how to land a hang glider

A montage of clips showing various landing techniques. Most of the footage was shot at Keechelus Lake (aka Rampart Ridge, which frequently has turbulent landing conditions) and Chelan's Lakeside park (aka the beach). Background music Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss is a multitrack recording played on a Roland RD700SX.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• landing
• hang
• glider
• RD700SX

[cascadesky]

Wind isnt necessary for hang gliding, except at certain flying sites where wind striking a hillside produces the required lift for soaring. Most soaring is done using thermals. If you see circling birds then most likely there is sufficient thermal lift for hang gliding on those days. The trick is finding a safe way to get into the air, either by foot launching from a hillside or being towed up, and then finding and making use of thermals. Wind sometimes makes this effort more challenging.

[pinksinker]

An earlier comment suggested he was ok but his crash wasn't caused by dust. Dust was caused by his crash! Looked like he came in to fast and touched ground. Flared back up into a near stall then came back down without enough airspeed under the wig for a stall. It did look to me like he pushed out on the bar and tried.

He did have some forward momentum. Makes me wonder if he had a tailwind.?

[cascadesky]

Hmm, no tailwind. In the full-resolution footage a streamer is visible behind the glider (at impact) streaming straight back suggesting 10+ mph of headwind. Notice speed/direction of the dust. Also there was no ground contact prior to ballooning up. Crash was possibly caused from over control in pitch at initial round out, and then under control while/after ballooning up. Also, the pilot kept his right hand on the basetube all the way to impact which significantly limits flare authority.

[cascadesky]

pink: After a closer look I agree that the pilot's feet may indeed have brushed the ground just prior to his ballooning up.

[alta8bird]

What happened to the guy that crashed around 4:12? Was he okay?

[cascadesky]

Although the crash caused an impressive dust cloud, the pilot walked away with just a few minor cuts and scrapes.

[HaloModder555]

Why does it shake?

[bmradux]

thanks for the compilation! nothing (except practice) helps more than watching.

[me2me23]

impressive landings, good to know how to land a hang glider

[3333sweetie]

@cascadesky Is landing very hard to learn, as compared to the landing of a paraglider? also, how can you ascend or descend a hang glider?

[Kimogar90]

is 4:10 a landing technique?

[armandin2048]

@lamrof Fuck them - a pilot is a pilot is a pilot - go fly somewhere else where there aren't assholes everywhere, if you can't - just fly the pants off them ans make them look like the worthless cunts that they are - good luck!!!!

[pepeleyva]

Licences are really cheap, the main cost is the equipment. The lessons usually are one quarter of the final cost on new equipment. Once flying you have only a few costs to cover other than driving to launch zone.

[LimpJimmy]

Dude, hang glider pilots come in all forms — it's something special that can't really be explained without the experience. I doubt the reception you got was anything to do with race...

If you share the free flight experience, it's something in common that transgresses bigotry. DO IT!!

[crazy4sleds]

do u need a license? How much does one usualy cost?

[northwing180]

When I started I felt like most of the people I met were a little cold. I have come to believe it is because pilots come from so many different walks of life that most of us have very little in common other than flying. The longer I've flown the more friends i've made. The instructors meet so many people that some of them just go on auto pilot when talking to new people. don't let first impressions keep you from flying. there is nothing like it.