Aerobatics
Radical flight maneuvers such as loops, wingovers, and spins. Exciting to watch and do, these maneuvers require flying a glider beyond the airspeed and pitch & roll angle limits for which it has been tested and certified. This is known as "going outside the envelope" of safety. A loop involves diving for airspeed then pushing out rapidly to climb up and over, with centrifugal force overcoming gravity and keeping the pilot's "weight" pulling "down" relative to the wing so that normal control is retained. If there is insufficient airspeed to complete the loop the glider may stall upside down and tumble. A wingover is similar to a loop, except that the pilot adds some bank while pushing out, so that the glider goes over the top at less than 180 degrees from normal horizontal flight. A spin is a turn where the pilot intentionally causes the inside wing to stall, so that the glider pivots rapidly about a point inboard of the inside wingtip. Wingovers and spins are far less risky than loops.

SAT
During the maneuver the pilot turns negative (backwards) and the glider turns positive (forwards). The center of rotation is in the middle of the pilot and the glider.

Tumbling
Tumbling is a very dynamic maneuver where the pilot is looping backwards over the center of the glider.

Mc Twist
The Mc Twist is one of the most violent looking maneuvers at this moment . A Mc Twist is actually a very fast spin of the glider, but on its side. Now the glider doesn't look like the rotor blade of a helicopter, but instead looks like the propeller of an old spitfire...

The Helicopter
The helicopter is nothing more than a controlled flat spin (spinning the glider at stall point, very low speed). The wing rotates along the center of the glider while the pilot is straight below the glider. During the maneuver the glider acts like a helicopter, hence the name. The vertical speed is very low, usually somewhere between -1.3 and -2.0.

Rhythmic SAT (SAT 2 Tumbling)
A rhythmic SAT is a SAT that morphs into tumbling by rhythmically changing the SAT position, increasing amplitude with every change.

Spin
Spinning a glider is also called "going negative". The glider turns really fast, but isn't following a normal flight path anymore. The air flow on one side of the glider let's go, and the other side keeps flying. It's a little bit like steering a tank by braking the right belt drive.

Asymmetric Spiral
The asymmetric spiral is a spiral on its side. It's actually the same as a wing-over to one side. So instead of switching left and right turns, you only do turns to one side.

Misty Flip / Ass Chopper
The Misty Flip or Ass Chopper is a Mc Twist without a fullstall exit.

Coconut Spin
The Coconut Spin is a spinning exit of a SAT.

Molineti
Two pilots begin dolphin manoeuvres side by side at one beat. While one goes up, the other one goes down. Once enough energy and height difference is achieved, the pilots' will centre themselves in order to begin a sequence where one passes over the other and vice versa.
Manoeuvre invented by Félix and Raul Rodríguez in 2001

AGL or Above Ground Level
Way to express altitude.Knowing AGL altitude allows one to guess how far he can glide.

Hang Glider
A wing consisting of an aluminum (and/or graphite) frame covered with dacron fabric which comprises the airfoil; usually there are aluminum ribs inserted in the sail to help provide the proper airfoil shape. The pilot hangs from the frame in a harness and grasps the control bar, which is a triangle of tubing below the wing that is bolted to the frame and has steel cables attaching it to various points on the frame. The pilot shifts his or her body weight forward or backward and side to side to control airspeed and to turn. Syn: Diver, Bladewing, Plumber, Lawn Dart

Inversion
Atmospheric condition where a layer of warm air lies above a layer of cooler air. When there is no inversion the air temperature drops steadily with altitude due to the drop in air pressure. Thermals also cool as they rise, but they tend to stay warmer than the surrounding air, so they just keep going higher and higher. When an inversion is present however, the thermal encounters air that is not so cool realtive to itself, and so it stops rising. This limits the altitude a pilot can reach by thermalling. The inversion layer in Southern California, which is the result of cool air off the ocean pushing inland and sliding under the earth-warmed air in the valleys, is also what keeps the infamous smog from rising and dissipating.

MSL or Mean Sea Level
Iindicates an altitude expressed relative to sea level. Knowing MSL altitudes allows pilots to make assumptions about air temperature, density, oxygen levels, and likelihood of encountering powered aircraft, among other things.

Paraglider
A wing consisting strong but light cloth sewn to form cells which are open in the front and are inflated by the pressure created as the wing moves through the air, quite similarly to a ram-air sport parachute. The key difference from a parachute is that the paraglider forms a functioning airfoil when inflated and thus provides aerodynamic lift. The pilot hangs from the wing seated in a harness suspended by hundreds of high tensile strength lines. The pilot steers the glider mainly by pulling brake lines attached to either side of the trailing edge of the wing, and also may apply weight shift to enhance turning. Syn: Panty (FR parapente), Bagwing, Dope-on-a-rope, Dopechute

Paragliding harness
Constructed of ballistic nylon and military spec webbing and hardware and supports the pilot's body while she is flying the glider, usually in the seated position. The harness is similar to a sling chair and has webbing straps across the front to keep the pilot in the harness while the legs hang free. Harnesses often incorporate some kind of reinforcing plates in the seat and back areas to help reduce injury in case of an impact with the ground. The harness also contains the pilot's reserve parachute and has storage pockets for radios, gear, and equipment bags.

Reserve parachute
Essential piece of equipment for any HG or PG pilot. These 'chutes are a backup in the rare event that the wing stops flying, for whatever reason. Most 'chutes are set for a hand deployment, where the pilot pulls a handle and throws the packed-up 'chute into the air. Some pilots have ballistically deployed chutes, powered either by air pressure or combustion, which can get the canopy out and open in as little as 2 seconds (appx. 6 seconds for hand deploy). The deploying pilot does not "bail out" of the glider but stays attached to the glider, which usually helps slow the descent and perhaps even protects those below. This parachute deployment was due to a tumble brought about by failed aerobatics

Radios
Very popular item among pilots. Most pilots who use them carry FM transcievers which operate in the HAM 2-meter band (142 to 146 MHz), so many pilots are also licensed HAM radio operators. These radios offer clear communications with other pilots and chase crews on the ground and can transmit over long distances with very little power (1-5 Watts). There are also radios which operate in the Business Band (appx. 150 MHz) on frequencies set aside for USHGA use, but these are less useful in densely populated areas due to higher traffic. CB radios have fallen out of favor due to crowding and poor quality.

Ridge Soaring
When a pilot flies in upward moving air which results from wind blowing into a steep ridge or cliff. As long as the air is going up faster than the glider's sink rate (gliders are always sinking relative to the air they are in) the pilot can remain above the ridge. A pilot's vario helps identify the rising air. The soarable envelope extends a distance above and in front of the ridge proportional to the strength of the wind. Ridge soaring can provide many hours of relatively easy flying. cf. Thermal Soaring

Soaring
When a glider remains aloft by flying in rising air, usually either in thermals or above a ridge. Soaring is the goal of virtually all hang glider and paraglider pilots.

Thermal
Rising bubble or column of air which is warmer than the surrounding air. A pilot stays in a thermal by turning in circles. A pilot's vario helps identify the rising air. As long as the thermal is going up faster than the glider's sink rate (gliders are always sinking relative to the air they are in) the pilot can keep climbing. Thermals can rise thousands of feet, stopping only when and if they encounter an inversion. Thermalling takes skill, but it allows pilots to cover large distances (XC)which would otherwise be unattainable. cf. Ridge Soaring

Vario or variometer
A instrument which a pilot uses to tell when he is climbing. The vario senses slight changes in air pressure (pressure decreases with altitude) and indicates climbing with a tone and/or a disply. Varios are often incorporated into instruments which also include altimeters and airspeed indicators.

XC or cross country flying
The domain of experienced pilots and the focus of serious competitions. Pilots venturing away from the vicinity of the launch site and designated LZ have to be able to accurately judge flying conditions, their glider's capabilities, and suitable landing areas, all while paying attention to flying the glider. Highly challenging but also highly rewarding, XC is considered by most to be the true test of a pilot. Some sites are more suitable than others for XC, with California's Owens Valley being world renowned for it's cross country potential.