How to Do a Final Check Before Hang Gliding

Video Transcript

"Hi this is David Duke and welcome to Expert Village. In this clip we'll talk about the final flight check before we launch and I use the acronym HAWK. Hooked in, I've got my nose Angle, Wind and K for Klear. Make sure everybody gets out of the way and doesn't knock a wing as I launch. So the first thing is hooked in, and I am hooked in my caravaner is closed. I have got my back ups, my parachute which is not here but that's in, my helmet and my chin strap. One final check. I am lift it up this way. I feel that the glider is attached in. I am hooked to my nose angle, it is not too high. You couldn't possibly run forward like this and it is not too low, it would be hard to run forward like that too. It has got to be just right and your instructor will go over all of this with you. So that's hooked in, nose angle, wings. My wings are level, I'm not off or going to start on a turn, that would be bad. W also stands for wind, is the wind straight in to me? My tell tale is pointing straight at me and if I wanted to launch straight that's the direction I would be flying. If I wanted to launch crosswind I would actually launch that way but still balance my wings into the wind. The next thing would be clear where I yell clear and the wing comes forward and we take off. "