Hang Gliding & Paragliding Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently asked questions
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| Are hang gliding and paragliding safe? |
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| A: Like most adventure sports, there is an element of risk, but in general the sport is as safe or as dangerous as you make it.
Correct instruction from a BHPA registered school, learning to "read" the prevailing conditions, and flying a wing appropriate for your own level of experience all help to reduce the risks, and maximise your enjoyment. Never be afraid to seek advice from more experience pilots, and never be tempted to show off in front of your mates. Hitting the ground hard does nothing for your "street cred", or your health. Fly sensibly, and you‘ll enjoy the sport for many years to come. |
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| Can I teach myself to fly a hang glider or paraglider? |
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| A: For your own safety we strongly advise you not to try to teach yourself to fly a hang glider or paraglider. These are real aircraft, with complex flight characteristics.
Any attempt to teach yourself to fly could all too easily result in serious injury. Professional instruction from a BHPA registered school is the only safe way to gain the necessary knowledge and experience to fly within a recreational club, without being a danger to yourself or others in the air. Further information |
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| Can SE Wales Club members borrow equipment from the club? |
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| A: No, I‘m afraid not. Club members must purchase their own equipment, and be responsible for ensuring that the wing they fly is both safe, and suitable for their level of experience.
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| Can visiting pilots fly SE Wales sites, or do they have to be Club members? |
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| A: Suitably qualified and insured pilot are always welcome on our "Open Sites". But some of our more sensitive sites are "Members Only", and therefore restricted to Club members or members of the Welsh Free Flight Federation.
Further information |
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| Do you launch hang gliders and paragliders by jumping off a Cliff? |
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 A: No.
Hang gliders and paragliders are launched into wind by running foward until the lift created by the airflow over the wing or canopy is sufficient to support the combined weight of the glider and pilot. This type of take-off is known as a hill launch. It‘s also possible to tow launch a hang glider or paraglider using a long line and a static winch. The glider is simply towed into the air as the winch revolves, and takes in the line. At an appropriate point the pilot then releases the tow line, and flys off. Hang gliders can also be towed into the air by slow flying ultralight powered aircraft. Because of the higher launch speed of this technique the hang glider pilot usually has to take-off in a prone position using a wheeled dolly. As lift is generated the pilot and hang glider rise upwards, leaving the dolly behind. Using this technique it is possible to climb to several thousand feet above take-off before releasing the tow line. |
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| Does the SE Wales Club have reciprical flying arrangements with other Welsh clubs? |
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| A: The SE Wales Hang Gliding & Paragliding Club is a member of the Welsh Free Flight Federation, and Club members consequently enjoy access to many of the best flying sites in Wales through the reciprical flying arrangements that exist with other Federation clubs.
Further information |
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