As the name implies, you hang up while gliding. It is almost too descriptive of the whole activity. It’s when you’re flying high in the air that you discover there’s more to this sport than just hanging and gliding. The wind component combines with the hang glider to create your own interesting flying adventure. Here are some hang gliding facts to tickle your mind.
1. Hang gliding dates back to ancient times when man was fascinated with flying, so the history of aviation was born. Otto Lilienthal built the first controllable gliders in 1890, using wood and fabric. He tested his invention by jumping off a trampoline.
2. Thermals, ridge lifts, mountain waves and convergence. Thermals are bubbles or columns of hot air. Gliders use thermal lifts, especially during takeoff. Thermal lifts take place when the air is heated by the sun that causes it to rise. Ridge lifts occur when air hits a mountain, hill, or cliff. Air is redirected upward causing lift. This type of flight is also called slope lift, because lift occurs when the wind hits a vertical slope. Mountain waves are the vertical displacement of the wind. There are cloud indicators for these types of conditions called wave clouds. Convergence is another form of lift used by gliders. It is a convergence of air masses.
3. Morning Glory, a rare lift phenomenon used by Australian gliders.
4. Gang. This is the term used for a group of pilots flying together.
5. The variometer. This is an electronic device that helps pilots perceive acceleration forces when capturing thermals and find it difficult to estimate invariant motion. This device helps pilots determine rates of climb and descent with a series of beeps.
6. Manfred Ruhmer holds the current world record for open distance hang gliding. He flew 700 km en route from Zapata to Lamesa in TX, USA.
7. Hang gliding has four lessons that mainly involve the act of throwing a person to get some wind under the wings. These are hill training that involves takeoff on foot, aerotow in which the participant is towed by an ultralight aircraft, scooter trailer in which a scooter is used to lift the participant, and tandem flight where the instructor and the student meet. glide using a wing.
8. The altimeter is an instrument that shows the altitude of cyclists. This instrument is essential especially for long distance and long distance hang gliding.
9. The first foot launch of a hang glider in Australia was in 1972.
10. Francis Melvin Rogallo invented the Rogallo wing in 1948, which served as a model for today’s most modern paragliders.
So now you know 10 facts about hang gliding, and as you get into the sport, get ready for more facts that are sure to be beneficial to your flying feat.