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This topic is JUST for the collection of data. There's no need to argue about anything in this topic, since we'll eventually set up another topic for those kinds of discussions. Let's start by just listing what we know. Again, everyone is welcome to contribute.
As with anything, the history of hang gliding has its monumental moments along with its trivial moments. At this stage of gathering, I'd like us to gather dates from the full range of that spectrum. But to distinguish between big things (like the first hour-long soaring flight) and trivial things (like Bob Kuczewski's first hour-long soaring flight) I'd like to use font size for each entry based on the poster's sense of importance. Here's the scale that I'd like to see us use:
200 (Huge) - Really BIG events
150 (Large) - Moderately big events
100 (Normal) - Normal events
85 (Small) - Relatively insignificant events
65 (Tiny+) - Footnote events (things not normally deserving of being included in a normal "history")
You can pick other numbers as well just to help you show the relative significance of the event. For now, let's not use any other features (like color, or bold or italic) because I'd like to save those for future enhancements. So just use the size boxes (Tiny, Small, Normal, Large, and Huge) or actual numbers (between about 50 and 200) to show the size (importance) of the event. Thanks.
I understand that any "ranking" of importance will carry some amount of subjectivity, so please don't get too concerned if what one person rates as "Really BIG" isn't the same as what someone else rates as "Really BIG". These guidelines are just to help us see things more easily as we put the timeline together. Eventually, we'll figure out ways to merge "importance" values or display them according to different "views" of this history.
The only other requirements that I'd like to suggest is that each suggested timeline entry must start with a single a date in YYYY-MM-DD format and that it only be a single line. That will make it easier to sort into a final timeline as we progress. If you don't know a particular day or month, please fill it in with ?'s (note that since the dates are sorted as strings, the '?' character will be sorted after the digits 0-9). We can also add additional rules to this first post as they're needed.
Here's the current time line (automatically produced from posts in this topic):
- 1810-??-?? : : : Sir George Cayley instructs the world about gliding. Pendulum weight-shift control is understood.1811-??-?? : Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger of Ulm, Germany, flew hang glider from platform and lande
- 1810-??-?? : Sir George Cayley instructs the world about gliding. Pendulum weight-shift control is understood.
- 1811-??-?? : Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger of Ulm, Germany, flew hang glider from platform and landed in water. Low L/D.
- 1812-??-?? : Thomas Walker instructs the world about the principles of gliding.
- 1877-03-12 : Patent Application by Frank Baenett for "Improvement in flying-machines". (US 190730 A)
- 1877-05-15 : Patent Published for Frank Baenett's "Improvement in flying-machines". (US 190730 A)
- 1883-??-?? : John J. Montgomery exploits.
- 188c-??-?? : William Beeson has series of patent teachings
- 1893-08-01 : International Conference on Aerial Navigation, held in Chicago (Octave Chanute)
- 1893-??-?? : to 1896 serial production of hang gliders by Otto Lilienthal. Many customers.
- 1894-??-?? : Augustus Moore Herring built a Type 11-monoplane hang glider based on Otto Lilienthal‘s 1893 German patent.
- 1896-??-?? : The Automotor Journal
- 189?-??-?? : Series of many hang gliders built and flown by Otto Lilienthal.
- 18??-??-?? : Boy is lifted off ground in a Cayley device.
- 18??-??-?? : Percy Pilcher, etc.
- 18??-??-?? : Octave Chanute, etc.
- 18??-??-?? : Augusts M. Herring, etc.
- 18??-??-?? : Wenham
- 18??-??-?? : Brothers Lilienthal wing run a small wing.
- 18??-??-?? : James Means publishes big time
- 1901-??-?? : At Alexandra Palace: S. F. Cody :: his first man-lifting kite
- 1904-??-?? : Berck Beach hang gliders and the crowds seeing the foot-lauching.
- 1905-??-?? : Cody glider.
- 1905-??-?? : Mr. E. Mills of Daytona and his "wind motoring" which might be today called landsailing.
- 1908-05-16 : Cody's first flight. Search: From Kites to Aeroplanes, lecture. May 16, 1908.
- 1908-??-?? : In a gliding club's hang glider: a left and right sail had cable-stayed A-frame (triangle control frame) (TCF) with pilot hung as we know today.
- 1908-??-?? : Breslau's Cable-stayed Triangle Control Bar For Hang Gliders
- 1909-01-02 : FLIGHT weekly publication begins from the base of The Automotor Journal..
- 190?-??-?? : Geoffrey Dorman goes airborne in Cody kite train at the guide of Cody himself. 1901 or 1902.
- 190?-??-?? : Santos-Dumont in his Demoiselle exhibited A-frame with pilot pressing basebar and pilot slung from fuselage keel.
- 1910-04-05 : Patent Application by Victor H Latendorf for Aeroplane. (US 1034257 A)
- 1912-07-30 : Patent Published for Victor H Latendorf's Aeroplane. (US 1034257 A)
- 1948-??-?? : Francis Rogallo patented a design for a simple flexible wing
- 1953-??-?? : Book: Pioneer of the Air (Gale and Polden, 1953) by G. A. Broomfield
- 1954-??-?? : Joe Faust begins his flying career to give root to his publishing on hang gliding. Minimal wing, tendon hang, jump launch.
- 1954-??-?? : Igor Bensen gets cover published using in a low cost kite glider the pilot hung behind triangle control frame A-frame.
- 195?-??-?? : Francis Rogallo teaches, demonstrates, and encourages NASA and many others to explore both limp and stiffened single, double, and multiple lobe hang gliders (parawings).
- 195?-??-?? : NASA comprehensively studies hundreds of versions of hang glider wings.
- 1960-??-?? : Tony Prentice designs, builds a hang glider hybrid non-NASA inspired to begin a hang glider life that continue to 2012+.
- 1961-03-08 : Contract over a matured hang glider wing for powered research: Ryan Aeronautical wins contract. March 8, 1961.
- 1961-05-23 : Otto Lilienthal birthday: San Diego first flight by Lou Everett, Ryan test pilot. Four-boom hang glider wing powered payload.
- 1961-11-?? : Popular Mechanics article by Lou Everett (Pterodactyl Flex-Wing)
- 1961-??-?? : Paul Bikle directs the hang glider project Paresev. Charles Richards (? s or not) designs and leads the building of wing.
- 1961-??-?? : Barry Hill Palmer foot launches seven to eight versions of flexible-wing hang gliders.
- 1961-??-?? : Jim Hobson (Lawrence Welk show director) builds and experiments with his hang glider at Dockweiler Beach in So. Calif.
- 1962-02-12 : FAA issues from Burbank, California, the registration number of N9765C, Aircraft Serial Number 101. February 12.
- 1962-02-12 : Robert E. Forbes, Chief, Aircraft & Airman Records Branch signed by rubber stamp N9765C registration certificate.
- 1962-02-12 : The N9765C had wing for Rogallo-inspired hang gliders purposed for large payload.
- 1962-02-12 : For N9765C Registrant: National Aeronautics & Space Admin, P.O. Box 273, Edwards, CA 93523
- 1962-02-12 : Other owner of N9765C: Flight Research Center. February.
- 1962-09-17 : Barry Hill Palmer writes to Paul Bikle of NASA. September.
- 1962-10-04 : Francis Rogallo responds to Barry Hill Palmer. October.
- 1962-??-?? : Mike Burns end up with a Paresev-like four-boom flexible-wing kite hang glider wing.
- 1962-??-?? : Mike Burns uses NASA literature as foundations and builds prototypes and final of Ski Plane using term kite-glider. TCF. Pilot hung from keel (control: same function and arrangement as 1908 Breslau).
- 1962-??-?? : Mike Burns embeds ancient control system (Santos-Dumont and Breslau and Spratt, etc) A-frame in kite hang glider.
- 1962-??-?? : Mike Burns places large pontoons on kite hang glider purposed for water landings.
- 1963-09-05 : Engagement to marriage forms synergistic tidal change from minimal-wing tendon hang gliding flight foot launch to tethered-wing with pilot as resistive set for Joe Faust, which action formed the basis
- 1963-??-?? : John Dickenson ends up with NASA-literature-inspired kite glider with appearance for wing and pilot position and control as Mike Burns and Paresev.
- 1963-??-?? : John Dickenson developed a weight-shift hang glider with TCF
- 1967-03-?? : Barry Hill Palmer puts Paresev-like wing to use with trike undercarriage and adds power.
- 1967-03-?? : FAA certifies powered ultralight with reg. number N7144. Owner: Barry Hill Palmer. Power-off hang gliding. March.
- 1967-??-?? : Without Visible Means of Support, book is published. Author: Richard Miller, former editor of Soaring Magazine.
- 1969-??-?? : Finally an Australian downhill ski launch occurs (not wing running foot launching) off mountain: Bill Moyes.
- 196?-??-?? : Radical change in form to "upside down" or "backwards" for minimal wing placement for minimum hang-from-tendon gliding for foot launching.
- 196?-??-?? : Jim Foreman coordinates with Richard Miller and George Uveges to produce hang glider Bamboo Butterfly plans. Sells plans.
- 196?-??-?? : Barry Hill Palmer gives information to Richard Miller.
- 196?-??-?? : Richard Miller and Barry Hill Palmer correspond; information on NASA and Palmer's hang gliders discussed.
- 196?-??-?? : Tony Prentice of UK built many hang gliders and foot launched them.
- 196?-??-?? : at Dockweiler: several foot launch hang glider; crowd sees.
- 196?-??-?? : Group of Soaring Society of America communicate strongly in hang gliding matters and have six issues of newsletter; even Horten flying wing hang glider studied in newsletter.
- 1970-??-?? : 1970 as "Jonathan Livingston Seagull — a story." This gave energy to many who would advance hang gliding.
- 1971-05-23 : Otto Lilienthal meet
- 1972-02-18 : "Hangup" article featuring Joe Faust in Long Beach Independent, page 3
- 1973-??-?? : First U.S. National Hang Gliding Championships - Chris Wills
- 1973-??-?? : Founding of Wills Wing by Bob and Chris Wills
- 1977-07-?? : Jerry Katz flies over 100 miles on a hang glider
- 1977-07-?? : Tragic death of Bob Wills in a filming accident
- 1977-??-?? : Queen Elizabeth Anniversary Medal Silver Medal awarded to Bill Moyes
- 1978-1?-?? : Bob Kuczewski's first hang gliding flights (Fort Lewis WA, and Cape Kiwanda OR)
- 1978-??-?? : Russian Aero Club Bronze Medal awarded to Bill Moyes
- 197?-??-?? : Richard Miller and Joe Faust collaborate on hang glider publishing matters.
- 197?-??-?? : Bill Moyes rope-tow launches off Torrance beach slope, Joe Faust handles the tow rope for the launch.
- 197?-??-?? : USHGA formed by Joe Faust; Bob Luthardt (?) offers a denied growth plan with offer of partnership.
- 197?-??-?? : Dick Eipper decided to manufacture hang gliders.
- 197?-??-?? : Popular Science magazine published major article.
- 197?-??-?? : Self-Soar Association collected $73,000 in subscriptions and sales of hang glider plans to 23 nations.
- 197?-??-?? : Irv Culver blesses hang gliding movement with talk to hundreds of listeners. Culver twist results.
- 197?-??-?? : Richard Boone joins his design talent to the Bill Bennett company.
- 197?-??-?? : Roy Haggard builds and flies HG at a Torrance Beach hang glider meet.
- 197?-??-?? : Doug Lamont, editor, publishes in Soaring Magazine letter from Joe Faust.
- 1980-??-?? : This is your life was awarded to Bill Moyes for his contribution to the sport of Hang Gliding.
- 1980-??-?? : Royal Australian Aero Club Oswald Watt Gold Medal awarded to Bill Moyes
- 1980-??-?? : N.S.W. Hall of Champions Plaque awarded to Bill Moyes
- 1982-??-?? : N.S.W. Government Advance Australia Award awarded to Bill Moyes
- 1983-??-?? : CIVL Diploma of Honour awarded to Bill Moyes
- 1991-??-?? : Bill Moyes (Australia) constructed an interpretation of the Horten Xc (Piernifero 3).
- 1992-??-?? : Australian Sports Hall of Fame Associate Member awarded to Bill Moyes
- 1993-??-?? : The 8 ft barrier AGL achieved for minimal-wing hang-by-tendon flight off flat ground in nil wind by Javier Sotomayor.
- 1995-??-?? : NASA Space Technology Hall of Fame awarded to Bill Moyes
- 1995-??-?? : Smithsonian Institute Invention Award awarded to Bill Moyes
- 1998-09-?? : Delivers key paper: The Horten H X Series: Ultra Light Flying Wing Sailplanes by Albion H. Bowers.
- 1999-??-?? : Order of Australia Medal -- OAM awarded to Bill Moyes
- 19??-??-?? : Ho Xa Piernifero I, nicknamed " L'alita" built in Cordoba, Argentina.
- 19??-??-?? : Spratt uses A-frame to control hang glider.
- 19??-??-?? : Smithsonian Air and Space Museum display Delta Wing Kites and Gliders, Inc, pontooned manned kite.
- 1???-??-?? : Horten Brothers and hang glider flying wing
- 1???-??-?? : Book, Hang Gliding by Dan Poynter
- 2005-08-16 : Bob Kuczewski's first hang gliding flight at Torrey Pines
- 2007-04-11 : Founding of the Torrey Hawks Hang Gliding Club by Bob Kuczewski, John Heiney, Dave Beardslee, and Theda Silver-Pell.
- 2007-09-11 : Application filed for the Torrey Hawks to become USHPA Chapter #270. The Hawks had 5 original members.
- 2008-05-?? : The Torrey Hawks sign up their 100th member.
- 2008-12-16 : Mark Forbes announces that Bob Kuczewski defeated David Jebb for Regional Director in Region 3 by 122 votes to 98 votes.
- 2010-08-13 : Founding of the US Hawks Hang Gliding Association
- 2011-05-23 : 40th anniversary Otto Meet Reunion - Marker presented
- 2011-11-30 : Neil Larson as "Flying Santa" with Little Hawk in Crestview Florida Park.
- 2012-05-23 : 41st anniversary Otto Meet Reunion - Newport Beach Historical Society Event
- 2012-06-16 : Terry Mason in platform launching lockout enters Next Thermal. In his text is found his note: "the incomparable thrill of free flight. I'm reminded of Johnathan Livingston Seagull"
- 2013-??-?? : Flexwing Hang Glider Gold Air Award by World Hang Gliding Association awarded to Bill Moyes
- 2014-11-09 : Bob Kuczewski arrested for trespassing at Torrey Pines Gliderport in San Diego during Second Sunday.
- 2014-12-22 : Bob Kuczewski's trespassing trial date. The City of San Diego does not file charges.
