Hi Darren,just subscribed to your channel-loved this vid,brilliant views.Gave hang gliding a go when I was 18,now 51 and really keen to give it a go again!-your giving me loads of inspiration,keep posting!
Thanks Douglas! You know, 51 is not too old to start learning... when I learned there was a guy in his 60s learning with me. Why don't you have a taster day to try it out? Once you start... you just can't stop!
@@MooSurfer Cheers Darren,I live in Suffolk,so think nearest place to learn is in Norfolk-I'm a paramedic so get quite a few days off in a row after doing 12hr shifts,so I could learn over a few months like yourself!
Hello Darren - Spoke to you when you were setting up "travel all the way to Italy and meet someone from Sunderland" - great video and from that view you have balls of steel.
Fantastic, it's a beautiful place to fly isn't it. I had a look at the ramp when I was there a few years ago & decided I'm so pleased I fly a Paraglider 😄 perfect take off, flight and landing. A friend landed on that road, we laughed like hell 😂
Thanks... I actually really like ramp take offs. They certainly concentrate the mind and you're actually away from the hill and flying safely very quickly. Better than getting dragged by your washing ;-)
So interesting and educational videos you are making, Darren! Looks like a very good norwegian HG-pilot there at the very end of this vlog, Nils Aage Henden.
Nice ramp that. Started there a few times, when I did flying hangliders in the 90´s.. Edit. Remember that it was scaring walking up the stairs in gusty breeze.. Start is exellent.
Darren,did I see a large cactus patch on the edge of the cliff?Hope you are wearing your very thick flying gear.The Italians love their cactus mate.Happy flying.
Ha! Thanks for the good advice James! I do seem to have a penchant for finding prickly landings - have a look at the landing on this one.... ;-) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lc2VpmlYct0.html
Excellent video! I love the excitement in your voice and your explanations as you navigate the sky. I really wish I could have you as a glider buddy. Quick question for you, if you don't mind. How do you plan out taking your glider with you as you travel to different places? Is it that much of a challenge. I've been wondering how you're able to do this. Thanks for the videos!
Aww thanks Liger King! Where do you fly? When travelling to different competitions I usually travel with one or two friends. We share a car and take a driver with us when we can. Sometimes at the competitions they have a retrieve service too to collect you when you land a long way away. On this particular video it was me and my friend Gordon... we left a fold down motorbike in the bottom landing field and used that to collect the car from the top afterwards! Also many places offer a lift to the top of the hill so you can leave your car at the bottom. It's not too much of a challenge, it just requires a little planning.
Darren Brown Extreme Sports, oh that all makes sense to me now. Thank you so much for the info. I'm yet a fantasy glider enthusiast; I have never seen one in real life. But I've started looking into joining in the sport. With the COVID-19 lockdown, however, it's hard to achieve anything now. That is why I'm taking advantage of the only option I have right now - virtual gliding. Watching your videos gives me visceral experience. You have no idea just how closely you bring your viewers - and especially me - to real life gliding. How long, in your estimation, does it take to train from a novice to a comfortable glider pilot? That is, how long on the average does typical glider training take? Sorry I'm asking too many questions. It's just that I'm totally convinced that with the obvious passion you have for the sport (evidenced by your excitement in every video), you're the best pilot to get insights from. Again, thank you immensely for patiently answering my questions.
I'm not a hangglider pilot (yet), but that sharp aerodynamic part of the bottom horizontal bar looks dangerous to me. I assume from the looks of it that it's made of carbon fiber. Imagine you have an accident by landing into a wall or a bus and that your chest or stomach or family jewels strikes against that sharp bar. That's going to leave some serious extra damage. If the sharp part could be made of something soft like thin plastic, then it'll just give way when necessary.
Hi Winston, you're right it IS made of carbon fibre. And would hurt if you crashed through the sharp bit. Though the nature of hang-gliding accidents seems to be that if it happens they end up hitting the flat edge, if at all. And any such collision is likely to smash the basebar on the ground. I never actually heard of anyone having the type of collision you describe with the sharp point. And if you hit a bus, I think you are doing something seriously wrong! ;-)
Just found your channel the other day and am glad I did. Your in-flight commentary is great! I'm sure this has been asked and answered, but what headset and mic are you using? I'm looking for a nice setup myself.
Hiya John - I'm really glad you like it! I'm using a zoot headset for my radio. But do you mean what mic I use for the video? That's just the built in mic on the gopro. I have a gopro hero 5, and have a foam sleeve around it that acts as a muffler for the wind noise.
I flew there for years in early eighties... a glass of red wine from the bar to the left before taking off, and out we go! My wife could not watch it, though... The landing at the time was closer to the mountain and way shorter and more difficult, you actually had to go almost around a big chimney just in the final 100 meters...
Hi Darren, from morocco :D, i've enjoyed watching a couple of your videos , great flights as usual , i have one question if possible , so what i've understood from the final sceen in the video with your friend going on a 50cc motor bike to bring the car that you left in the launching zone ? Cause Im wiling to start HG but im always concerned about landing far from my car left in the launching site.. with 30kg gear its pretty difficult to hick up .. thanks Darren
Amine Aneflouss, I'm seriously thinking about joining in HG. Darren has indeed gotten me really hyped up with his videos. I can't wait for this covid pandemic to be over. I'm in Texas, United States.
Hi Amine - yes that's right, it was a fold up motorbike that we had taken with us in the back of the car. We left the motorbike in the landing zone and used it to collect the car from the launch site afterwards. To be honest it is rarely a problem. Some sites you can land back next to your car, often you can find a service giving rides up the hill. Once you start hang-gliding you will find there are lots of ways around this problem and other hang-glider pilots will help you.
Texas... Liger King there are some excellent flying schools in the USA! Get learning as soon as we're out of this lockdown!! I'm actually considering bringing my son to America next year so he can learn on an intensive course.
Darren Brown Extreme Sports, definitely! The pandemic is about the only thing holding me back now. I spoke to an instructor few days ago and he pointed out a school to me. I believe that learning the sport would come very easily to me as I've visually figured some flight maneuvers from watching your videos and videos on other channels. I'm sure your son is excited about visiting the United States. But I hope the United States is blessed with as many mountains as your country. I personally think that mountains offer the best sites for launch and flight. It seems they have endless wind and thermals.
Awesome mate ,great vid as always . Darren , won't you do a short vid on your camera set up , mount etc . I usually mount my GoPro either on the Kiel or Crossbar which is great except for occasional commentary . Id love to see how you've set yours up , both you and Ollie have it perfect . Cheers
Hi Andy, you're right, I DID love it. Though might a little petrified too ;-) The VG - I have an explanation at 11mins 20 secs in the video on the link below - although I will endeavour to do a more detailed video that shows exactly how it works. Thank you :-) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VbUdvmPcgl4.html
Beautiful amigo! Your turns look so flat and effortless right from the very beginnig...is that because of the glider model? I am struggling making a decision of what to move on next...I am flying a sport 2 but can decide on a U2 or T3.... thanks
Thank you! Yes, my turns are easy and light - it's a T2 and is a fun glider to fly. The type of glider you fly does make a difference to how easily you turn, yes. Also the wing loading (your clipped in weight vs size of glider) will affect the handling. So it's important also to get the correct size glider for you. I'm a little light on my glider so it would actually turn easier if I were to put on a bit of weight! Typically a high performance glider (T3 / T2) will be more difficult to turn than a lower performance glider (U2) and will require you to complete a co-ordinated turn (meaning you need to factor in the pitch) rather than only weight shift. Which glider you go for will depend really on what you want to get from it - speed / performance / handling. Also on your level of experience and skill. I would suggest trying to test fly a U2 and a T3 (or T2 if you can't get a T3) and see which one feels best to you. I hope that helps?
Sorry I missed your comment... I cut the wind noise with a muffler around my GoPro - I show it in this video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u7-WQMXdkwM.html
Erm.. I'm not sure now! I just looked on the WW website and they have removed T2C and replaced it with T3. I basically went for the best setup I could - though from memory there were 2 types of material available and I went for the slightly lighter one. I did this realising it might not last as long, but I hope to replace it in a few years. Sorry I can't be more specific, I can't remember the full detail of the material.
It gets easier by following everyone else Simon! Come to the BOS and the Nationals and I guarantee you will get a warm welcome, will love the flying and you too will find more lift! - unless you're the Simon that already does?
Darren, im 42 now, and all my life i have always wanted to be .....well, you. A professional hang glider pilot. But where im the only one working and the only income, how could i possibly ever afford such a life? What do YoU do for work? Any advise?
Hang-gliding isn't as expensive as you might think. Have you looked into schools near you? Where are you based? Or do you already fly? I understand it can be tough, especially if you have a young family, but the key is planning and preparation. I save up for my hang-gliding trips and they are a big event for me. My advice is this: 1. Look at the costs of learning. 2. Work out how much you can save each month. 3. Save for it - have that goal in mind and make it happen. That's what I did and do. Also speak to your local hanggliding community for equipment - you'll find there are people who have old varios and things like that they might give/lend/sell cheaply. But make sure your glider is one approved by whoever teaches you - they will know your abilities.
@@MooSurfer I really appreciate your time you took to respond. Though ive grown up flying always in my life one way or another, i myself am not a pilot...sadly yet. I know an awful lot about flying and everything behind it with the exception of actually DOING it and feeling it. Im in central Maine, USA. Not a damn thing here lol. Closest school is in New Hampshire where i grew up. For 2000 dollars i can get my H1. But do i need all my own equipment first? Or does the school provide anything? Website doesnt say. Also... im 6 foot 3 without boots. Lol. Also 320 lbs. To make flight weight, i need to loose 100 lbs. So im going under the knife next year to have half my stomach taken out. Im serious about wanting to fly, but i have so many questions yet. Not too many around here willing to answer. Also, just wanted to really say thank you for the videos you post. Ive been watching you fly now for about 2 years. Im the biggest wanna be hang glider pilot you'll ever know lol . Flying is my passion but money is the kryptonite! But thanks to your videos, i can itleast dream as im watching everything your doing. Once i get going somehow, i want to fly also to raise money and awareness to things like cancer and epilepsy. The diseases that took my mother and sister from me. Maybe theyll see me with them one day as i fly with them the way you do
