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Flexwing hang gliders,
which evolved from kites, remain for many people the key
symbol of non-motorised flight. Francis Rogallo was the
first person to promote the use of flexwings, when retrieving
NASA space capsules. |
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| Since kite flying was first
invented, man has tried to take to the air by hanging from
a kite in the hope of viewing the world from above. Many
accounts of using giant kites to become airborne have been
brought back from China, Tibet and India, where such attempts
at flight have been made for more than a thousand years.
Since the original development of a hang glider with a delta-shaped
wing in the 1970s (which is why they are sometimes known
as deltawings), these hang gliders have now evolved into
sophisticated, high-performance flying machines. At flying
shows, it is now common to come across hang gliders made
of rigid composite materials instead of canvas, streamlined
and sometimes even motorised, thus enabling the pilot to
take off without assistance even from a level surface. Using
such modern machines, hang gliding performance records set
by the world's best pilots are continually being broken.
The world record for the longest (non-motorised) hang-gliding
flight was broken in 2001 by the current world champion,
Manfred Rhumer, with a 12-hour flight travelling a total
of 700 km. |
| Hang gliding is a sport
for those who love speed. The pilot is suspended under the
glider in a supine position and he steers the machine by
shifting his body weight within a trapeze made out of aluminium
tubing. Flight speed can vary from 30 km to over 100 km
per hour. |
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Safety measures have evolved
at the same time as technical developments and improvements
in aerodynamics. New training systems have also been developed,
resulting in better organisation and a high level of safety
in the sport. |
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Nowadays, if you adhere to the safety
measures and avoid any unnecessary risk, you can practise
hang-gliding with confidence and you can enjoy your flying
to the full. Who knows, maybe one day you will become
one of the next hang-gliding champions!
Francis Rogallo
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