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JCW1966

Hang gliding

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So who has gone hang gliding before? What did you think about it?

I made 3 practice launches on flat ground. Then the hang glider was put on a stand so I could hang in the harness and learn control movements. After that I did 5 launches off of a small hill, then I did a tandem that got towed to 4000'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCm6ubRlCPc

The 5 launches off a small hill were a little intimidating. I knew enough to know I could break bones if I messed up.

The tow to 4000' wasn't really a big deal. I've been towed in a glider before. But I'm not too thrilled about being towed and being at the mercy of the aircraft towing you either. At least I wasn't in a glider, This tow wasn't bad at all.

The flight was peaceful, the landing as soft as any I have ever had under canopy or in a plane.

It was definitely a different experience and I plan on going back for more.

But I'm not putting my rig up for sale just yet:ph34r:

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So who has gone hang gliding before? What did you think about it?

I made 3 practice launches on flat ground. Then the hang glider was put on a stand so I could hang in the harness and learn control movements. After that I did 5 launches off of a small hill, then I did a tandem that got towed to 4000'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCm6ubRlCPc

The 5 launches off a small hill were a little intimidating. I knew enough to know I could break bones if I messed up.

The tow to 4000' wasn't really a big deal. I've been towed in a glider before. But I'm not too thrilled about being towed and being at the mercy of the aircraft towing you either. At least I wasn't in a glider, This tow wasn't bad at all.

The flight was peaceful, the landing as soft as any I have ever had under canopy or in a plane.

It was definitely a different experience and I plan on going back for more.

But I'm not putting my rig up for sale just yet:ph34r:



I took some lessons in high school after I built two hang gliders, one for a school project. (2002/2003)

I have a 1990 Light Dream 205, it's a big and very docile glider. I have not flown in years and just rigged it for the first time since 2007 yesterday. Makes me want to fly it some more.

-SPACE-

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The best part for me was actually having someone to talk to in the air. I've never done a tandem skydive, went straight AFF. So I've never experienced getting to talk to someone while under a canopy or in this case a wing before. I thought that was pretty cool.

The launch ramp on Lookout Mtn is about 1300' up and I want to get enough experience to go off of it. But I will admit standing on it was pretty intimidating to say the least.

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So who has gone hang gliding before? What did you think about it?



My only opportunity was a tandem aero-towed up to 4K'. I liked it well enough that I'd be doing more if it were logistically possible. The two things that struck me most were (1) the belly-to-earth position in flight gave me a beautiful panoramic view and (2) right about when it looked like we were low enough to be turning onto final, the TI says to do one more 360 to bleed-off the extra altitude--yeah, they glide and turn r-e-a-l-l-y flat!

I crewed as a winch operator on a HG boat-launch operation where my buddy was training me to fly that way, but he died a few short years ago at age 86 in a HG accident, so I had to give up on that idea. The accident was at LMFP--maybe you heard about it.

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The accident was at LMFP--maybe you heard about it.



Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. LMFP is where I did my flight at this past Friday. But no I haven't heard about the accident.

I know hang gliding is inherently dangerous. There's a lot that can go wrong. So the one thing I have not researched about it is accidents and fatalities. I wanted to go do it first and then decide if I want to continue which will include me doing more research.

I did the same in skydiving. I did an AFF LVL 1, then ran home and did my research. 2 weeks later I was back in the air. Since then I have lost several friends in skydiving. I guess that's the one thing research can't prepare you for.

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just don't forget... Hang Check!



Yeah that one is kind of important. I couldn't tell you how many hang checks they made me do last Friday, quite a few during the day.

Glad the guy in the video was okay. Looked like he suffered a bruised ego more than anything.

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My brother did some hang-gliding back in the day, until he "crash-landed", breaking a vertebrae in his neck. Thankfully he wasn't paralyzed or had any debilitating issues, however that was the end of his daredevil activities, and he'd made 16 skydives before that as well.

What was funny was his wife one day told him if he did anything like that again, she was going to hire a large German nurse named Helga to do the bedpan duties for him!

:D

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

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My brother did some hang-gliding back in the day, until he "crash-landed"



The old-school HG rule of thumb was "Don't fly any higher than you are willing to fall." Like skydiving, hang-gliding has fortunately become much safer in modern times.



by that measyre, the newschool rule is the same as in skydiving = altitude is your friend!


---------------------------------------------
As jy dom is moet jy bloei!

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I knew from your description that you were doing the program at LMFP. I learned there and I've been flying about five years now. I consider that flying. Skydiving is about the freefall for me. I like them both. Just have to argue with the wind gods for time to do them both. Then, there's the employer. Glad you had fun.
I know it just wouldnt be right to kill all the stupid people that we meet..

But do you think it would be appropriate to just remove all of the warning labels and let nature take its course.

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I love hi pulls so hang gliding was just another way of getting some "flying" time. I got a groupon for LMFP last Christmas and using it went off with out a hitch.

Then LMFP gave me a coupon for $249 off any package they offer. So I chose the Mountain Package for my next endeavor.

Beginner Ground School
50 training hill flights
Mountain Ground School
3 supervised 1340' mountain solo flights

Really looking forward to the solo flights.

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