A foot-launched powered hang glider (FLPHG), also called 'powered harness', 'nanolight' or 'hangmotor', is a powered hang glider harness with a motor and propeller attached in a pusher configuration. An ordinary hang glider is used for the wing and the pilot can foot-launch from a hill or from flat ground, needing an area of about the size of a football field to get airborne (much less if there's oncoming breeze and absence of obstacles).

Foot-launched powered harnesses have limited power and thrust so are best used as self-launch gliders in order to achieve enough height to find a warm rising air thermal and soar. The advantage of glider launch autonomy is fenomenal but there are, of course, some disadvantages: The added weight attached to your body can increase injury in case of a severe nose in, there is a slightly longer set-up time with more complexity, you have to have a big enough car to carry the motor harness, you have to carry fuel, the engine noise - about 90 dB at 1m (3ft) and about 58 dB at 760m (2500 ft) AGL.

Powered hang gliding had been unsuccessful prior to 1976 because three basic elements were unrefined:

Wings were simple Rogallo kite designs of poor performance.

Small engine technology was crude and unreliable.

Piloting skills and experience were limited.

Powered foot-launched hang glider harnesses are built around a light metal frame with the engine mounted on the rear. Current powered harnesses weigh 22-32Kg (50-70 Lbs) without a safety parachute, and fold neatly into a 1.5m (5-foot) long harness bag with a handle that allows it to be carried like luggage. Most powered harnesses in production are equipped with the light weight Radne Raket two stroke 120cc engine, producing l4 hp at 8800 RPM and coupled to a 1:3.5 reduction drive and a 52" x 22" propeller that produce 90-95 Lbs thrust. Pilots operating from 5000 feet high fields, an 18hp harness (for 135 Lbs thrust) is recommended. The motor is supported on the ground by two retractable landing gear skids, making for no extra weight for the pilot to carry, apart from the 4 Liter aerodynamic gasoline tank attached to the top of the control bar frame and the safety parachute. Flight autonomy with 4 Liters (aprox. 1 Gallon) of fuel depends on throttle settings, but it ranges between 60 and 90 minutes of continuous engine use.

Getting into the harness requires passing both legs through padded straps and wearing the harness like a vest, with a zipper and/or clips at the front.

The throttle is activated during takeoff by means of a mouth-throttle in order to have both hands free for proper weight-shift control. Once airborne, a foot throttle, thumb throttle or cruise control can be used.

A folding propeller is often preferred by pilots who enjoy optimum soaring and cross country performance with the engine off. The whole aircraft is easily maneuvered on the ground into takeoff position with the pilot buckled into the harness and ready to start the unit by themselves, either with a pull-start or electric starter.
In 2006, the cost of a new powered harness ranged from $5500 - $6500 USD.

A steady 5 mph breeze is ideal; The glider must face directly into the wind for takeoff and take no cross wind at all for increased safety. A successful takeoff depends mostly on level wings, speed and precise control of the nose angle, especially in calm winds or at altitudes above sea level: Too low the angle and the glider will simply not fly. If it is too high it will create excessive drag and will never get the speed it needs to fly and climb.

A good run is required with smooth control of pitch angle throughout the run, similar to a shallow slope launch. The pilot remains upright throughout the run, allowing forward acceleration to be gradually provided by the thrust; The pilot does not use his legs to accelerate but only to carry the weight of him and the glider. Acceleration is smooth with a light touch on the control bar, allowing the glider to fly itself at its trim position. The pilot runs as long as necessary, taking strides of ever increasing length (“moon walking”); During the last steps most of the pilot’s weight will be carried by the glider. There must be no noticeable change in pitch angle, and the pilot will have stopped running only after the last steps no longer touch the ground.

Failure to remain upright throughout the takeoff run is one of the main problems that experienced mountain pilots suffer as their normal tendency is to move towards prone position as soon as one feels the glider lifting. But on a flat ground powered takeoff you do not have the hill dropping away from you to help achieve flying speed - you need to keep running up until the time you are firmly established in a climb. What can often make the difference between a successful takeoff and settling back to Earth is those last one or two “moon walking” steps.


During the takeoff run, the harness' thrust must be transmitted to the glider through the hang strap and not through the pilot's hands to the control frame. By the time the glider comes off the pilot's shoulders, he must pull in some more and move his upper body forward through the control frame so that the hang strap becomes tight and is angled slightly forward and the harness is pulling the glider forward by the hang strap, all while he is still upright and running. Because the thrust force enters the glider right at the hang point, it only requires of a light touch to control the pitch. During takeoff, particularly if something has started to go wrong, a fierce grip of the downtubes may cause the engine torque to be transmitted through the pilot to the glider. Especially at low airspeeds immediately after takeoff, a tight grip can induce a roll to the right which may require a rapid decision to abort the takeoff. A light touch on the control bar can help to avoid this.
Allow the glider to fly on ground effect for as long as possible in order to accelerate - the glider will climb on its own once it has the speed to do so. The overall sensation and glider behavior is similar to that of being aero towed.

The pilot must not push out on takeoff or during climb. The glider will climb on increased speed, not pitch. Many pilots new to powered flying make this common error, they are tempted to 'push-out' to climb but that causes to fly with too low an airspeed just after takeoff. To an observer on the ground they appear to wobble around and lose directional control. To the pilot there is a feeling that the glider wants to wind into turns and the wing feels unstable; The cause is a lack of airspeed.

Glider trim position - A powered launch is easier to do well if you allow the glider to achieve flight from the trim position - so you want to make sure this trim speed is fast enough for safety. If you are trimmed right at minimum sink (very close to mush/stall) then it would be advisable to move your hang point forward to where you have good roll response and control authority (without pulling in). Setting the trim speed higher will mean you have to run a tad faster, but when you do get airborne it will be at a safer airspeed and there will be less drag for the motor to overcome.

New powered hang glider pilots often think that in order to climb they have to push the control bar forwards, but if they do that the airspeed will reduce fast, just as when free-hang gliding - and the wing may stall. Even if it doesn't, it will certainly exhibit those nasty characteristics of slow speed flight - dropping into turns and feeling unstable in roll and you will be in “mush mode” with very poor control authority, which is likely to result in dropping a wing

If the powered harness experience an engine failure when climbing steeply, the aircraft will lose a lot of height before recovering; Climbing at a flatter angle and at a higher airspeed makes recovery easier and safer. As soon as it is safe, get your feet into the harness for stability (or suprone position if
you are flying the Doodlebug). Keep the wings level at all times. Keep the bar pulled in and be ready to aggressively correct. Remember that full
power turns will become increasingly unstable with increasing roll angle.

On a powered hang glider there is no need to push out in order to climb; most flexible wings climb well at 10 mph above their stall speed. It is important to remember that it is the speed which makes the aircraft climb, not a pitch increase. Today's powered harnesses develop a maximum of 45Kg (100 Lbs) thrust, but the rate of climb also depends on weather conditions such as field altitude, temperature, humidity, etc., and on glider size and wing loading. The harness' thrust is adequate for around 200 - 400ft/min (1.0 - 2.0 m/s) rate of climb at full power even when flying at airspeeds well above minimum sink. In general the pilot must use best glide speed for takeoff and climb. Note that the best rate of climb occurs at higher airspeeds.

To cruise under power, apply about 75% throttle and pull in for fast and level flight. Consider that by adding about 40 Lbs to your normal flying weight, you are increasing your free flying stall speed by about 7 or 8%.

Adding motor weight below your feet moves the combined center of gravity lower on your body. Because you are now located farther forward in relation to the hang point,
the control bar will appear to be further back, by about 4 to 6 inches. This apparent bar trim position change occurs without the addition of power. Note that the actual trim characteristics of the glider have not changed, only your position with respect to the bar. Though this new bar position may be disconcerting to experienced pilots, it should be clear that the pilot must rely on feeling the bar pressure, keeping a low pitch on takeoff and remain aware of airspeed at all times. With more experience, the new FLPHG pilot will learn the new bar positions and use them automatically when flying the powered harness.

Even very experienced hang glider pilots will need to learn some new tricks when it comes to turning under power. Most pilots were taught to 'lead with your feet' in making turns. This is effective for un-powered flight, but adding weight and thrust to our feet changes things. Yawing our bodies also change the thrust line and helps engage a turn. Ideally keep the harness (and thrust line) parallel with the keel of the wing so that the power pushes forwards and not sideways; Some pilots simply cross-control and allow the thrust to engage the glider into a turn; Some pilots turn using a combination of both weight-shift and thrust line to turn under power.

The DoodleBug is a supine unit that uses tight limit lines at the rear to keep the propeller relatively stationary. As the pilot moves to one side, this arrangement moves the thrust line so that it actually opposes the turn direction. It is evident that this setup is beneficial in helping to create a more stable turn. Some pilots flying prone configuration units like the freedom of being able to control the direction of thrust as it gives them another way to fine tune a turn.

Once the glider gains a comfortable altitude, the pilot may choose to reduce the throttle for easier control, especially in turns. Zipping up the harness also retract the rear skids, which are then clipped into clamps on the side of the harness. If the pilot finds lift he/she may wish to shut off the engine and soar normally. While flying a prone unite power off, the biggest difference will be the extra extra mass at one's feet when roll for a turn.

People can sense the acceleration when they first enter a thermal, but cannot detect the difference between constant rising air and constant sinking air, so turn to technology to help. Variometers measure the rate of change of altitude by detecting minute changes in air pressure (static pressure) as altitude changes. A variometer indicates climb-rate (or sink-rate) with audio signals (beeps) and/or a visual display. It also shows altitude. The main purpose of a variometer is in helping a pilot find and stay in the ‘core’ of a thermal to maximize height gain, and conversely indicating when he or she is in sinking air, and needs to find rising air.