As a hang glider pilot that transitioned to glass a few years ago I do tend to be very surprised at the general lack of awareness of what hang gliders and even paragliders are capable of. Experienced sailplane pilots marveling at the fact that hang gliders can climb in thermals and go XC. Really, really long XC.

Hang glider and paraglider pilots that have thermal and XC experience make fantastic sailplane pilots. Here on the central coast of California, the PG pilots tend to be primarily coastal ridge lift flyers. Very little interest in XC and thermals. A few exceptions of course, but mostly they love the convenience of a quick drive to a coastal ridge and are up in flying in minutes.

I routinely post about my XC flights and experiences in sailplanes, but haven't sucked anyone in from the PG/HG club here. I've given demo flights in my Duo and blown their minds with the performance, but cost/convenience seem to be the primary motivators.

It's still a fantastic group to try to tap into, but the conversion rate is still pretty low. The main difference is how quickly an experience HG/PG pilot will pick up and transition into sailplanes and want to start going XC. Nowhere near the fear and trepidation around landing out when all you've ever done is "land out" in a hang glider. Yeah, I worry more about field selection and the obvious things to keep from damaging the plane or myself, but generally speaking the process is very well known to me.

Another great source of potential pilots are the RC glider clubs.

More than anything, I think the power pilot population represents the group most likely to take up and continue soaring. They are already used to the cost and preparation around flying an airplane. You just have to wean them off the throttle and onto the mental game that soaring is.

Morgan

On Sunday, April 29, 2012 12:44:33 PM UTC-7, kirk.stant wrote:

I was referring to the usual carry of a PG from the car or cable car to
the take off point, not hauling the thing on your back up 3000 vertical
feet. Yes, that is very hard. I have done that 100s of times. I have a
light PG with super light harness. I like the workout of climbing up for
3 hours in the early morning and a quiet, quick glide back home for
lunch. But you are right, for effortless flying at speed nothing beats
the coffin with a view.

gotovkotzepkoi

"the coffin with a view"? Really? At 17,000' it's kinda essential to have - there is no way you are going to survive hanging out in the open in the 13 knot thermal to cloudbase I found last weekend on my way to the Grand Canyon.

But you are right, for effortless flying at slow speed going nowhere, nothing probably beats the swing seat with a view...

It's all fun!

Kirk
66
(and yeah, I know para's go XC...chill.