H
ave you ever dreamed you could fl y like a
super hero? Imagine soaring through the air, gliding over tree-topped hillsides, or diving through puff y clouds? What if your dream wasn’t as far-fetched as you thought? T e idea of fl ying is nothing new. For the
past 2,000 years, inventors have been designing wings to strap on, huge kites to hang on to, and suits that let them driſt through the air. Today, people continue to invent ways to take to the skies. Current technology gives us tools, materials, and know-how to think of new ways to become airborne. Some ideas mimic birds and other fl ying animals. Other plans reinvent old ideas, and some new designs are out of the space age. Let’s explore some of the suits, devices, and machines that make the dream of fl ying a reality.
Gliding Through the Air Peaceful. T at’s a word people use to describe hang gliding. Whether a first-timer or an experienced pilot, the silence of fl ying through the air on a hang glider strikes everyone. Hang gliders have no engines. So the only sounds are from honking birds fl ying alongside or distant noises from the land far below. Like birds’ wings, hang gliders utilize a
wing’s ability to create liſt . With a hang glider, people can stay aloſt for hours and travel great distances. T e pilot swings in a fabric sack under an aluminum frame. T e frame supports a wing made of high-tech fabric engineered to be strong, light, and hold its shape. A hang glider launches from the ground.
T e pilot straps on the 30-kilogram vehicle and sprints down the side of a steep hill. Gravity pulls the glider down as the pilot runs downward into the wind. T e wing-shaped sail catches the air and liſt s the pilot up even as gravity continues to pull downward. If the combined speed of the runner and the wind is fast enough, liſt overcomes gravity and drag, the force that slows things down. In moments, the pilot’s feet are off the ground.
12 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXTREME EXPLORER
Once airborne, the pilot tucks his or her
legs into the sack and zips it up to reduce drag even more. Hang gliders have simple controls to deal with speed and direction. A bar hangs within arm’s reach, and the pilot moves it to change the angle the wing moves through the air. Pushing the control bar forward slows the glider down. Pulling the control bar back drops the nose of the glider and increases its speed. To change direction, the pilot shiſt s his or her weight to the right or leſt . Although the pilot can maneuver the
glider, a good fl ight depends on the wind. Rising warm air from Earth’s surface creates winds that keep hang gliders aloſt . Cliff s along coastlines are a favorite location. T e cliff s force air moving in from the ocean in an upward direction. T e winds push upward on the wing, pushing the glider up. Ready to go home? Simply change the angle
of the wing, unzip the sack, and get ready for a running stop.
WHAT A FEELING! Some hang glider pilots describe the experience as “dreaming while awake.” It’s so peaceful and calm, yet fi lled with excitement.
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