Friday, June 21, 2013
Quest Air Hang Gliding
| Pilot readies glider |
Normally when I
think of hang gliding I think of non-power assisted launches off of cliffs; at
Quest Air, in the flat lands of central Florida, the hand gliders are launched
via aerotow. Aerotow launch is
accomplished with the aid of an ultra-light airplane which tows the hang glider
to altitude and releases.
Quest Air is situated
at a large grass runway airport servicing only hang gliders. When I arrived, there were two gliders airborne
and an ultra-light tow-plane in the process of landing. Everyone was dressed in shorts and t-shirts;
a group was in the process of preparing a meal on a barbeque grill, others were
sitting around waiting on their turn to launch private gliders or take a tandem
flight.
I signed my life
away with multiple release forms and waivers, got a 30-second safety brief and “how-to”
slide show, was issued a helmet, and then introduced to my pilot/instructor for
the tandem flight. I have since learned that hang gliding is somewhat dangerous
with Quest Air being the site of four deaths over a fifteen-year period, the
most recent in February of this year (I guess ignorance is bliss in this case).
 |
| Towed take-off |
Within seconds we
were airborne and gaining altitude. The ultra-light flew in wide circles
bringing us to altitude; due to windy conditions the ride was a little
bumpy. Spinner released the tow rope at
approximately 2,700-ft, and the tow plane veered off to return to the airfield.
Spinner
immediately started searching for a thermal updraft to help us maintain
altitude. The variometer/altimeter
attached to the airframe of the glider would begin a series of beeps when it
detected lift and was ascending. Having
located a thermal, a glider pilot will circle within the area of rising air to
gain height. By shifting his weight
right, left and forward, the pilot controls the direction of flight.
 |
| Steering lesson |
We flew parallel
to the runway then reversed our approach and came in for the landing. Spinner brought us in smooth, gradually
dropping until the wheels were inches off of the grass; he leaned hard
forward and the wheels touched down.
Seconds later we were stopped. The
wheels are no more than nine-inches in diameter and your body is suspended
face-down only slightly above the wheels, so it makes for an exciting landing.
The staff was
friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating.
The atmosphere was extremely laidback.
I would recommend the experience to anyone interested in experiencing
hang-gliding.
