Accidents resulting from medical issues

On Wednesday, September 12, 2018 at 8:36:44 PM UTC-5, wrote:
After surviving the early (1970's) years of hang gliding, and continuing for a total of nearly thirty years and around 2,500-3,000 hours of flexible wing soaring flight, getting into sailplanes seemed like a major relief. It is incredibly easy to fly a relatively modern sailplane compared to a hang glider in Southwestern US thermal conditions. This is primarily because of the effortless three-axis control through the stick and rudder and the fact that landings are usually done on wheels. (I say "usually" because I doinked it last year.)

Compared to sailplanes, hang gliders have a very narrow operating envelope when it comes to wind speeds on launch and landing. Turbulent conditions and the instability of the air are also more demanding. A moderately rough day in a sailplane might make you hold the joystick with three fingers instead of two and, once in a while, you might lose track of your drinking tube.. The same day in a hang glider will probably require every ounce of your strength to keep yourself centered in a nasty thermal core. I appreciate the fact that launch and landing speeds in a sailplane are higher and therefore more potentially dangerous, but the amount of control and the tripled or quadrupled glide ratio allows more range when selecting potential outlanding sites.

I transitioned to sailplanes, reluctantly giving up hang gliding. I still miss it terribly, as the experiences I treasure are rarely matched by flying sailplanes. Don't get me wrong- I enjoy sailplanes tremendously, but compared to the violent, visceral, physically challenging (and risky) experiences hang gliding served up, sailplanes are well, kinda ho-hum . Unfortunately, I just don't "bounce" like I used to. I hope to get another 20+ years of flying sailplanes (I am 65), but I will quit when I either tell myself I can't maintain competency or some good friend honestly informs me it is time to hang it up.

You guys aren't the first I've heard lament at giving up hang gliding. The guy I bought my last glider from said he missed it very much too. It's understandable why the transition, given the greater physical challenge in hang gliding. Never having tried it myself, I regret it. Curious, though, has hang gliding suffered depleting ranks like GA and glider soaring? Know of any flying sports that are better off in this regard than "ours"? Thanks.

On Sunday, September 16, 2018 at 2:13:47 PM UTC-5, Duster wrote:
You guys aren't the first I've heard lament at giving up hang gliding. The guy I bought my last glider from said he missed it very much too. It's understandable why the transition, given the greater physical challenge in hang gliding. Never having tried it myself, I regret it. Curious, though, has hang gliding suffered depleting ranks like GA and glider soaring? Know of any flying sports that are better off in this regard than "ours"? Thanks.

Powered paragliding in IL, In, Mi, and Wi has been growing smartly of late, with a mix of newcomers aged roughly 14 to about 55.

I flew Hang Gliders for 38 years before I took up sailplanes. I do miss the adventure and physicality of it. It’s weight shift and you are connected to the air is a way that a canopied sailplane doesn’t offer. But like everything the atitude of newer pilots was about convienence over performance and it got watered down with paragliding. Instead of showing up at the hill ready to duel for distance it turned into more of a community fly in. I flew in the east where you needed to climb up some mountain trails to get to launch. Eventually that took its toll as many of us get older. I love flying my Ventus and being part of a soaring club today but I would be amiss if I didn’t;t admit that i sometime pine for those Glory days....apologies to Bruce -

DC