Glider safety first
Columbus Telegram, Columbus, Nebraska
19 April, 1975
Meanwhile in Newton, Kan., Jim Bede, inventor of the Bede build-it-yourself pleasure airplane, says he has tested successfully a revolutionary hang glider called the "Bede Wing." The wing is inflated to an airfoil shape with helium -- not enough to lift the "pilot" off the ground bus sufficient to lift if he gains a forward speed of 12 miles an hour. The inflated wing is tethered 18 feet above the pilot, producing stable flight, says Bede. And the helium wing still floats above the flyer after he lands.
No roof rack needed.
"Has anyone seen my, uh..., hang glider? I left it here a minute ago..."