Welcome to the 80's...
From delta tow kites to Hang Gliding - it would be just a small step off a hill into wind and you would be flying...aahh!!.
The days of peace, love and hang gliding. No ski boat, no crew, no tow ropes and no salt water. all was free and easy. Delta tow kites evolved into hang gliding and we flew higher and further.
Origins
Hang gliding began in many places around the globe at a similar time. I recall pilots jumping off hills in Hawaii, America, England, Australia and many other places.
It would be difficult to say who did it first, the first person to run down a hill with a small delta kite strapped to their backs looking to taste the freedom of flight.
Many names come to mind.. Chris MacDonald of Newcastle flew a kite made of bamboo & black garbage bags. Bill Moyes jump into the Grand Canyon in the USA Shane, Rick & Russell Duncan and myself jumped off coastal cliffs around Newcastle..and our fathers guided us with 'you can do it'.
Bill Bennett of the USA was doing his stuff across the globe many other kite pilots were doing the hang gliding thing!
Hang gliding takes off
As the sport of hang gliding grew rapidly, so did the design of these basic delta flexwing kites.
The simple delta kite concept started to become an efficient flexwing, the wing spans increased, aspect ratio's altered, glide angles improved and safety became more evident in the characteristics of hang gliders.
The simple dacron fabric delta structure changed with trilam, scrim, mylar, and many other fabric mods to improve performance. The introduction of streamlined harnesses, helmets and pitch stability systems all contributed to the evolution
of hang gliding. The sport of daredevils in the 80's.
It was also the beginning of the powered hang glider bolt a simple three wheeled power unit under the wing and you no longer required a hill. In Australia and around the globe, the early trikes were simple, slow and designed basically for aero-towing hang gliders up into thermals, so we could fly further and longer.
A few farmers in Australia showed interest for property inspection and trikes were very useful at the 1988 World Championships filming hang glider pilots thermalling up from magnificent Mount Buffalo in Victoria much safer than filming from a helicopter. The rules were few and the trike industry was about to boom.
These are very memorable great days of delta flexwing flying whether you flew hang gliders or trikes. The 80's in Australia - "a time of development, growth and fun in the delta flexwing industry."