File under: alternative travel ideas.

Four hang gliders and a variety of local hang-gliding memorabilia are on display at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana, Ca.

“Orange County: The Birthplace of Modern Hang Gliding” includes video and photography celebrating hang gliding and is guest curated by Owen Morse, an avid hang glider and a professional juggler who has a unique appreciation for how things fly through the air.

Turns out there’s quite a bit of hang gliding history in Orange County.  Back on May 23, 1971, local flight enthusiasts gathered together with some home-made flying devices to celebrate the 123rd birthday of Otto Lilienthal, a German flight pioneer.   And, as we learn from the exhibition:

“Using the ocean breezes of Newport as fuel, the birth of hang gliding commenced.  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 and now it’s become the largest hang glider manufacturing company in the world.

Intrigued? The exhibit will be at John Wayne Airport through May 15th and can be seen in display cases across from Gates 1 – 4 and 11 – 14; the hang gliders are above the baggage carousels in the Thomas F. Riley Terminal and can be seen by both passengers and visitors.

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