Hang Gliding & Paragliding Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our Hang Gliding & Paragliding Frequently Asked Questions section. Please select one of the following 10 questions, or click on the appropriate link to view the next 10 frequently asked questions (FAQ).The Hang Gliding & Paragliding Frequently Asked Questions database can also be searched using the box provided.
Frequently asked questions
Displaying page 2 out of 3How does a glider gain height?
How high can you fly?
Is a paraglider similar to a parachute?
What are the differences between a hang glider and a paraglider?
What does flying prone mean?
What does flying supine mean?
What is a hang glider?
What is a paraglider?
What is an FLPA?
What is an XC flight?
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| Q: How does a glider gain height? |
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| A: The only way to gain height when flying an unpowered aircraft is to seek out air that is rising faster than your glider is descending, and then try to stay in it.
An air mass rises for a number of reasons. Wind blowing up the slope of a ridge can create rising air known as ridge lift. If a mass of air warms to a higher temperature than its surroundings it will usually become dislodged, and start to rise. This mass of rising air is known as a thermal, and will continue to rise until it cools to the same temperature as its surroundings. Once located, a pilot will usually try to stay in a thermal by circling. |
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| Q: How high can you fly? |
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| A: Ridge lift on a good day should enable you to climb to around 500 ft above take-off.
If you can locate and stay in a good thermal this can take you to cloud base, usually between 4,000 - 5,000 ft in the UK. Serious height gains are also possible if you can make contact with wave lift, which can be fairly common some Welsh sites. |
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| Q: Is a paraglider similar to a parachute? |
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 A: Yes and no. Whilst at first glance a paraglider looks similar to a modern skydiving parachute, they have very different design characteristics.
A skydiving parachute is designed to withstand the massive shock of rapid deployment at high velocity, and control the rate of descent of the skydiver. A paraglider is foot launched and the canopy inflated relativly gently at, or prior to, take-off. It can therefore be constructed from lighter weight materials. A paraglider is also designed to be soared and flown cross country. A paraglider is designed to have a descent rate of about 1 m/s while a parachute descends at 3 to 6 m/s. |
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| Q: What are the differences between a hang glider and a paraglider? |
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| A: A Hang Glider uses a frame to maintain the shape of the wing, whilst a paraglider uses air pressure to maintain the shape of the canopy.
Hang gliders are usually flown prone, with the pilot lying down in a horizontal position. Paragliders are usually flown supine, with the pilot sat in a head up position. A hang glider and harness weigh roughly the same as a paraglider and harness. A hang glider packs away into a bag aproximately 10 - 18 ft long (depending on the design of the glider), and is usually carried on one shoulder. A paraglider packs away into a lage bag that can be carried on your back like a rucksack. A hang glider usually has a higher maximum flying speed, and is capable of being flown safely in a wider range of conditions. |
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| Q: What does flying prone mean? |
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 A: Flying prone is where the pilot is suspended in a harness lying in a horizontal position, more or less parallel with the wing.
Most hang glider pilots fly prone. |
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| Q: What does flying supine mean? |
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 A: Flying supine is where the pilot is suspended in a harness in a feet forward seated position.
Most paraglider pilots fly supine. |
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| Q: What is a hang glider? |
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 A: A hang glider is a foot-launched weight shift aircraft. The pilot is suspended in a harness below a wing that consists of a dacron or mylar sail stretched across an aluminium frame around 8m across and 4m deep.
The wing‘s aerofoil shape, necessary for the generation of lift, is maintained by a series of aluminium or fibreglass battens inserted into pockets in the sail. Most hang gliders are flown with the pilot lying down (Prone). The pilot uses the triangular control frame to shift his weight, and in that way control the speed and direction of travel of the hang glider. Further information |
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| Q: What is a paraglider? |
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| A: A paraglider is a foot-launched aerofoil canopy made from nylon material, about 10m wide and 3m deep. The pilot is suspended in a harness some distance below the canopy.
Most paragliders are flown with the pilot in a head up seated position (Supine). The wing‘s aerofoil shape, necessary for the generation of lift, is maintained by air pressure. This pressure is created by forcing air to flow through restrictive compartments in the wing. The pilot uses a set of brake lines attached to the rear of the canopy to control the flying speed of the paraglider. Further information |
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| Q: What is an FLPA? |
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| A: An FLPA is a foot launched powered aircraft. These are essentially hang gliders and paragliders fitted with a propellor powered by a small two stroke engine so that the pilot can foot launch the glider from flat ground.
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| Q: What is an XC flight? |
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| A: An XC or cross country flight is when a pilot takes off from one location and uses sources of rising air, such as thermals, to fly to an entirely different location.
XC flights can last several hours and cover distances of over 100 miles, in the right conditions. |
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