Hang Gliding - FAQ - What's needed?
Hang gliders usually fold up into a long skinny bag. The packed glider will be about 17 to 21 feet (5m to 6.5m) long, depending on the glider type and how much you weigh. Some gliders can be "short-packed", but this is a level of hassle that you usually will do only to get it on an airplane. Some airlines won't handle it even then; I would never give MY wings to the average baggage-smasher, and it's worth more than the carrier will pay, for loss or damage. So, we car-top it, usually.
Lots of racks, for lots of types of vehicles:
http://www.hanggliding.org/wiki/Car_Rack
For one glider, with a pilot who is just getting started, I recommend a ladder rack. Use a one-piece ladder, not an extension ladder; aluminum ladders are the best. Pad each rung of the ladder with pool noodles, from the home improvements store, which are about the best rack padding. You could also use foam pipe insulation, or even a long, folded quilt. Foam pads are also good; just do not use bubble-pack, it's worthless on a glider-rack. Use tape made for wrapping underground gas piping, for the best durability, on your rack padding. Ordinary duct tape will not last long, on a rack. Secure the ladder to the top of the car, using a good, sturdy roof-rack. You want a low and strong roof rack, not a high and spindly one. Ideally, you would also want a rack (or some sort of framework) from each bumper, up to each end of the ladder. Depending on the car, you might have to settle for a "front bumper rack, roof-rack and rear rope" system, or a "front rope, roof-rack, and rear bumper rack" system. Least desirable, but maybe adequate, would be to secure each end of the ladder to the bumpers using rope. This "rope-rack-rope" system puts all of the weight of the glider, and *all* of the travel and shock loads, on the roof rack. If the car's roof is thin metal, even a good rack might dent the roof. Bumper-mounted racks, combined with a good roof rack, will help to distribute the load. Remember, this assembly must stay put, and keep your wings from sliding off, no matter how abruptly you may brake or steer. Secure that rack for the worst; you might be glad that you did, one day.
With the ladder secure and padded, tie the glider gently but securely to at least four rungs of the ladder. Nylon webbing straps are best, for this. Pass a strap under one rung, over the glider, under the rung on the far side of the glider, back over the glider, and buckle it back to the free end of the strap. Each strap acts like two, done this way, which is nicer for the glider. Secure one tie near each end of the glider, and add two or more ties, closer to the middle. Space the ties equally.
How much rack or glider overhang, past the bumpers, is legal? It depends on where you are, and the attitudes of the local police. Some places will give you one yard (1 m.) of overhang past the rear bumper, and maybe more if you have a red flag attached. In those places, the oldest trick is to sew one end of the red flag across the end of the cover-bag, so it flaps in the breeze in a safety-minded style. That way, you are sure to have the flag in place at all times. If the ladder is longer than the glider, attach the flag to the end of the ladder, instead. Some places allow any amount of front overhang, and some will allow none. Find out the actual local requirements and limits from your motor vehicle administration.
A ladder rack can be about three feet (1 m.) shorter than the glider at each end, with no real problem to the glider. A ladder that is the full length of the glider, or more, is only a serious advantage if you are involved in a collision.
While there certainly are "rack realities" to consider, I really hope that you will choose a glider that suits you in flight (rather than the car on the ground). At the flying sites, you will see how other pilots manage the transportation issues, on vehicles similar to yours. Talk to every HG pilot; when it isn't about wheels or propellors, we are mostly a friendly and helpful bunch.
When you get more certain of your commitment to fly (for me, it is lifelong), you will probably want a more permanent rack for your wings. You will probably be glad to provide space for your flying buddies' wings, also; a great rack on a capable vehicle attracts HG pilots to you, like bees to honey. :-) Look at what other HG pilots do for racks, with vehicles similar to yours.
Are you ready for some good end support? XCNick on the Yahoo HG forum offers this great idea:
Front or Rear Trailer-Hitch Rack
Storage is a simple matter of getting a 20' (6m) telephone pole out of the weather. Store the glider on shelving, or on padded work-stands, or hang it from three or more wide straps, such as automobile seat belts, bolted to the rafters. Do not store your glider on any floor, worst of all on a dirt floor. The dampness would stain and corrode everything. Rodents, mold, and insects seem to like sailcloth, so protection is the game here.
A garage is about the best storage solution. For those not blessed with a garage, you may be able to slide a glider though a basement window. If you do, build a short chute that you can set in the window, so the window frame does not tear up the cover bag or the glider's sail. Round off all corners and edges of the chute, if you go that route. As a last resort, a straight stairway might offer tilted storage for a glider, too. Then, you would want to store the glider with the nose end down, so the glider does not chew up its' wingtips.
A carport alone is not good protection for a glider. Sunlight (UV) is the cloth-destroyer, and the cover bag only provides limited protection to the glider. If you have no decent options, I recommend a plastic drainage pipe for storage. This can be white PVC, or the rigid black HDPE pipe that is corrugated outside, and smooth inside. PVC pipe will get brittle in a few years, so a coat of paint is advised, for that type of pipe. The correct sized pipe might cost around US$100 for the length of your glider. Concrete pipe suppliers, landscaping outfits, and farm supply stores often carry the pipe in the sizes that you need. Measure across the largest dimensions of the glider in the bag, and add maybe two or three inches. Outside end caps, or inside plugs, can be purchased, or improvised using metal drain-pans, large plastic bowls or plates, or build your own. Mount the pipe above ground, at some convenient height, and give it a slight slope, so water will not collect inside. A carport, shady wall or fence is a good place to hang the pipe. If water does get in, you want it to drain out quickly. If you make drain holes at one end of the pipe, cover the holes with metal screen to prevent entry by birds, rodents, and insects - all of which can do bad things to your sail, in short order. If you paint the pipe every few years to protect it from sunlight, it will last for a long time.
Packing up a glider for the end of a flying day is a very individual enterprise. You will see some pilots who are just stuffing everything together. You will see some pilots who have it down to a science, rolling sailcloth with precision, and using a basket-full of pads, bags, and sleeves to contain everything. Watch both types of pilot, and decide for yourself, about how much care is right. Aluminum -will- mark sailcloth over time, even if the aluminum is anodized. Steel bolts or pins can rub holes or tear into the sailcloth, even while you are driving home. Steel hardware can also chew into your aluminum airframe, and repairs for that damage can be costly.
In general, you probably want to have some padding in these vital places, anytime that you pack up the glider for transport. These pads should be a minimum of very heavy toweling, and maybe two or more layers, made into sleeves or bags (custom-fit), around or between all of the sharp metal ends, and the sail. Chances are, you will get a small collection of such pads and bags with the glider that you purchase. If you want more than the padding supplied, great; make your own padding, and don't be shy about using it. Treat that glider as if your life depends on it, because that is exactly the case.
Ribs should be stored in a bundle, with all of the curved ends together. Sort the ribs into two groups, right from left. You want to keep the left ribs separate from the right ribs. Why? Well, it's one thing if the glider wants to turn left or right, one day. It gets really confusing, though, if that minor annoyance changes sides, before you figure out the reason (such as one deformed rib). One trick that I like for rib storage is to use a thin bungee cord, with a small metal ring tied at one end, to secure the ribs together in a bundle. Loop the bungee cord twice around one group of ribs, pull tight, and tie a single hitch knot. Set the other group of ribs together with the first group, and loop the bungee cord twice around all of the ribs together. Pass the loose end of the bungee cord through the metal ring, pull tight, and tie it there with a slip-knot. This gives you a nice, tight bundle of ribs. Slide each rib fore-and-aft in the bundle, until each rib "nests" into the curves of the other ribs in one smooth, curved bundle. Bungee cord holds the ribs in place in the bundle, better than any other type of tie.
This "bungee rib tie" trick allows each rib to be well supported by the other ribs during storage, so that their precise curvature does not get deformed in transit. Each rib on one side of the glider should match the curvature of the same rib on the opposite side. For example, the #4 Left rib should match exactly the #4 Right rib; you can easily check this, any time you set up or dis-assemble the glider. If any rib does get deformed, ever, then you need to use the factory rib pattern to restore that rib to the proper curvature, before you try to fly the glider again. One bad rib could make the next flight unpleasant, or even dangerous. Using the factory rib pattern to maintain the proper airfoil for your glider can be VITAL to your safety.
You should have a dedicated rib storage bag, to protect your ribs from accidental bends and dirt. Decide for yourself if you want to keep the ribs inside the glider storage bag; if so, the ribs will probably be safer in the roomier wingtip end of the glider bag, rather than the nose end, which usually has little extra space.
Use a hard automotive paste wax (carnauba is best) to protect and "lubricate" your ribs, every six months or so. Apply a very thin coat of wax to the ribs, then buff (by hand) with a clean cloth, until the ribs are smooth and shiny. They will shed dirt far better, and will slide into the sail much easier. There is no good substitute for hard paste wax, for this purpose.
Some HG pilots like to pass each rib through a folded dust-cloth, just before inserting that rib into the sail. That's a good idea, too; any dirt inside a rib pocket is rather to difficult remove, and it could even damage the sail material.
You can expect hundreds of flight-hours from a sail, and even more if the sail material is heavier than normal, white, or if you live in cloudy climates, or at low altitudes, or in high latitudes. If you are quick to assemble-and-launch, and quick to get it into the bag after flight, a sail can easily last for five years or more. With a new sail and new wires, and the occasional new bolt, gliders can be safe for ten years or more.
A glider cover-bag of blue Yachtcrylic (or Glen Raven's Sunbrella) is about bulletproof to sunlight, and its' sail-killing UltraViolet radiation. Sailing yachts in harbor use blue Yachtcrylic (or Sunbrella) for their sail bags, and yacht sails make our gliders look inexpensive. One such cover-bag can probably outlast your next several gliders. I do not hesitate to spend the price of a UV-proof bag for my wings; I live at 5k' MSL, fly at 10k' MSL, and sunlight here is really intense. I have twice bought a new sail for a favorite glider, across almost thirty years of HG flying. Usually, I buy (but rarely a new glider) and then sell the glider, every few years.
Yachtcrylic and Sunbrella glider bags can be made to order from GSLS (click here)
Shipping a glider:
Freight trucking is about the cheapest option, especially if you use terminal-to-terminal service, rather than door-to-door pick-up and delivery. Investigate shipping prices and allowable lengths, to find the best deals. Trucking prices can vary wildly, from one carrier to the next, so it is worthwhile to check various carriers. Ask about insurance rates, if any, for your declared value, also. Not many airlines will ship a glider, because even a short-packed glider is too long for most of them. Some carriers will not ship any aircraft, period.
For actual shipping of a glider, most "shipping crates" weigh a lot, cost a lot, and will not stand up to the job at hand. Cardboard tubes are usually a very bad joke, by the time they arrive at the destination. Check out a piece of HDPE black corrugated drainage pipe, instead. It's the only stuff that the shippers could *not* damage, for me. (They honestly seemed slightly pissed, at their failure to damage it.) At the price of wood, lately, HDPE might be worth a look. You might even get a really inexpensive deal on one left-over piece, or a piece with a slightly damaged end-bell, if you ask.
The double-walled (rigid) HDPE pipe is corrugated on the outside, and smooth on the inside. I paid about US$120.00 for a 20' (6m) section, a while back. This option was easier, lighter, faster, and 'way tougher than any wooden crate. HDPE comes in various sizes, so you might want to take the glider with you to the yard that sells HDPE and buy the best fit there. Concrete yards, landscape companies, irrigation businesses, and farming supply stores are likely sellers of HDPE pipe. These businesses are real people; simply deal with them one-on-one, and do not expect them to be a clean, big-box store, unless you want to pay the big prices.
Make wooden disks or use round metal drain-pans from the dollar store for end caps/end plugs. Allow a little extra room for the wood plugs to swell in the pipe, during shipping. Wooden plugs do not need to be completely round, or a perfect fit; you can just start with a square piece of 1/2" (1cm) or thicker plywood, and cut off corners with a table-saw until the plug will fit into place in the tube. Screw a 2x4 (5cm x 10cm) piece of lumber in place across one side of the plug, long enough to span the tube diameter inside. Screw a similar 2x4 piece (at right angles to the first piece) to the other side of the plug. This makes a very strong end-plug, braced inside and outside. The 2x4s will give you four good places to drive screws into, to secure the plug into the HDPE tube. Use at least two or three screws through the pipe, for each end of each 2x4. Sheet metal screws (Phillips-head) can be driven right through the pipe itself, to secure the end plugs/caps. Use a power drill, holding a Phillips screwdriver bit (Apex bit) for the screwdriver. You can usually do this job without pre-drilling any holes. Stuff newspaper into the pipe ends, inside your end plugs (if your wooden plugs are not a perfect fit), to keep the peanuts from leaking out. If any screw misses the plug, no problem; just reverse the drill motor and unscrew that one, then try again.
Put the glider into the tube, and plug one end temporarily. Set the tube and glider on a flight of steps, open end up, and fill the tube with Styrofoam peanuts. Roll the tube over several times, as you fill, to settle the peanuts. When you have as many peanuts as possible in the tube with the glider, cap off that end of the pipe, using all the screws necessary for shipping. Swap ends with the pipe, so the other end is now near the top of the stairs. Open that end, and pack in more peanuts, as before. Again, roll and shake the tube, to settle the peanuts around the glider. When you have the tube well-filled with peanuts, cap off the top end of the tube, using all the screws necessary for shipping. I suggest that you tie rope "handles" around the tube in three places: one at each end, and one at the actual balance point of the pipe/glider. That gives the shippers something to grab and lift, which may make for gentler handling.
You don't have that new glider that you ordered yet, because . . . (MORE)