History of hang gliding
This page consists of the following main sections:
Chronology
Related topics menus: Kind of like an index to related material
Manufacturers
Miscellaneous
Chronology
- Hang gliding before 1973 part 1
- Hang gliding before 1973 part 2
- Hang gliding 1973 part 1
- Hang gliding 1973 part 2
- Hang gliding 1974 part 1
- Hang gliding 1974 part 2
- Hang gliding 1974 part 3
- Hang gliding 1974 part 4
- Elberta Dune, Michigan, July 1974
- Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina, 1974
- Scientific American hang glider: Mike Markowski and the Eagle III (the Princeton sailwing)
- Hang gliding 1975 part 1
- Spiraling out of control: Brian Wood and Eric Short
- Grandfather Mountain 1975 part 1
- Grandfather Mountain 1975 part 2
- Hang gliding 1975 part 2
- Hang gliding 1976 part 1
- Hang gliding 1976 part 2
- Hang gliding 1977
- Hang gliding 1978 and 1979 part 1
- Hang gliding 1978 and 1979 part 2
- Hang gliding 1978 and 1979 part 3
- Hang gliding early 1980s part 1
- Hang gliding early 1980s part 2
- Hang gliding mid 1980s
- Hang gliding late 1980s
- Hang gliding 1990 to 1993
- Hang gliding 1994 and 1995
- Hang gliding 1996 to 2014
- Hang gliding 2015 to 2019
- Hang gliding 2020 onward
Related topics menus
This section constitutes a mini index. Most of these links go to pages dedicated to a subject. Each such page — a related topics menu — contains a list of links to applicable material throughout the main hang gliding pages. However, some links here go direct to applicable items where there are only one or two.
- Bob Lovejoy: Project Quicksilver in Hang gliding before 1973 part 2 and Dave Cronk, Bob Lovejoy, and the Quicksilver in Cronk works
- Bob Rouse: Art for art’s sake in Hang gliding early 1980s part 2 and Hang gliding 1996 to 2014
- Brian Wood, the first British champion
- Computing in hang gliding
- Conical Rogallo in Rogallo wing definitions and diagrams
- Cylindrical Rogallo in Rogallo wing definitions and diagrams
- Dennis Pagen
- Dick Boone, hang glider designer
- Domes, Palos Verdes
- Donnita Holland (Donnita Hall) in Hang gliding 1975 part 2
- Ed Cesar: Hang gliding 1974 part 2 and Antares, Ten Meter, and others in Hang gliding 1978 and 1979 part 3
- Eric Short: Spiraling out of control including Eric Short’s first flight
- Eves Tall Chief: Assortment in Hang gliding 1990 to 1993 and Antares, Ten Meter, and others in Hang gliding 1978 and 1979 part 3
- Flex-wings with tails
- Fly America: Across the U.S.A. by hang glider in Hang gliding late 1980s
- Glider Rider in Copyright of early hang gliding photos
- Hang glider sail art
- John LaTorre
- Johnny Carr: Prone in Hang gliding 1975 part 2, and Miles Wings Gryphon in Hang gliding 1976 part 1
- Larry Witherspoon: Rogallo versus Quicksilver in colour in Hang gliding 1974 part 3, Hang gliding late 1980s, and Hang gliding 1994 and 1995
- Man-Flight Systems (Mike Markowski) Eagle III: Scientific American hang glider
- Nick Regan: South downs in Hang gliding early 1980s part 1 and Rogallo versus Quicksilver in colour in Hang gliding 1974 part 3
- Pilot induced oscillation (PIO) and Dutch roll: Sunspot, Moonraker, and Scorpion in Hang gliding 1977
- Photographers of early hang gliding
- Hugh Morton’s photos (related topics menu)
- Reich & Neumann ULF-1 rigid glider: ULF-1 in Hang gliding late 1980s
- Roly Lewis-Evans, sail maker
- Semi cylindrical Rogallo in Rogallo wing definitions and diagrams
- Taras Kiceniuk Jr., Batso, Icarus II (Icarus 2), Icarus V (Icarus 5) and Easy Riser: 1970-72 in Hang gliding before 1973 part 1 and Late 1960s and early 1970s in color in part 2, and Hang gliding 1973 part 2
- Telluride, Colorado
- Testing for stability and structural strength
- Tom Peghiny
- World championship competition at Kössen, Austria, 1975: Spiraling out of control, a sub-page of Hang gliding 1975 part 1, and Eipper Cumulus in Cronk works
- World War 2
Manufacturers
See also the Related topics menus and Miscellaneous lists on this page for links to material about individual designers who were not primarily manufacturers in their own right.
- Airwave of the Isle of Wight, UK
- Bill Bennett’s Delta Wing Kites and Gliders (related topics menu)
- Birdman and Solar Wings of Wiltshire, England
- Chargus of Buckinghamshire, England (related topics menu)
- Chuck’s Glider Supplies of Ohio (Chuck Slusarczyk)
- Eipper-Formance of Torrance, California including Bob Lovejoy and Dick Eipper (related topics menu)
- Electra Flyer of Albuquerque, New Mexico (related topics menu)
- Flying squad, a short history of the east coast U.S. hang glider manufacturer Sky Sports (Tom Peghiny, Terry Sweeney)
- Hiway of Sussex, England, and Abergavenny, Wales (related topics menu)
- Jean-Michel Bernasconi and Pacific Windcraft (PacWind) and Pacific Airwave (PacAir)
- La Mouette (Gerard Thevenot) in Hang gliding mid 1980s
- Manta Products of California (related topics menu)
- Marty Alameda and Flight Designs
- Miles Wings Gulp and Gryphon including the British genius Miles Handley (related topics menu)
- Moyes Delta Gliders (related topics menu)
- Seagull Aircraft of Santa Monica, California (related topics menu)
- Seedwings in Hang gliding mid 1980s (Bob Trampenau)
- Skyhook Sailwings of Lancashire, England (Len Gabriels)
- Southdown Sailwings, Vulturelite, and Aerial Arts of Sussex, England (related topics menu)
- Spectra Aircraft Corporation (Carlos Miralles, John Reisig, Bill Dodson): Spectra Aolus
- Sport Kites/Wills Wing of California (related topics menu)
- Wills Wing glider production history; Stephen Pearson/Steve Pearson
- Ultralight Products of California and Utah including Pete Brock and Roy Haggard (related topics menu)
- VJ day — Volmer Jensen’s hang gliders including Irv Culver (related topics menu)
- Waspair of Surrey, England (related topics menu)
- Wills Wing: Sport Kites/Wills Wing of California (related topics menu)
Miscellaneous
- Appliance of statistics including Robert V. Wills, first chairman of the USHGA accident review board
- ATA girl Ann Welch
- Bob England, hang glider designer
- Copyright of early hang gliding photos
- Cronk works, about hang glider designer and test pilot Dave Cronk
- Dangers of hang gliding
- Eagles among men–my review of Higher than Eagles, the Tragedy and Triumph of an American Family by Maralys Wills and Chris Wills, 1992
- Early powered ultralights part 1
- Early powered ultralights part 2
- Graeme Bird’s hang gliders, the New Zealand sail-maker’s work that advanced the state of the art
- Hang gliding equipment
- Hang glider names
- Hang gliding preparation
- Harnesses
- Kimmeridge Khmer Rouge
- Kitty Hawk Kites
- Lejair: Tony and Rona Webb, including some World War 2 history of Wendling airfield
- Luff in the time of cholera: The luffing dive
- Mid-day lightning in Vermont: Review of the Francis Freedland documentary film 1978 Pico Peak International Hang Gliding Meet
- Mitchell Wing, the B-10 Buzzard: George Worthington, Chuck Rhodes, Howard Long, Steve Patmont
- Overview of Ringstead
- Paint it black — a review of the 1976 movie Sky Riders
- Paragliding
- Paragliding continued
- Paragliding 3
- Point Fermin including Jack Schroder (Jack Schroeder)
- Rogallo wing definitions and diagrams
- Santa Barbara Hang Glider Emporium and chief instructor Ken de Russy
- Space flight and hang gliding including Neil Armstrong and Mark Stucky (‘Forger’)
- Terry Prendergast
- Thermals close to the ground in wind
- Tom Price’s flying machines
- Torrance Beach
- Torrey Pines including W.A. Roecker (“Pork”), Jon Lindberg, Burke Ewing, and Wally Schirra
- Training aids
- Unexplained lift at Ringstead (including Fort Funston)
- Variometers
Contact the author
External links
About the author on Brave guys and beautiful dolls. (This web site started out as part of Brave guys and beautiful dolls, itself derived from earlier web sites by the same author.)
University of Lowell Hang Gliding Club Collection
Hang Gliding History 