AERO SPORT
MAR 24, 2022
Free As A bird : History Of Hang Gliding
The history of hang gliding is the reality of human’s dream to fly free as a bird with the help of nature.
From the time of the ill-fated flight of Icarus to the days of sporting pioneers such as Otto Lilienthal, Octave Chanute and John Montgomery, humans have attempted free flight in almost every phase of modern history.
Hanging kite or hang gliding is one of the wind sports. It is a recreational or competitive sport closely related to gliding, but uses a simpler aircraft that sometimes consists of only metal-framed cloth wings, with the pilot in a harness hanging from the wing frame and exercising control by moving the body against the frame. which is triangular which is also attached to the main frame.
Hang gliding or hang gliding is an air sport with a light glider without a motor which is carried out in the open air. Hanging sport is done when the pilot runs fast with his plane, before taking off from the top of a hill or mountain peak.
Once lifted, the hang glider relies on the rising air mass to stay in the sky. Light aircraft called gliders float in the air which is piloted by the pilot by shifting his body weight precisely. The pilot is strapped to the flexible wings of the glider below with the help of ropes, hence the name hang gliding.
Although viewed as complex and dangerous, hang gliding requires only ten days of training in the air before the pilot is fully capable of solo flight. With modern technology and lighter, more versatile materials, hang-glider pilots can now rise high above sea level, with the upward flow of air providing great lift.
In 852, under the reign of Caliph Abdul Rahman II, Ibn Firnas, a local scientist, decided to conduct a trial flight from the minaret of the Mezquita Mosque in Cordoba using a kind of wing from a robe supported by wood. The artificial wings apparently made him hover briefly in the air and slowed his fall, he managed to land even though with minor injuries. The tool used by Ibn Firnas is what became known as the world’s first parachute.
The form of hanging kites or hang gliding can be traced back to the time of Leonardo da Vinci, who sketched his desire for human flight. Through fact and fiction, flight has played a major role in the human dream to soar with birds.
Hang gliding did not appear again until the 1960s, until the research of Dr. Francis Rogallo with “Rogallo Wings” in a NASA project for a recovery system for spacecraft. Little did Francis realize that his design would begin the hangover rebirth in the early 1970s.
Hang glider is often mistaken for paragliding. Even though these two types of sports are very different, even though they both fly in the air.
Hanging sport is not a cheap sport to do because of the equipment needed. In addition, safety equipment is installed to anticipate the unexpected, such as falling. Some of the equipment that needs to be prepared when doing hang gliding are as follows:
-Hang glider plane
The glider is made of aluminum, carbon fiber and flexible sail cloth. Although the price is very expensive, there are usually hang glider rental places in places that are on top of a hill.
-Boots
The boots help you to avoid slipping or slipping while sliding or landing. Get boots that have a good grip, are flexible, and are lightweight so they don’t weigh you down.
-Helmet and harness
Make sure you use a good quality safety helmet and a strong but flexible harness before stowling.
-Radio
Hangover pilots often use radios to communicate their position with other pilots or the person guiding them to land. The microphone can be inserted into the pilot’s helmet for quick and easy communication.
-Variometer
This tool measures vertical velocity, charting the glider’s ascending or descending speed.
-GPS
GPS devices are needed to track air routes while monitoring flight techniques. GPS is also useful for checking pilots while in the air.
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