Seti flashflood alert pilot dies in Ultralight crash
These file photos show the ultralight aircraft that crashed in Pokhara on Wednesday killing its Russian pilot Alexandr Maximov (inset). Photo Courtesy: Avia Club
POKHARA, Nov 23: Russian pilot Alexandr Maximov, who had helped minimize considerable damages by timely alerting the locals about massive incoming flash flood in Seti River nearly four years ago, died in an unfortunate ultra-light aircraft crash in Pokhara on Wednesday morning. He was 62.
The ultra-light aircraft he was piloting lost its balance shortly after it took off and crashed near the runway. Police and sources at the Avia Club in Pokhara, where he worked as senior pilot and trainer, informed that he breathed his last while undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
A Canadian woman, Jilleni Volker, who was traveling in the ill-fated aircraft with the call sign 9N-ALL, was injured in the accident that took place at the club's own Lauruk-based airfield in Kaski district. She sustained severe injuries in the crash and is currently undergoing treatment at a Pokhara-based hospital, according to the police.
"Preliminary investigation shows that the ultra-light aircraft lost its balance and crashed after a rope tied to a hang-glider snapped while being pulled by the aircraft,” informed Inspector Mohanmani Adhikari of Baidam Police Post, adding that massive amount of blood loss due to head injury ultimately led to the death of the pilot.
Having over 5,000 hours of flight experience in Pokhara, Maximov was considered an experienced pilot who had been flying the ultra-light aircraft in Nepal for the past 14 years.
He was also the first to fly "Danphe", an ultra-light aircraft engineered by a team of Nepali youths for the first time in the country.
Maximov has a huge contribution in producing quality Nepali pilots. "His untimely death is an irreparable loss to all of us," said Santa Lamichhane, a pilot working at the Avia Club.
"He was an excellent mentor and a very good person. We have lost our main instructor and an awesome colleague."
That enough experience for ya, Bob? And none of it did him a dust particle's worth of good after the rope tied to the hang glider snapped while being pulled by the aircraft. And not one experienced Dragonfly pilot on the fuckin' planet took the slightest issue with that assessment. Nobody stated that the problem was that the rope was too strong and didn't snap soon enough.
'Specially not Bobby Fucking-Genius Bailey who brought in the kit and supervised construction of that plane of his design.
I know you don't know a lot about aero towing but maybe you could give us a thought or two of yours on what might have been done differently - since nobody else seems to have any.
He's got you there Tad. The Grammar Nazi strikes again.
This topic is about Breaking USHPA's monopoly so I'm gleefully ignoring all of your drivel that appears off topic - that would be all of it.
If you want me to participate in any of your pet topics then stop hijacking mine. You need a lesson on basic manners and this is it. Or go ahead and ban me ... for staying on topic.
Last edited by bobk on 2017/10/29 02:30:06 UTC, edited 1 time in total.
Steve Kroop - Russell Brown - Bob Lane - Jim Prahl - Campbell Bowen
The tail section of the Dragonfly is designed so that it can accept in-line as well as lateral loads. Furthermore the mast extension, which is part of the tow system, is designed to break away in the event of excessive in-line or lateral loads. The force required to cause a breakaway is roughly equivalent to the force required to break the double weaklink used on the tail bridle. More simply put, the mast would break away long before any structural damage to the aircraft would occur.
So what those dickheads are saying is that they're comfortable flying with a 560 pound load (their math, see below) pulling in ANY direction - back, up, down sideways - at ANY altitude.
We have a MASSIVE experiment on this bullshit from which to draw conclusions.
The strength of the weak link is crucial to a safe tow. It should be weak enough so that it will break before the pressure of the towline reaches a level that compromises the handling of the glider but strong enough so that it doesn't break every time you fly into a bit of rough air. A good rule of thumb for the optimum strength is one G, or in other words, equal to the total wing load of the glider. Most flight parks use 130 lb. braided Dacron line, so that one loop (which is the equivalent to two strands) is about 260 lb. strong - about the average wing load of a single pilot on a typical glider. For tandems, either two loops (four strands) of the same line or one loop of a stronger line is usually used to compensate for nearly twice the wing loading. When attaching the weak link to the bridle, position the knot so that it's hidden from the main tension in the link and excluded altogether from the equation.
IMPORTANT - It should never be assumed that the weak link will break in a lockout.
ALWAYS RELEASE THE TOWLINE before there is a problem.
By Quest's founding wisdom on the issue solos are flying at 260 and tandems at 520 pounds - twice as dangerous.
Would someone - Brian, Janni, Lauren, ANYONE - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE explain to me how the tug's ass is endangered by a double loop ONLY when it's on a SOLO glider but not at all when it's on a TANDEM?
But not one of these motherfuckers has ever claimed that towing tandems poses twice the danger to the tug that towing solos do. And not so much as a single tug mild bonk been attributed to a tandem or any other flavor of Tad-O-Link.
Also note that in Quest's founding wisdom there's zero mention of:
- the tug dumping the glider after the weak link doesn't do what they say it will in their first two sentences.
- danger to the tug after the weak link doesn't do what they say it will in their first two sentences.
You're gonna lock out enough to be killed instantly, just the way that Jeff Bohl did at Quest on 2016/05/21 after his Quest Link didn't do what they said it would in their first two sentences...
...and the tug's gonna fly away just fine, just like Jeff's did from below treetop level. It was such a nonevent for the tug pilot that when he was asked for his take on the situation that evening he couldn't even remember anything unusual having happened that day.
Tad Eareckson wrote:Now back to the aeronautical content of the discussion (monologue)...
Liar.
There's no discussion here. There's just Tad Eareckson making every topic revolve around whatever he wants.
There's also no "aeronautical content" here. There's just an uneducated fool parading around as if he were an expert while spouting his fifth grade understanding of physics.
Once again, your comments are off topic, and I'm gleefully ignoring them until you stop hijacking every topic to suit your agenda.
How does it feel to be both Jack and Davis at the same time?
Bob bends over backwards to not understand any of this stuff, acknowledge points like those as valid 'cause if he did he'd be saying that Tad's spot on and the other 99.9 percent of the sport is totally full o' shit. And that would cost him a considerable chunk of potential political support.
That reads like Bob is being careful to not understand any of this stuff. Thus, I'd go with "Bob" in that sentence.
Originally Posted - 2017/10/29 23:50:11 UTC
---
Reasonable choice.
Liar.
There's no discussion here. There's just Tad Eareckson making every topic revolve around whatever he wants.
It's a dirty job but somebody...
There's also no "aeronautical content" here. There's just an uneducated fool parading around as if he were an expert while spouting his fifth grade understanding of physics.
Once again, your comments are off topic, and I'm gleefully ignoring them until you stop hijacking every topic to suit your agenda.
Well, if one is gonna suit an agenda it might as well be one's own.
How does it feel to be both Jack and Davis at the same time?
Great. How does it feel coming to a forum being run by someone who's both Jack and Davis at the same time? Surely there must be loads of better options for your discussions out there in the world of US hang gliding.
Did you ever consider that you might be more effective in your campaign to get public land flying sites out from under u$hPa monopoly control if you got into alignment with some other sane issues? Like pushing for full unambiguous compliance with the FAA aerotow regulations that began covering us over thirteen years ago?
Bob Kuczewski - 2017/10/26 05:10:52 UTC
Third, I don't know a lot about aero towing, but I do know that there are two ends of a tow rope, and there's a pilot with his life at stake on either end. That means there's a negotiation about everything from cost to weak link strength. I'll bet if you were paying $10,000 per tow, you could use any weak link you wanted ... someone would take that risk. But if you offered a $10 "strong weak link bonus", and no one would take it, then you can bet they have a legitimate safety concern that they're willing to favor over hard cash.
The recreational hang glider pilot is ALWAYS going to come out an extremely distant second best in any "negotiation" with any Dragonfly pigfucker.
Well, I'm assuming there was some guff about the tug pilot's right of refusal?
Gee, didn't think we'd have to delve into "pilot in command"... I figured that one's pretty well understood in a flying community.
It's quite simple.
The tug is a certified aircraft... the glider is an unpowered ultralight vehicle. The tug pilot is the pilot in command. You are a passenger. You have the same rights and responsibilities as a skydiver.
It's a bitter pill I'm sure, but there you have it.
BTW, if you think I'm just spouting theory here, I've personally refused to tow a flight park owner over this very issue. I didn't want to clash, but I wasn't towing him. Yup, he wanted to tow with a doubled up weaklink. He eventually towed (behind me) with a single and sorry to disappoint any drama mongers, we're still friends. And lone gun crazy Rooney? Ten other tow pilots turned him down that day for the same reason.
Here's a little bit of bitter reality that ya'll get to understand straight off. I won't be sugar coating it, sorry.
You see, I'm on the other end of that rope.
I want neither a dead pilot on my hands or one trying to kill me.
And yes. It is my call. PERIOD.
On tow, I am the PIC.
Now, that cuts hard against every fiber of every HG pilot on the planet and I get that.
Absolutely no HG pilot likes hearing it. Not me, not no one. BUT... sorry, that's the way it is.
Accept it and move on.
Not only can you not change it, it's the law... in the very literal sense.
We all play by the same rules, or we don't play.
Morningside decided that they were happy with 200lb weaklink. They changed their tug's link and they don't just pass the stuff out either. If you'd like to know more about it... go ask them.
The law of the land at comps was 130lb greenspot or you don't tow. Seriously. It was announced before the comp that this would be the policy. Some guys went and made their case to the safety committee and were shut down. So yeah, sorry... suck it up.
Where were you when that evil little shit was writing his own laws of the land and declaring himself Pilot In Command of our planes? Right. Sending Dennis Pagen out to shut me up and prevent me from doing any serious damage to the sport.
I was there when u$hPa separated itself from the motorized stuff in the early Eighties and later when they brought paragliders in and was at Ground Zero when the motorized stuff returned in the form of the Dragonfly tug cheering them in. And the paragliders multiplied like bunnies and crowded hang gliders out of a lot of their coastal and mountain habitats and the Dragonflies did likewise and took two thirds of what was left of hang gliders.
A little more nuts and bolts stuff...
When the focal point of the safe towing system increases the safety of the towing operation the skydiver is almost always stalled (inconvenienced).
Lauren Tjaden - 2003/12/14
This fall at Ridgely, I had a weak link break at maybe fifty feet. I thought I was going to have to land in the soybeans - the very tall soybeans - when I looked at my angle. But, my glider stalled quite dramatically almost instantly (hard not to stall when you have a break), and dove towards the ground (a bit disconcerting from so low).
So much safer than continuing up to release altitude - where tandem aerotow instructors like Dr. Trisa Tilletti and Zack Marzec teach student aerotow pilots how to safely respond to the increase in the safety of the towing operation.
The fuckin' Dragonfly instantly loses a shitload of weight and drag so, yeah, at that instant he's picked up a lot of margin. But then he's gotta do an extra landing, hook up the glider a second time, subject himself to the most dangerous phase of his flight again - with a slightly more worn engine and an airframe with an extra duty cycle on it and on a slightly more beat up airframe. And he's gonna be substantially more fatigued. And he's doing this all for FREE cause we reward good pilots with extra safe weak links with free relights.
And all the guys in line baking in their harnesses and the helmets they're now required to have buckled on while they're hooked into their gliders are all gonna be five minutes more heat stressed when they hook up behind him. But don't worry, they're all using the same weak link the first asshole was. And it's common knowledge that a tug pulling a solo glider with a standard solo aerotow weak link (or a tandem glider with a doubled standard solo aerotow weak link) can't be stalled.
- We recommend that the weak link insert are be replaced after 200 starts: an insert exchanged in time is always safer and cheaper than one single aborted launch
When the pilot lost the towline it had the nose too high and due to that it climbed into a stall. My weaklinks would not allow me to climb that fast and develop into a stall like that.
Third, I don't know a lot about aero towing, but I do know that there are two ends of a tow rope, and there's a pilot with his life at stake on either end. That means there's a negotiation about everything from cost to weak link strength. I'll bet if you were paying $10,000 per tow, you could use any weak link you wanted ... someone would take that risk. But if you offered a $10 "strong weak link bonus", and no one would take it, then you can bet they have a legitimate safety concern that they're willing to favor over hard cash.
The Bailey-Moyes Dragonfly is an Australian-American two-seats-in-tandem, high-wing, strut-braced, open cockpit, conventional landing gear-equipped ultralight aircraft. The aircraft has been in production since 1990 and was designed as a special-purpose tug for hang gliders and ultralight sailplanes. It is available as a complete aircraft or as a kit for amateur construction. The aircraft has been variously produced by Moyes Microlights, Bailey-Moyes Microlights and currently LiteFlite of Botany, New South Wales, all different iterations of the same company.
Design and development The Dragonfly was developed in the late 1980s specifically as a hang glider tug for use in flatland areas where hang glider flying, which usually relies on hill launches, was not possible. This role requires an aircraft that can climb quickly at low speed. The Dragonfly achieves this goal, with a power-off stall speed of 17 kn (31 km/h) by using a large area wing of 170 square feet (16 square meters) in conjunction with Junkers-style flaperons. The takeoff distance required to clear a 49 ft (15 m) high obstacle is 492 ft (150 m) while flying solo and 984 ft (300 m) at maximum weight, on level short dry grass with no wind at 59 °F (15 °C). The aircraft has been successful as a hang glider tug and is also used for livestock mustering in its home country, as well as for recreational flying where STOL capabilities are required.
Operational history The Dragonfly has been exported to 12 countries, where it is primarily employed as a hang glider tug.
Variants Dragonfly
- Original model powered by a 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 two-stroke powerplant. Dragonfly C
- Improved model powered by a standard 64 hp (48 kW) Rotax 582 two-stroke engine, with the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL four-stroke powerplant optional. The BMW 1100S engine can also be used. It can accept engines in a range from 50 to 115 hp (37 to 86 kW).
With me so far, Bob? The Dragonfly was developed SPECIFICALLY as a hang glider TUG. As far as the vast majority of the planet is concerned that's its ONLY purpose. To PULL stuff. And the best and most expensive ones are stingy with respect to runway use and pull the stuff UP *FAST*.
Which brings us to the reason to have a 914 in the first place... you need one.
Something made you get a 914 instead of a 582. 914s are horribly expensive to own and maintain. If you own one, you need it... it's a safety thing.
It's a safety thing. Obviously with respect to stuff on BOTH ends of the rope. So just how much good do you think all that mega-expensive safety power is doing everybody when half of it's being transmitted through the focal point...
We had six weaklink breaks in a row at Zapata this year. Russell Brown (tug pilot, tug owner, Quest Air owner) said go ahead and double up (four strands of Cortland Greenspot). He knows I used his Zapata weaklink in Big Spring (pilots were asked to tell the tug pilot if they were doing that).
Guess ya gotta warn the tug pilot if you're using deadly Tad-O-Links, huh? So he'll know to switch to safe takeoff mode?
Jim Rooney - 2011/08/26 17:34:33 UTC
Do NOT skip this little bit...
pilots were asked to tell the tug pilot if they were doing thatpilots were asked to tell the tug pilot if they were doing that
See, Russel knows what's up.
He knows that you're changing the equation and because of this, you need to ask the tug pilot.
Any thoughts on why Russell doesn't just assume everybody's using the tried and true Standard Aerotow Weak Link and do the infinitely safer half-power takeoffs for everybody?
Davis Straub - 2008/04/22 14:47:00 UTC
Hughenden Airport, Queensland
What material should be used for weaklinks?
From section 3.4 of the 1999 Hang Gliding Federation of Australia Towing Manual:
Recommended breaking load of a weak link is 1g. - i.e. the combined weight of pilot, harness and glider (dependent on pilot weight - usually approximately 90 to 100 kg for solo operations; or approximately 175 kg for tandem operations).
Each pilot should have his/her own weak link of appropriate strength.
It is recommended that a new weak link is used for every launch; or a fabric sheath is used to cover the weak link to protect it as it is dragged along the ground.
Testing weak links tied from "No 8" builders string line has shown that the type of knot used does not greatly affect the breaking strain of the weak link.
Here is the requirement from the 2007 Worlds local rules (which I wrote) for weaklinks:
Pilots must use weaklinks provided by the meet organizers and in a manner approved by the meet organizers. All weaklinks will be checked and use of inappropriate weaklinks will require the pilot to go to the end of the launch line to change the weaklink.
Weaklinks will consist of a single loop of Cortland 130 lb Greenspot braided Dacron Tolling line and should be placed at one end of a shoulder bridle.
At the 2008 Forbes Flatlands Greenspot for the first time was used as the standard weaklink material (thanks in large part to the efforts of Bobby Bailey). We applaud these efforts to improve the safety of aerotowing by using a better weaklink material.
Anybody wonder if - now that they're using a better better weaklink material, one that so many of us are happy with, about twice the Gs for Li'l Niki - they're still recommending a new safe towing system focal point for each tow, inspecting them for damage, wear, inappropriateness?
Davis Straub - 2008/04/22 14:47:00 UTC
Getting pilots into the air quickly is also safer as it reduces the stress that pilots feel on the ground and keeps them focused on their job which is to launch safely and without hassling the ground crew or themselves. When we look at safety we have to look at the whole system, not just one component of that system. One pilot may feel that one component is unsafe from his point of view and desire a different approach, but accommodating one pilot can reduce the overall safety of the system.
The accepted standards and practices changed.
I still won't tow people with doubled up weaklinks. You don't get to "make shit up". I don't "make shit up" for that matter either.
Tandems are $125 each. So, it's actually closer to $450 for a tow rating in the northwest. That's if you can somehow convince them to do a tandem as the park is not tandem friendly and makes the tow much more dangerous for everyone, especially the tug pilot.
The thing you have to realize is, adding the tandem requirement to the mix really increased the danger for everyone. For certain flight parks it was safer without this tandem requirement, not even counting the increased costs. Not every flight park is Quest with unlimited room to bail out in an emergency situation. The latest rules are really sad for our sport, but I suppose something is better than nothing.
Tracy Tillman - 2011/02/10 20:35:43 UTC
How do the sailplane clubs do it in the NW? Have they found dual flights for aerotow instruction more dangerous than solo flights for aerotow instruction? Explain why you think the situation for hang gliding aerotow instruction is different.
Dave Scott - 2011/02/10 20:53:22 UTC
The sailplane clubs do it with a tandem, they always have. I don't think you can compare them, it's apples to oranges.
The situation you have with hang gliding is couple a Dragonfly with a 582 engine, and you can tow fine with a single pilot and get a good climb rate, however with a Tandem you have a terrible climb rate. Now combine this terrible rate with an already small field and you have a situation that could lead to a death or serious injury of either party. All it takes is one engine out and you're done!
My thoughts are it's safer to NOT require a tandem in this situation.
So, I can already hear the argument on the regulators side. Just get a 912 engine and or a bigger field. Sure, that would solve it, but I think you will find that if that is where it has to go, then it will just be another tow park shutting down.
When I got my rating at this tow field, it was $150 bucks, now it's going to be over $400 bucks, if it's even possible at all now. It may be that anyone on the west coast will have to fly to Quest to get this done.
Any thoughts on why Oliver Chitty's crappy little ultra safe BHPA aerotow weak link doesn't break when it's supposed to, before he can get into too much trouble?
Rearranged face, totaled glider, fair level of fatality potential. (Funny we never heard anything about how the tug fared.)
Finally for the time being anyway, Bob... Fuck any total moron on either end of the rope who goes up depending upon a piece of fishing line to bail him and/or the other guy out of a bad situation. Tugs have ALWAYS had the technology to dump tows in a tenth of the time it takes the safest of weak links to assess a situation and respond with its only...
Wills Wing / Blue Sky / Steve Wendt / Ryan Voight Productions - 2007/03
NEVER CUT THE POWER...
Reduce Gradually
Increase Gradually
...capability. And gliders have pretty much always had it available but pretty much always rejected it 'cause everybody knows that simpler is safer. And on top of that gliders need to be launched with actual pilots clipped in in conditions under which the glider can be controlled well enough for the few seconds it takes to get some breathing space between them and the surface - just like...
You can't discuss anything on Tad's "KiteStrings"...
It's actually:
- Zack's. He founded it and still has more control over it than Tad does.
- Kite Strings. Two words. But you seem to take delight in fucking things up and being a distracting irritant.
...unless it's...
Nobody's stopped you from discussing what you want on this thread. And tough shit if you can't force others to discuss what you want in the manner you want them to.
What will keep the US Hawks from becoming another USHPA or HGAA?
You will ... hopefully. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Everyone has to do their part once in a while. If you see something that's not being done correctly, then it's your duty to speak out. One big difference between the US Hawks and other organizations is that the US Hawks really does honor the free speech of its members.
Pity the US Hawks DOES honor the free speech of its members but not the free speech of Kite Strings' members. And did ya catch that, people of varying ages? "US Hawks" is plural, "does" is singular. But substitute "Bob Kuczewski" for "US Hawks" and the sentence becomes grammatically correct and accurately identifies the individual telling the lie.
Nah Bob, one can take a whole shitload of lessons from this topic and some background material if one reads carefully and knows what to look for. Let's take another look at this reference from Page 02:
Sent: Monday, May 11, 2009 12:40 AM
To: Pagen, Dennis; Tate, Lisa
Cc: USHPA Regional Directors
Subject: Re: aerotow SOP complaint
Hello Dennis (cc Gregg and other Regional Directors),
First, I think Mr. Eareckson's email address was in Gregg's original letter included below if anyone needs it (TadErcksn@...).
Second, I cast my vote for having Dennis write a letter to Mr. Eareckson as he suggested. Mr. Eareckson is obviously intelligent and passionate, and we can certainly use those qualities if we can harness them in a positive direction. If Dennis can do this, then that's the win-win solution. Another invitation to attend (or even present) at the next Towing Committee meeting might also be a good idea. I vote for inclusivity over litigation.
Third, I'm not an expert in towing, but I consulted someone who knows the topic pretty well. His comment was that while it might be good for USHPA to make recommendations in this area, there is still plenty of room for innovation. For that reason, he doesn't think USHPA should mandate any kind of obligatory system that would stifle that innovation - whether Mr. Eareckson's or any other. I have very little background in towing, so I'm just passing this perspective on for your general consideration.
Thanks,
Bob Kuczewski
Second, I cast my vote for having Dennis write a letter to Mr. Eareckson as he suggested.
- Total fuckin' Industry operative sleazebag.
Dennis Pagen - 1997/01
The bridle system used was like that shown in the photograph on page 20 of the September 1996 issue of this magazine. There was only a bottom release. The weak link was at the top and was tested after the accident to break at over 300
pounds (it was constructed from 205 Dacron line). Because of this doubling effect of the bridle, this would requires a towline force of over 600 pounds to break. This is way too high. There is no known reason for the failure of the tug release since it was tested before and after the accident with a realistic tow force.
Fuck that sonuvabitch and the horse he rode in on.
- For what purpose?
- I never got it. What exactly did you want it to say?
Mr. Eareckson is obviously intelligent...
Bob Kuczewski - 2017/10/29 02:43:52 UTC
There's just an uneducated fool parading around as if he were an expert while spouting his fifth grade understanding of physics.
From this we can't tell whether Mr. Eareckson is obviously intelligent or just an uneducated fool parading around as if he were an expert while spouting his fifth grade understanding of physics... But we sure have Mr. Kuczewski nailed down real well on one of the things he is.
...and passionate, and we...
Meaning, of course, u$hPa. We're trying to break their totally evil monopoly control of the sport now but back then they/we were really a really great bunch o' guys.
...can certainly use those qualities if we can harness them in a positive direction.
- Yeah Bob, WE again.
- As opposed to the really negative direction he was taking on his own. Communicating with a government agency, presenting unambiguous evidence from u$hPa's own documentation of massive dangerous, negligent, illegal conduct. (Dontchya just love the irony.)
If Dennis can do this...
- Dennis. Mitch Shipley's predecessor and model.
- And if Dennis can't do this then nobody can.
- How come you didn't write Mr. Eareckson a letter, Bob? He's obviously intelligent and passionate, and we could certainly have used those qualities if only we could've harnessed them in a positive direction.
- Define what a positive direction is, Bob. Obviously you thought that the sport wasn't all it could've been if u$hPa could've harnessed my intelligence and passion in one. So what was it you'd have had me doing?
- Suck my dick, Bob. I know EXACTLY what you were doing with that sugar coated crap.
...then that's the win-win solution.
Tad's brought on board with u$hPa, gets taught how to keep his mouth shut when he sees an eleven year old kid murdered at a tandem thrill ride operation, everything continues devolving at a steady or accelerating rate. Win-Win-Win actually.
Another invitation to attend (or even present) at the next Towing Committee meeting might also be a good idea.
A totally SMASHING idea! Sit down with Dennis, Trisa, Matt, Bart, Tiki, Tim; have productive discussions, make some REAL progress in these undefined areas in which nobody else has ever been able to make any dents! And I'm sure you knew then as well as I did exactly how I'd have been treated at the next Towing Committee meeting. Read Tracy Tillman's 2009/05/10 02:08:52 UTC letter if you have the slightest shadow of any doubt.
Eventually (and for reasons that I won't full disclose here), it became necessary to ask Tad to leave the US Hawks forum, and he is currently the only person who's been completely banned from the US Hawks.
See above about sucking my dick.
Third, I'm not an expert in towing...
One can only wonder where you find the time to so effectively not be an expert on towing. (Now I'm not a scientist but...)
...but I consulted someone who knows the topic pretty well.
Really Bob? Tell me:
- how it's possible for the world's foremost not an expert in towing to identify someone who knows the topic pretty well.
- ONE parameter you used to determine that John Heiney knew the topic more pretty well than Tad Eareckson did and rendered him qualified to comment on anything Tad Eareckson had to say.
- how you knew that consulting John Heiney about what Tad Eareckson had to say would be a more productive use of your time than consulting Tad Eareckson about what Tad Eareckson had to say.
His comment was that while it might be good for USHPA to make recommendations in this area, there is still plenty of room for innovation.
Yeah? Well since he knew the topic so much better than Mr. Eareckson - who was just an uneducated fool parading around as if he were an expert while spouting his fifth grade understanding of physics - and is an extremely gifted glider designer and producer and that was six and a half years ago how come we haven't heard about him reducing any of that plenty of room for innovation? And can you name any other departments outside of photography maybe in which he's innovated anything worth talking about?
For that reason, he doesn't think USHPA should mandate any kind of obligatory system that would stifle that innovation - whether Mr. Eareckson's or any other.
Which had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with ANYTHING I've ACTUALLY SAID ANYWHERE so obviously...
- Neither of you motherfuckers actually bothered to actually read a single punctuation mark's worth of ANYTHING I'd written.
- John was just pulling stuff out of his ass or some other u$hPa operative's ass - quite possibly YOURS - to throw at and attempt to silence me. Exactly the same stereotypical, predictable crap you get from a Trisa Tilletti or an Eric Skyslime Beckman.
- You got exactly the answer you wanted so there was no need consult a single other hitherto unidentified individual who knew the topic pretty well. For example... Dennis Pagen, "coauthor" of the excellent book, Towing Aloft, by Dennis Pagen and Bill Bryden.
You're a lawyer, Bob. You do EXACTLY within your sphere of influence what Tim Herr does in his. And the first rule of lawyering is to never ask a question for which you don't already know the answer. And that obviously means only the answer you wanna hear and have heard.
And the corollaries to that... Keep all problematic evidence out of the record; silence opposition whenever possible, discredit by any and all means possible and piss all over it...
Bob Kuczewski - 2017/10/29 02:43:52 UTC
There's no discussion here. There's just Tad Eareckson making every topic revolve around whatever he wants.
There's also no "aeronautical content" here. There's just an uneducated fool parading around as if he were an expert while spouting his fifth grade understanding of physics.
Once again, your comments are off topic, and I'm gleefully ignoring them until you stop hijacking every topic to suit your agenda.
How does it feel to be both Jack and Davis at the same time?
...when you can't.
There was never any reason for you to conceal the identities of Felipe Amunategui, Lisa Tate, and Rich Hass. But of course there was a really excellent reason for you to conceal the identity of...
Third, I'm not an expert in towing, but I consulted someone who knows the topic pretty well. His comment...
...John Heiney. He's a total fucking zero on towing. There's not a punctuation mark's worth of anything on towing at his semiliterate website:
One point three-string release "system". Easily reachable wiffle ball on the lanyard. Perish the thought that we rig it with a lanyard held in the teeth. 205 Dacron leechline weak link feeling full towline to keep him from getting into too much trouble. And this is the guy who rigs his balloon drop three-ring release so's he can pull the lanyard with his teeth in dead air at ten thousand feet.
Certainly don't wanna stay prone and roll that thing in on wheels. Might be a narrow dry riverbed with large rocks strewn all over the place lurking somewhere nearby.
I'll give him that his release is head and shoulders above the Davis mandated bent pin pro toad crap everybody else uses. Actual load capacity and weak link protection, an actuator you can actually pull if you have the luxury of making the easy reach (can only work in situations in which you don't really need it to). But:
- We don't seem to have heard him having whispered a single word of condemnation of any of the Davis mandated bent pin pro toad crap with no load capacity and iffy weak link protection everybody else uses.
- It's still inferior to the three-ring I used for my first ever aerotow on 1986/08/01 behind Jon Leak's Cosmos trike and certainly doesn't represent any innovation.
...is happy with having on a bridle end where it's only seeing half towline. Get John to explain that to us.
I have very little background in towing, so I'm just passing this perspective on for your general consideration.
Thanks,
Bob Kuczewski
Fuck you, Bob Kuczewski. This sport evolved from towing and most of whatever it has in the way of a future is largely dependent on towing. And anybody who doesn't understand the dynamics of towing a glider also doesn't understand the dynamics of free flying one and isn't an actual pilot. And this forum is only intended for actual pilots and those aspiring to be. Lawyers have plenty of other options.
