This forum is dedicated to discussions on how to grow the sport of hang gliding. We will take a methodical approach to collect data and come up with implementable ideas on how to increase our numbers. This includes effective marketing, lead generation, site access issues, improving regulations, lack of instructors, lack of sites, etc

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By ChattaroyMan
#261672
I have a 25 mile commute - so I have time to dream up this stuff..... How about a hang sport of Airball! Would it be dangerous.... you bet! It therefore should have great crowd appeal! I can see it on ESPN now!

I envision Airball basically as such - first pilot to strike ball in air enters 1st place, second pilot 2nd place, etc. Balloon (ball of some sort* filled with just enough helium to make it rise @ 50-100 ft/min). Ball is released from some point (launch, between launch and LZ, LZ, other....). Ball is designed strong enough to withstand (hopefully) a strike by a hang (ya wouldn't want it popping and enveloping the glider!). The ball could be released, allowed to ascend to a certain altitude, then the launch window opened. Or, launch window opens where all pilots must launch before a particular time, then the ballon/ball is released and allowed to ascend towards the pilots aloft. Or, ........ now's your turn - could this work? How? What sort of other rules, equipment (multiple GoPros on balloon/ball to film for TV fun???), scenarios for competition rounds, etc., etc. should the sport have?

Oh yeah, pilots who strike balloon would be DQed if their glider suffered structural issues which led to other than a safe landing (you'd want to hit the balloon/ball at a slow speed and nose first would likely be better than wing tip first!).
:wink: :popcorn:
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Last edited by ChattaroyMan on Fri Dec 02, 2011 7:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
By peanuts
#261677
i want the ambulance concession
User avatar
By Spitfire
#261680
peanuts wrote:i want the ambulance concession
I'll take the morgue concession :wink:
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By ChattaroyMan
#261699
OK - so it is a bit foolhardy..... But, what if the gliders were equipped with stouter nose wires???? Maybe a cushy nose cap???? Would AirBall T-shirts do the trick? - might garner a few pilots for a T-shirt! :roll: :ahh: :shock:
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By Cav_Man_77
#261704
I'm all for twin paint pellet guns on the down tubes and re-enactments of WW1 dog fights.

Got to get close on their six to get those pellets to splat.

:rofl: :rofl:
User avatar
By ChattaroyMan
#261707
Cav_Man_77 wrote:I'm all for twin paint pellet guns on the down tubes and re-enactments of WW1 dog fights. Got to get close on their six to get those pellets to splat. :rofl: :rofl:
Ah, now yer talkin' - I like that idea! No need to collide with the ballon. Just blast er! And - get rid of the helium and go for hydrogen! :drool:
By Phoenix
#261710
Think 3D "ROLLERBALL". Spikes and all. Our hero is owned by an evil
corporate structure, driven by nothing other than to win, at all cost!
He can only really see the woman he once loved through old video,
while pine trees explode for a moment of drunken entertainment.
He MUST play the game, now he has no choice! The fans are
Thirsty for BLOOD!


Jonathon! Jonathon! Jonathon! Jonathon!................

:popcorn:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073631/
User avatar
By Cav_Man_77
#261741
ChattaroyMan wrote:
Cav_Man_77 wrote:I'm all for twin paint pellet guns on the down tubes and re-enactments of WW1 dog fights. Got to get close on their six to get those pellets to splat. :rofl: :rofl:
Ah, now yer talkin' - I like that idea! No need to collide with the ballon. Just blast er! And - get rid of the helium and go for hydrogen! :drool:
NO, I wasn't talking about the ball, I meant at each other :mosh: :mosh: :rofl: :rofl:
User avatar
By Blue
#261743
Paintball is awesome fun.

Hang gliding is awesome fun.

I am all in for Hang Gliding paintball.

hahaha
User avatar
By kukailimoku
#261748
An old cohort of mine and I used to dogfight our RC sailplanes at the Marina ramp waiting for it to blow utilizing the super-light paper streamers you can buy in rolls. We'd tape a 6-foot section to each plane's tail and see who could cut the other's streamer. Was great fun. You could do the same with hang gliders, just use a 50-foot streamer.

Of course, the game usually ended when one of us pounded into the ground after a mid-air, so maybe it's not such a great idea...
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By SKYSHARK
#261754
I know some guys who played laser tag from hang gliders. They just tied the guns off to the down tubes. Then someone went up with a gun in the dragonfly and owned! A fun game to play is to take about 6 feet of receipt paper and drop it from up high. Keep your eyes on it and see how many times you can catch and drop it before you hit the deck. Obviously stop within safe height to set up your approach. Really fun though!
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By peanuts
#261763
i've tried to clamp/mold snowballs on front wires, with intentions of nailing other pilots in flight. i am a lousy shot. thought someone was better at it when i got hit square in face with snowball. turns out it was just snow imbedded in my nose plate area
User avatar
By ChattaroyMan
#261844
peanuts wrote:i've tried to clamp/mold snowballs on front wires, with intentions of nailing other pilots in flight. i am a lousy shot. thought someone was better at it when i got hit square in face with snowball. turns out it was just snow imbedded in my nose plate area
:lol: :lol: I may try that today! At least seeing if I can get a snowball to hang onto my nose wire(s) for a bit - then see if I can hit something on the ground with one on the way to the LZ.
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By mark_m
#266577
Maybe a bean-bag toss from a specified altitude, put some money on it and whoever gets closest to bulls-eye takes all...
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By Jason
#266578
i tried to spit on my brothers glider one time..........missed by a LOT
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By sam schippers
#266597
I think the paint balls would hurt even in the summer at 12000 ft. Maybe even punch a few holes in stuff. So I am going for the reciept paper game. :crazy: :crazy: