CA2713257A1 - Airship hoist for hang gliding, parasailing, gliding. - Google Patents

Abstract

To participate in the soaring sports of Hang Gliding, Parasailing and Gliding, one needs loft.
If one puts together some existing technologies, a system can be made capable to deliver a superior source of loft for these sports that is easy to locate anywhere, free from hazardous obstacles. These technologies are the Airship or Blimp, that is manoeuvrable, coupled with a high speed winch, long line and latching mechanism. An Airship, with adequate lift capacity, is made to fly to, and hover at designated height of a up to a few thousand feet, over a predetermined location. Then the pilot or operator lowers a weighted line from the winch to waiting Hang Gliders, Parasailors or Gliders that use a hook up system and are transported aloft up towards the stationary airship, all geared up and ready for flight, thousands of feet above, at which point, once all clear is sounded, the hook is then released by the pilot or the glider at the zenith to start the flight. Then the weighted line is then lowered for the next passenger, and the cycle is repeated for the duration of the Balloon flight. The gliders can return to the base and go again or travel to another stationed balloon and create a relay system so people can travel that way.

Description

Description At present, soaring enthusiasts use Cliffs , Building Roofs, Mountain Tops, Bridges, Planes etc. to pursue their sport. For years I thought of many ways people could attain loft for the sport of hang gliding, that would not require being near a convenient high enough launch spot, or require a long, expensive trip to a dangerous place to a takeoff from. These obstacles make it prohibitive to most who do not have funding or aren't dare devils.
Then one day I though of the right combination of technologies that could achieve a better way for this sport and others. This is to combine the use of an Airship or Blimp which is manoeuvrable, equipped with a specially adapted high speed winch, and a very long filament made of space age light weight high strength polymer and hooking mechanism to provide a lift mechanism. A few thousand feet is not out of the question. These components, combined, with the sport of hang gliding, parasailing, or even gliding, will make these sports cheaper and more accessible to people as well as being safer for the aficionados at present.
Weather permitting, the equipped Airship is flown to a designated spot that is flat and safe for the gliders who will coordinate and meet for the activity. There are a few manufacturers of specialty airships as my drawing depicts, spherical with multidirectional propellers, that have a capacity well suited for this application. Propellers can be directed to offset the extra weight of the glider and equipment during the lift cycle. For safety purposes I
recommend no tethering of the airship for this sport, and only one at a time cycle for the gliders to avoid collisions.
The higher the balloon platform is, the more exhilarating I suppose. The weighted line is lowered to the flyers gathered on the ground who hook up, communicating with the pilot at all times visually and verbally during the cycle. The Aircraft as well as the gliders are equipped with GPS(Global Positioning System) and cameras. Cameras and microphones on the latching end of the cable. There is several safety backup release systems that would be required.
This is a safer mode to do these sports. No obstacles to hit, like trees on the mountain or getting blown into a cliff or a building. The Balloon can also be refuelled from the ground by winching up supplies, even change a crew one at a time. There can be a chain of balloons so people can travel from one place to another by relaying, or they can all fly to a designated spot and have the balloon meet them there for the next leg.
Apart from the sporting aspect, the apparatus can be used for nature or mining research in hard to reach rouged places that need many hands on readings, or in search an rescue. In many cases it would be easier, safer and cheaper than helicopters. There are so many possibilities.

Field of search.

I searched Canadian and US files but came up with practically nothing close to my configuration.

US Patent # 4,248,394 Remote Controlled Hang Glider Towing Apparatus US Class - 244/3 244/16 244/903 - Int. B64D 3/00 B64D 003/00 Both below are some numbers but have no resemblance to my idea.
US Patent #'s 5,967,459 4,238,295 Drawing 1) A Piloted, Spherical Helium Filled Airship, that is manoeuvrable by swivel propellers on either side for omnidirectional thrust. (Round shape depicted is actual configuration) 2) Winch that is highspeed and equipped with high strength light weight filament.

3) Hang Glider, or Parasailor, or Glider 4) Weighted end of the line, equipped with camera, altimeter, microphone, remote release and manual release mechanism for latch.

5) Cockpit, with pilot and winch operator.

6) Omnidirectional Swivel Propeller(2).

7) Insert: Closeup side view cutaway of Airship Cockpit, illustrating an Operator and the Winch.

Claims (5)

1) Invention employing the use of Airships filled with Helium, or any other lighter than air gas, to use as a winch platform to deliver loft to the Hang Glider, Parasailor, or Glider.

2) Invention that employs the use of any lighter than air, gas filled, tethered balloon to use as a platform for a winch that gives loft to the Hang Glider, Parasailor, or Glider.

3) Invention employing the use of a Hot Air Balloon, tethered or manoeuvrable, to use as a platform for a winch to deliver loft to a Hang Glider, Parasailor, or Glider.

4) Any invention as described in the body, or using Airship platforms as in claims 1, 2 & 3, but that uses a loop pulley system to lift in place of a winch and single line.

5) Invention that lifts multiple Hang Gliders, Parasailors or Gliders at a time, or staggered, once and is as described in the body of claims 1, 2, 3, & 4 above.