Flying Fox
The term "flying fox" is most commonly used in reference to a small-scale zip line typically used as an item of children's play equipment, except in Australia and New Zealand where it also refers to professional forms of zip-line equipment.
With the flying fox, the pulley(s), attached to the car, are fixed to the cable. The car itself can consist of anything from a simple hand grip, with the user hanging underneath, to a bucket for transporting small items, to a quite elaborate construction, perhaps including a seat or a safety strap. Children's versions are usually not set up with a steep incline, so the speeds are kept relatively low, negating the need for a means of stopping.
In order to be propelled by gravity, the cable needs to be on a fairly steep slope. Even then the car will generally not travel completely to the end (although this will depend on the load), and some means of safely stopping the car at the bottom end is sometimes needed. It can be returned by several means, a line leading from the car to the uphill end is the simplest.
The flying fox is usually made with rope instead of steel cable to make it easier and cheaper to install, uninstall and transport.
Read more about this topic: Zip-line
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