April 9, 2009

E-Mail This Article

Double Glastar builder and hang glider innovator Chris Wills will have one of his early designs on display at the Santa Ana/John Wayne Airport in California through May 15. An example of the Wills Wing T2 will be hanging in the Thomas F. Riley terminal.

According to the press information, “Orange County: Birthplace of Modern Hang Gliding” is the title of this exhibit featuring photography and video celebrating the graceful sport of hang gliding.

The exhibition is guest curated by Owen Morse, an avid hang glider pilot. “As a professional juggler, I have a great appreciation for how things fly through the air! For me, nothing is more beautiful to watch than the path of a modern hang glider carving through the sky. I’m thrilled to share how beautiful modern hang gliders are in both form, and function,” said Morse.

Hang gliding began in Orange County on May 23, 1971 when a group of flight enthusiasts assembled with home-made flying devices to celebrate the 123rd birthday of Otto Lilienthal, a German flight pioneer. Propelled by the ocean breezes of Newport, the birth of modern hang gliding began.

Shortly thereafter, brothers Bob and Chris Wills of Orange County designed and built the first “Wills Wing” hang glider. In 1973, they launched their own business with the same name that has become the largest hang glider manufacturing company in the world.