55 YEARS OF HANG GLIDING: PAT CROWE HONOURED

On September 8, 2018, we will celebrate the 55th anniversary of the invention of hang gliding. The ceremony in Grafton, Australia, will show the FAI Hang Gliding and Paragliding Diploma given to Pat Crowe, the boat pilot who towed the first hang glider model we know so well these days.

Asa Mark 3a Dickenson's first public exhibition of 1964 will also be held. This is the oldest hang glider in the world, the third hang glider built by John Dickenson in Grafton and the first hang glider he sold. This aircraft has been removed from its cover only once in 2009 for verification purposes since its last flight to Stradbroke Island in 1972. This will be its only exhibit in Grafton, or even anywhere outside a suitable museum.

The sport of hang gliding actually began in 1963 when John Dickenson invented the hang glider. The wing was robust, able to withstand many unsuccessful landings and yet fly, easy to carry and store. It all happened in Grafton, Australia, when John Dickenson, an electronics engineer and member of the Grafton Water Ski Club, invented a kite for the Annual Jacaranda Festival, creating an absolutely new kind of kite.

Since childhood, John had been obsessed with flying objects and, of course, carefully studied the research work done by his ancestors. So when he was tasked with building a flying ski kite instead of a traditional five-sided design, he created models with a high aspect ratio. Dickenson later recalled that he was mainly inspired by an old airfoil design that the US space agency, NASA, was working on. John created his own structure to make the airfoil fit for his purpose. It also came with the pendulum weight change control system that revolutionized hang gliding. His other inspiration came from a flying fox - a giant Australian bat-like animal that has wings that allow it to glide perfectly. Watching these "flying foxes" for a long time helped John complete his design idea.

That Saturday of 1963, the beginning was not easy. At first John tried to fly the wing by himself, but they were still adjusting the center of gravity location and it took several attempts to figure out where exactly the pilot, control bar and towline should be placed. John was exhausted and suggested that his friends keep trying. Rob Fuller's attempt was a success. He flew more than a kilometer flying the wing through a control bar (now known as a trapeze).

In fact, in towing boats with both flat and delta kites, the boat driver had much more control of the situation than the wing pilot and the boat driver was Pat Crowe.

The first flight had many events: the strong wind gradient had to be mastered, the Grafton Bridge got in the way, and the boat had to turn 180 degrees along the way. During this time, Rod Fuller was just the passenger enjoying the flight and following Pat. He had to follow Pat, who had complete control at all times. Because of what was learned from the success of this flight, John Dickenson was able to fly later in the day when he tried out the large aircraft he had built.

Many flights followed. The towing rope dropped and the hang glider flew free. Thus was born the hang gliding.

In 2012, John Dickenson was awarded the FAI Gold Medal. The Paragliding and Free Flight Diploma was awarded in 2007 to John, 2012, Rod Fuller and in 2018 to Pat Crowe - the boat driver who towed the first working model of modern hang gliding.

Text translated from post by FAI Hang Gliding and Paragliding Commission

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