Adamrt wrote:Hi all!
Hello Adam!! It's great to have you here!
Adamrt wrote:Many of these threads look fairly old, I am creating a recent one to see if there is more interest from new hang gliders or from experienced gliders that would consider taking up someone new.
John Heiney is a world-famous aerobatic pilot, and he is also an instructor. I benefitted tremendously from his mentorship while I was earning my H4. I used to ask John why he didn't do more aggressive advertising for new students. He would tell me that the ones who really wanted to fly hang gliders would seek him out. I personally think that there must be more of a balance between the sport reaching out to prospective new pilots ... and new pilots reaching out to find their way into the sport. But my point is that if you really want to fly, don't take "no" for an answer. I'm personally honored that you've come to the U.S. Hawks, but you can also check out hanggliding.org and ushpa.org. They are all potential sources of instruction. Seek out mentorship wherever you can find it.
Adamrt wrote:I am a master's student in mechanical engineering at New Mexico State University and a private pilot. After briefly chatting with Bob, hang gliding sounds like an exciting new venture I would love to try and an awesome community, please let me know if there is anyone willing to get me started.
Best,
Adam Takeshita
That sounds like a perfect background for hang gliding. You've got both flying and engineering. They will both serve you well. Please remember that you may likely know more about aviation and engineering than your hang gliding instructor does. But they will have the hands-on experience that you lack. Understanding the physics and dynamics behind riding a bicycle is very complicated. But a child can learn to do it without any math or physics at all. The best knowledge is a combination of both. You will have that when you find a good instructor.
I agree with Joe:
1. You are welcome to refresh any topic thread with new ideas.
The truth is that there is an enormous depth of hang gliding knowledge and history contained in this forum. I am often tempted to start a new topic, but then I realize that there is an existing topic that could be refreshed. Some sites discourage what they call "dredging up" old topics. But I find that the refreshing process honors the past and links it to both the present and future. A topic of 10 years duration is a treat in today's ADD view of the world.
