Hang gliding

A hang glider is engineless and is a weight shift controlled aircraft that is light enough to be worn by the pilot during takeoff and landing. Since the mid-90s of the 20th Century, more and more construction with rigid wing hang gliders has been built. These so-called fixed-wing aircraft can be controlled by the pitch axis by shifting your weight

The gliders are easier because of their markedly different design and control of a separate category – air and exercise equipment. Hang gliders with engine aircraft also however, fall into the order of micro-light aircraft. A typical hang glider consists of fabric-covered wings with approximately 11ft wingspan and a size of 11 to 18 square feet (each).

The pilot hangs by a special harness on his stomach under the wing. Since this construction on many of the usual components such as aircraft fuselage, undercarriage and tail waived (flying wing), a low weight of 25-40kg is needed. Transportation on the ground allows the wing fold and pack together in a long pocket.

For flights that use a pure descent from the start-go to the landing strip, hang gliding, just like gliders and paragliders, have dynamic slope updrafts and thermals. In this way, flying at altitudes above 5000m and at distances of more than 700km have been achieved.

Cross-country flights from good drivers move depending on the external conditions, typically in the range of 25-300km. Average flights from hobby pilots extend depending on the airfield and weather conditions over periods of 1 to 4 hours (of course, flights are 10 minutes or 8 hours flights are possible).

The aerodynamic design for the Francis Rogallo is a folding wing for the return of spacecraft to Earth. This sail was held by a flexible rod-maker. The wind was the loose cloth on an aerodynamically efficient profile.

Although progress has been achieved with this wing, only two preliminary studies have inspired the project years later to build the first modern hang glider. On the basis of published photos in magazines constructed by the American Barry Hill Palmer in 1961, a wing on the model of Rogallo of bamboo and cellophane became the first hang glider.

In the coastal regions of the United States more supporters of this air sport were found. In these early hang-gliders, the pilot had to do the arms between the parallel bars, similar to the parallel bars in gymnastics. By shifting his legs, he could influence the direction of flight. The speed he decided, as he moved forward or backward.

The Australian John Dickenson introduced a glider with a central suspension for the pilot and the triangular control bar that is used today to control one. Friend Bill Moyes and Bill Bennett brought them via air shows to almost all continents.

In the U.S, hang gliders hit with the realization of the dream of flying with the simplest of technical means that were given by the hippie movement of the spirit of the times. In contrast, they found that in Europe, they initially had only low media coverage.

Wolfgang Schwarz Bauer sailed in 1971 by the mountains around Lake Schliersee in Bavaria. He did so in the absence of legal authorization flights away from the public. The Californian Mike Harker on the 11th April 1973 with spectacular Zugspitze mountain flying, sparked media interest and there were also new trailers.

Mike Harker founded shortly afterwards in Switzerland and in Germany, the first dragon flight schools and became the nucleus of the dragons flying in Europe. In 1976, the first official world championship was held in Hang Gliding in Kossen, Austria.

With improved materials and sophisticated technology, the devices have been gradually more powerful. Soon, they were also equipped with an engine, regardless of thermals to gain heigh. Hence arose the first ultralight aircraft.