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Hang Gliding History and Origins

The origins of hang gliding have roots in the birth of flight itself. Many of the pioneers in flight flew aircraft what could be remotely classified as a hang glider.

Leonardo Divinci first sketches of a winged craft have many of the structural characteristics of today's hang gliders.

George Cayley was successful in foot launching a glider in 1853.

In the late 1800's, Otto Lilienthal built and flew several gliders that had resemblence to today's hang glider.

Francis Rogallo

Of all of aviation's pioneers, Francis Rogallo has had the biggest aerodynamic influence on the modern hang glider.

Francis Rogallo with his
Parawing in the wind tunnel.
Photo Credit: NASA Langley
Research Center

While working for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) as a aeronautics project engineer in 1948, Rogallo designed a flexible v-shaped fabric and frame wing called the Parawing. Rogallo obtained patents on his wing in 1951. In 1958, NACA would become known as NASA.

NASA expressed interest in using the Parawing in 1958 to return space capsules into the sea after reentry from the upper atmosphere. Eventually, NASA decided not to use the Parawing but concluded that the round parachutes would be adequate for spacecraft reentry.

Photos of Rogallo's Parawing was published around the world in newspapers and magazines. These publications inspired a few individuals to experiment with the first true hang glider designs.

Although called a Parawing, the wing resembled today's modern hang glider rather than a paraglider as the name might suggest.

John Dickenson

John Dickenson, an Australian, was asked to design a kite for a water show in 1963. This kite was needed to carry a water skier aloft while being pulled by a boat. An electrician by trade, John was not sure where to start.

John noticed a picture of Francis Rogallo’s wing in a magazine and used it as a basis for the design of the kite. While not having any detail plans to work from other than the photo, John managed to build the first modern hang glider by using proportional measurements from the picture. The glider had a wooden leading edge, aluminum crossbar, and was covered in plastic sheeting sail.

Eventually, the news of John's new aircraft would reach Rogallo. Rogallo was so impressed with John's implementation of his Parawing that he requested and received a set of plans.

Bill Moyes, the first Australian hang glider manufacturer, trained under John and performed in the water shows.