The Unfit family got on their bikes this faternoon and cycled the odd mile to the local hang gliding & paragliding place - it is literally a couple of miles away and as I passed earlier in the day I noticed it had a "Welcome" notice up. So we cycled over there and were met with several hang gliders & paragliders all waiting to fly. Friendly bunch too. Found out they do twin flights - a pilot will take you up there - in the summer months. I can see a new adventure in the summer!!
Cheers, helen s
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The Unfit family got on their bikes this faternoon and cycled the odd mile to the local hang gliding & paragliding place - it is literally a couple of miles away and as I passed earlier in the day I noticed it had a "Welcome" notice up. So we cycled over there and were met with several hang gliders & paragliders all waiting to fly. Friendly bunch too. Found out they do twin flights - a pilot will take you up there - in the summer months. I can see a new adventure in the summer!!
Cheers, helen s
I got a days taster to paragliding a few years ago for my birthday. It was a lot of fun apart from the early training where they made you learn how to fall down hill in case of accidents. I didn't get off the ground though as the wind was just too strong :-( It was still fun learning to control the parachute like a big power kite :-)) but that's a story for rec.kites. I'd like to do it again but it's a bit expensive and I'm saving up for a recumbent. -- Mark
I did a paragliding taster course in Scotland about 10 years ago, they guaranteed you'd get a solo flight in. The day we went it was too windy for beginners so the instructor took us up in the tandem glider. We went back a fortnight later for another day and did our flight, great fun except for getting dragged through the cow pats when I messed the landing up !!
"the Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter said:
The Unfit family got on their bikes this faternoon and cycled the odd mile to the local hang gliding & paragliding place - it is literally a couple of miles away and as I passed earlier in the day I noticed it had a "Welcome" notice up. So we cycled over there and were met with several hang gliders & paragliders all waiting to fly. Friendly bunch too. Found out they do twin flights - a pilot will take you up there - in the summer months. I can see a new adventure in the summer!!
Cheers, helen s
I got a days taster to paragliding a few years ago for my birthday. It was
a
Quoted message said:
lot of fun apart from the early training where they made you learn how to fall down hill in case of accidents. I didn't get off the ground though as the wind was just too strong :-( It was still fun learning to control the parachute like a big power kite :-)) but that's a story for rec.kites. I'd like to do it again but it's a bit expensive and I'm saving up for a recumbent. -- Mark
"the Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
If you used the power from pedalling to turn a propeller how fast would
you
Quoted message said:
have to go to get off the ground?
Not that easy, IIRC human powered aircraft have to be very light and the human has to posses a good power to weight ratio to get any duration from a flight. I seem to recall one successful machine was called Gossamer as it had a lightweight plastic film covered airframe.
Also bear in mind that it's not groundspeed that we're concerned with but airspeed, and being cyclists we already know the effect wind has on us. No, not the gastric variety ;-)
"Peter B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"the Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
If you used the power from pedalling to turn a propeller how fast would
you
Quoted message said:
have to go to get off the ground?
Not that easy, IIRC human powered aircraft have to be very light and the human has to posses a good power to weight ratio to get any duration from
a
Quoted message said:
flight. I seem to recall one successful machine was called Gossamer as it had a lightweight plastic film covered airframe.
Note - that was at the start of the use of carbon fibre. Yes they are very impractical, but they would be easier to make with newer materials - if anyone could be bothered (some HPVers are actually).
I got a days taster to paragliding a few years ago for my birthday. It was a lot of fun apart from the early training where they made you learn how to fall down hill in case of accidents. I didn't get off the ground though as the wind was just too strong :-( It was still fun learning to control the parachute like a big power kite :-)) but that's a story for rec.kites. I'd like to do it again but it's a bit expensive and I'm saving up for a recumbent.
Mark,
I'm nearly ready to do my hang-gliding CP test (i.e. nearly finished formal 'lessons' but still a bit green). All up and by the time I've bought a 2nd hand glider, I will have spent a little over £1000 which feels like quite a lot to a poor student, but seems negligible when I look at coffee tables in the local Barker & Stonehouse... My real problem: where to find a hang-glider trailer for a recumbent bicycle...
I hope you manage to do both,
Kit
p.s. I've noticed a lot of hang glider and paraglider pilots seem to take to my recumbent right away. Obviously recumbents & gliding go together...
John McIntyre, builder of the Airglow HPA (Human Powered Aircraft), speaking at Spokesfest2000, gave his takeoff speed as 17MPH and a stall speed of about 15mph.
