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By CRV
#95643
It's hard to narrow this down to one aspect of HG...

I love launching...that transition from having our feet on the ground to navigating the air is a crowd favorite at the observation deck at Funston.

I'll second the low save...nothing beats that...

I love thermaling with another pilot where the two of you are at equal banked turns and looking at one another working the same thermal...Noman and I had that this past weekend...that'll stick with me for a while.

But, I truly love landing...depth perception, speed control, and navigating the terrain to what we hope to be a no-stepper or at least a clean landing. I literally lay awake at night thinking of various landing approaches at my favorite flying sites... :drool:
By CRV
#95697
Wingspan34 wrote:What about you coastal fliers? "Dune gooners"? What's your favorite part of that kind of flight?
How could I have forgotten... flying in a Funston Shear!

Nothing beats getting into the shear as it's setting up, timing your launch just as the winds turn cooler and switch to the northwest...then that elevator ride up through the "rough" into the balmy warmth of a well formed shear layer...flying at full VG in a topless with your fingertips watching the ground grow farther and farther away...parked, yet still climbing...

Here's a link to a shear I flew in July this year...one of a few the Fort delivered during that month this year...
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By jjcote
#95764
Actually, a post on another thread just reminded me of my real favorite part of a hang glider flight, in sort of an inside-out way. It's the part where I'm not waiting in a long line to go through a ridiculous TSA check that would prevent me from bringing things like knives and liquids. :ahh:
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By Eteamjack
#95788
It doesn't happen often, but on some flights factors are such where either the conditions or I"ve not flown up to my standards and I find myself very low thinking about my landing options almost from the get go.. At the very last possible moment I core a consistent thermal and work the hell out of it managing to climb out and have a great flight.
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By Jason
#95792
Wingspan34 wrote:
jjcote wrote:Actually, a post on another thread just reminded me of my real favorite part of a hang glider flight, in sort of an inside-out way. It's the part where I'm not waiting in a long line to go through a ridiculous TSA check that would prevent me from bringing things like knives and liquids. :ahh:
Yes, hang gliding is proof positive that terrorist-free flights can take place without the TSA x-raying all your stuff and making you take off your shoes first. I too like that part of hang gliding. :lol:

We do sometimes have to wait in a line to fly, though. Damn launch potatoes! :punch:

:mrgreen:
although sometimes its fun to fly barefoot :ahh:
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By AIRTHUG
#95819
Wingspan34 wrote:What about you coastal fliers? "Dune gooners"? What's your favorite part of that kind of flight?
I love the ground skimming, low and slow of dune flying. The Kitty Hawk Spectacular comes to mind... there's just something very, VERY cool about flying a 1/10th of a mph along the sand, and you're practically "willing" yourself to keep going rather than put your feet down.

I also feel like that type of flying brings me back to the 'roots' of hang gliding... "ground skimmer" and "low and slow" were really before my time, but when I'm flying at the beach (or KH) I feel a definite connection to all of the history of hang gliding.

Doesn't hurt that Francis Rogallo is usually at the Spectacular...
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By Willmrx
#95847
The best part of HG or the best part of flying? The best part of flying for me is topping out in a thermal. Just about every fight, I thank God out loud for giving me the gift of flight. The best part of HG, is the PEOPLE!!!


Will
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By NMERider
#95858
Willmrx wrote:.............The best part of HG, is the PEOPLE!!!
Will
:ditto: :ditto:

The next best part about HG for me is when I forget absolutely everything and am reduced to a mere consciousness floating through space and all that is left are my senses of motion, vision, sound and smell. There is no hang glider, no harness, no body, no memories. Just awareness of the elements of the Earth and Sky and an unbounded imagination.
That's the part I like the best and it can happen at any time and place during a flight. Call it consciousness convergence lift.
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By jjcote
#95868
Willmrx wrote:.............The best part of HG, is the PEOPLE!!!
Will
As I believe I've noted on here before, I hate everybody, and I rather enjoy the part when I launch and get away from all of you.

I will note that I really like to, at some point when I'm in the air, really notice that, "Hey, I'm actually hang gliding right now!!!". This is often accompanied by glancing behind myself and noticing that, yup, the only thing keeping me from falling is that there are a couple of nylon straps connecting me to a preposterous kite. And thanks to a friend's comment, I've also on at least one recent occasion reached over and given a gentle pluck to one of my side wires, noting that it's a critical piece taking the load, including the ridiculous nicopress fitting.
By noman
#95871
Willmrx wrote:The best part of HG or the best part of flying? The best part of flying for me is topping out in a thermal. Just about every fight, I thank God out loud for giving me the gift of flight. The best part of HG, is the PEOPLE!!!


Will

FAG!!!! :owned:
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By hgflyer
#95873
NMERider wrote:
Willmrx wrote:.............The best part of HG, is the PEOPLE!!!
Will
:ditto: :ditto:

The next best part about HG for me is when I forget absolutely everything and am reduced to a mere consciousness floating through space and all that is left are my senses of motion, vision, sound and smell. There is no hang glider, no harness, no body, no memories. Just awareness of the elements of the Earth and Sky and an unbounded imagination.
That's the part I like the best and it can happen at any time and place during a flight. Call it consciousness convergence lift.
I luv this post.

For all of the musicians and music luvers out there. It's like working your arse off, day in and out. Learning how to play a piece of music. After all of the practice and hard work. It all comes together in a moment of performance. When everything just flows...............................For all of the time trying to own the music, you realize the music owns you.

have fun and fly safe........