On Apr 12, 1:33*pm, Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 4/11/2011 7:49 PM, gotovkotzepkoi wrote:

All this talk about ipads, software, charts, panels, instruments,
levers, flaps, brakes, trailers, rules, sectionals, ad infinitum makes
me long for my hang glider daze when I flew with zero moving parts and
one instrument; a vario with a little needle that moved up or down.
That's it, for hours. That was real freedom. It's no wonder that young
people find it hard to get revved up about soaring given its myriad of
associated hassles. They are all out on the paragliding/hang gliding
hills.

I think a hang glider has at least three moving parts: the pilot,
retractable gear, and the glider. I'm not convinced 3 axis control and
spoilers makes a sailplane harder to fly than a hang glider!

The person starting out doesn't see or get involved in this most of this
stuff. They show up at the field, they go flying with an instructor,
they ooh and aah over the private ships and their magnificent pilots,
and dream of doing some of it. The complications are added later, and
slowly, as the pilot progress. It's not dumped on them from day one.

I've talked to former hang glider pilots that moved to sailplanes, and
they've said "it's easier and less hassle to fly sailplanes". Not at the
beginning, perhaps, but once you start cross-country. Both sports are
simple if you hang around the hill or the airport. Nobody needs iPads,
software, trailers, contest rules, sectionals, ad infinitum to fly locally.

We have to dig deeper than discussions of iPads to understand why young
people might choose hang/paragliding over sailplanes. I suspect young
people really LIKE the idea of using an iPad, so I don't see that as
discouraging them.

--
Eric Greenwell

There might be a lot of youngsters flying paragliders, but hang
gliders are just as full of old farts as sailplanes. The exact same
conversations we have about how to keep the sport from "aging" has
been heard in the HG forums.

Todd
ex HG pilot