Cloud 9 Morph advantages
Converting to seated
Until the advent of the Cloud 9 Morph harness it was problematic to transition into a seated position.
It used to be necessary to obtain a seated harness setup (normally including a re-purposed paraglider harness), spreader bar system and make your own control frame extension handles.
Alternatively, a select few glider manufacturers produce modified wings specifically for seated flying, which normally involves a shorter control frame with additional rearward rake — leaving you with a dedicated glider with custom made parts. And while this setup is comfortable, it leaves the pilot with arguably less control authority.
These were the only commercial routes to seated hang gliding, until now.
A revolutionary harness
The new Cloud 9 Morph easily changes in flight between prone and seated flying positions. This recent hang gliding development allows pilots to fly in various positions with great ease and comfort.
From head-down prone to fully reclined and everything in-between, this new system retains the control advantages of prone flying with the added relaxation, safety and comfort of seated flying, along with a familiar standard upright position for launch and landing.
The Cloud 9 Morph harness is ergonomically designed, with effortless entry with a side loading zipper and great comfort in all flying positions.
All you need in one package
Basic 'knee hanger' and training style harnesses often cost well over AU$1,000 — this makes the Cloud 9 Morph extremely good value for money. A high quality integrated spreader bar system comes as part of the harness, so there's no need to purchase a third-party spreader bar or additional carabiners (costing around AU$300).
It is available as a basic no-frills harness, and can also be ordered with accessories such as a radio pocket, VG (variable geometry system for inflight position adjustments), turtleback gear storage module, integrated hydration bladder and control frame extension handles (for comfortable seated flying) — its all you need to transition to seated flying!
The seated advantage
The comfort and relaxation of seated flying is something worth experiencing. It affords a wider field of view in all directions compared to prone which allows for safer flying and a much greater view of the Earth.
Hang gliding started with pilots flying in an upright seated position, but prone position soon became popular for its additional control authority. Since then, glider designs became much more responsive but prone position remained popular due to its lower parasitic drag.
There was no commercial system that allowed flying in both positions. Those were the bad old days.
The Cloud 9 Morph has changed all that — now you can launch/land as normal, fly in prone for as long as you like, then sit back in a low-drag seated/reclined position that also affords a great view of the sky when cruising between fluffy clouds. You choose.