long way, and attendees will be able to take a look at what a typical hang glider looked like in the ’70s compared to now,” Rick said. “This old glider that we have here at the museum - a buddy and I owned it and flew it back in high school - it was a standard Rogallo wing glider, and it flies, but it’s very inefficient in terms of how it flies. If speed makes you uneasy, the gentle nature of a paraglider might be more appealing.While in the Fun Fly Zone, you’ll also have the opportunity to visit with Hang Glide Wisconsin, Kitty Hawk Kites, and The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association - all of whom are conveniently located under one tent! It’s not uncommon in a new hang glider to fly for hours at a time, and that was certainly not possible in these old gliders, but it was certainly still a blast!” You look at gliders today, and they have almost the same performance as a high-performance sailplane. ![]() If you are more averse to turbulence and instability, the steady nature of a hang glider can be your friend. If your decision on which type of wing to learn is based on safety, consider for yourself which environment you would feel less comfortable in. Hang gliding and paragliding both present a unique set of risks. That said, both hang gliding and paragliding can be practiced with a great deal of safety if the pilot exercises good judgement before, during, and after every single flight. A paraglider can be set up for launch in as little as 5 minutes comparatively.Īll forms of aviation are inherently risky. Safely assembling a hang glider for launch will take approximately 15-20 minutes. Hang gliders take more time to set up than paragliders. This makes transport (both on the ground and overseas) much more difficult with a hang glider. Whereas a paraglider can fit into a backpack, a hang glider must be packed up in a large linear bag. Hang gliders are less portable than paragliders. While high-wind / low-speed landings are possible, hang gliders typically require either a medium sized field or a runway in which to land. That said, don’t use a “more stable aircraft” to fly in conditions that you shouldn’t be flying in.ĭue to their greater ground speed, hang-gliders need require more space to land than a paraglider. They are able to fly safely at higher wind speeds relative to their non-rigid cousins. Hang gliders have a larger “window of suitable conditions” when compared to paragliders. They cannot collapse in flight, and are generally less susceptible to turbulence This allows them to glide further distances between thermals, and have longer overall flights.ĭue to their semi-rigid nature, hang-gliders are more stable in flight than their paragliding cousins. Compared to paragliders, hang-gliders have a much faster ground speed.
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