Cycling hang gliders

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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wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter wrote:
> 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

 

the Mark wrote:
> I'd like to do it again but it's a bit expensive and I'm saving up for a recumbent.

Surely a recumbent hang glider is just a microlight with the engine taken out ;-)

--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( http://www.juggler.net/danny ) Recumbent cycle page:
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/recumbents/ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine

 

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 protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter wrote:
> > 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

 

Danny Colyer wrote:
> the Mark wrote:
>> I'd like to do it again but it's a bit expensive and I'm saving up for a recumbent.
>
> Surely a recumbent hang glider is just a microlight with the engine taken out ;-)

If you used the power from pedalling to turn a propeller how fast would you have to go to get off
the ground?

 

"the Mark" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> If you used the power from pedalling to turn a propeller how fast would
you
> 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 ;-)

Pete

 

"Peter B" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> "the Mark" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> >
> > If you used the power from pedalling to turn a propeller how fast would
> you
> > 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.

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).

And they were wedgie-planes!

 

On Sat, 29 Mar 2003 20:36:28 +0000 (UTC), "the Mark" <[email protected]> wrote:

>It was still fun learning to control the parachute like a big power kite
> ) but that's a story for rec.kites.

OFF TOPIC

Post your story in there, Mark. I read r.k regularly.

My local flying field

is often used by paragliders for their first few lessons when they're merely learning how to control
the "kite".

I've compared the bridling on both paragliders and power kites (such as SkyTigers) and they're both
extremely similar.

Power kites = brawn not brain Stunt kites = loads of skill Guess which I fly? ;-)

James

--
A credit limit is NOT a target.

 

> 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.

John J