Glide ratios

I was thinking tonight about glide ratios for things that fly. For example, a hang glider has a 15 to 1 or  glide ratio. A high performance paraglider is about 11 to 1 glide ratio.  A glide ratio basically scientifically explains how fast the type of aircraft or flyer will descend while moving forwards through the air if no power is applied to it and if there is no wind at all. So, the vehicle in the below chart that can stay in the air the longest with no power applied once it is set loose is a Sailplane. The lower the number the shorter the time it can stay in the air with no wind if no power is applied at all to keep it aloft.

Here is an example chart of things that fly: from the first word button you see below this saying: Gliding Flight-

Flight article	Scenario	L/D ratio/ glide ratio
Modern sailplane	Gliding	40–60 (depending on span)
Hang glider		15
Gimli Glider	Boeing 767-200 with fuel exhaustion	~12
Paraglider	High performance model	11
Helicopter	Autorotation	4
Powered parachute	Rectangular/elliptical parachute	3.6/5.6
Space Shuttle	Approach	4.5[20]
Wingsuit	Gliding	2.5
Northern flying squirrel	Gliding	1.98
Space Shuttle	Hypersonic	1[20]
Apollo CM	Reentry	0.368[21]

Here is more scientific information on glide ratios than I can personally provide you:

1. Gliding flight - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glide_ratioCached

   1 Aircraft ("gliders") 2 Gliding animals. 2.1 Birds; 2.2 Mammals; 2.3 Fish, reptiles, amphibians and other gliding animals; 3 Forces; 4 Lift to drag ratio; 5 Drag

2. Aviation Glide Ratio Index Calculator - CSGNetwork

   www.csgnetwork.com/glideratiocalc.htmlCached

   (A glide ratio of 20:1 might be appropriate for an Eagle riding the wind while a 1:14 ratio is similar to the glide capability of a brick.)

3. Lift-to-drag ratio - Wikipedia, the free...

   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift-to-drag_ratioCached

   1 Drag; 2 Glide ratio; 3 Theory; 4 Supersonic/hypersonic lift to drag ratios; 5 Examples; 6 See also; 7 References 

   
   

   However, the point I'm going down right now is that "Flying suits" don't have a very good glide ratio which is one of the reasons they can be so unforgiving. I don't doubt that people get a lot of thrills doing this but one miscalculation and you are dead, whether that is a miscalculation of winds anywhere you are flying through or a miscalculation of the slope of the land you are flying over or both. Whenever the tolerances are within about 10 to 30 feet you really have nowhere to go to survive in an emergency if the winds suddenly change in an unexpected way if you are too close to ANY physical surface while you are descending.

   
   

   Likely the best thing to fly in in regard to glide ratios would be a paraglider because it is a combination of a parachute and a soft flying wing that can literally fly through the air at 15 to 45 miles per hour and even stay aloft (as long as your fuel lasts)  if you are powered by a gasoline or electric powered fan to keep you aloft.

   
   

   However, if you are in a powered paraglider it is better if there is no wind at all because you on the ground during takeoff and landing are carrying 60 pounds of engine, fan and fuel and controls on your back in addition to the paraglider (which becomes weightless as you begin your takeoff).

   
   

   But, you are going to feel this 60 pounds as you are running forward or landing and your legs, feet and knees and everything else needs to be able to carry this load or more especially if you have a hard landing (unless you decide to fall down rather than harm your knees, legs, feet or back if you are landing pretty hard because of a miscalculation or an unexpected wind gust.

   
   

   But, this type of variable just isn't there with a wing suit. You just have no margin for error at all with a wing suit.

   
   

   So, flying a wing suit is sort of as dangerous as surfing a 50 to 100 foot wave, there is literally no room for error or you are dead either way if any kind of mistake at all is made including choosing the wrong wave to surf in that moment.
   
   Or in the case of a Wing suit the wrong surface to fly over or wind conditions to fly through. You might get the winds right where you take off but conditions might change from what you expect on your way down (and then there is nowhere to go to save yourself).
   
   One of the interesting thing about sailplanes is I have flown one a couple of times between ages 16 and 18 at El Mirage Dry Lake and got into a thermal a couple of times and even with the nose down a little was gaining altitude which is quite a thrill when there is no engine on board.
   
   The point above about paragliders is they are a parachute which is pretty safe and when you add a soft wing to it that increases your safety. But, if you have seen what gusts of winds can do to a parachute they can do the same thing to a paraglider too.
   
   So, you don't want to be landing when it is gusty unless maybe you are going to land in water to cushion your fall. But, even then you don't want to drown if the paraglider collapses on top of you in the water. But, in an emergency you have to do whatever it takes to live through whatever you are doing or you are no longer around anymore. But, also if it is windy when you land likely your paraglider would land in the water in front of you or whatever direction the wind is blowing away from where you land likely.