The Physics of Hang Gliding

Dr. Hewett has received both national and international awards from the hang gliding community for his contributions to the safety of towing hang gliders. These contributions were a consequence of his applying his knowledge of physics to the sport of hang gliding. This lecture illustrates how these and other applications of the fundamental principles of physics have influenced the historical evolutions of hang gliding and paragliding from the earliest flights of Otto Lilienthal in 1891 through the more recent record breaking flights of more than 430 miles from Zapata Texas.