US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

Pre Flight Safety for Hang Gliding

This is the Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) video on the USHGA website Hosted by Paul Voight.
The video adapts the FAA’s ADM to practical applications for Hang Gliding. The elements of ADM are presented not by name but by example.

OODA Loop Wikipedia

OODA Loop Mind Tools

I am fond of the decision making tool developed by Colonel John Boyd for aerial combat- The OODA Loop. The OODA Loop has now been adapted for use in business, sports, and gaming. Even though as Hang Glider pilots we may not encounter an adversary per se, unless flying in a Hang Glider Competition; we are in competition against the forces of nature and the laws of physics to stay alive for another day and another flight. With a little adaptation, I have found the OODA Loop a useful mind set in decision making while Hang Gliding.

Stage 1. Observe
Stage 2. Orient
Stage 3. Decide
Stage 4. Act

While this appears on the surface to be a simple decision making model, if you delve deeper into the meaning of observation and what makes up orientation as relating to you and your “adversary”, it should be apparent there is an enormous experience and knowledge base to program in your brain.

There is a saying, “The beginning of wisdom is silence.”

There is a saying, “The beginning of wisdom is silence.”

Yes. Hang gliding is very zen. Not only is our field of vision vastly superior to the F86 (and just about everything else), but OODA works in parallel
O
O
D
A
for those who have polished their skills.

Hang gliding provides an all-encompassing awareness, empty of external thoughts.
The hang glider pilot enters a state where awareness and action are one.
It is, IMHO, among the purest forms of meditation.
You become outside yourself and at one with the wing.
You actually move ahead of the wing and it follows your thoughts.
Don't ask me to explain further.
It's zen after all...

Don Partridge told me there are two kinds of pilots.
Those who fly the glider
and those who are flown by the glider.
Those who are flown by the glider
are behind the glider.
Those who truly fly the glider
are ahead of the glider.

All those who complain that weight-shift is inadequate
fly behind the glider.
Those who praise its virtues
fly ahead of it.

And then there is bad luck...

Am I the only one who has patted his hang glider, like a good faithful horse, after it was packed up at the end of a good day of flying?

FrankC@itsok.tobe.alittlecrazy.attimes

fcolver wrote:Am I the only one who has patted his hang glider, like a good faithful horse, after it was packed up at the end of a good day of flying?

No. You're just the first to admit it in a national forum.   

But since you've "come out of the closet" on this one, I'll confess to similar conduct myself.     ... 

Don't forget to give yourself a hug.

Your Hang Glider, GPS, Flight Guidance Computer, and Vario all come with an operating manual.

Where is the operating manual for the pilot?

To use the OODA loop effectively, first the operator needs an understanding internally of him/herself in the individual processes of the loop system. Second the operator needs a complete understanding in the medium in which the game is played and the rules of the game itself. In Hang Gliding this would be the laws of physics, aerodynamics, and the hang glider including additional tools. Lastly the operator needs an understanding of the opponent(s). This could be other hang glider pilots in competition. Absent an opponent, in Hang Gliding consider the obstacles between you and your goal the opponent. The goal may be simply be to launch and return to earth safely.

This month PBS is airing series by Dr. David Eagleman (an appropriate name) on the brain. The episodes are:

Episode 1: What is Reality?
Episode 2: What Makes Me?
Episode 3: Who Is in Control?
Episode 4: How Do I Decide?
Episode 5: Why Do I Need You?
Episode 6: Who Will We Be?

This is an excellent series to understand the pilot, who after all came without an operating manual.

The Brain

magentabluesky wrote:Don't forget to give yourself a hug.

Sorry for interrupting. By the way, we have been "working" on a public hang gliding manual, and this would be a good topic for that forum if you'd like to add it there. Also, if you ever want to give a tutorial on anything (including this) without people butting in (sorry again), the Blog forum is intended to be a place where you can better control the degree of interaction and set the rules for anyone posting. This seems like the kind of topic that might fit well there if you like.

Robert, you have me cracking up. Does anyone call you Robert? I think you have been abused a little too much.

Not only should you hug yourself, you need to pinch yourself. Do you realize who the who’s who is hanging out on the Hawks forum? I am impressed.

The Hawks forum is civilized compared to the other Hangy Forums. There was and is no interruption.

I understand the appreciation you and Frank have for your glider, but remember you are an integral part of that flight system (as Joe would say). So appreciate what you the pilot contribute to the whole.

May I suggest watching “Why Do I Need You?” on the series of “The Brain”. It will explain the social dynamics currently within the Hang Gliding community.

Thank you, BobK.

Applying Dr. Eagleman's explorations, the following probably could be constructed:

The astonishing fact that this technicolor multi-sensory experience we are having as hang gliding
is a convincing illusion conjured up for us by our brains. Our inner cosmos is to be thanked for our free-flight experiences.

magentabluesky wrote:Does anyone call you Robert?

A long time friend of about 30 years used to call me Robert. He passed away at the age of 93 not long ago. Bob is good enough.

magentabluesky wrote:Not only should you hug yourself, you need to pinch yourself. Do you realize who the who’s who is hanging out on the Hawks forum? I am impressed.

We've been very blessed to have so many good people, including yourself. I'm a non-who's who in hang gliding. In fact, I'm slowly becoming a non-person with my recent banning at Crestline. What's really happening is many really super people are finding each other here. I just keep the wheels turning.

magentabluesky wrote:May I suggest watching “Why Do I Need You?” on the series of “The Brain”. It will explain the social dynamics currently within the Hang Gliding community.

Actually, I can't wait to see it. My home connection is too slow to enjoy it, but my work computer will do fine. And it turns out that it ties in nicely with my work since I've been working on computational neural models since the mid 80's. I've published a few papers in the field (none have changed the world), and I very much look forward to seeing it.

So is it Michael or Mike?    Either way, thanks for being here ... and for the gift of kites. Joe Faust and I have flown the kite that I bought on your inspiration a number of times now. It's a small world and nice to share gifts among friends.

To all the people who beat themselves up over politics.
Hang gliding is all about you, your wing and a chess match with God or Nature.
When other people come into it, it becomes something else.
Every hang glider pilot in the west is a morning's drive away from a one-hour flight.
Don't ever get stuck thinking other people can ruin your day.
Only you can make it or break it.