The Bob Show

[Tad Eareckson]

Jack has done some good things...

Like what?

...just as you have.

1. He's done NOTHING just as I have.
2. I'd just as soon not have my name used in the same paragraph with his.

...(again, just as you have)...

You getting that from primary sources? Or are you just ASSUMING that?

What makes you so similar is that neither of you are willing to admit that you've done bad things and apologize for them.

I don't owe YOU any apologies. And I don't think you've heard anyone else asking me for apologies. And even if you had that wouldn't necessarily be any of your goddam business.

Indeed, it's people who only see black and white that are part of the problem.

This is a pass/fail sorta sport. And 99 percent right totally sucks 'cause it's a good ticket to short career. And I don't have any problem whatsoever painting a 49 percenter with black brush.

Our particular form of aviation is human beings taking flight for the sheer joy of taking flight.

Precisely. Nobody's gonna die of exposure three quarters of the way up Denali if we don't get one of our birds up in the gale to pluck him off. So we really don't need to risk making our own and other people's lives miserable by taking stupid risks in dangerous environments.

You can't remove that aspect of hang gliding from the discussion of its regulation.

We don't. In my neck of the woods there are a few hoops people have gotta jump through if they wanna run out of the slot at the Woodstock launch in the George Washington National Forest or off of one of the ramps at McConnellsburg on the launch owned by the two local clubs. That's been working out reasonably well for about three decades.

But in the kind of flying I want to do I want to come off a runway without a bunch of shitheads controlling my rope building in a half dozen stupid, needless, and illegal ways to kill me each time. Really tends to cut into the shear joy I've paid for in advance.

But if you want to talk numbers and logic, then start by explaining the laws of physics in terms of differential equations and not your simple 2+2=4 "logic"...

You show me where your goddam differential equations have done one single thing to make this sport better or safer for one single individual. I'm the guy who's gotten the physics teacher up on straight pin releases and several flight park operators up on weak links that don't blow up in their faces every third tow.

...if you want my respect.

If *I* want *YOUR* respect? Sorry, I think you've got things as little backwards. And SAM'S got your respect, ferchrisake. You think I wanna be in THAT category?

And... My word means something. Yours doesn't.

Go ahead and explain the first quarter of Newtonian physics for us and see how far you get. We'll let you work your way up to the Navier-Stokes equations.

Knock yourself out with that stuff. Lemme know when you've got something that holds a candle to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aerotowrelease/8312907578/


which is my refinement of an idea Steve Kinsley came up with in response to a friend getting needlessly killed over a decade and a half ago. No differential equations, first quarter Newtonian physics, or Navier-Stokes equations were harmed in the making. We just beat the crap out of the simple 2+2=4 logic stuff. Two hands flying the glider, teeth not busy with an apple for a minute or two... Just like they were doing the Soarmaster throttle control in the Seventies. Ten year old kid common sense... Kite Strings.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=912
Safe-Splat

Bob Kuczewski - 2011/12/31 01:52:54 UTC

How about a more traditional solution ... intentionally landing on fairly large wheels with a tailwheel on the keel? Lots of tandem pilots do that very successfully.

Tandem wheel landing incidents are virtually nonexistent. You go to Ridgely and you want entertainment you don't watch the tandems or Cessnas landing on their wheels - you watch the hang glider solos trying to perfect their flare timing.

I think that's also what Tad has advocated.

But, of course, Tad can't discuss what Tad's advocating on The Bob Show 'cause Lord Bob has determined that allowing Tad the PRIVILEGE of discussing hang gliding issues on The Bob Show might make the forum unsafe for people of varying ages.

But anyway...

Tad's a performance freak so no way in hell would he advocate a tailwheel for anything but training gliders. And all the goddam tailwheel does anyway is keep the harness off the ground when the glider's rolling to a stop after the critical stuff is history.

What Tad advocates is wheels big enough to actually turn on the terrain upon which you're likely to land and harnesses with skid plates so you don't hafta worry about grass stains and abrasion.

Tad isn't rabid about insisting that everybody flies with wheels but says that if you're not and/or routinely landing in environments which require standup landings you're asking to get an arm broken.

It works especially well if you're landing in a prepared field like Sylmar or Crestline or Wallaby. My tandem at Wallaby was landed on the wheels and it allows the pilot to stay prone and on the base tube throughout the entire process.

Precisely.

And wouldn't that be a pretty good way to do things on the training hill as well?

And wouldn't it be a pretty idea to not use the rating system to force people to do otherwise?

And, dude, you also got your justification for having better representation on aerotow policy issues than anyone else on your membership list. Pretty painless and productive sled ride, wasn't it?

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=881
Davis Straub; Idiot Statist, Endless Wars & Tyranny

Bob Kuczewski - 2011/12/31 06:50:04 UTC

People come to the "Hang Gliding General" forum expecting to find hang gliding and not all the other problems in the world.

That's OK, Bob, the important thing is that it was a post on The Bob Show after you cut Tad's microphone so you can use it as evidence in support of your decision to cut Tad's microphone for the greater good of increasing participation in The Bob Show.

I recognize that you've got other issues (and maybe more important issues) to discuss, and that's why we've got a "Free Speech Zone".

That's ONE of the reasons. Others include providing a basement into which hang gliding posts from Bob Show chapters can be dumped whenever one of your local halfwit dictators feels like doing so and isolating people whose positions on hang gliding differ from yours.

I've even given you your own forum where you're free to post what you want. In fact, you can even allow Tad to post there if you want.

Oh wow. EVEN Tad can be ALLOWED to post. Is this a great national association or what?

After all, if Sam is able to ban who he wants, then you should be able to permit anyone that you want.

- Yeah, Sam should be able to ban whomever he wants for whatever reason he wants. And the Southwest Texas Hang Gliders cult should be immediately disenfranchised as a Bob Show chapter for violating the crap out of every significant stated principle of The Bob Show parent organization. But, what the hell, Sam's shitty little organization doesn't stink any worst than Bob's shitty little parent organization.

- So I'm potentially good enough to be a member of a Bob Show chapter founded by pretty much anybody who feels like declaring himself a Bob Show chapter but I'm never gonna be accepted as a member of the parent Bob Show organization? Have you run that through a Navier-Stokes equation to see if the result comes out anything other than absolute lunacy?

But the consequences of that will fall on your shoulders and not mine.

1. What "CONSEQUENCES", Bob?

2. And since when did a forum host start becoming responsible for what a participant types on his keyboard? Is there something in state, national, or international law about that?

There are plenty of things going on in this country that have me terrified.

Yeah. People using foul language, being in personal relationships of which you don't approve, and being required to use blowout preventers in offshore drilling operations which actually prevent blowouts. Nanny state good, nanny state good, nanny state BAD!!!

And I've stepped up to the plate to address some of them in my private life.

And whenever you get bored with that you do your vigilante number on your public forum.

But I'm trying to save the sport of hang gliding in this forum.

Right. YOU - Lord Bob - are trying to save the sport of hang gliding in YOUR forum. And with your deep understanding of and appreciation for hang gliding issues and history, free speech and fairness issues, and Navier-Stokes equations you're IDEALLY suited for the job.

If you can help me, that would be great. Thanks!!

Fuck that. I tried, it was kinda fun but otherwise a massive waste of time.

I'm trying to save the sport of hang gliding too, Bob. But I'm trying to save it by helping other people understand the relevant grade through high school science and math, logic, and history of the sport, show what's really causing the crashes and tragedies, and expose the frauds and serial killers who keep us stagnant and/or moving backwards so that the people in or reading this forum can be empowered to make competent decisions on their own behalf and influence others to move things in positive directions as well.

My goal is to make myself as irrelevant and replaceable as any competent sailplane instructor in his field of aviation so if I get hit by a truck tomorrow it won't be that big a fucking deal to the sport of hang gliding. And that's one of many very big differences between us and the forums we host.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=929
Training Manual Comments / Contribution

Bill Cummings - 2012/01/05 02:23:33 UTC

So how come there is no reply to a post in the training manual section?

'Cause there's nobody left at The Bob Show who actually gives a rat's ass about working on that sort of thing.

And what would be the point anyway? Bob doesn't want any nanny state policies restricting the freedoms of some clown who always wanted to jump off Glacier Point, bought a standard at a garage sale, and read the instruction sheet.

Terry Mason - 2012/01/05 20:06:00 UTC

Very astute observation Bill, and if Bob will place 'Post a reply' icon in the 'Training Manual' topic, I'd like to add a few things that have helped the S.W. Texas chapter.

Helped the S.W. Texas chapter what? Fortify its position as a safe haven for the kind of idiots who will continue to play nice with each other? (As long as nobody expresses support for keeping Packsaddle open, anyway.)

Also several of my own posts in Hang gliding General, as well as 'Forming the Hawks' could be transferded into the 'manual' topic, but only after editing out the objectional TROLL comments!

Yeah, we certainly don't want anyone who's been categorized as a troll by two or three assholes on The Bob Show having any influence on anything, do we Bob? I mean free speech is all well and good - right up to the point at which an unpopular person makes a statement with which a popular person disagrees.

I hope you are watching Bob, or I've wasted another 15min.

All you assholes are doing nothing but wasting your time. I wonder how long it'll take y'all to figure out that if nothing of any substance has happened in the past seventeen months nothing of any substance is likely to happen in the next seventeen months.

Thanks again, Terry

Don't mention it, Terry. And go fuck yourself and have a happy new year.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=929
Training Manual Comments / Contribution

Bob Kuczewski - 2012/01/06 06:18:49 UTC

Hi Bill and Terry,

I've limited that forum to just the people who want to sincerely work on building a good training manual so we don't get derailed. If either of you guys would like to participate, you'd be welcome ... as well as most other members of the forum. Are either of you interested? Just post your interest or send me a PM and I'll be happy to add you to the writing/contributing "staff".

To amplify my thinking, the work that will take place on that topic isn't best suited to a forum. It's more suited to some kind of collaboration software between people who want to work toward that common goal. But since a forum is the only "groupware" that we've got right now, I'll adapt it to that purpose. When all you've got is a hammer ... everything looks like a nail.

So that's why the forum is readable to everyone, but will only be writable by the group that's going to actually write the manual.

Is everyone OK with that?

No problem WHATSOEVER, Bob.

http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=831
Kite Strings

Bob Kuczewski - 2011/11/18 23:43:37 UTC

Tad Eareckson - 2011/11/18 22:31:54 UTC

Kite Strings is - primarily - a science classroom.

Yes, where you're the head master / dictator who has complete control over who can raise their hands and who can even be in the classroom.

"Come here little boy and let me take you into Tad's Cult of the Sacred Release. Don't listen to what anyone else tells you because only Tad knows the truth. In Tad's Cult of the Sacred Release, anyone who disagrees with Tad is permanently and forever banned because we don't want them poisoning your mind in our 'classroom'."

What an incredible fucking hypocrite.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=929
Training Manual Comments / Contribution

Bill Cummings - 2012/01/06 17:29:44 UTC

I was thinking that I could share some pointers about water towing. Maybe they could be of use in the training manual.

Maybe the person actually typing up the training manual might see something worth passing along to pilots that haven't yet had the opportunity to blunder down the wrong path yet like I had years ago.

Things like: Once a glider has upset in the lake and is only showing it's floats above the surface there is only one way to right the glider when a wind is blowing.

Another thing: While waiting for the boat to return to the glider after it has landed in the lake, and while being blown backwards, the pilot must move him/herself toward the low wing to raise it. Sounds just backwards or like I just made a typo doesn't it? But there is a good reason for this that once explained will (hopefully) make sense.

Fine Bill. Write it up for the training manual. Couldn't hurt, would probably be interesting, might help.

But the thing is...

For every boat tow nowadays there are about ten thousand aerotows. And virtually EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM IS DANGEROUS. That's where people are crashing and getting hurt and killed 'cause they don't have a freaking clue what they're doing. And you're not doing anything to fix those problems.

Likewise endorsing light weak links so that, in case your release freezes up at altitude over the lake on which you're static towing after dragging your Hewett Bridle through the slush, your snowmobile driver can gas it and blow you off. We've got higher priority issues to be addressing.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=929
Training Manual Comments / Contribution

Warren Narron - 2012/01/06 18:55:32 UTC

Going against the grain here, but someone has to point out that the probable best candidate to write a training manual has been banned from this site.

Thanks Warren. But fear not! I've been mulling over a few ideas for a Bob Show training manual which I'll be more than happy to share when I get them organized.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24994
No-knot weak links

Joe Faust - 2012/01/04 21:04:20 UTC

On 4 Jan 2012 while sitting just where Bill Liscomb sat in taking an interview for movie Big Blue Sky under a fig tree that shows in the movie, Bob Kuczewski offered something for topic: Take a much over-strong cord; knot the cord; then in a prescribed sector of the cord, deliberately weaken the sector. Allow that a knot on such a overly-strong cord is so greatly not involved in defining breaking point that that the knot's presence counts not in the concerned matter and thus might disappear in importance and thus reach, perhaps, membership in the "knotless" project. The challenge of getting graded strengths in the weakend area is another matter that can be faced. Thus a knotted knotless solution space may be opened for exploration fo this knotless project. He then mentioned a concern about the staying of the position of the weakened area.

I built on his idea and suggest that perhaps have two knots near each other to help stay the position of the weakened region. Thus, a two-knot knotless weaklink.

Next on this direction: Select cord. I furthered in collaboration over his mention of keeping weak area in a stayed position: Place two knots on the cord, or perhaps let one knot set a loop that when grabbed will also stay the position of the deliberately weakened region of the arrangement.

Wow Bob! Amazing!!!

How'd you come up with that idea? Did you see a fig fall, ask yourself why, and note that the stem had been partially chewed through by a Southern California Fig Stem Weevil? Or was it all Navier-Stokes equations?

Will this be a Strong Weak Link Theory weak link which protects your aircraft against overloading? Or a Weak Weak Link Theory weak link which will:

- infallibly and automatically release the glider from tow whenever the tow line tension exceeds the limit for safe operation;

- break before you can get into too much trouble if you fail to maintain the correct tow position (centered, with the wheels of the tug on the horizon);

- keep you from being dragged after blowing a dolly launch and breaking four ribs and your larynx;

- blow before the glider can nose up so much that it'll whipstall when the weak link blows;

- keep you from being towed fast enough to lock out or oscillate;

- work as an instant hands free release when you push out and roll harder into the lockout when you can't afford to reach for your regular one 'cause if you do you'll nose up and roll harder into the lockout;

- blow when you lock out on a payout winch 'cause there's just so fast that sucker can spin;

- increase the safety of the towing operation. PERIOD?

I think you DEFINITELY gotta go with Weak Weak Link Theory weak links for three reasons:

- They're just so incredibly much more versatile and useful than Strong Weak Link Theory weak links which only do one thing.

- The kinds of assholes you've got on The Bob Show and are trying to attract to help you build a bigger and better national hang gliding organization will ABSOLUTELY ADORE them!

- Once you finish sandpapering them to your target thickness they're gonna keep unraveling faster than a sidewire with a single broken strand anyway.

So how's the testing program been going? Just kidding.

What are you using for a load tester? Just kidding.

What method(s) are you using to abrade the line down to the target thickness? Just kidding.

What kind of knot are you using to join the ends and form the loop? Just kidding.

What are you using for a standard line? Just kidding.

You HAVE actually done at least ONE of these, right? Just kidding.

So what's your objection to using tested loops of appropriate breaking strength and Tost weak links and Shear Links like people who tow and know what the fuck they're doing and talking about have been employing for years and decades?

Is this insanity in any way related to your rabid opposition to hook-in check requirements and instruction and your enthusiasm for electronic warning devices that you never seem to get around to putting into the air either?

Don't ever change, Bob. Hang gliding benefits best from your efforts when you're not making any.

P.S. And do try to leave a few leaves for the fig tree when you're trying to decide how many inappropriate works of art you need to deal with on your way home.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=929
Training Manual Comments / Contribution

Nobody - 2012/01/07 06:17:18 UTC

Bob's not looking for the best candidate, he's looking for the most agreeable candidates.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=929
Training Manual Comments / Contribution

Bob Kuczewski - 2012/01/06 06:18:49 UTC

I've created the Training Manual Forum as a place for working on the Training Manual. This could have been done outside of the US Hawks forum by personal collaboration or email or by many other means. But I wanted lots of people to be able to see what we're doing and offer comments, so I decided to make it a public part of the US Hawks Forum.

On the other hand, working on a training manual will require a coordinated effort by several dedicated people. The actual writing process is not helped by allowing people to derail the discussions. So that's why the Training Manual Forum is limited to posting by people who've explicitly stated they want to work cooperatively on that project.

With that thought in mind, it would be good to have a topic where anyone can comment or contribute without being a member of the Training Manual Team. This topic is specifically for that purpose. Please feel free to post your own (or even someone else's) comments or contributions to this forum any time.

Thanks.

1. It'll require more than several dedicated people. It'll require at least one person who knows what the fuck he's talking about and refuses to work cooperatively with the kind of dedicated assholes with which you want to fill your ranks. Do any of the ones you have in mind have any qualifications beyond wholesome American family values?

2. How are you identifying the people who are DERAILING discussions? Are those the ones who make statements with which you disagree?

3. What does "work cooperatively" mean? If Nobody says two plus two equals four and SouthWest Texas insists that it's eight does two plus two equal six? Or are you gonna stay with eight to make it a truly democratic process?

4. I guess if anyone takes a position with which you disagree you can kick him off the forum because he's violating his explicit statement about wanting to work cooperatively, right?

5. Where ANYONE can comment or contribute without being a member of the Training Manual Team? I'm not a member of the Training Manual Team. Can *I* can comment or contribute?

6. What's the purpose of a training manual? Isn't the whole purpose of Bob Show hang gliding to allow anyone who feels like it to call himself a pilot or instructor and jump off of or teach whatever the fuck - in his judgment - he feels like without any nanny state restrictions of his sacred Tea Party approved freedoms?

Why do we need another organization?

The need for choice on the national level has been clear for some time. The HGAA, for example, was originally formed to be more of a grass roots organization than USHPA. However, it was quickly overtaken by those who again concentrated power and shunned opposing viewpoints. So the US Hawks was formed to provide yet another alternative.

Yeah, I can see EXACTLY why someone like you teamed up with someone like Jack and had such wonderful things to say about him until he did to you what you're doing to everyone who gets in the way of your warped vision of holiness.