What is hang gliding?

Hang gliding is a form of recreational aviation, invented during the 1960’s and popularized during the 1970’s, in the USA and Australia. The uninitiated often confuse “hang gliding” with other sporting aeronautics. Even the mainstream media routinely use the wrong jargon. They frequently transpose words and nomenclature, flippantly dismissing their ignorance as, “It’s all the same thing.” That’s like insisting stagecoaches and skateboards are identical, because each have four wheels. Likewise, these aircraft are not interchangeable. They are different vehicles, with different names, requiring different piloting skills. What distinguishes a “hang glider” from other flying machines? What is the proper terminology for these contraptions? Definitions and images below will clarify such confusion.

HANG GLIDER

Hang Gliders are unpowered recreational aircraft with a delta wing airfoil and a triangular control frame mounted just beneath the center-of-gravity of the airframe. Pilots lay prone, their body weight suspended in a harness, which hangs from the center of the aircraft, hence the term “hang” glider. People who fly hang gliders are “hang glider pilots” and the aircraft itself is called a “hang glider”. The most common methods of launching a hang glider are “footlaunching” by running down an inclined slope, or “aerotowing” by pulling the aircraft into the sky with an ultralight. Although there is no motor, experienced hang glider pilots can potentially remain aloft for hours by soaring in “thermals”; a bubble of warm rising air currents, wherein a pilot spirals upward to gain hundreds or thousands of feet in altitude.

TRIKE/MICROLIGHT

Trikes/Microlights are motorized hang gliders, utilizing a seat and a propeller engine mounted behind the pilot. The seat and engine can be mounted in a simple tubular frame or within an enclosed fiberglass fuselage. Whether utilizing a simple trellis tube frame or a more fancy fuselage, they are still considered a trike. There are companies offering tours flying over Hawaii and Lake Tahoe in trikes, which they incorrectly advertise as “hang glider” flights.

POWERED HANG GLIDER

Powered Hang Gliders are exactly the same as an ordinary hang glider, but they have a motorized propeller mounted in the back of the harness. Not only does this allow pilots to remain aloft for longer periods of time, but it also allows them to launch from a flat surface like a field.

PARAGLIDER

Paragliders are unpowered recreational aircraft with an elliptical wing airfoil and a seated control pod mounted on paracord lines just beneath the center-of-gravity of the wing. People who fly paragliders are called “paraglider pilots” and the aircraft itself is called a “paraglider”. The most common method of launching a paraglider is “footlaunching” by running down an inclined slope. People who know nothing about airsports will always call this “parasailing”, no matter how many times you correct them.

PARAMOTOR

Paramotors are paragliders with a large motorized propeller mounted to the back of the pilot. Not only does this allow pilots to remain aloft for longer periods of time, but it also allows them to launch from a flat surface like a field.

PARASAIL

Parasails are parachutes, typically pulled behind a boat on a long towline. Parasails are usually used as a form of recreation for tourists, as they require no skill or training to use. When your grandparents go on vacation and tell you they saw “hang gliders” off a boat, they probably saw parasailing.

WINGSUIT

Wingsuits are a uniform worn on the body which creates a nylon web between the legs and arms, turning a human being into a glorified flying squirrel. Wingsuits fly at immensely high speeds, since the “flight” is essentially just falling. Thermaling and regaining altitude like hang gliders is impossible, since the surface area of the wings are so small. Additionally, they must land with a parachute, since their airspeed is so fast. Wingsuiting is probably the most thrilling and dangerous of all airsports.

ULTRALIGHT

Ultralights are small airplanes with fabric wings, a seat and a propeller engine mounted behind the pilot. While the description of an ultralight is similar to a trike, ultralights are much larger aircraft than trikes. Ultralights operate more like a traditional airplane with a joystick and rudder controls. Ultralights are frequently used to pull hang gliders into the air; a launching technique called “aerotowing”.

SAILPLANE

Sailplanes are unpowered aircraft with a full cockpit like a traditional airplane. Sailplanes are the most expensive and complicated of all these aircraft and they are far closer to an airplane than a hang glider. Sailplanes get towed into the sky by standard airplanes such as a Cessna or Piper Cub.