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Frequently
Asked Questions About Hanggliding
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From the USHGA website |
| 1. Basic
Performance Questions |
A. How do you steer?
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B. How high/far can a
hang glider go?
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C. How long do flights last?
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D. Where can hang
gliders launch and land?
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E. How safe are hang gliders?
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| 2. Flying Conditions |
A. Is lots of
wind necessary to launch/fly/land?
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B. How do gliders gain
altitude?
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C.
What sort of temperatures are encountered in flight?
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| 3. Pilot Requirements: |
A. Is hang gliding
physically demanding?
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B.
Do pilots need to be of a certain age, gender, weight or size?
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C. Do
pilots need to be licensed to fly hang gliders?
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D. How does a
student go about learning to fly?
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E. How much does all this
cost?
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F. How to get more
information
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| 1. BASIC PERFORMANCE
QUESTIONS: |
| A. How do you steer? |
| Hang gliders are controlled by shifting the pilot's weight
with respect to the glider. Pilots are suspended from a hang strap
connected to the glider's frame (hence the name "hang" glider).
By moving forward and backward and side to side at the end of this hang
strap, the pilot alters the center of gravity of the glider. This then
causes the glider to pitch or roll in the direction of the pilot's motion
and thus allows both speed control and turning. |
| B. How high/far
can a hang glider go? |
| This depends a lot on the conditions in which they are
flown, but flights in excess of 300 miles in length and altitudes of well
over 17,999 ft. MSL have been recorded. More typically, pilots in the
summer in the western US will frequently achieve altitudes of 5,000 to
10,000 ft AGL and fly for over 100 miles. |
| C. How long do flights
last? |
| Again this depends on conditions, but a high altitude flight
is frequently several hours in duration. On good days, pilots don't have
to land until the sun goes down. |
| D. Where can
gliders launch and land? |
| Pretty much any slope that is relatively free from
obstructions, is steeper than about 6 to 1 and faces into the wind can be
used to foot launch a hang glider. The pilot just runs down the slope and
takes off when the air speed reaches 15 to 20 mph. Alternatively, towing
by trucks, stationary winches and ultralight aircraft allows gliders to
get into the air when no hills are available.
Where a hang glider can be landed depends somewhat on the skill of the
pilot. An experienced pilot should be able to put a glider safely into any
flat spot clear of obstructions bigger than about 50 by 200 ft. This area
requirement can vary somewhat, though, depending on wind conditions and
the surrounding terrain.
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| E. How safe are hang
gliders? |
| As safe as the person flying them. Like any form of sport
aviation, hang gliding can be dangerous if pursued carelessly. Gliders in
the US are now certified for airworthiness by the Hang Glider
Manufacturers Assn. (HGMA). Also, hang gliding instruction has been
standardized and students learn from certified instructors using a
thorough gradual training program. Despite these advances, people still
make judgment errors and aviation is not very forgiving of such. The
majority of pilots fly their entire careers without sustaining a serious
injury. |
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| 2. FLYING CONDITIONS: |
| A. Is
lots of wind necessary to launch/fly/land? |
| Hang gliders can be launched, flown and landed in winds from
zero to about 30 mph safely. Generally, ideal winds for launching and
landing are from 5 to 20 mph depending on the flying site. Wind speed is
less important in flight since the pilot controls the air speed of the
glider whatever the wind speed may be. |
| B. How do gliders
gain altitude? |
| While there are many sources of upwardly moving air or
"lift", the most commonly used by hang gliders are ridge lift
and thermal lift. Ridge lift occurs when horizontal wind hits an
obstruction (like a ridge, for instance) and is deflected upward. Thermal
lift occurs when terrain is heated by the sun and transfers this heat to
the surrounding air - which then rises. Typically ridge lift exists in a
"lift band" on the windward side of a ridge and pilots get up by
flying back and forth through this band. Thermal lift on the other hand
usually starts at some local "trigger point" on the ground and
then rises as a column or bubble of air. To get up in a thermal, pilots
thus typical circle in this region of rising air. |
| C. What
sort of temperatures are encountered in flight? |
| Hang gliders are flown in sub-zero conditions in the winter
and in the hottest deserts in the summer. Since the air temperature
typically falls by about 4 degrees (F) for every 1000 ft gain in
elevation, however, high altitude hang glider flights are frequently cold.
Pilots expecting to fly over about 12 - 14,000 ft in the summer will
generally wear warm clothing to protect against exposure. |
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| 3. PILOT REQUIREMENTS: |
| A. Is hang
gliding physically demanding? |
| Almost anyone can fly a hang glider. If someone can jog
while balancing a 50 - 70 lb. weight on their shoulders they can learn to
fly. While flying does not require great strength (since the straps - not
the pilot's arms - hold the pilot up) long duration flights in turbulent
conditions require a moderate degree of upper body endurance. This
typically develops as the pilot progresses through training to these
longer flights. |
| B. Do
pilots need to be of a certain age, gender, weight or size range? |
| Hang glider pilots range in age from teens to octagenarians.
The limits are more mental than physical. If someone is sufficiently
mature to make decisions significantly affecting their safety and has
sufficiently good reflexes to make such decisions promptly, then they
probably are of a reasonable age for flying.
Since flying depends more on balance and endurance than on brute
strength, woman and men make equally good pilots. While the fraction
varies regionally, about 10 - 15 % of the hang glider pilots in the US are
women.
While pilots of virtually any size can fly, the limits here are mostly
dictated by available equipment. Heavier and lighter pilots require
commensurately bigger and smaller gliders.
Since most hang glider pilots weigh between 90 and 250 lbs, however, it
may be difficult to find equipment appropriate for pilots beyond this
range. Specially designed tandem gliders are available, however, and may
be used for extra heavy pilots.
While height per se does not determine who can fly, again, equipment
tends to be most available for those between about 5 and 6.5 feet tall.
Harness and glider modifications may be necessary for individuals outside
this range.
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| C. Do
pilots need to be licensed to fly hang gliders? |
| Not really, but a program analogous to FAA licensing exists
and is administered by the USHGA (U.S. Hang Gliding Association). This
program consists of a specific set of flying skills corresponding to a
series of pilot proficiency ratings (Beginner through Master) each of
which carries a set of recommended operating limitations. Beginner rated
pilots, for instance, should only fly from hills under 100 ft in height in
mild winds and under the guidance of an instructor.
While these ratings don't carry the force of law in quite the same way
as FAA pilot's licenses do, the majority of flying sites in the US require
that pilots hold some specific USHGA rating to be allowed to fly.
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| D. How
does a student go about learning to fly? |
| The USHGA certifies hang gliding instructors and schools.
All students should learn from a certified instructor. Lists of certified
schools can be obtained from the USHGA at (719) 632-8300, or on this web
page.
The time required for training varies considerably with the student's
innate skills and with the type of training conditions. Typically, though,
a student will spend 5 - 10 lessons to obtain each of the first two USHGA
pilot ratings (Beginner and Novice) - a process which generally takes from
3 to 6 months.
At the end of this primary training process, the student is usually
flying from moderate altitudes (several hundred to a few thousand ft) in
relative mild conditions.
Progression to more difficult flying conditions continues from then on
under the supervision of more experienced pilots or Observers/Advanced
Instructors.
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| E. How much does all
this cost? |
| If a student goes to a certified school in a large urban
area and buys all new equipment at retail prices, learning to fly can cost
$5000+. If one purchases used equipment, however, this price can easily
drop to around $2000. Whenever used equipment is purchsed, however, it is
IMPERATIVE that an experienced pilot familiar with the equipment inspect
it thoroughly.
Costs vary a lot, but as of 1996 figure on:
Training through the Novice level: $600 - $1200
Training glider: $400 - $1500 (used) $2500 - $3500 (new)
Harness $50 - $300 (used) $200 - $700 (new)
Parachute $200 - $300 (used) $450 - $550 (new)
Helmet $80 - $300 (new)
Fortunately, this can be purchased in stages. Usually instructors will
provide training equipment as part of their package through the Beginner
rating, but will expect students to obtain their own equipment beyond this
point.
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| F. How to get
more information: |
| Contact
USHGA |
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