My scariest hang gliding flight

[@georgedennison3338]

I haven't thought of hangliding in years. I bought a used Wills wing from a small manufacturer in Eugene, Oregon when I was an undergrad @ UO. That was '75. I had just moved to a small place in West Eugene & was riding my bike around the neighborhoo, exploring, when I saw a small shop w/ the door wide open& 2 guys working on a kite. Intrigued, I stopped to get a closer look & my life changed from that point forward. I don't recall how long it was before I saved up enough to buy the Wills, but I was hooked from the moment I met Mike Moore, a pioneer in hanggliding, and Steve, his partner in the biz. Thanks for bringing great memories back to mind. GeoD

[@thejohnnydavidson]

If we care, we share. Stories like this could save other pilots from injury or worse. Thanks for sharing and congratulations for overcoming...

[@erikajklein]

Thank you!

[@Alohakurt]

Hi Erika! I just watched your “My scariest hg flight”. I checked out your channels videos. SHOCK!!! I am a former instructor with Windsports!!!! However, it was near the time when Windsports wasn’t named Windsports. It was originally “Southern California School of Hang Gliding”. Owned by Rich Grigsby and Joe Greblo. The original name changed when the company started teaching wind surfing using “Bic”, yes the Bic pen company made wind surfing boards. Rich told me, well, we are expanding and are no longer only teaching hang gliding. I watched your spot landing video. It brought back memories! I flew in the first and only, First Annual “Kagle Fly In”. There were three events, cross country, bomb drop and spot landing. The cross country was a huge event. All the top pilots were there. I don’t like flying in gaggles as it’s too dangerous for me. I signed up for the bomb drop and spot landing events. The cross country pilots took off and they all sank like rocks. No winners. Later in the day, I launched, flew out dropped my “bomb”…baggie of flour and hit the target dead on. I was low but was able to fly back using an aircraft approach and nailed the landing. My name was mentioned in Hang Gliding magazine but only as an aside. The article raved about all these great pilots who attended but all I got was…The bomb drop , spot landing were both won by Kurt Schmidt. LOL!!! That was my claim to fame back in the day. Like I said that was the first and only annual fly in at Kagle. I do have a cool pic of me coming in on the final right before I landed on the bulls eye with Joe Greblo running after me cheering me on. Fun days!!! Back in the day as our friends were getting ready to launch we would yell to them, “Sky Out Jim!!!!” Or other name inserted. I have a few pamphlets from Southern California school of hang gliding and other cool things from back in the day. I also have ALL of my Hang Gliding magazines. Anyway, just wanted to say hi! Fly safe ( know you do). Sky Out Erika!!!!

[@gregsaracino3252]

It takes courage to come back after an accident. Took me three years after my accident before I had my confidence back. 5 years later, I still get a little nervous before I launch. But that's ok because a little fear is healthy. It's what keeps you humble and cautious.

[@erikajklein]

I completely agree! A little fear and a lot of respect for what we do are good for all of us I think

[@robertgray9624]

Amazing! If you never mentioned the fear, no one would ever know it was there. Im new to your vids but they all look amazing. So glad you post them as this is one thing I love but will never do so I imagine it through your vids. Thanks for sharing. Stay safe.

[@ebo2893]

the clips at 4:43 was good context for how hard it is to land these things. Y'all always make it look so easy!

[@willswingwilly1950]

In 30 years of Hang-gliding I always enjoyed the exchange of pilot story's , flying sites , misshapes , achievement's or any flying related news . In the heydays of free flight we used to be about 40 club members , believe me , fear was noting to be ashamed of , to many pilots last their young life . I like to call it RESPECT , actually there is not much to fear then fear it self , I suffered from a light landing phobia at times my self LOL ( nice Video , thanks and happy landing )

[@EphiBlanshey]

Great video, Erika! Way to overcome fear after an accident. I've been there too and I know how scary it can be, but it feels sooo good to overcome it and keep at it.

[@erikajklein]

Thanks Ephi!

[@n164bj]

I agree a broken bone definitely gets your attention. I broke my leg in 2011 and it has definitely had an effect on my landings. Looks like your working though it. Nice landing! 😊

[@erikajklein]

Thanks! Hopefully it just makes our landings better after 😊

[@monicapedraza-vw7en]

Grear for you..this video has it all from healing to getting out there all over again... God bless you

[@D-Garck]

Thank you Erika! Stoked for you for having stuck the landing and for sharing and encouraging others to share their mistakes!

[@erikajklein]

Thanks Daniel!!

[@HangGlidingFlightSchool]

Sorry you went through that, but delighted you are bravely recovering.

[@Gruximillian]

Very glad that you got back into hanggliding after breaking the arm. I also broke my arm on one of the first training flights back in 2013 and got myself a nice metal plate in my arm too. Took me 7 years later to finish my training and start flying. But my scariest flight was first time high altitude with a glider that wasn’t really suitable for me. Twenty minutes of struggle against the wind and worrying not to crash into the mountain.

[@cros1625]

Way to get back out there and stay positive. And congrats on placing top 10 :)

[@erikajklein]

Thank you!!

[@KeithMilton-rl1mg]

You go girl ! I transitioned to a high performance glider too soon about 25 years ago. Mess up my flair timing. And I lost some confidence. Then I had to give up flying because of my work. Now I find myself in Valle de Bravo with a Litestream Falcon 4. Can't wait to fly it in a couple of weeks. I hope my flair timing will return. I sure don't won't any broken bones at 63. Best of luck to you !

[@erikajklein]

Have fun!!!

[@TheSoaringSprite]

Thank you for sharing your journey in flying! You’re so right, many pilots refuse to talk about their mistakes publicly and we can’t learn from each other if we’re too busy protecting our egos. Flying is amazing, scary, it can be dangerous, but we love it and still try to take the least amount of risk based on our skills and knowledge. I get nervous about big days and new sites as well. It’s nice to see someone else not pretending to be fearless. Healthy levels of fears keep us alive.

[@erikajklein]

I agree! I want to be positive but at the same time, a) it can be hard and b) I feel like being overly positive sometimes ignores the fear and danger that can help keep us safe. It’s a tough balance. Appreciate the honesty from you too 😊

[@wingunder]

There are 2 types of HG pilots: Those that broke an arm, and those that will still break one. Welcome to the club and thanks for sharing! 😃

[@erikajklein]

😂😅 thank you!!

[@ericoschmitt]

I know a bunch of old pilots who never broke anything...

[@thomasthompson405]

I've been flying 53 years and not broke anything 🙃

[@erikajklein]

@@thomasthompson405 nice, keep it up! I had that record for 10 years but ah well

[@shable1436]

That's motorcycles😂

[@haddieman]

Awesome video! Great job overcoming your fear.

[@erikajklein]

Thanks Cory!

[@thermalbug]

ahhhh yes... time to come to the joy of Sailplane soaring. ;o) We get many hang glider pilots that finally see the light. I was one of them. Great video! Keep on flying.

[@shable1436]

They are not cheap though

[@JerryPoe58]

@@shable1436 Not nearly as cheap as hang gliding unless you’re breaking bones. You can get a nice older sailplane for under 15,000$. I flew hang gliders for 8 years and now fly sail planes. You already know how to soar so you just have to learn how to fly a different type of glider. Sailplanes are definitely much safer but can still be very dangerous. I like flying sailplanes better but miss the slow flying of hang gliders.

[@devilsoffspring5519]

Hang gliding kicks ass. Kudos to all who do it. I haven't flown them in many years, about 25 years ago I built and flew electric-powered ones so I could take off from anywhere and fly around instead of needing to find a cliff to jump off from. Certainly had my share of frightening events, including having the battery pack catch fire in mid-air! I had to rip it loose and toss it overboard then make a normal landing (while hauling a big brown "payload" in the seat of my pants!!) Thing about this sort of activity is that absolutely nothing else in life can replace it. There's just nothing else like it.

[@markhoffmann5941]

Great Video Erika!!! i can relate. this reminded me of when my rock climbing partner dropped me while being lowered :) took me one year to trust anyone to belay me again !!

[@erikajklein]

Thanks! Yess I bet!!

[@Platypus-Dreams]

I broke my arm twice, both spiral fractures. It happens, don't let it get you down. Competition flying improves your skills soo much. Wish i wss still flying

[@nicucrainic8106]

Oh my God, what a coincidence. In this very moment I recovering after I have broken my left hand of course because a little high hang glider landing. I had in the last moment up draft and I didn't let the glider to bleed out the energy accordingly. I have my arm fixed for six weeks, but I am worried about how will be able to start to fly again and when? God luck to you and I hope your incident will pass away without any inconvenience and hopefully will learn from this. 😊

[@Hovermaster]

woo hoo...Have been watching your dune videos for two years. So glad I stumbled upon this video. I have over ten years flying an Ultralight trike without a mishap, but I was a very cautious pilot. Good on ya, and happy landings. Merlin

[@erikajklein]

Thank you!

[@PPGFlyr]

I love this story! Always learn from your mistakes.

[@erikajklein]

Thank you!

[@joeldewitt3716]

Well told Erika, ignoring the bravado pilots try to have. The truth is that everyone is at least a little scared on launch. And if they aren't, they ought to be! I hope you continue to fly for decades to come. BTW, I enjoyed your article in the magazine. Push out,/jd

[@NevilleStyke]

Johnny Carr broke his forearm in a take-off mishap, last October in the U.K., but yesterday he completed a 54.5 mile competition task in the French open, on his seventy-fifth birthday!

[@tomhaskett5161]

Good man!

[@MissMarinaCapri]

I have been thinking about hang gliders for quite some time, as opposed to the power paragliders that I have been following with Tucker Gott for a few years. I am subscribing to your KZbin channel, and I hope that one day I too will hang glide, perhaps even power hang gliding.

[@erikajklein]

I hope so too! There are pros and cons to both 🙂

[@Patriottoo2]

Happy you're having a good time flying... it's fun seeing you having fun at the beach or in the mountains. Broke a fibula, while windsurfing a few decades ago... no big deal.

[@Gusto0172]

Great vid & story, thanks a lot. I managed to break my arm (spiral fracture upper humorous) while doing a 'fly on the wall' landing in too strong a wind. Had plates permanently, did another 10 years of hang gliding afterwards. I do understand your nervousness with the inland landings after such an injury. I love those small wheels on the base bar - great idea. Enjoy your flying.

[@banalpedant41]

I was self-taught. Up and down small hills. My landing was aced long before I ever actually soared a ridge. I see a lot of people who fly coastal sites only for years and always think about how complacent they get not knowing what turbulence really is. Flatland soaring is really where it's at IMO but as you have noticed, it comes with a whole new list of demands. Floating on ridge lift is fun but limits a pilot IMO.

[@erikajklein]

It’s all different, but I agree, pilots who only fly coastal sites often don’t know how to land well inland. Then again, mountain pilots don’t automatically know how to fly dunes. They’re all different skills

[@banalpedant41]

@@erikajklein Learning about compression, where to be when and the basics of turbulence is all there when ridge soaring on the coast but the real knowledge can not be learned and that is the unpredictable nature of inland thermals. If you fly nothing but ridges your knowledge will be limited.

[@erikajklein]

@@banalpedant41 I already agreed with you haha..and I’ve been flying inland mountain sites since I started hang gliding 🤷🏻‍♀️ but like I said, anyone who flies only one of any type of site will lack knowledge to fly other kinds of sites

[@TheDAVE858]

That was a fun comp. Hope they do it again. Id love to go back & not repeat the same mistakes that brought me up short every time.

[@flytavo]

Great story and video Erika. Thanks for sharing!

[@blue_beephang-glider5417]

Your second comp and you got to goal!!! I've done 5 and have yet to get to the first way-point... Though on one it was entirly my preeflight stuff-up forgetting to enter an way-points, getting to six thousand feet with nowhere to go. Great effort 😎👍 especially with the landing worrie.

[@erikajklein]

Thank you! I’ve made vario mistakes like that 😆 on the plus side you probably won’t make the same mistakes twice haha. Hope to see you at a comp soon!

[@fwkb2]

Nice success story, congrats on overcoming that situation!

[@erikajklein]

Thanks!

[@bigsky.flyguy]

Great job! Thanks for sharing! Congrats on conquering your fear! 🙌

[@erikajklein]

Thank you!

[@pilotmavmw]

Hey, really enjoying your videos! All true. Cool stuff, especially dune soaring...would like to try that, too ;) Keep on hanggliding and sharing ;) Thanks. I am paragliding >20 years and finally hanggliding since about 2 years now. Unfortunately not that often, but hopefully air time hanggliding will increase ;)

[@erikajklein]

That’s awesome! I actually know several PG pilots picking up HG recently which I think is so great. I might write an article on it too if you’re interested in participating!

[@FlyPhiGuy]

Great video, nicely paced and a great story. Thanks!

[@erikajklein]

Thank you!

[@CreativeChallenge2025]

Really glad you're back at it! I was wondering what happened to you back in 2019. Didn't realize it was such a bad fracture needing plates. Ouch! Some big gnarly air out in central Utah! Hell yea! I'm hoping to come out this year, not to fly but to help drive (don't want to break my own arm too after not flying for years). ~ Scary Paul

[@erikajklein]

Yeahh seems like most of those breaks need a plate 😢 Have fun! Maybe don’t top land this time hahaha but I’m sure you’ll be good 😊

[@donindri]

For “Currency” the FAA requirement is 3 take offs and landings every 90 days as a minimum. Most accidents occur on takeoff or landing. Fear is wasted energy, but practicing your take offs and landings as much as possible is the best insurance you can buy. Says the 70 something with no broken bones. (Yet). Thanks for posting

[@erikajklein]

All true! I do this, but crap happens sometimes. (In fact I was the most current of any time in my flying career to that point when I broke my arm.) And I don’t totally agree about fear being a waste, I think it can help keep pilots safe and reduce complacency. Of course too much fear is a negative so it’s all a balance 🙂

[@CBCycles]

Great video and narration, thanks!

[@clintwhitman]

Nice Erika I am an old friend of James Garner Zac and Joe,,,,,, Nice Video Glad to see you on here!!

[@mnjacobson8722]

Just did my first lesson with Windsports on Dockweiler Beach a couple weeks ago. Loved it!!!

[@dkjens0705]

I flew hang gliders from late 80s to late 90s. I bought a used Wills Wing Duck 180 through The Recycler and learned on that. My instructor was Rob McKenzie and I flew at Crestline, San Bernadino, CA. I picked up a used Seedwings Sensor B Full Race and flew that for a while. It had some special, some good and some not so good, characteristics but I loved it in the air. After that I picked up a used, but looking like new, Wills Wing HP-AT158, probably the best flying gliders of what I ever flew. I crashed this glider and fractured N1,2 and spent three days in intensive care, no big deal, I healed up and Owens Valley was next. I flew Owens Valley a few times, phenominal site but can easily over devellop and become scary. Best flight 120 miles and max altitude 17,300 feet. I then picked up a used Wills Wing Ram Air 154 and this glider handled so poorly that I didn't even dare scratching on the mountain. Tight VG and pulled in it was a dream, no PIO, straight as an arrow and probably 70mph but flying is much more than that. I develloped shoulder and elbow pains from a combination of this stiff glider, consuming alot of creatine and lifting heavy. I traded the Ram Air for a Lazer paraglider and tried to do the switch. I just never got comfortable with the low speed and having to look between your legs where you were going when encountering sink. I miss flying but now I fly underwater. Good to see you overcame your fear. If I can mention a couple of things about your flying it would be 1. Be more assertive with your weight shift in roll. Make your shoulders a pivot point and pivot your torso right and left in a ridgid way to control roll input and 2. Concentrate on moving your hands high on the control bars and do an aggressive flare, trying to hit the keel with your foot soles for a perfect landing. Best of luck.

[@erikajklein]

Great stories! I know Rob 🙂 As far as flaring, when the keel hits the ground it knocks me over about half the time, so I actually specifically avoid flaring that way unless I need to for conditions (no wind, a field that doesn’t support running, etc.). But appreciate the thought!

[@zubair80622]

I wish you always success in every competition, take all possible precautions to keep yourself safe Don't want you to get hurt❤❤❤❤

[@NobodyImportant-ef3de]

You got heart. Id be nervous without a parachute

[@erikajklein]

Thanks! We do carry parachutes in case of emergencies 🙂

[@user-gx7de1yp9c]

Hello, what are the materials of the hang glider called?

[@Spencergolde]

It's made out of sail cloth and a frame, usually an aluminum alloy frame and polyester/nylon blend for the cloth. If you have any intention of building your own, don't. Buy a used one that's purpose built for hang gliding. And find a group near you who you can learn from and train with. This can be a very dangerous sport, and if you catch a thermal you weren't expecting, you could find yourself over 1,000 meters in the sky not knowing how to land. Buy a proper glider and learn the basics

[@ProgWork1]

​@@Spencergoldealso called metal and plastic 😊

[@PetrPolach]

Great video to watch, thank you. Have fun in the sky!

[@erikajklein]

Thank you!

[@DaveProffitt-z3x]

I flew for about 12 years up here in the Pacific Northwest. I've had my share of scary flights. A couple of the worst flights were at a place not well know called Grayback. It's situated on the Washington side of the Columbia George. It's hot up there and gusty. I took off with the help of this poor lady that was stuck up in a fire look out station up there. I was flying a Wills Wing Harrier at the time. She gave me a cliff launch off the nose wires and it pulled me straight up about 100' before it leg go of me. Then I went right back down to almost ground level then back up again. teeter totter flying. The glider was like it had a mind of it's own. Up and Down up and down, Id' had enough so I decided to land back on top. When I turned the glider around a big thermal grabbed onto me and carried me back over the top past where I wanted to land. I finally strong armed the glider down only to hit the left leading edge on some boulders there. I had to replace the leading edge. I had a couple more scary flights that involved convergence one at Woodrat Mountain down in southern Oregon and another at Dog Mountain Washington. There have been others too. My suggestion to you from my surviving 12 years of advance flying is to listen your inner self. If the little person inside of you is telling you that flying today is not a good idea for you then don't do it. No matter if everyone else is. That's a hard pill to swallow sometimes, but only you and the little person inside you knows for sure. Pay no attention to those macho pilots that try to make you feel like a scardy cat. At least you'll be alive to tell them "I told you so."

[@Mike-01234]

Nice to see younger folks flying hang gliders.

[@NickChittyFlying]

Good job mate ❤

[@erikajklein]

Thank you!!

[@andymccann2716]

Inspirational video, thank you

[@valmirfernando6248]

Hi from Brasil! Watching your videos we see tha you have total control of the wing. A great pilot.

[@erikajklein]

Thanks very much!

[@BariFPV]

Hey that was good video! And I think we all get scared at some point. Last year in October I had my scariest flight to date. I got sucked into mountain wave at 5K, punched through cloud base at 2500 feet per minute and climb rate didn’t slow down until 7.8K which came in less than a minute. I thought the glider would break apart mid air! The ride and ride down/out of a wave is like a tumble weed.

[@erikajklein]

Thanks! That sounds terrifying 😬 Was it hard to fly again after that, or okay because it sounds like a unique event?

[@BariFPV]

@@erikajklein it was an experience for sure. I was 4K over the LZ when I decided to hang around a little longer because the lift was so smooth better than glass off until it started cooking. I made an interesting observation though the clouds which form at top of the wave peak they are stationary even in +45 mph winds. I only fly on the weekends so I was back the next weekend. I saw a few of your videos with landings after this video and I have said before you have such nimble control don’t know why landings scare you. If I could do speed runs and landings all day I’d do them. I land with Half VG. The glider does such a crisp stall, don’t know why it hasn’t caught on.

[@erikajklein]

@@BariFPV that’s insane. Not sure that’s an observation you want to make again 😅😆 And thanks, the fear inspired the practice that helped give me that control haha. Now I’m just mainly scared because if I do mess up and/or am unlucky, the plate in my arm means it would break at my elbow or shoulder which would be very painful and difficult to recover from. But taking the plate out is a major surgery with its own risks so…just trying to fly as safely as I can

[@BariFPV]

@@erikajklein haha I’d like to validate my observation. I already scoped a day when there was a chance of mountain wave forming but it was too high and I couldn’t get in it. Risk keeps things in check, if we don’t think about it then we would surely have a lapse of judgment but at the same time shouldn’t let it get in the way. Like my last flight where I got in a rotor from Lee side and sank so fast I couldn’t make it to the LZ from above the power lines but went right under them lol

[@PerdixDesignLtd]

Nailed that landing, and great psychology

[@Highrockman]

Great job..and thanks for sharing!

[@weeb3277]

0:30 why are you looking past the camera and not into it? lol it's kind of adorable, but I'm curious as to why...

[@erikajklein]

Reading my notes 😂 I was going to try for a better take overall but ran out of time and needed to just publish this video haha

[@weeb3277]

😅😅😅

[@claudia1love]

Well, thank you for share your story and yes i think in all activities if you share your ups and downs you strengthen your mind. I do feel like a Novie here and actually i am. Started this year in NH, I am a slow learner then there is the drive from NYC. 4 to 6 hours drive depending on traffic. But i love it the very first Lift off after 5 classes. But life has a way that get in the way, crazy things like Job, house emergency, grand kids, wife etc. And yet, i am longing to get up there and already set aside to buy a used glider come 2025 Hoping to have both H1 and H2 then. All the channel i watches just encourages me to continue. Thank you and may 2025 be way better than 2024 was. God's willing.

[@erikajklein]

Awesome! Are you learning at morningside? I find that people who learn more slowly often master the skills more, so don’t get discouraged 🙂 good luck with your lessons and hope you get some great flights in 2025!!

[@geminian091]

Great 👍... Please make a video that demonstrates how to do hangliding

[@nelsonthomazella2529]

Olá Erika, parabéns, aqui no Brasil temos uma forma de expressar sua história, dizendo *"que você deu uma volta por cima..."* , não sei como isso fica no tradutor para você, então escrevo em português, mas, literalmente você voou muito alto e venceu. Desde que acompanho seu canal vejo um grande controle de vôo e excelentes aproximações e a parada com 3 pontos ou poucos passos. Sucesso e divirta-se no céu...

[@erikajklein]

Thanks so much for the kind words ☺️

[@lukas7019]

nice landings 👍 that´s right with the comparison HG/PG but the accessibility (start/landing on small spots) with PG is much easier

[@erikajklein]

Yep, Pg’s are also more convenient, and widely regarded to be better in every way except in the flying and, I would say, in safety

[@lukas7019]

@@erikajklein Sure it's just ripstop material and you can fold it on the ground also it can fold in midair too- and so the speed in headwind at ~40+km/h its over to fly foreward(in calm air)

[@delta-dimko]

Recently I've broke my arm bcz of mistakes while tailwind counterslope landing(( If I had wheels it could be armsaver ^^ Thx for sharing, it cheered me up ☺

[@davidmaule2045]

Hi Erika, David Maule here from New Zealand. Thankyou for your video ❤ I broke my right arm a month ago landing and watching this has helped me think that I can fly again. I feel in a funny position with people thinking I shouldn't fly but I do love it, it makes me feel alive. I wonder how long it will take before I can fly again. Can I ask how long it took for you? So thankyou again for your inspiration. Safe flying and landings Dave 😊

[@erikajklein]

Hi David! I totally get it 💙 I broke my arm in September 2019, had surgery in October, and was cleared to fly by January. Then the pandemic started so I didn’t fly a lot, but I was flying in that time period. Of course it’ll be different for everyone. Best wishes with your recovery!

[@davidmaule2045]

@@erikajklein Thankyou for that , Watching your video and you completing a task! , that feels awesome. Two years ago i flew 30km in our national competition, sport class and got to goal. Very happy! Thanks for your reply, safe flying . Take care 😊

[@penrynbigbird]

Hey Erika, if you're the pilot floating over Dockweiler Beach with the large trainer and big fat tires, does that mean you live in that area? I'm asking because I was a hardcore mountain pilot for 30 of my 49 years in the sport. Mountain flying can be extremely demanding, even chaotic at times. If it's something that is somewhat new to you be extremely careful...

[@erikajklein]

Thanks for your concern! Mountain flying is definitely more dangerous. I’ve been hang gliding, including flying the SoCal mountains and other sites around the world, for 15+ years but I always try to keep the risks in mind and mitigate them as much as possible ☺️

[@penrynbigbird]

@@erikajklein BTW, I broke both of my wrists (at the same time) while holding a downwind flare even when the basetube contacted the ground. It was a lesson I never forgot and it actually paved the way for many decades of accident-free flying. The year was 1974, the same year our sport experienced the highest fatality rate ever.

[@robinsonfernandez5345]

i like to learn how to fly glider, keep safe always erika😍

[@mitchellmcaleer2969]

check the legs on that cocoon, they look too long, and or you're hanging too low, on landing, when you first transition to the uprights, your hands are in the bottom 1/4 of the down tube. When you transition @5:40, hands need to naturally be close to middle of the down tube, and ideally you need to be able to move your hands at or above the middle of the pipe, @5:49, hands are still below mid point. There's a couple ways to improve the geometry with out sacrificing handling, shorten the leg straps, and or shorten the hang loop and hang more head down.

[@erikajklein]

Thanks! If I flare harder with my hands higher, my keel often strikes the ground hard and knocks me over. For that reason I tend to flare with my hands halfway up and run a few steps. Do you have any advice on avoiding the keel strike issue with a hard flare? I’m 5’7 and don’t think it’s just a height issue, as I’ve seen tall pilots hit their keel and fall over too

[@mitchellmcaleer2969]

@@erikajklein I don't consider hitting the back of the keel in light or no wind landings a problem, in the field. In the flight park, for points, so to speak, be a little high to give the glider time to rotate the keel 90º to horizon to get max braking, and as you descend the last foot or two, let the nose down a little at the last moment before your feet and the rear keel hit the ground. That said, I have snapped the rear keel behind the wire , or bent it a few times, Enterprise Wings Desire, a couple others with weak small diameter keels, depends on the glider. Like it's not OK to pound the rear end cap into the back of the keel on a WW Falcon test flight.

[@erikajklein]

@@mitchellmcaleer2969​​⁠​​⁠ I’d be completely fine with hitting the keel, except that a lot of the time when I hit it hard on a full flare, it knocks me down completely. There’s one instance of that in this video at 1:33 in Valle. Being a little high and then letting the nose down like you said is actually what I’ve been thinking of trying, so thanks for confirming! Just hard to get the timing and technique perfect on that so I’ve just been doing a lighter flare and run instead, but I’ll keep working on it 🙂

[@mitchellmcaleer2969]

@@erikajklein LOL, @ 1:33 , welcome to the real world, fences, Valle piano LZ is almost 6 grand ASL, a warm sunny day, high density altitude, already a mile above sea level. etc, etc. Pat yourself on the back, you walked away. Imagine landing at Telluride, 8900'asl.

[@BetterDays_Now]

I guess the way you take off, you can't do tandem rides ?

[@IntzarHussain-xo3qf]

What should be done if it falls into the sea while flying?

[@kaspersmilez]

Revisted the accident site like a veteran going back to Normandy Beach lmao Drama

[@amalbasheer5154]

Why not using skydiving parachute bag

[@mark675]

Im a paramotor pilot but hang gliding/microlight flying is infinitely cooler, ill be doing both in future hopefully 🤜

[@erikajklein]

Awesome! ☺️

[@alexmark1982]

Good video (content and edit 👍), Erika.

[@erikajklein]

Thanks Alex!

[@stefanmargraf7878]

Keep on girl! I like your approach. You are analytic and able to hyperfocus. You experienced a problem while landing, you made that to one of your special interests. Great! You seem to learn from accidents, and that is also my way. I am "addicted" to accident analysis. Regarding "fear", i was the only one in competitions with wheels and a proper motorcycle helmet, 😂😂I am an MD and would recommend to remove the plate, the bones elasticity is compromized by the plate, and you should forget the broken bone. Btw, i have the feeling you may be neurodivergent like myself. There are tests out there and its fun to learn about.

[@erikajklein]

Thanks! We’re all on the spectrum haha. I would love to have the plate removed but I was told it’s risky because of the potential for nerve damage. What are your thoughts on that?

[@stefanmargraf7878]

@@erikajklein i dont know the details, and i am in germany. Is it the humerus? How many screws, do the screws penetrate into muscle, is it titanium? Titanium would be ok to stay. But best would be to see for a recommendation of a surgeon (usually i ask other MD friends: where would you do that if thats your arm?") and get a second opinion of him/her.

[@silverwingshg]

Nice report Erika. I suggest you have your hands a little higher for flaring.

[@erikajklein]

Problem is if I flare hard my keel hits the ground and often knocks me over. Any advice for that? Because no one’s been able to tell me anything that works to avoid it lol

[@dannyrvideo]

Great video 🙂

[@erikajklein]

Thank you!

[@LetsdoitgullSUPPORT-fm8fq]

ماشاءاللہ ماشاءاللہ ماشاءاللہ بہت خوب جناب بہت اعلیٰ وڈیو ے 💝🏫🏫

[@alanaldpal950]

Good video, I can see why they wanted you to run their social media

[@erikajklein]

Thanks very much!

[@ewthmatth]

In what way is paragliding safer? Too often on youtube I see videos of paragliding canopies collapsing for apparently no reason. Looks scary.

[@erikajklein]

I don’t think paragliding is safer 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@williambarry8015]

When i was 11 Skateboarding was my life. My family always told if i broke my arm they would take my skateboard from me. Lo and behold i broke my arm. It looked all messed up but it didn't hurt. So i didn't tell my mom and crossed my fingers hoping it wasn't broken. After a week it was horrible and ugly and was the color of the rainbow with bruising. So i went and told my mom. Went to the doctor and he had to rebreak it and set it. That was the worst pain i ever felt in my life..

[@devilsoffspring5519]

I crashed a hang glider and really busted my ass. I don't even remember which bones I broke. Fortunately my skull and spine weren't included!

[@williambarry8015]

@devilsoffspring5519 glad nothing life changing happened to you too.👍👍✌️🙏

[@JackieB12003]

All subscribed. Thanks for sharing.

[@erikajklein]

Thanks 😊

[@benwhite3227]

Did I hear right? 3.5 hour flight time? If so, hang gliding is even better than I dreamed!

[@erikajklein]

Yep we get 1-2 hours and more regularly!

[@benwhite3227]

@@erikajkleinThat’s awesome!

[@elishasawyer]

When hang-gliding, do you carry a parachute for safety?

[@erikajklein]

Yes we do 🙂 most hg pilots never have to use it, but we do have it just in case

[@Bashrt786]

hi,,can it travel from one state ti another??❤❤

[@tommythomas7576]

Where else can we follow you?

[@erikajklein]

Instagram mainly, also TikTok, all the same username ☺️ thank you!

[@Islamicnashriyat786]

Oh my God .. amazing 😍

[@fikerislah-e-umat5523]

Thank you for sharing

[@SoarswithSwords]

Epic!

[@RakibTalukder-be5cr]

hey how much is this?

[@mikunan]

Nice video and explanation. I have a similar story but I didn't break my arm as severe as yours broke my radius at the wrist Early in the game with my third flight on my brand new glider back in the ' late '70s. I don't think it affected me much though because it was early in the game. I flew quite a bit and I was probably not a great pilot but I was better at crashing and wasted a couple control bars and deflectors and even bent heart bolt without even getting hurt. That's all I could say. That was an excellent crasher. Good luck in the future. You're a great pilot.

[@erikajklein]

That makes sense. Always better to break the frame than yourself if possible 😅 Thanks for sharing your story!

[@afjanullakhan8864]

Thak u for sharing

[@d.l.melena2480]

Hola , eres fantástica, volé en la costa verde de Perú, en Mira Flores, unas 20 oportunidades , el amigo que me prestaba su ala delta se fue de viaje a otro país, como quisiera volar otra vez, ..

[@D_Cali_Life]

Erika is a Dream

[@kostashellas]

awesome 🤙 👌 👏

[@JoneTVshinda]

Nice 👍

[@Fuggs70]

A bit of fear keeps a pilot alive. 😉

[@erikajklein]

Agree 🙂

[@aprianto1985]

Great experience

[@IntzarHussain-xo3qf]

Very beautiful

[@zubair80622]

I want you to win every competition and be successful. Take special care of climate change and health❤❤❤

[@paulbishop7399]

So not only PG pilots are gorgeous :)

[@thepunisher8078]

The odds usually catch up I have had 13 surgeries lol and yes I was an adrenaline junkie Be safe