Hang gliding

Hang gliding is an aviation sport in which pilots launch on foot in unpowered, wing-shaped aircraft and steer mainly by shifting body weight.

Hang glider: A foot-launched, unpowered aircraft with a flexible wing and a suspended pilot harness. Its flexible wing and weight-shift control make the sport's flight possible.
Foot-launched aircraft: An aircraft that takes off with its pilot or occupants running from the ground. Hang gliders rely on a running launch rather than wheels or powered takeoff.
Paragliding: A foot-launched aviation sport using a fabric canopy and suspended harness. It shares launch sites and soaring conditions but uses a canopy instead of a rigid-framed wing.
Francis Rogallo: An American aeronautical engineer who developed a flexible, self-inflating wing design. His flexible-wing research inspired aircraft that became the basis of modern hang gliders.
Hang gliding safety: Practices and equipment used to reduce risk during hang gliding. Weather assessment, training, and equipment checks address the sport's principal hazards.
Weight-shift control: Aircraft control in which moving the pilot or load changes the craft's balance and direction. Pilots steer by moving their bodies relative to the wing.
Airspeed: The speed of an aircraft relative to the surrounding air. The wing needs sufficient airflow to generate lift during launch and flight.
Cross-country flying: Aviation in which pilots travel between distant locations rather than remain near a launch site. Hang glider pilots use lift and route planning to cover long distances.
Rogallo wing: A flexible delta-shaped wing developed from Francis Rogallo's work on deployable aircraft. Its simple structure helped make lightweight, foot-launched gliders practical.
Airspace class: A regulatory designation that specifies rules for aircraft operating in a region of airspace. Hang glider pilots must account for controlled airspace and other aircraft.

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