[JoeF]

Flatland Hang Gliding Without Towing or Motoring
This topic thread explores ways to hang glide in flatland without towing or motoring. That is, put aside kiting, aero towing, scooter towing, motored FLPHG, motored platform towing, static winch motoring, bungee (rubber motoring of sorts), long-line kiting, etc. Just pilot and HG wing. Explore comprehensively. No mountains. No hills. FLATS. PLAINS.
What are the possibilities for hang gliding, learning to hang glide ... in such flats?
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Inclines, platforms, safe-splat ... Let's explore.

Have a HG wing. Put it aside. Tie it down. Now select a flat run area. Run (without the big wing) and leave the ground and experience a form of hair-micro-hang gliding (HmHG). Get good at running safely. Add some leaps for longer hair-micro-hang glides; here the hair is part of your hang glide wing system. Place to get strong and well coordinated at HmHG (hair micro hang gliding). Those skills will serve you well in other forms of hang gliding both on the flats and when you hang glide in non-Flatland. Skipping such skills, strengths, coordination building could put one at risk during other forms of hang gliding. One of drags of fast-paced tandem HG training is the possibility of having pilots unfit for hang gliding's many special circumstances like running down an incline or running in a landing effort. Agree to get fit: master HmHG. Notice the challenges of HmHG: ground holes, weeds, boulders, animals, people, fences, wires, etc. Noticing and considering such matters during HmHG will bolster the mastery of other forms of hang gliding. Notice the air, any thermic conditions, the changes in wind; notice the dust flows; notice how surprises may occur. Mastery of HmHG cannot be done in one day or one week. HmHG invites six weeks of focus and journaling; and then plan renewal practices. Super ground schooling for hang gliding may begin with flatland HmHG. HmHG comes before big-wing WR (BWWR).
HmHG is WR with hair as the wing from which one hangs. Work up to carrying safe-splat enhanced larger wings in runs; this matter will form other paragraphs in this topic thread.
HmHG can be done all year most anywhere; HmHG can be done on flatland or going uphill or going downhill; again: SS enhanced systems are highly recommended in order to keep things going; torn tissues slow the fun.

What is the hurry? Schedule your flatland fitness-for-hang-gliding training; have fun in mastering HmHG. Then gradually add other flatland HG skills.
Safety: Avoid HmHG that impacts people or special properties. Entering the airspace above flatland entails contacting the ground again and again and again. Upon those contacts or landings, avoid injury to self and others. Have SS enhancements to protect tissue tears.

Notice that tandem HmHG is possible, even threesome or foursome or more: THmHG. Here is a photo tease in this direction: HERE. Indoors or outdoors.
Notice that cluster HmHG is possible to high counts,even to tens, hundreds, and thousands: tease photo HERE. Indoors or outdoors.

Consider how much HG ground schooling may be done during focus on HmHG alone or in groups or classes or crowds. Consider how many things may be practiced to advance awareness. Much will come into play in other forms of hang gliding.

The having and handling a larger HG wing and the act of keeping the wing tied down are key skills for hang gliding. Doing such handling in calm and wind are part of the game. Birds are observed handling their wings in calm and in various wind conditions. Find a joy in mastering just having and handling a big wing; start with smaller wings ... Someone unskilled in handling a wing could be the source of injury or death to self, others, and properties. Go for error-free many-conditions mastery.


Feel free to advance flatland hang gliding without towing or motoring. The above is just an introduction. See a comprehensive sharing about how to hang glide in FLATLAND.

[Harry]

Good idea for practicing lifting the glider and feeling the leg loops to prevent FTHI.
Great way to stay in shape practicing the runs for sure.
Who need Gold's Gym when you have a hang glider?

[dhmartens]

Do people hang glide in Iowa?
http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.ph ... &view=next
that thread refers to this bluff
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Onawa ... a1!6m1!1e1

I lived in Omaha in the 70's - Motocross won out.

[JoeF]

Iowa hang gliding: past, present, and future? Fun question deserving a topic dedicated to that focus. Iowa Hang Gliding History

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Consider just how robust may be hang gliding on flatland using artificial inclines.
The Safe-Splat advisement remains a sticky here. Mastery of using artificial inclines may be a target. Match inclination to user, wing, and flight plan. Consider facing-wind-keeping turrets for the incline ; but know that manual direction setting of an incline is an option. For teasers, visit the topic thread on HG Launch Inclines; in that image study one is seeing inclines for launching flight from hills and mountains, but let one's imagination enter the realm of Flatland. Enter a wing in ground effect that has a free-flight L/D of 10, say, and mastered wing running skills combined with Safe-Splat; use an artificial ramp on Flatland; experience taking off into flight and soon landing after a real, but short free-flight gliding; experience landing the hang glider on the flats. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Joy, joy, joy. Get fit. Master apparent-wind sensing. Trial instruments and hone awareness. Explore affects of helmet designs on apparent-wind sensing. Discover one's physical skills; recall the time before you could keyboard words on a typewriter; notice how you can type now without struggle; recall ballet dancers at their first dance class compared to their professional ballet skills years later. What are the fine-tuned skills and awarenesses that could be honed by using Flatland HG Inclines for hang gliding?

A tease: http://www.amramp.com/localsupport/boston-throughout-massachusetts/20-lg.jpg
Another tease: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iFl5909Mdxc/maxresdefault.jpg

Consider ramps that use existing structures. Have a ramp coming off the side of a shed, barn, home, building, tower. Have a kite system flying stably that holds a ramp up. Have a ramp held up by a set of windbreaking trees. Etc. This matter may be explored in this topic thread until robust practical solutions are placed on the table.

Consider inflatable ramps, trussed-based ramps, catenary-cable ramps, hybrid ramps, ....

Consider the flatland as a zero-inclination ramp: master fast running of wing and then change the angle of attack of the wing and get into mild climbing flight for a ground-effect gliding into a landing experience; do such in various winds and stay safe; eventually aim for launches in lower and lower winds. Note that higher winds are very challenging; many skills for staying safe will be challenged. Plan to be only in winds where one stays handling the wing safely.

Notice that even in Flatland the ground is rarely truly level; micro study the topology and know the actual inclination of areas. Find advantageous soil inclines and consider ramping artificially or simply using the natural small inclinations. Water drains to low points; notice where water accumulates and then study drain paths to those points; the inclination of drainage is not zero.

Use Google Earth and Maps and explore one's Flatland region. Have topographic maps and notice how Flatland does have interesting natural structures that might be employed for wing-run, pop-ups, artificial ramping, etc. Challenges may be considered fun. Stepping off Kagel near Sylmar in firm breeze has its challenges, but hang gliding in Flatland also has its challenges.

Tease image: http://cdn.snowboardermag.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/fenway2015/ramp-fenway_edited-1.jpg

Costs vary. Million-dollar ramps in Flatland? Or low-cost workaround ramps?

Ramps fully set on roofs? Permanent? Temporary? Immediate one-time use?

Tease image: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3c/06/d5/3c06d5327f820e8d7d67c466c2403ac4.jpg

Flatland and the potential of hill building? How valuable could a new bump in the landscape be?

Fence flying? Extant fences might be source of ramp holding.

Flying fences? Ram-air fence? Portable ridge for ridge soaing? Notice the notes online by Faust and Casellas and others on artificial portable slopes. Create updrafts by using sailed fencing; wing run windward of the turreted-perhaps fence and pop up into the lift zone and begin slope soaring. Have a very long such fence across Flatland and soar long distances. Long tease from Cristo: http://christojeanneclaude.net/__data/98ab7a4cb4d409ea7c2235f6f599a9f7.jpg

Trucks as foundation ramps. Incline with truck as main back post. Or consider ramp placing on top of a truck's 18-wheeler trailer. Explore.

Home roof pitch as ramp starter? Tease image HERE Plan protecting valuable roofs; get permissions. Build one's home with HG in mind relative to roof and rotations and wind and landing area.

Adapt stadium seating to hang gliding ramps. Applique runway over the seats. Be sure flight path does not have wires or posts. Land on the playing field of the seating bleachers. Tease image HERE And another tease. Complete awareness of the wind is key. Calm air will require mastery of technique. Be proficient elsewhere before exploring use of stadiums. Tolerate no errors. Here is a video tease: http://ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?uid=56&f=2&t=2246

[Rick Masters]

Strap your boots into one of these on a gentle hill while you're hooked into your hang glider.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3391174/The-radical-plan-manipulate-GRAVITY-Researcher-reveals-scheme-create-control-gravitational-fields-using-current-technology.html#v-905545874159518288

[KaiMartin]

Strap your boots into one of these on a gentle hill while you're hooked into your hang glider.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3391174/The-radical-plan-manipulate-GRAVITY-Researcher-reveals-scheme-create-control-gravitational-fields-using-current-technology.html#v-905545874159518288

Hmm.
A hover board provides lift but no substantial trust. Hang gliders can offer plenty of lift but require some form of thrust to maintain speed. Obviously, the two are not an ideal combo. A hovering device may remove the need to run. But it won't change the glide angle of the wing. To that end, a hover board is no better than a skateboard or any other low friction wheel.

By the way, the hover board is not exactly silent. The video omits the actual sound but mentions 250 hp combined peak power for the fans. This certainly translates into quite a roar.
That said, the board certainly looks like a cool toy.

My take on the original question:
Wouldn't it be possible to use a loooong bungee rope to tow low and slow?

1) Anchor one end of the bungee to something sufficiently heavy. A car would be a likely candidate.
2) Attach a drogue chute to the pilot end of the bungee. This is to avoid excessive accelerated snapping of the rope after release.
3) Hook into the glider and attach the pilot end of the bungee to the tow bridle
4) Slowly walk backwards and stretch the bungee as much as possible.
5) Stop for a few seconds to get focussed and adjust the angle of attack of the wing.
6) Give in to the tow of the bungee and start running towards the anchor.
7) Make sure to release the bungee when it goes slack. (Bonus points for an automatic release)

Expected result: A few seconds of flight and an opportunity to practise your landing skills.
Bungee towing may be not as cool looking as a hover board. But it requires less horse power and sounds like it would be affordable for my recreational budget :^)

---<)kaimartin(>---

[JoeF]

Hi Kai,
Your

My take on the original question:
Wouldn't it be possible to use a loooong bungee rope to tow low and slow?

That bungee topic is a great one for itself. Let's start a topic on bungee flatland kiting of HG wings.
The present topic intends "without towing or motoring" and bungee launching is a form of towing, a form of rubber motoring, a form of power kiting where the power is the stored power in the bungee (a kind of motor). Bungee is an exciting topic deserving its focused topic thread.
I'll post a new topic for such and post link here in a few moments: http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2257 Flatland Bungee-Launched Hang

Would you be game to advance the bungee topic for flatland at the dedicated topic thread? TIA

[JoeF]

Notice that "Flatland" even lives within regions that have hills, mountains, cliffs. The methods, actions, games, practices, etc. that will be being developed here in this topic thread are intended for huge Flatland regions as well as the "flatland" areas that are regions blessed with hills, mountains, and cliffs. E.g., notice the flatland area at a baseball or football field; notice the flatland area in that huge parking lot or field that just is flat. Although miles away there might be some hills, right near one might be a flat space fit for flatland hang gliding play and practice. So, this topic thread is not just for those living in the Great Plains, but recreational hang gliders living anywhere where some flat grounds might be used for some hang gliding.

[ARP]

Bungee launching a primary glider from flatland:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9tE-OWyuK0

Model flyers use medical rubber tube for launching gliders. It is also used in fishermen bait catapults. For a foot launch HG maybe several lengths used together would give sufficient force to get in the air.

For release a rear facing hook without a gate on the harness and a ring on the line would automatically fall away when the glider passes over the end of the line.

[msoaring]

Drill a deep, 10"-12" (or bigger?) diameter hole in the middle of a large flat area and line the hole with sections of pvc sewer or water pipe. The pipe would have sealed joints and a sealed bottom so that water cannot penetrate. Place a pulley above the hole using a designed mechanism which allows 360° rotation. Attach a very heavy (appropriately sized, cylindrical shaped) weight (lbs. to be determined) to a steel cable. The length of the cable coincides with the depth of the hole times two plus 10%. Pull the cable down wind, which raises the weight, and attach to preset anchors in the ground (steels stakes with enough depth and strength to hold the line tension every 10° of 360°, at the correct distance from the center) It would look like an azimuth or clock face from above. Using a Schweitzer style tow release between the cable and anchor stake, the pilot would release the cable from the stake using a light line connected to the Schweitzer release for launch. The pilot would be attached to the tow line (cable) with a typical hang glider release system. As the weight descends, the hang glider ascends. The deeper the hole, the higher the tow. The weight could be raised using a golf cart for convenience.

Doable?