Powered Hang Glider – freedom of flying.

generalAviation

December, 2, 2020

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The motor is droning behind you as you walk to the start with your powered hang glider to the start of the take-off zone in a beautiful field. Then take a deep breath and begin to run. It is like a normal hang glider take-off, but you start from level ground and then you immediately begin to climb.

In ten minutes you reach the first cloud and switch off your engine to conserve fuel and begin to thermal as you would on a conventional hang glider. You may as well decide to keep your engine running and simply set course for a distant objective, watching the fascinating landscape unroll beneath you.

Anyway, you will be enjoying one of the simplest forms of powered hang glider flying.

Powered hang gliders, which take-off and land on wheels, are classified as microlights, and thus are outside of the scope of the BHPA.

An ordinary foot-launched hang glider, powered by a small engine fitted into the pilot’s harness, offers the ability to take-off from any rather small, flat field.

On the other hand, you can just soar around, sightseeing, or reach a chosen destination using much less fuel than a microlight, watching the beautiful view that all hang gliders enjoy.

Learning to fly a powered hang glider

Before taking your first flights under power you first need to learn to fly a conventional hang glider. A full hang gliding course covers assembling and launching the wing, airspeed control, turning, approaching and landing.

After you master these skills your instructor will switch to the power unit and teach you how to start the motor, control the throttle, and undertake basic routine maintenance. You will also be explained how to explain torque and thrust effects and told basic safety issues.

These two elements are further put together to learn the powered flight. The same degree of knowledge of flight theory, meteorology, air law, and navigation is required as for hang gliding, and you will need to be skilled in special airspace restrictions that apply to powered hang gliders, although they are not very difficult.

And, surely, as well as the paramotor, if you do not want to fly with the power you can just use a conventional harness. It’s totally fun!