Flying Articles & Related Resources - General Flying

Flying With Hang-Gliders

Date:	23/06/2014
Author:	Chris Jones, Tony Moore, Richard Hellen
Position:	HG Chief Coach, HG Safety, PG Safety
Contributor:	Chris Jones, Tony Moore, Richard Hellen
I�m sure many of you will have seen that recent YouTube video of the crash between a HG and a PG in Australia. Luckily they both lived to tell the tale, but it once more raises the question of flying safely together for HG and PG pilots. Visibility From A Hang-Glider (all viewing angles are for general illustration only) Hang-glider pilots in general cannot see above and behind when in level flight. It physically impossible to crane the neck enough for most pilots and being close to the wing the glider also blocks the view significantly When flying in the prone position, as the majority of hang-glider pilots do, the normal area of view is straight ahead and down. Area 2 can be viewed by craning the neck upwards, but this position cannot be maintained for long. Therefore the chances are that pilots may not be away of what is in this area 100% of the time Always in view This area can be viewed with effort, but normally only viewed when clearing turns Things change when banked up in a turn, in fact when circling hang-glider pilots have their best view of their surroundings. For PG pilots I hope this illustrates the more limited view of the world that HG pilots have. Flying seated does make it much easier to see up and behind (less contortion of the neck and the majority of us aren�t getting any younger!). Landing With Hang-Gliders Many paraglider pilots who were once hang-glider pilots have stopped flying hang-gliders for two main reasons: Paragliders are much more convenient to live with (are much lighter to carry, store and retrieve after a nice XC flight) They are MUCH, MUCH, MUCH easier to land, especially if the winds are light and variable Many new hang-glider pilots spend their first 10 hours after training, worried about their landings and for some the worry never goes away. As with everything, practice makes perfect, but even old hands will admit that�s it�s the one phase of flying a hang-glider where you really need all the odds to be in your favour if you are going to achieve even close to a 100% perfection rate. The goal field at a hang-gliding competition can be quite an entertaining place to be for the casual spectator! On our own sites we can all help improve the odds for new and less-new hang-glider pilots by ensuring we don�t inadvertently become distracting obstacles to a successful landing by getting into the habit of: After landing always carry out to the edge of the landing field before packing up. This may on occasion seem unnecessary, as there may be no other gliders around, but things can change rapidly. Imagine one lone glider being packed away in the middle of Westbury bottom landing and an experienced HG coming into land... no problem you�d hope even though the winds must be light. It as big field, the odds seem OK. Now consider 4 gliders being packed, placed randomly in the field, a red ribbon HG coming into land, this now becomes a major issue as these obstacles will have stacked the odds against a worry-free landing by making the field seem a damn sight smaller. In a small field like the Mere top landing this could become a contributing factor to a very unsuccessful arrival, resulting in bent metalwork and even some pain. Moving your glider can easily lessen the likelihood of this happening. At Westbury you are also more likely to get a lift back if you are packing up by the gate The bottom line here is give the other guy or girl a sporting chance and help stack the odds in their favour.

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	Thursday, 25th April, 2024