Hang Gliding FAQ's For Non-Pilots (Wuffo's)

For would-be pilots or just curious knowledge-seekers, here are the answers to questions I am often asked while setting up or breaking down my glider. I am no expert. Anyone who finds errors in what I have stated here, please mail me the correct answer.

Please remember, this is a hang gliding page, NOT a paragliding page. Answers to FAQ's about paragliding are usually different. While there are those who lump paragliding in with hang gliding (usually when it's to their advantage to do so), it is not hang gliding. Granted, you hang from a paraglider and you do glide. But there is as much difference between a hang glider and a paraglider as there is between a hang glider and a sail plane. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against paragliding per se. It has its place, just not on this website.

Q: What's a wuffo?
A: A person who knows nothing about hang gliding and asks, "Wa-fo you do dat?"

Q: Are you a hang glider?
A: No. I'm a hang glider pilot.

Q: How much do those things weigh?
A: Depending on the size and make, anywhere from 50 lbs. to 85 lbs. Most average-sized new gliders weigh about 70 lbs.

Q: How long can you stay up?
A: As long as the lift lasts. Or until it starts getting dark, or you get tired, or cold, or have to pea. My longest flight was 4:15. I know of one 300+ mile flight that took over 9 hours. I don't know what the endurance record is but I think it's about 28 hours.

Q: Don't you get tired hanging on?
A: Yes. But not like it sounds. We are nestled quite comfortably in our harnesses which are hooked to the glider. If the air is really rough, one's fingers might get tired hanging on to the bar. It's the white-knuckle fear factor.

Q: What happens if the wind quits?
A: You land.

Q: What's a "sledder"?
A: A bummer. Actually it can be quite enjoyable in the middle of the winter when you haven't flown for a month or so. Just getting out for a "sled ride" (flight from launch to landing without lift) can do an a air junquey a world of good.

Q: What's an "LZ"?
A: Landing zone. Might be an empty lot or a field of sage brush. There's a park in eastern WA outside of Chelan where they let us land known as "The Soccer Fields" (I guess it used to be a soccer field). Some places we land on the beach. My favorite type of LZ is a freshly-mown hey field.

Q: What about down drafts?
A: Down drafts are known in the soaring community as "sink". It is something we usually try to avoid, as opposed to lift, which we usually seek tenaciously. I say "usually" because there are times when the lift is too strong and all you want to do is get down. Then we look for sink. Sink can be dangerous if it occurs near the ground. Knowledge of micrometeorology is very important in any type of aviation and can help you predict where sink (and lift) might occur. Just down wind of any object, for example, there is sink. On the upwind side there is lift. We fly on the upwind side whenever possible. We avoid the downwind side like the plague.

Q: How high can you go?
A: 18000 feet. That's the legal limit imposed by the FAA (USA). The FAA does, on occasion, grant short-term waivers that allow pilots to legally soar above 18000 feet. I am not familiar with the regulations in other countries. I know of no theoretical physical altitude limit. I get a headache when I fly above 10000 feet. I live at sea level. Supplemental oxygen is available and most pilots who fly above 12-14000 feet use it. Those who don't are stupid, anyway, so it doesn't make much difference.

Q: How do you turn?
A: Weight-shift. Shifting one's weight to the left causes the sail to billow more on the left and tighten on the right. The billowed wing is less efficient and slows down and drops. The tighter, more efficient wing speeds up and lifts. This induces roll as well as yaw and results in a coordinated turn (theoretically).

Q: How much does one cost?
A: I paid $2200 for my year-old semi-high-performance-not-quite-state-of-the-art-anymore glider in good shape. The same glider new costs about $4300. A new beginner glider costs about $2500-$3000. You can spend as little as you want on a used glider. Stay away from garage sale gliders. They're probably either stolen or garbage. Get some help from someone with experience when buying used equipment. You'll also need a harness and parachute (yes, we fly with backup). The 4WD with the heavy-duty steel rack is the biggest expense in hang gliding.

Q: Have you ever crashed?
A: No, never. If you believe that, I've got some great ocean-front property in Arizona for sale. Seriously, though, I have never been hurt. I have never totaled a glider. I have damaged a couple. The light tubing does a great job of absorbing the impact on rough landings. My worst incident was when a VERY strong gust turned me around and tossed me into a tree while I was on final coming into a landing field notorious for flipping small planes. When asked what I would do differently to avoid the crash, I answer "Not launch." My friend, Darren, still believes I could have landed safely if I had been more experienced (like him). Hang gliding, like anything else, can be as safe or as dangerous as you wish to make it. The prevailing wind in the valley that day was too strong. I knew it was when I set up but the prospect of skying out in the middle of the Cascades was too enticing. 12 people flew there that day. One pilot ended up in the hospital with 3 broken vertebrae. Another broke his glider (about $120 damage). I ended up in a tree without a scratch and only a small tear in my sail. The others all landed without incident. We ALL took a chance. 9 out of 12 were successful. All remarked about how turbulent it was. In another incident a couple of years later I elected not to fly because the prevailing wind was too strong. I had learned my lesson. Darren, however, broke his wrist. Experience is not just learning how to control the glider. It's also learning how to avoid situations beyond your control.

Those are the most common questions. If you have any more, mail them to me and I'll answer them if I can.

Try the Hang Gliding WWW Server for answers to more advanced hang gliding/paragliding questions.

Back to the NW Hang Gliding page