Building the MythToday Institutions

USPHA

The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association has, over the years, published many versions of the history of hang gliding on its website.

An early 2020s version presented the story of Icarus as a historical fact and Rogallo as “The Father of Hang Gliding (who) created the first flexible wing in the late 1940s. The wing was inexpensive and easy to build and although it could be deployed like a parachute, it could also glide forward and be steered. The design was revolutionary at the time and although it was used by NASA and the military, it would eventually become famous for its original intent – foot launched personal powerless aviation or hang gliding.”

When John Dickenson passed away on July 5, 2023, Graeme Henderson sent the USPHA two emails with a link to a recording of the funeral service, an audio clip of Ken de Russy talking to Dave Kilbourne about John, a draft of Graeme's book about the Rogallos, with its appendices, and a copy of the USPHA 2011 Presidential Citation.

The Presidential Citation recognised Dickenson’s “achievement of creating and developing the hang glider configuration that brought about the modern sport of hang gliding. The Dickenson Wing, with its combination of bi-conical shape, control frame, and pendulum-weight-shift design allowed the pilot to control the wing both while towing and during free flight. In addition, the light weight of the wing, the ease of transport and its inherent simplicity had much to do with the subsequent growth of the sport of hang gliding.”

We are not aware that the USPHA published anything on the passing of John Dickenson.

Graeme Henderson received no answer to his emails, but, in the following October, the website was adjusted, to say that Rogallo patented the flexible wing, NASA included an airframe that stiffened and supported the wing, and John Dickenson came up with “the most elegant and the most successful adaptation of the flexible wing concept to a human-carrying aircraft.”

Today, June 2026, on its website, it presents the story like this. Rogallo (the “innovator”) is credited for the development of the flexible wing that inspired a new generation of aviation enthusiasts. "The Rogallo wing became the foundation for the first recreational hang gliders." John Dickenson has been erased from the story by the official hang gliding organisation in the USA. The contempt shown toward John Dickenson is appalling.

Encyclopedia Britannica

In 2024, Encyclopedia Britannica was contacted and asked to review its entry on hang gliding. In it, Rogallo is credited with the invention of the wing, and the Australian flat-kite skiers with the swing seat control system. Dickenson is credited only for having fitted the Rogallo wing with a triangular control bar.

Encyclopedia Britannica was given a link to the texts and documents that are at the base of this book. Encyclopedia Britannica thanked and answered: “Your feedback will be reviewed and forwarded to the editor responsible for Britannica’s coverage of this topic. We will determine whether to revise the article or make any other changes to the content on the page.” The editor of the entry was not contacted, the article was not reviewed.

In 2025 and 2026, we contacted the editor of the entry, Noël Whittall. We submitted an earlier version of this book, and exchanged significantly. He decided to “stand by what (he) wrote 26 or 27 years ago on material (he) had available then”.

We wrote to Encyclopedia Britannica: “Mr Whittall has informed us that he has not been contacted by your organisation. He has, sadly, also said that he is not prepared to alter his position. This means that we have no choice but to point out that your institution has very low academic standards and no intellectual integrity. This is surprising and very disappointing, but not unusual. We have found many institutions we once respected lack the courage to admit that they were wrong."

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

From 2006 and on, Graeme Henderson shared his research with people and institutions around the world, including Russell Lee, Curator at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

Graeme received the following email message from Lee on November 8, 2021: “Graeme, good morning. Your article on John Dickenson is informative and interesting. However, Francis and Gertrude Rogallo flew their first experimental Rogallo wing kite in 1948. They patented the Rogallo wing in 1951. John Dickenson made a significant and critical improvement to the sport Rogallo wing hang glider when he invented the floating control bar. Dickenson did not invent the modern hang glider.”

Graeme immediately sent Lee a large amount of material.

Lee answered on November 10, 2021: “Graeme, hello. When I commented on your article for the Lilienthal-Museum, I was never expected it to result in the amazing quantity and quality of historical information you have sent. I have learned a lot and I now have a greater appreciation and understanding of John Dickenson’s contributions to the modern hang glider. Thank you for taking time to write and include articles and correspondence. I look forward to your book and hope it is very successful for you.”

Graeme sent him more evidence. It resulted in the Smithsonian copying on their website a section of an article Graeme had published. While they credited Graeme, they changed the conclusion from “It was not, however, part of the Gertrude and Francis Rogallo Kite Patent, US 2,545,078”, to “The paraglider Dickenson saw was probably a flexible wing designed and patented in the USA by Francis M. Rogallo and wife Gertrude.”(btm-27)

Graeme threatened them with defamation. After months of, at times, heated debate with increasingly more senior staff at the Smithsonian, the following message arrived from Jeremy Kinney, Assoc. Director, Research and Curatorial Affairs, on December 10, 2022: “Mr. Lee’s statements on the probability of Francis Rogallo and NASA influencing the creation of the hang glider reflect historical research and interpretation rooted in documented sources. We understand that you do not agree with that thesis based on your research and interpretation. As a result, the essays no longer include a quote from you so there will not be any confusion regarding your position. We did not intend to imply that you supported that thesis and recognize and respect your position. We ask that in the spirit of scholarly collegiality that you respect ours.”

Mr. Kinney did not provide any details of his “historical research and interpretation rooted in documented sources”, because there is none. So, in short, the official position is that the Smithsonian will ignore documented evidence to preserve the mythical stories they have been telling.

NASA

NASA continues to promote, and even extend its lies about Rogallo, in a manner that calls into question the intelligence and integrity of the institution. After all, one only has to read Rogallo’s first kite patent to see that all of the claims made by, and about him, are false.

NASA has never responded to any emails sent by us to any publicly available NASA email addresses. These emails asked for information and evidence, and provided evidence.

NASA is closely connected to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, so while we cannot prove that NASA ever received any of the material Graeme Henderson sent to them, we can be confident that their determination to appear not to know the truth has prevented them from either providing evidence to counter our story and verify Rogallo’s claims, or telling the truth.

We again invite NASA to provide the documented evidence to support their claims, but in 20 years of research no one has done that.

The Rogallo Foundation

When we asked for comments and information from the Rogallo Foundation, we had the similar (no) response from The Rogallo Foundation as we had from NASA, but it has not been as watertight, so we know the emails got through.

Inquiries to The First Flight Foundation seeking information resulted in Karen Warlitner eliciting this response from John Harris, President of the Rogallo Foundation (February 22, 2022). “Dear Mr. Henderson, I received your email from the First Flight Foundation. We have commissioned a book on the Rogallos’ work. Hopefully, your questions will be answered when this book is published. Thank you. John Harris, Kitty Hawk Kites.” We are not aware that the book was published. Graeme Henderson exchanged a couple of emails with Karen Warlitner over a short period of time before her email stopped working.

The Rogallo Foundation is running a campaign to raise seven million dollars to build a Rogallo Museum that will support the Rogallo myth. We have notified their local law enforcement and provided evidence that questions the raising of money for such a mythical story, but we received no response.

When Graeme Henderson posted an email announcing John Dickenson’s death, it took less than a day for John Harris to send this reply: “Hello all, Sad to lose a great hang gliding pioneer. He was inducted into the Rogallo Foundation Hall of Fame in the early ’90s for his invention of the control bar and swing seat. So much joy has been generated by his contributions to hang gliding.” All Harris could manage, even at Dickenson’s death, was to refer to the old myth.