Investigation into hang-gliding

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33279, 17 July 1973, Page 4

Investigation into hang-gliding

(Netv Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. | The rapidly growing sport of hang-gliding will be investigated by the Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport.

In the United States, the sport became popular about two years ago, and there are now more than 1000 active human-kite flyers. They can stay airborne for up to two hours.

The sport has gained con- : siderable popularity in Aus-' tralia and Britain, where en-' thusiasts are making their own kites of aluminium and terylene from American plans. The Civil Aviation Division has called for reports from the United States, Australia land Britain on the kites. Mr R. Shand, an inspector, said that so far the kites had not caused any problems, and would not unless they began igetting up to a few hundred feet in the air. “We just don’t know a ■ great deal about them yet, so that we will have.to wait and see what other countries have done,” he said. “Of course, if someone wants to jump off Mount Cook and attempt to fly to Christchurch under one of these things, then we would look very closely at it.” TYPICAL KITE

i A typical kite, made by I two Auckland brothers for $BO, is 16ft long and has a ■wing span of 25ft. The deltashaped kite has a frame of aluminium tubing and stain-less-steel wire rigging. The wing covering is of a japaralike material. The plan was bought in the United States, Where completed kites sell for between SUS2SO and SUSSOO. A club, the Hang-Gliders Association of Auckland, has been formed. Members have five kites flying, and seven are being built.