landing

[Steve Davy]

The title of this thread is LANDING, not how to survive a crash.

And if there is some good reason to be crashing these things, I've not heard about it.

[miguel]

The title of this thread is LANDING, not how to survive a crash.

And if there is some good reason to be crashing these things, I've not heard about it.

My perfect landing percentage is less than 100%. I would bet yours is also less than 100%.

For some reason, the spiral fracture of the humerus is a recurring theme in this thread. Spiral fractures and the like are preventable by letting go of the tube.

Keep that in mind on your next less than perfect landing.

[Steve Davy]

My perfect landing percentage is less than 100%.

Everybody has a less than perfect landing percentage.

I would bet yours is also less than 100%.

You would win that bet, but not by very much. And that's NOT because I have mad skills, but because I'm a total chicken and terrified of fucking up my future.

For some reason, the spiral fracture of the humerus is a recurring theme in this thread.

Yeah, For some completely mysterious reason.

Spiral fractures and the like are preventable by letting go of the tube.

Spiral fractures and the like are also preventable by:
1. Not hang gliding.
2. Not crashing.
3. Not getting your hands caught behind the downtubes.

Keep that in mind on your next less than perfect landing.

I will, and I do and mean that! So thanks.

[miguel]

Back when I was a young pup, flying with no ratings, I went to McClure to watch the big boys. The wind was a very gusty 25 and hard north. At this time, there was only one lz, which is now called the upper lz. Most pilots were making controlled crashes as the lz is downhill. One pilot was too high and veered off to where the present lz is located. Back then, it contained large bushes and a few trees. He crashed into some bushes directly across from where I was standing. He held onto both downtubes and his body momemtum carried him through the tubes breaking both arms. I saw and heard this in excruciating detail. Later, I was told to let go of the down tubes and swing through or hide behind one tube to prevent broken arms.

[Steve Davy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Gd2kcyOes

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http://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5064/13952334721_73f82e16d7_o.png

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[Zack C]

He held onto both downtubes and his body momemtum carried him through the tubes breaking both arms. I saw and heard this in excruciating detail. Later, I was told to let go of the down tubes and swing through or hide behind one tube to prevent broken arms.

Do you think that pilot had never been told that? If so, do you think the outcome would have been different if he had been?

I'd read to let go of the tubes prior to breaking my humeri, but it didn't make any difference for me.

Zack

[Tad Eareckson]

Before contact with whatever, LET GO of one or both downtubes.

The title of this thread is LANDING, not how to survive a crash.

He crashed into some bushes directly across from where I was standing.

[miguel]

He held onto both downtubes and his body momemtum carried him through the tubes breaking both arms. I saw and heard this in excruciating detail. Later, I was told to let go of the down tubes and swing through or hide behind one tube to prevent broken arms.

Do you think that pilot had never been told that? If so, do you think the outcome would have been different if he had been?

I'd read to let go of the tubes prior to breaking my humeri, but it didn't make any difference for me.

Sorry about your injury.

I have a couple experiences where I had to let go of the tubes. In one, I swung through the front wires, cutting myself on them as they were uncoated. Other than that there was no damage to me or the glider.

There used to be a pilot around here that landed by rolling up into a ball and letting the glider fly into the ground at trim. It was ugly but he never got hurt and the glider tubes did not bend. He had no wheels.

The title of this thread is LANDING, not how to survive a crash.

Jim Rooney - 2011/06/12 13:57:58 UTC

Most common HG injury... spiral fracture of the humerus.

You quote your friend Jim on quite regularly in this thread on LANDING.

Letting go lessens the chance of experiencing a spiral fracture.

[Steve Davy]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=27217
Bad Launch!

NMERider - 2012/09/25 07:01:39 UTC
Why would CSS want that when his last landing clinic resulted in a broken arm to one of his students?

[Tad Eareckson]

Sorry about your injury.

1. Injuries...


Plural.

2. So's he.

I have a couple experiences where I had to let go of the tubes.

In what percentage of them was it necessary to put your hands on the tubes in the first place?

In one, I swung through the front wires, cutting myself on them as they were uncoated. Other than that there was no damage to me or the glider.

How much damage would there have been to you and/or the glider if you had rolled it in?

There used to be a pilot...

Not everyone who comes into a field attached to a glider is a pilot.

...around here that landed by rolling up into a ball and letting the glider fly into the ground at trim.

Sounds a lot like a passenger to me.

It was ugly but he never got hurt and the glider tubes did not bend. He had no wheels.

But, what the hell... I've known a lot of people who've done a lot worse even with wheels (they elected not to utilize).

You quote your friend Jim on quite regularly in this thread on LANDING.

This forum would be nothing without him and his keen intellect, friends, and harmonizers. As a matter of fact there would be virtually no need for this forum to exist without him and his keen intellect, friends, and harmonizers.

Letting go lessens the chance of experiencing a spiral fracture.

Letting go of a bobcat lessens the chance of getting cut to ribbons. But it's much better if you don't pick the bobcat to begin with.

Glider jockeys see the Lookout (Colorado, Georgia... doesn't matter) Happy Acres putting green and think, "I should put my hands on the downtubes in spiral fracture position and practice stopping on a dime so in case I ever need to stop on a dime in a narrow dry riverbed with large rocks strewn all over the place I'll have better odds of success. If I screw up and let go in time that will lessen the chance of experiencing a spiral fracture."

I wonder if, when they see a bobcat crossing the Lookout Happy Acres putting green they think, "I should pick up that bobcat so in case I ever need to pick up a bobcat I'll have better odds of success. If I screw up and let go in time that will lessen the chance of me getting cut to ribbons."