Hang Gliding Basics for Beginners : How to Control a Hang Glider in the Air

[masiwe23]

Thx to David and to Janet. Cool, fun and helpful videos! For the small guys who have asked, yes you can fly too! A lot of hang gliding schools will take kids on dual control flights, for example try Lookout Mountain. Also Kitty Hawk Kites do courses for kids out there on the sand dunes in NC.

[dblyrt2597]

how old do u have to be to go on one with an adult?

[viper8red]

OMG I've seen so many expert village videos and the thought of them instructing anyone to hang glide is a super seriously SCARY proposition. I've seen their "how-to's" on home improvement and they were bad enough.

[Crashbandicoot701]

I am just 13, I sooo wanna hang - glide but at the first few times maybe ill go with an instructor, I am scared if I go alone, what if I crash? what happens if I hurt my food or can't get down? I want to do this yet I get scared if I do it.

[Brav0ZuluForever]

is this the only expert village vid that helped people?

[FunnyWarningStickers]

top upload - your video was the best! you are star.

[streetstaruk]

i really want to do this, my heart races thinking about it lol. but im gonna do it, coz i always dream of flying! (obviously without the use of a jet engine and 500 passagers, a baby screaming and someone kicking my back seat whilst i try get comfortable for my 6hr flight lol)

[pimppappi702]

tight

[jaydabee]

I did my first glider session a few weeks back it was pretty good but I think I need to be more open to the elements for the perfect "zen" flight. So think I'm gonna give weight shift and parragliding a try soon. Nice vid 5*

[Ladomendigo]

how do you land :O are those black things on the sides of the bar wheels? or are they weights to balance the glider?

This looks amazing! I want to do this some time before I get too old!

[SeanWyseman]

@Ladomendigo That's exactly what I was thinking when I took it up at 38 years. Still flying at 54.

No weights needed to balance the glider. Don't know what black things you are referring to but probably you mean the black foam grippy material on the aluminum tubes.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman hi thanks for asing. I took 4 lessons so far and will take more soon. I am gonna try scooter towing, definitely.

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie It's great to hear you have begun and still want more. Enjoy, and thanks for updating me.

[SeanWyseman]

It is so normal to be nervous. My friend -- hang gliding legend Jim Reynolds -- used to laugh when he'd get a bunch of tough talking macho pilots in his class and then they'd get to the top of the little training hill and they'd look down the hill having never flown a hang glider before -- and become really quiet. They didn't know what to expect and were suddenly faced with the possibility of actually flying and not knowing what to do. But a trip or two and you'll be fine. All the best!

[1FeetHands]

Can we use the audio for GPL flight gear?

[CraigRidley1]

@ Dcubs5 watching 12 tutorials on u tube only gives u a basic idea. dont be jumping off something small u divvy u will kill your self. u need people on the ropes at the start so the wind doesnt get its leg over on you and rape you face first into a tree.

[SirJoMudd]

come on people many things can be learned by watching you tube. but flying isnt one of them. get some ideas and tips but get some real instruction or die.. if you wanna try and learn something on youtube pick up a guitar and find ur fav song. youll live a lot longer

[Dcubs5]

i'm just gonna buy one and jump off something small to practice at first.. i dont think i need lessons coz i have watched over 12 tutorials on youtube..

[screamit1]

good thing he has that neat helmet on id hate for him to hurt his head on the sand after a two foot drop

[83ticker]

i want to get one but how much are they and where do you get them from? it looks so good im geting exited just thinking about getin one. id get some help on the proper way to fly it. all so can you only go out when the wind is calm because the more wind the higher you go or does'nt it work like that?

[ac690]

How much would one of them cost.

[dhillmjex1]

read dennis pegan hg for beginers. over and over...then get some instruction from a certified instructor. youll live long and have fun.

[boardskateorfly]

...u shoudnt be teaching that pulling in is for speed and pushing out is for climb...pulling in for speed and pushing out to slow down..

[giostefaneli]

thnx

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman which are safer: hang gliders or paragliders and why?

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie I think safety has more to do with the pilot than the flight vehicle. I have not paraglided so it's tough to comment about paragliders. I've avoided paragliders because I began with hang gliding before there were any paragliders. I know more paragliders who are now dead or permanently injured than I do hang glider pilots -- but that is not objective information -- just my personal observation. I think both sports can be done with relative safety by practicing safety all the time.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman  really? why do u think more paraglider pilots are dead? also, do u need 10 hours to obtain your H -3 hangglider pilot rating, whereas u need 25 more hours to obtain your p-3?

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie What I'm trying to say sweetie is that I don't know if my experience is representative of any statistical realities. Usually hang glider and paraglider pilots argue which is safer. but since 99 percent of accidents in aviation are pilot error -- -- the safety is mostly with the pilot, how good of instruction they get, and how many safety precautions they follow. Most aviation accidents are the result of making bad decisions -- not because of the flying apparatus the pilot used.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman I know pilot error plays the most part but someoen said a paraglider is more susceptible to falling b/c it's not as sturdy as a hang glider, which is a wing. do u know how many hours u need for an H-3 hang glider license? how much do hang gliders weigh?

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie I prefer having a wing and other metal between me and other objects such as the ground or trees. I've had a tree landing but not a scratch on me. Glider had broken tubes - but not my bones. Gliders don't collapse easily leaving you to fall 70' out of the air unable to re inflate in time. Gliders weigh about 50lbs - 70 lbs. 10 hrs min air time for h3. you can't really compare the ratings between hang and para. apples/oranges.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman So are you saying that you've NEVER had serious injuries on hang gliders, but rather, nothing more than a scratch? Let's say on a hang glider, your takeoff(launch) fails, can you hurt yourself? or do you land on the wheels and that helps?

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie I had an injury from buying a used glider (from a dealer) that had steel down tubes. During a fast downwind landing my wrist broke instead of the tube. If' I'd known anyone was stupid enough to use steel tubes I'd have have pulled the tape off to see. But I'd never heard of that. If a launch or landing fails it's almost always human error. Human error often = injury. HG & PG are extreme sports because errors can have severe penalties like death or quadriplegia.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman terrible. i'm so sorry about that. flying is dangerous.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman If i'm 120 lbs and a little less than five feet tall, would it not be possible for me to launch and land the hang gliuder, or even to stay up in the air, as i'm too small?

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie There are different size gliders for people of different weights. I've seen kids less than 100 pounds flying smaller gliders and guys weighing well over 200 lbs flying large gliders. Staying up in the air is not related to your size or your gliders size specifically -- but related to flying conditions. Your instructor can help match you with the right glider. Example: A Wills Wing Falcon 3 - 145 has optimum body weight of 110 - 140 lbs. Very easy glider for almost anyone.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman will my height of 56 inches(a little less than 5 ft tall) make it hard for me to fit into the frame? will my height and weight affect it and make it improbably for me to take off or land?

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie Sorry bout the delay in getting back to you. Being around 5' tall will not restrict you from hang gliding if you are properly fitted. Plenty of gear is made to accommodate you. Taking off and landing should not be a problem as it is mostly technique. Ground handling a glider requires average strength. Flying does not require a lot of strength. If you are not especially heavy or strong you may not want to fly in strong wind. Most pilots don't fly in heavy conditions anyway.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman so then why have ppl said that paragliders are more unpredictable than hang gliders in the air and often deflate easily?

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie People have said this because there is a lot of truth in it. Wind velocity increase can mean that the paraglider will not fly forward as fast as it is blown backwards that can be dangerous. If a paraglider collapses within 80' of the ground it can be hard to re-inflate before hitting the ground. Most people seem to paraglide because there is so little setup time and so easy to transport. Hang glider is more work to setup and tear down.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman i'm just afraid that I'm too small to fit into the control frame of the hang glider. will my being short(56 inches, AKA almost 5 ft tall), inpede me from that? Which is 'harder' to learn, a hang glider or paraglider?

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie I've flown with three Japanese pilots all shorter than 5' and one of them a woman. They did not speak much English (and I didn't speak much Japanese) but all of them had over 1000 hours of flight time. I think both hang gliding and paragliding require constant learning. I don't think you ever stop learning to fly. I'm licensed to fly fixed wing aircraft, I've flown sailplanes, as well as hang gliders. Flying is always an adventure. I'm always learning.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman Do you know when to flare on a hang glider to land? What does DT stand for?

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie DT = Down Tube - the 2 tubes you hang between and control the glider with.

Flaring is an art that anyone can learn if taught properly. Simply put -- I flare when the glider has lost enough speed that pushing out does not make it fly back upwards -- and BEFORE the glider has lost so much speed that flaring (pushing out) has little to no braking effect. Flare too soon and glider climbs again. Flare too late and you belly land or nose in.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman so how can u tell if it has lost enough speed and its time to flare? Is it the pressure u feel when holding the tubes that lets' u know it's flying at trim speed, and thus, it's time to flare?

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie Tube pressure is one indicator but often too subtle for new pilots to sense. Usually you need to begin a flare too early, notice the glider climb a bit, hold the partial flare until the glider slows and settles, then full flare. You really need to take lessons to learn this. There is more to in than timing but it is not something that is even good to explain without accompanying classes to apply the learning. Sign up for some lessons. You can do it!

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman Seems so hard to figure out. I've signed up for lessons. Basically, correct me if I'm wrong: at 4 ft, flare a little, and it it still climbs, descend a little more, than fully flare and have the glider stop, then run a few steps until you can stand still?

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie Congratulations on signing up fpr lessons. One thing to remember, if the glider climbs when you push out a little -- hold the down tubes there, don't pull in, let the glider bleed off it's speed and sink back down on it's own and then complete your flair. Trust your instructor to watch what you are doing and give you instruction when you need it. You learn when you do it. You will practice flaring on flat ground before you every fly. You'll practice flaring in every lesson.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman thank you. I will do that. Wish me luck, as I'm nervous.

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie How are your lessons going?

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman thanks but Ive a LONG way to go.

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie Come to think of it while you are exploring flying you may want to check out sailplanes. They do not require physical strength, you can usually join a club that has low cost instruction and training gliders, they are typically less inclined to being injured, and your height and weight bear no relationship to glider size. Not as big an adrenaline rush but pretty cool nonetheless. You don't get that "wind in your face" experience but it still rocks and is safer.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman so you don't think my height will make it hard for me to learn hang gliding? Sailplanes scare me. I've been on regaular fixed wing aircraft, and I didn't like that, so I don't think I'd like sail planes

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie No your height or weight should not make any difference. There are paraplegics (no legs) who hang glide as well as some who have legs but can't use them. It does not stop them from flying. If you don't like fixed wing then probably sail planes are not for you. You may want to consider taking a beginners course in hang gliding. Usually beginners courses are inexpensive and is a fun and cheap way to find out. My guess is that you'll be hooked once your feet first clear the ground.

[3333sweetie]

@SeanWyseman really? how are beginners courses different than regular courses?

[SeanWyseman]

@3333sweetie Answered on the other site where you posted the question.

[7twatwaffle7]

i'm so glad you made these videos. i've been wanting to hang glide for years and am finally going to next week (weather permitting). i'm so excited want to understand and learn as much as i can before i start my beginner tandem flights. this really really helps. thank you so much for producing such clear, simple, and straight to the point videos.

[giostefaneli]

i want to asck something. i know it's stupid question but i do'nt know much about this sport! :-) do i need to have license to fly with this thing or i just buy it and then go to fly... :P

[an97an]

buy and fly

But trust me when I say GET SOME PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION

Seriously, unless you want a trip to the hospital.

[giostefaneli]

ok thnx.

[TheWhiteOwl23]

thanks, really. lol

[reptilefan9000]

@an97an hospitals are always fun

[cucaratsa76]

@an97an lol

[gmapostol]

The trim speed on a hang glider is about 30 mph.

[jwm239]

good description of shifting the center of

gravity, and technique of leading with

feet and hips, NOT merely pivoting around

body's CG which as you state does nothing

to alter glider's response...I assume that

'neutral' speed is 'trim' speed - how fast

the glider would fly itself if, say, a

150-pound rock was in place of the pilot.