Aviation
  • Aviation
  • Aircraft
  • Balloons
  • Airships
  • Ultralights
  • Helicopters
  • Vertical flight
  • General aviation
  • Commercial aviation
  • Sports aviation
  • Military aviation
  • Early flight
  • Interwar aviation
    • Spaceflight
  • Spaceflight
  • Spacecraft
  • Human spaceflight
  • Mercury program
  • Gemini program
  • Apollo program
  • Space stations
  • Space Shuttle program
  • Commercial spaceflight
  • Uncrewed spaceflight
  • Artemis program
    • Astronomy
  • Astronomy
  • Telescopes
  • Stars
  • Sun
  • Solar System
  • Moon (Earth)
  • Small solar system bodies
  • Dwarf planets
  • Exoplanets
    • Behind the scenes
  • Behind the scenes
    • People
  • People
  • African American or Black people
  • Asian American or Asian people
  • Latino people
  • LGBTQ+ people
  • Native American or Indigenous peoples
  • Pacific Islander people
  • People with disabilities
  • Women
    • Records and Firsts
  • Records and Firsts
    • Science
  • Science
  • Life sciences
  • Physical science
    • Society and Culture
  • Society and Culture
  • Art
  • Science fiction
    • Technology and Engineering
  • Technology and Engineering
  • Navigation
  • Reconnaissance
  • Satellites
  • Robotics
  • Drones
  • Rockets
  • Missiles
    • War and Conflict
  • War and Conflict
  • Weapons
  • World War I
  • World War II
  • Cold War
  • Korean War
  • Vietnam War
  • Gulf War
  • Iraq War
  • Afghanistan War

    • The first practical hang glider appeared well over one hundred years ago. In the 1970s, pilots added small engines to fly higher and farther, and the ultralight aircraft was born.
    Aviation
  • Aviation
  • Aircraft
  • Balloons
  • Airships
  • Ultralights
  • Helicopters
  • Vertical flight
  • General aviation
  • Commercial aviation
  • Sports aviation
  • Military aviation
  • Early flight
  • Interwar aviation
    • Spaceflight
  • Spaceflight
  • Spacecraft
  • Human spaceflight
  • Mercury program
  • Gemini program
  • Apollo program
  • Space stations
  • Space Shuttle program
  • Commercial spaceflight
  • Uncrewed spaceflight
  • Artemis program
    • Astronomy
  • Astronomy
  • Telescopes
  • Stars
  • Sun
  • Solar System
  • Moon (Earth)
  • Small solar system bodies
  • Dwarf planets
  • Exoplanets
    • Behind the scenes
  • Behind the scenes
    • People
  • People
  • African American or Black people
  • Asian American or Asian people
  • Latino people
  • LGBTQ+ people
  • Native American or Indigenous peoples
  • Pacific Islander people
  • People with disabilities
  • Women
    • Records and Firsts
  • Records and Firsts
    • Science
  • Science
  • Life sciences
  • Physical science
    • Society and Culture
  • Society and Culture
  • Art
  • Science fiction
    • Technology and Engineering
  • Technology and Engineering
  • Navigation
  • Reconnaissance
  • Satellites
  • Robotics
  • Drones
  • Rockets
  • Missiles
    • War and Conflict
  • War and Conflict
  • Weapons
  • World War I
  • World War II
  • Cold War
  • Korean War
  • Vietnam War
  • Gulf War
  • Iraq War
  • Afghanistan War

    • The first practical hang glider appeared well over one hundred years ago. In the 1970s, pilots added small engines to fly higher and farther, and the ultralight aircraft was born.
    Jump to content:
  • Deep dives
    • |
  • Stories
    • |
  • Exhibitions
    • Deep dives See all Deep dives
    What is General Aviation?
    Stories See all Stories
    Operation Migration July 26, 2022 Fighting Gliders of World War II May 08, 2020 The Technology Behind D-Day's Moonlit Airborne Ops June 05, 2019 Preserving a 170 Year-Old Chinese Kite Collection December 20, 2017 Exploring the History of our Chinese Kite Collection December 05, 2016
    Exhibitions See all Exhibitions
    Learn more Thomas W. Haas We All Fly National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC Learn more Ultralight Aircraft Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
    Explore other subtopics Aircraft Commercial aviation Sports aviation Military aviation Vertical flight Helicopters General aviation Balloons Early flight Airships Ultralights Interwar aviation