Aviation chatroom
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Laura Rainbow Dragon
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I haven't seen him around the Hive in a while, but I know @Nebulus is into hang-gliding.
That is something I would like to try myself one day. It almost happened recently. My next-door neighbours for a bit were hang-gliders. He had been an instructor in Brazil, and had offered to teach me. But by the time we got through pandemic restrictions, they were busy with a new baby, and things on my end were super stressful with my father's illness. And then my neighbours moved out west. (Reportedly there is a rocking hang-gliding community around Calgary, but not so much here where the land is flat.)
What is your interest in aviation, @Matan ? Are you a pilot / aspiring pilot yourself? Do you tinker with planes? Are you a history buff?
My grandfather liked to say he was born the same year the Wright Brothers flew the first real aeroplane, and lived to see men walk on the moon. (I'm pretty sure my grandfather was born in 1905 though. Perhaps he thought the design improvements of the Wright Flyer III made it more of a proper plane than its predecessors?)
That is something I would like to try myself one day. It almost happened recently. My next-door neighbours for a bit were hang-gliders. He had been an instructor in Brazil, and had offered to teach me. But by the time we got through pandemic restrictions, they were busy with a new baby, and things on my end were super stressful with my father's illness. And then my neighbours moved out west. (Reportedly there is a rocking hang-gliding community around Calgary, but not so much here where the land is flat.)
What is your interest in aviation, @Matan ? Are you a pilot / aspiring pilot yourself? Do you tinker with planes? Are you a history buff?
My grandfather liked to say he was born the same year the Wright Brothers flew the first real aeroplane, and lived to see men walk on the moon. (I'm pretty sure my grandfather was born in 1905 though. Perhaps he thought the design improvements of the Wright Flyer III made it more of a proper plane than its predecessors?)
Matan
Well-known member
Alchemist
Posts: 761
Posts: 761
@Laura Rainbow Dragon
Hand gliding is cool, but not for me, I think. You know, hanging in the air seems a bit scary.
It's never too late to try, right?
Technically, given that the weather is right, you could fly for quite a bit, even over flat land.
Well... I'm a "flight simmer" (calling myself a pilot would be a massive stretch, and an insult to all the pilots out there) and an aviation enthusiast.
Aviation history is definitely interesting. It's amazing how much the technology changed in the last 120 years.
1905 is not far from 1903.
It's pretty cool to think how far we've gotten in just 66 years. From barely leaving the ground, to landing on the moon.
Hand gliding is cool, but not for me, I think. You know, hanging in the air seems a bit scary.
It's never too late to try, right?
Technically, given that the weather is right, you could fly for quite a bit, even over flat land.
Well... I'm a "flight simmer" (calling myself a pilot would be a massive stretch, and an insult to all the pilots out there) and an aviation enthusiast.
Aviation history is definitely interesting. It's amazing how much the technology changed in the last 120 years.
1905 is not far from 1903.
It's pretty cool to think how far we've gotten in just 66 years. From barely leaving the ground, to landing on the moon.
Laura Rainbow Dragon
Well-known member
I think it would be peaceful. To be up there soaring with the eagles, without the noise of any kind of engine.
Well... Having lived with my parents for the last 15 years of my father's life, during the worst years of his illness (multiple sclerosis), and also watching my mother decline during her senior years (up to the point when a ruptured aneurysm destroyed her physical and mental health within a matter of minutes, such that she now must live in an LTC facility), I can attest to the fact that it will, in fact, one day be too late. I'm not there yet. But I'm also not in an awesome place financially. And now that I no longer have a next-door neighbour who's a hang gliding instructor, hang gliding has once again become a prospect that's just too expensive for me to pursue at the moment. I am certainly working on maintaining the strength I will need to be able to do it though, in case I do get an opportunity to try at some point in the future.
True. My neighbour told me stories of expert gliders who are able to stay up for many hours. Also he thought a good place to practice would be launching off of a really tiny hill that is near to where we lived. (This is how we got into talking about hang gliding, in fact. He was a new Canadian and asked me if I knew if it would be legal to launch from our neighbourhood hill.)
Cool!
My father was into those computer game flight simulators for a while. Even got himself a fancy joystick to better simulate the experience.
This was a while back, so I imagine pretty basic compared to what you can do now. But he enjoyed it.
Indeed!
Matan
Well-known member
Alchemist
Posts: 761
Posts: 761
I agree. It would definitely be quiet and peaceful.
I actually do like the sound of the engine. It’s like white noise for me.
I’m sorry about your parents. I followed your journey, and I know it was tough for you.
I know it’s not the same, but I can imagine how you feel. Last year my father had a heart attack and my mother had a stroke, all within 3 months.
I really hope you’ll get that opportunity at some point…
Yes, thermals and stuff, just like with soar planes. Launching off a small hill as a form of practice? Interesting…
Wow, that’s pretty amazing.
Computer and joystick is all you need actually, rest is just a bonus in my opinion.
Yeah, it was a leap in those 40 years. From something requiring a fair bit of imagination to sims looking just like real life. I personally use a sim from 2008, so definitely not the latest one, but it works.
I actually do like the sound of the engine. It’s like white noise for me.
I’m sorry about your parents. I followed your journey, and I know it was tough for you.
I know it’s not the same, but I can imagine how you feel. Last year my father had a heart attack and my mother had a stroke, all within 3 months.
I really hope you’ll get that opportunity at some point…
Yes, thermals and stuff, just like with soar planes. Launching off a small hill as a form of practice? Interesting…
Wow, that’s pretty amazing.
Computer and joystick is all you need actually, rest is just a bonus in my opinion.
Yeah, it was a leap in those 40 years. From something requiring a fair bit of imagination to sims looking just like real life. I personally use a sim from 2008, so definitely not the latest one, but it works.
Thanks for the mention @Laura Rainbow Dragon . Yes, i had a quite long break from the hive. Nice coincidence that this thread has not gotten that old yet.
Regarding the hanging in the air being scary: it does feel very safe (at least to me
). But it really cannot be described, you need to experience it first hand.
For this, a tandem hanggliding flight is the best option. Can be done with mountain launch or in the flats using winch or aero-towing (pulled behind an motorized aircraft).
Extreme benefit of hanging in the air is the complete immersion into flying yourself. Most of the time you can't see your wing, but you can always feel it. You feel the movement of the air at your wing and feel where there is rising air etc.
You also have the most unobstructed view onto the landscape you can get, imho.
Also great is that you don't have regular controls, you control the glider completely by weight shift. So you get to do some kind of gymnastics in the air
If anyone has more questions regarding hanggliding i am more than happy to answer them. I could also provide some footage from flights. Since recently i also have some 360 degree footage, so once can look at different perspectives etc.
Regarding the hanging in the air being scary: it does feel very safe (at least to me
). But it really cannot be described, you need to experience it first hand.For this, a tandem hanggliding flight is the best option. Can be done with mountain launch or in the flats using winch or aero-towing (pulled behind an motorized aircraft).
Extreme benefit of hanging in the air is the complete immersion into flying yourself. Most of the time you can't see your wing, but you can always feel it. You feel the movement of the air at your wing and feel where there is rising air etc.
You also have the most unobstructed view onto the landscape you can get, imho.
Also great is that you don't have regular controls, you control the glider completely by weight shift. So you get to do some kind of gymnastics in the air
If anyone has more questions regarding hanggliding i am more than happy to answer them. I could also provide some footage from flights. Since recently i also have some 360 degree footage, so once can look at different perspectives etc.