Hang gliders, or rogala, are motorless monoplanes that can be flown freely downhill or use thermal updrafts and downslope flow.
A sail is strung on the basic structure made of duralumin tubes (recently also with strength elements made of carbon fibers), which forms the shape of a wing. Rogalo has a flexible shape of the bearing surface. The pilot is suspended in the center of gravity and steers the glider by changing the position of the center of gravity by changing the position of his body in relation to the structure of the glider – by pulling the crossbar he accelerates, by pushing back he slows down and by moving the crossbar sideways the glider turns. A pilot can take off from a hill, using a winch or an aerofoil behind a powered UL aircraft. Flying with a hang glider provides the greatest sense of independence and freedom of all the ways people disconnect from mother earth.
Rogalo is the most affordable device for getting into the air after the paraglider. Acquisition costs are in the order of tens of thousands of CZK.
Operating costs are dependent on the distance you have to travel to visit suitable terrains.
Training is carried out by instructors at pilot training centers, mostly individually at present.
Modern rogalas have amazing performance and enable incredibly long flights. Another significant advantage is their low demand for storage space and transportability on the roof of the car.
Rogalo, on the other hand, is the most physically demanding of all SFDs, especially when transporting to the starting point, which is usually not accessible by car. Its size means that it has to be unfolded after practically every flight and reassembled before the next flight. Naturally, flying is only possible in favorable meteorological conditions.