An aerotow launch

There is way to launch a hang glider from a flat field, and that is to tow it. You can use a static winch which remains on the ground and pulls the glider via a long cable, or you can aerotow the glider. This means that the glider is pulled into the air by a microlight aircraft which has a line attached between it and the glider.

Aerotowing is not for novice pilots but once you become more skilled at hang gliding and confident at flying at a fairly high speed, then aerotowing is not too difficult to master. The rush of speed can be pretty daunting at first but as long as you have good mastery of your wing, it's a great way to launch. A typical tow would be to around 2,000 feet where you would then release and go hunting for the nearest thermal and then hopefully go on to enjoy a cross country flight.

In the UK we are limited to using flex wing microlights as tugs and these tend to be a little bit on the quick side. They are not ideal for aerotowing but the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) have decided that we can only use this one type of aircraft to tow hang gliders so that's what we use. The situation is different abroad though and most places tend to use the Dragonfly tug which is designed for towing hang gliders and is slower and less nerve wracking.

On the left is a sequence of photos of an aerotow launch at Wallaby Ranch in Florida, USA. Below is an onboard sequence of photos from the same flight as I'm towed up to 2,000 ft and then I hit the release and go on a cross country flight.

Aerotowing Florida Style
Aerotowing is a great way to launch a hang glider