Don't be too ambitious at the start Go slow, and avoid unnecessarynsks. At its best there is an element of danger in aviaton which cannot beentirely eliminated, but it may be greatly reduced and minimized by theuse of common senseTheoretically, the proper way to begin a glide is from the top of ancline, facing against the wind, so that the machine will soar until theattraction of gravitation draws it gradually to the ground. This is themanner n which experienced aviators operate, but it must be kept in mindthat these men are experts. They understand air currents, know how tocontrol the action and direction of their machines by shifting the positionof their bodies, and by so doing avoid accidents which would beunavoidable by a noviceBegin on Level groundMake your first flights on level ground, having a couple of men tossist you in getting the apparatus under headway. Take your position nthe center rectangle, back far enough to give the forward edges of theglider an inclination to tilt upward very slightly. Now start and runforward at a moderately rapid gait, one man at each end of the gliderassisting you. As the glider cuts into the air the wind will catch under theuplifted edges of the curved planes, and buoy it up so that it will nse in theair and take you with it. This nse will not be great, just enough to keepyou well clear of the ground. Now project your legs a little to the front soas to shift the center of gravity a trifle and bring the edges of the glider onan exact level with the atmosphere. This, with the momentum acquired inthe start, will keep the machine moving forward for some distanceEffect of Body MovementsWhen the weight of the body is slightly back of the center of gravitythe edges of the advancing planes are tilted slightly upward. The glider intion acts as asaking in the air which, in turn, lifts it off theground. When a certain altitude is reached--this vanes with the force ofthe wind-the tendency to a forward movement is lost and the glder comesto the ground. It is to prolong the forward movement as much as possiblethat the operator shifts the center of gravity slightly, bringing the apparatuson an even keel as it were by lowering the advancing edges. This done, song as there is momentum enough to keep the glider moving, it willremain afloat
If you shift your body well forward it will bring the front edges of theglider down, and elevate the rear ones. In this way the air will be"spilleout at the rear, and, having lost the air support or buoyancy, the glidercomes down to the ground. A few flights will make any ordinary manproficient in the control of his apparatus by his body movements, not onlyas concems the elevating and depressing of the advancing edges, but alsoactual steering. You will quickly learn, for instance, that, as the shifting ofthe bodily weight backwards and forwards affects the upward anddownward trend of the planes, so a movement sideways-to the left or theright--affects the direction in which the glider travelsAscends at an AngleIn ascending, the glider and flying machine, like the bird, makes anangular, not a vertical flight Just what this angle of ascension may be isdifficult to determine. It is probable and in fact altogether likely, that itvaries with the force of the wind, weight of the rising body, power ofpropulsion, etc. This, in the language of physicists, is the angle ofnclination, and, as a general thing, under normal conditions(still air)should be put down as about one in ten, or 53/4 degrees. This would be ardeal condition, but it has not, as vet been reached. The force of the windaffects the angle considerably, as does also the weight and velocity of theapparatus. In general practice the angle varies from 23 to 45 degrees. Atmore than 45 degrees the supporting effort is overcome by the resistanceto forward motionIncreasing the speed or propulsive force, tends to lessen the angle atwhich the machine may be successfully operated because it reduces theangle of 23 degrees or less
Maintaining an Equilibrium.Stable equilibrium is one of the main essentials to successful flight,d this cannot be preserved in an uncertain, gusty wind, especially by anamateur. The novice should not attempt a glide unless the conditions arejust right. These conditions are: A clear, level space, without obstructionssuch as trees, etc, and a steady wind of not exceeding twelve miles anhour. Always fly against the windWhen a reasonable amount of proficiency in the handling of themachine on level ground has been acquired the field of practice machanged to some gentle slope. In starting from a slope it will beeasier to keep the machine afloat, but the experience at first is likely to bevery disconcerting to a man of less than iron nerve. As the glider sailsaway from the top of the slope the distance between him and the groundncreases rapidly until the aviator thinks he is up a hundred miles m the air.If he will keep cool, manipulate his apparatus so as to preserve itsquilbrum, and "let nature take its course, he will come down graduallyand safely to the ground at a considerable distance from the starting place.This is one advantage of starting from an elevation- your machine willfurtherBut, if the aviator becomes rattled: if he loses control of his machineserious results, including a bad fall with risk of death, are almost certain.And yet this practice is just as necessary as the initial lessons on levelground. When judgment is used, and haste made slowly, there is verylittle real danger. While experimenting with gliders the Wrights madefights innumerable under all sorts of conditions and never had an accidentof any kindEffects of wind CurrentsThe larger the machine the more difficult it will be to control itsmovements n the air, and yet enlargement is absolutely necessary asweight, in the form of motor, rudder, etc, is added.Air currents near the surface of the ground are diverted by everyobstruction entirely. Take. for instance, the case of a tree or shrub, inmoderate wind of from ten to tvelve miles an hour as the wind strkes thtree it divides, part gomg to one side and part going to the other, while stillanother part is directed upward and goes over the top of the obstructionThis makes the handling of a glider on an obstructed field difficult anduncertain. To handle a glder successfully the place of operation should beclear and the wind moderate and steady. If it is gusty postpone your flightIn this connection it will be well to understand the velocity of the wind.and what it means as shown in the following tab1