Hang gliding pics

[Toots Hibbert]

I've just come back from Victoria after doing a nine day hang gliding course. The most fun I've had in years.

Here's some pics. If anybody's been thinking of having a go at this then Rohan Holtkamp of Dynamic Flight is the man to introduce you to the sport. He's one of Australia's top pilots and an outstanding teacher

The first stage is some training on the flight simulator

Then some time practising handling while suspended a couple of feet up being towed by a car.

Then you graduate to a training hill to practice take offs and landings.

Rohan likes to take students up in his trike to familiarise them with flying at altitude.

 

[Toots Hibbert]

After that, plenty of practice being ground towed up to around 12 to 13 hundred feet. You have a radio attached to your helmet and Rohan guides you through your flights.

"Push the bar out Toots for a nice gentle flare and landing...push the bar out Toots... push out Toots...Oh well, you were doing good up to that point."

Then it's on to a proper hill. In this case Ben Moore. The guy waiting to launch was an experienced pilot test flying a glider he was thinking of buying. The wind was too strong for the rest of us to take off. To say I was relieved would be an undersatement!

One of the local Wedge Tails letting him know whose boss.

 

[Toots Hibbert]

Next day conditions were different so we went to a nice gentle hill Mount Hollowback, but there was insufficient wind to launch so it was back to the flight park to practice towing launches and general flight skills.



The day after we were back at Ben Moore. This time the wind was right for us students and for me, having built up the height in my imagination, seeing it again for real it didn't look so bad so I was able to launch with a manageable amount of nervousness.

By now our skills had improved to the point Rohan felt comfortable managing us with three in the air at one time.

Experienced pilots would be able to top land back at the launch point but for us students a landing in the paddocks at the bottom of the hill was the order of the day.

Thanks Rohan and Sandra for one of the best experiences of my life.

If this has sparked anyone's interest here's the Dynamic Flight website. The flight park is located about 30 minutes west of Ballarat.

http://www.dynamicflight.com.au

 

[Macca19]

Killer shots Toots! Fantastic!

Ill be doing hang gliding in New Zealand in January!

 

[The Smaller Warrior]

Amazing guys,

Love it!

 

[Relativity]

"Push the bar out Toots for a nice gentle flare and landing...push the bar out Toots... push out Toots...Oh well, you were doing good up to that point."

Hows your landing gear Toots? Or did you manage to find a furrow on that landing?

 

[BWST]

Well done Toots, i'll have to say your nuts though , i'm scared of getting in a 737 jet let alone flying on a kite on steroids.

 

[Toots Hibbert]

Are you having a joy flight, Macca, or doing a course?

 

[Macca19]

Bit of a joy flight mate. If we enjoy it we'll probably do a course when we get back.

 

[Toots Hibbert]

Found some pics of people flying near Maslins Beach. The site is called Ochre Point.

Pretty terrible living in Adelaide when you can drive for thirty minutes and experience this scenery.