In 1853, George Cayley invented a slope-launched, piloted glider. Most early glider designs did not ensure safe flight; … See more

Hang glider sailcloth is normally made from woven or laminated fiber, such as dacron or mylar, respectively.
Woven polyester sailcloth is a very tight weave of small diameter polyester fibers that has be… See more

Due to the poor safety record of early hang gliding pioneers, the sport has traditionally been considered unsafe. Advances in pilot training and glider construction have led to a much improved safety record. Modern hang glider… See more

Launch techniques include launching from a hill/cliff/mountain/sand dune/any raised terrain on foot, tow-launching from a ground-based tow system, aerotowing (behind a powered aircraft), powered harnesses, … See more

A glider in flight is continuously descending, so to achieve an extended flight, the pilot must seek air currents rising faster than the sink rate of the glider. Selecting the sources of rising air currents is the skill that has to be mastere… See more

With each generation of materials and with the improvements in aerodynamics, the performance of hang gliders has increased. One measure of performance is the glide ratio. For example, a ratio of 12:1 means that in smo… See more