Where will you be sailing Chris. I finally picked up something that I can actually sail here in Atlanta. AHD 277 @ 107 liters. Picked up in HAtteras 2 weeks ago. No wind for 3 days, then gusting to 60 knots within 35 min. Even my 3.7 could not handle that. Roads had 18" of water on them from the west wind pushing water from the sound on to route 12. I barely made it off the island before they closed the road. Anyway, looking to possibly sail on Friday. Trey
Way back when, hanglider pilots worked up the same kind of snobbery about paragliders. "Parapente" became "pair o' panties"or "pack-a-sack" gliders, etc. My buddy, Mongo, called them flying mattresses because it's exactly what they look like from above. For me they were so enticing for the same reasons kites are now-- simplicity, newness, & 'coolness'.
The problem with paragliders was (& I don't know if this is still true) to get more glide ratio performance from them, they got greater and greater spans. That made them much more likely to get partial inversions or collapses along that big span, especially in turbulence. Turbulence is part of the deal on big days when strong thermals give you huge altitude gains. So, for paragliders, the better and more experienced you became, the more dangerous environment you were compelled to fly in.
Hangliders are so much safer by comparison. The spars obviously, but also the wing is drum tight and much more tested and engineered than in the early days. They also invented really clever ways to create good handling while also improving performance with high aspect wings. Once you get it, it is major league fun. I used to relish big thermal days when you could punch into a biggun and take a thousand-foot-per-minute vertical ride for four or five minutes. Once in a while you'd circle a little too wide and get dumped into descending air outside the column of rising air and go "over the falls"... giving you a few weightless seconds. As a friend once said, "That'll make your weenie tingle". And not scary at all. Hangliders can handle as many positive or negative Gs as a Cessna.
I see now there are "topless" hangliders. They eliminated the top rigging by using big carbon cross spars. (The top rigging mostly just holds the wings up while it's on the ground anyway-- and in case you go over the falls). This was a big step because it eliminates tons of parasitic drag. They still aren't sailplanes but the glide ratios are pretty good and you can still launch and land on your feet. There is something pretty amazing about stepping off the planet with your own wings, (and when you land back on it).
Air Man, Very exiting write up. I used to paraglide in my home town of Venezuela, and would like to resume flying again here in GA mountains. Do you know anybody flying paragliders today, please share with them my email so we can be put in contact, as I will like to go with them some time and check the local spots.
Yes, 'exiting'-- very perceptive locowind. Try Lookout Mountain Flight Park in Rising Fawn, GA (Chattanooga). I doubt there are any paragliders flying from there, but they will know where they are. Also try the USHGA site. It looks like they have embraced the dark side now:
Where will you be sailing Chris. I finally picked up something that I can actually sail here in Atlanta. AHD 277 @ 107 liters. Picked up in HAtteras 2 weeks ago. No wind for 3 days, then gusting to 60 knots within 35 min. Even my 3.7 could not handle that. Roads had 18" of water on them from the west wind pushing water from the sound on to route 12. I barely made it off the island before they closed the road. Anyway, looking to possibly sail on Friday. Trey
Wow Hatteras can sure get wild. Re: Friday-- Not sure. I'll watch the direction (& t'storms). It might be tricky for me to get out anyway.
Old Federal could be fun if the flying mattress dudes are there... and webguy doesn't object too much
Tomorrow.... the mattres dudes will be flying the small stuff, maybe sleeping bags after 13:00 at Old Federal.
Everyone's welcome on the dark side. We are a non-discrimination policy kind of group!
See you all tomorrow.
E.C>
This sounds like a pretty good rivalry - flying mattresses vs. pole boards.
What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.
Way back when, hanglider pilots worked up the same kind of snobbery about paragliders. "Parapente" became "pair o' panties"or "pack-a-sack" gliders, etc. My buddy, Mongo, called them flying mattresses because it's exactly what they look like from above. For me they were so enticing for the same reasons kites are now-- simplicity, newness, & 'coolness'.
The problem with paragliders was (& I don't know if this is still true) to get more glide ratio performance from them, they got greater and greater spans. That made them much more likely to get partial inversions or collapses along that big span, especially in turbulence. Turbulence is part of the deal on big days when strong thermals give you huge altitude gains. So, for paragliders, the better and more experienced you became, the more dangerous environment you were compelled to fly in.
Hangliders are so much safer by comparison. The spars obviously, but also the wing is drum tight and much more tested and engineered than in the early days. They also invented really clever ways to create good handling while also improving performance with high aspect wings. Once you get it, it is major league fun. I used to relish big thermal days when you could punch into a biggun and take a thousand-foot-per-minute vertical ride for four or five minutes. Once in a while you'd circle a little too wide and get dumped into descending air outside the column of rising air and go "over the falls"... giving you a few weightless seconds. As a friend once said, "That'll make your weenie tingle". And not scary at all. Hangliders can handle as many positive or negative Gs as a Cessna.
I see now there are "topless" hangliders. They eliminated the top rigging by using big carbon cross spars. (The top rigging mostly just holds the wings up while it's on the ground anyway-- and in case you go over the falls). This was a big step because it eliminates tons of parasitic drag. They still aren't sailplanes but the glide ratios are pretty good and you can still launch and land on your feet. There is something pretty amazing about stepping off the planet with your own wings, (and when you land back on it).
Air Man, Very exiting write up. I used to paraglide in my home town of Venezuela, and would like to resume flying again here in GA mountains. Do you know anybody flying paragliders today, please share with them my email so we can be put in contact, as I will like to go with them some time and check the local spots.
My email is:
. Rgds,
Emilio.
Yes, 'exiting'-- very perceptive locowind. Try Lookout Mountain Flight Park in Rising Fawn, GA (Chattanooga). I doubt there are any paragliders flying from there, but they will know where they are. Also try the USHGA site. It looks like they have embraced the dark side now:
http://www.ushga.org/
Try
http://www.atlantaparagliding.com/index.html
I wonder if they ever tried to solve the paraglider collapse problems by using an inflatible leading edge, like they do with kites now?
What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.