Number 8 Chris Gursky While vacationing with his wife in Switzerland,
US tourist Chris Gursky decided to try hang gliding for the first time. What he’d expected to
be an exhilarating activity abruptly turned into a near-death experience. The pilot of the tandem
flight had forgotten to attach Gursky’s harness to the frame. Moments after they’d launched,
from an Interlacken mountain ridge, he realized that he wasn’t connected to the aircraft and was
forced to hang on for dear life. He clung to the control bar and to a strap on the pilot’s harness
as they soared over the Swiss landscape. The pilot held him with his left hand while struggling
to land the hang glider. It took over 2 minutes before Gursky was close enough to the ground that
he was able to let go. He miraculously survived, but suffered a torn bicep tendon and the fall left
him with a fractured wrist, which required surgery. In the incident’s aftermath, Gursky
uploaded the heart-stopping video of his ordeal to YouTube. In a subsequent interview Gursky claimed
that he wanted to go hang gliding again as he didn’t get the chance to enjoy his first flight.
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us on Instagram today! What Is It?
Hang gliding is an air sport in which practitioners launch themselves, often by foot,
while attached to an aircraft. The wing itself consists of a triangular frame that’s covered with
sailcloth. Pilots are suspended by a harness and are able to adjust flight direction by shifting
their bodies on the frame’s control bar. Since the non-motorized glider is continually descending,
pilots have to seek rising currents, such as thermals, mountain waves or convergent air masses,
to achieve extended flight. The development of the modern hang glider was heavily influenced
by the work of 19th century aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal, who achieved the first
well-documented, successful flights. However, the inspiration for it can be traced back to
6th century China, with the designing of kites large enough to support the weight of a person.
Number 7 Emma Martin
Emma Martin was an experienced 31-year-old champion hang glider from Victoria,
Australia who was on what was supposed to be a routine training flight that ended in disaster
in December 2017. To remind everyone once more how dangerous the sport really is. Emma was trying
to land her hang glider in a small paddock when according to news reports, an onlooker observed an
issue with the way her hang glider was moving and informed emergency services of an impending crash.
Emma did indeed end up crashing her attempted landing and despite witnesses and paramedics'
best efforts, that included CPR, the Australian woman could not be saved.
Number 6 Lenami Godinez-Avila On April the 28th of 2012,
a young woman fell to her death in a hang gliding accident in British Columbia. 27-year-old
Lenami Godinez-Avila and her boyfriend had decided to go hang gliding as part of their anniversary
celebration. As soon as Godinez-Avila and her instructor, Jon William Orders, took flight,
the woman started slipping from the aircraft. It would later emerge that Orders had failed to
strap her in. He wrapped his legs around her body as the woman desperately clung to him.
Godinez-Avila’s boyfriend could only watch in terror as the incident was unfolding
and he reportedly screamed out “No! Lenami! Hang on! I love you!” About 30 seconds into the flight,
she lost her grip and plummeted 1,000 feet. In the incident’s aftermath,
there were allegations that Orders swallowed a memory card which showed the moments leading up
to the accident. The police eventually obtained the footage but it was never released and Orders
was sentenced to 5 months in jail. Where Is It Located?
Hang gliding can be performed almost anywhere in the world,
with pilots typically launching themselves on foot from a hill, a mountain ridge or
flat ground. Launching methods tend to vary and include, among others, being towed by a land,
air or water-based system as well as dropping from a hot air balloon or using a motorized hang
glider. The latter, in most configurations, has a propeller attached to the harness. The record for
the farthest distance travelled by a non-motorized hang glider is 475 miles, which is about
1.7 times greater than the length of the Grand Canyon. The greatest altitude achieved is
38,800 feet, higher than the cruising altitude of a commercial airliner. Hang gliding competitions
typically involve long distance flying and landing at several checkpoints.
Some pilots will also perform tricks with their gliders, such as spins, loops or rollovers.
Number 5 Hang Gliding Accident in France In 2015, a British pilot suffered a fatal
hang gliding accident near Dole, in eastern France. The unnamed 49-year-old had launched
from the top of Mount Poupet, a peak popular with hang gliding and paragliding practitioners.
The pilot was reportedly flying in conditions of strong winds when he lost control of the aircraft
and missed the landing field. He flew into the tree line and fell roughly 50 feet. The man broke
his neck and suffered a heart attack in the fall. Paramedics rushed to his aid, within minutes, but
they were unable to revive him. Number 4 Bevan Taylor
In 2019, experienced hang glider pilot Bevan Taylor died in an accident,
just one day before he was due to take part in a championship. In the afternoon,
the 50-year-old team captain was practicing for the competition, near the town of Merredin. It’s
believed that Taylor lost control soon after he launched but further details weren’t released,
pending an investigation. The man fatally crashed into a paddock and died at the scene. The Hang
Gliding Associating of Western Australia expressed their regrets regarding his passing while Taylor’s
heartbroken family released a statement saying that they were partially comforted
knowing he’d died doing what he loved. How Will It Kill You?
The combination of speed and altitude is inherently where most of the dangers of
hang-gliding lie. Pilots may fatally crash into objects, such as trees or power lines,
while launching, landing or by getting too close to them in flight. Equipment failures,
such as disconnected harnesses, may send them plummeting to the ground from
hundreds or thousands of feet in the air. Weather is an extremely important factor as
strong winds can cause pilots to lose control of their gliders and suffer
deadly nose dives. There’s also the danger of them experiencing what’s commonly known
as a cloud suck. It’s the result of excessive lift from a warm air column which can rapidly take them
to dangerous heights where they risk losing control and experiencing breathing problems
associated with rarefied air. Number 3 Fatal Collision in San Diego
In 2019, two hang glider pilots died following a mid-air collision in the northern coastal area
of San Diego County. The victims’ names weren’t released but one of them, a 61-year-old man,
was described as a certified pilot while the other, aged 43, was in the process of
obtaining his certification. One was flying north while the other was southbound.
It’s believed that the trainee made a sudden sharp turn and collided with the instructor, at around
35 feet. Both of them then crashed into a cliff face and were stranded in a precarious position,
about 45 feet below the top. A San Diego Fire-Rescue Department helicopter lowered
rescuers onto the cliff face. Unfortunately, neither pilot had survived the crash. Their
bodies were then hoisted to the top of the cliff. Today's topic was requested by Instagram follower
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Number 2 Otto Lilienthal In the 1890s, Otto Lilienthal’s successful
experiments with gliders appeared in science publications all-over the world, reinvigorating
the idea that manned flight was possible. Much like with modern gliders, the German inventor
designed a bar which enabled the pilot to control the aircraft by shifting their body weight.
He would be known as the “father of flight” for controlling a heavier than air craft in sustained
flight. His contributions were recognized by other notable aviation pioneers, such as
Orville and Wilbur Wright. In 1894, Lilienthal built a hill, near his home in Lichterfelde. It
stood at almost 49 feet and enabled him to launch his gliders, regardless of the wind direction.
In August of 1896, he went to the Rhinow Hills, a spot he’d launched from in the past. Lilienthal’s
first three flights were successful and he reached a distance of 820 feet, which is
close to 3 football fields. On the fourth, his glider stalled and, unable to regain control,
he fell from about 49 feet, while still attached to the aircraft. Lilienthal suffered a broken neck
and died about 36 hours after the crash. How to Survive?
While traditionally regarded as unsafe, hang gliding has seen a number of training
and equipment improvements in the past decades, which have mitigated
some of the risks. Using a parachute ensures that pilots can land safely if they experience
problems while flying. They must also check that their equipment is in proper condition and
adequately connected. Additional instruments include a radio, a GPS and a variometer,
which enables pilots to determine acceleration forces as they hit thermals and gain lift.
Physical fitness is also important as controlling the wing places stress on the pilot’s upper body.
Many of the reported accidents and fatalities stem from poor-decision making. This can include, aside
from ignoring equipment safety, flying in bad weather or too close to objects in the environment
as well as attempting dangerous maneuvers. Number 1 Peter O’Loughlin
In 1998, Peter O’Loughlin suffered what’s been described as one of the most horrific hang gliding
accidents in recent history. The 38-year-old was coming in to land in a paddock in Cessnock,
New South Wales, when a sudden wind shift knocked him into 11,000-volt power lines. He made contact
with his wing as well as his legs, which created a circuit, and he suffered severe electrical burns.
He was airlifted to a hospital, where doctors amputated his arms and legs in a bid to save his
life. Amazingly, the pilot survived. O’Loughlin adapted to his new life and became an inspiration
for his community. By using a wheelchair and prosthetic limbs, he relearned to do many of
the activities that he enjoyed. Within 6 months of the accident he returned to his job as an auditor.
O’Loughlin eventually took part in tandem hang gliding flights but his dream was to solo fly
again. He and his friends spent months modifying and adapting his hang glider.
It would be a dangerous endeavor, as O’Loughlin’s prosthetic arms were attached to the control bar,
meaning he’d be unable to let go. In September of 2000, O’Loughlin went to Singleton airport,
north-west of Newcastle. He was towed into the air and soared for the first time in over two years.
He performed 2 successful flights but disaster struck on his third attempt.
After the rope connecting him to the vehicle was released, O’Loughlin lost control and
speared into the ground from nearly 100 feet up. The impact killed him instantly.
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