History

Modern hang gliding was invented, or at least strongly influenced, by the NASA technician Francis Rogallo in 1948 with the invention of the Flexkite. This device was considered as a possible landing system for the astronauts return to earth. From there, much of the development of hang gliders occurred in Australia, where the first hang glider manufacturing firms were established. Hang gliding then became popular world-wide, with the peak in the 1980s. Paragliding has since become an alternative to hang gliding.