instructors and other qualified pilot fiends

[Tad Eareckson]

I'm not sure I could take seeing his name every time I click in to check the traffic.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=27560
Do You Think It's Funny

Davis Straub - 2012/11/13 06:40:42 UTC

Stephan Mentler - 2012/11/13 04:54:33 UTC

I remember seeing the launch that your link points to, at the Rob Kells Memorial. What do you think occurred?

I'm trying to remember exactly.

When in doubt...

http://ozreport.com/12.081
Weaklinks - the HGFA rules

Davis Straub - 2008/04/22 14:47:00 UTC

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.

...go with Davis Link. Of all the crap that you assholes have done to improve the safety of aerotowing the Davis Link is by far the most likely to force an incident.

I get into more trouble when I use a V-bridle going to the keel...

Yeah. Damn two point towing. Nothing but trouble. Hard to imagine why we start students off in that mode. One point, foot launch, upright, hands on the downtubes ready to land is the way we should be going.

...(as you can see from the pictures above when the tow rope pulls the glider into the ground as the carabineer inches up the V-bridle).

Maybe the carabinEEr wouldn't inch up the bridle so much if you used a cart capable of rolling up to takeoff speed. That's been my experience anyway.

I'm thinking that the connection of the V-bridle to the keel was too far forward. I didn't change it after Steve Pearson loaned me the Falcon 4 after the Wills Wing Demo Days at Wallaby Ranch. I think that after another tow I moved it back.

The second tow was without incident but I remember having to push out real hard and quick to get the glider unstuck from the cart. That's when as I vaguely recall I shortened up the line on the keel that was forward of the carabineer.

adyr - 2012/11/13 11:04:32 UTC
Oradea, Romania

If the pilot is hurt, it's not funny. Not funny at all. It's not funny even if only the hang glider sustains damage. But I think I'm sick, I have empathy or something.

How much empathy do you have for the people pin benders like Davis, Bobby, Matt Taber, Steve Wendt, and Dr. Trisa Tilletti have gotten mangled and killed by putting people up on their shit equipment and suppressing the introduction of sane equipment at every opportunity?

And the glider in this instance was a Wills Wing demo configured for tow off of a known defective cart by Rob Kells who's done a monumental amount of nothing to make his gliders safe for towing over the decades. So I'm also not getting too torn up by the glider damage on this one.

2012/11/13 17:51:13 UTC - 2 thumbs up - NMERider

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=23775
Girl killed in training flight. UK

Joel Rempfer - 2012/01/08 19:44:24 UTC
Victorville, California

Tough call for mum and dad.

Lois wasn't killed as a result of a tough call from mum and dad. She was killed 'cause she was put up before she was ready on an oversized glider with a release that stank on ice.

My condolences.

Fuck your condolences. Try doing something to get better policies on the books and better equipment in the air.

One of those gut calls was made by our Dad when my brother wanted to launch our plastic Rogallo crosswind (1970).

Gut call - always a great aviation go / no go decision tool.

I told him "NO" but the old man said "Let him try."

Yeah, let's skip the tedious boring teaching and learning crap and just give it a whirl.

He broke his ankle going into the rocks in a side-slip...

- WHOA! DUDE! WHO'DA THUNK!
- Great environment for giving hang gliding a try.

...but lived through it.

SUPER!!! It was a good gut call then.

And your recommendation to hold was just a pussy wimp call that was depriving your brother's life of some of its zest and fervor. I sure hope you came away from that experience a better person.

Never thought the old man could turn that WHITE!

What color did your brother turn?

Too common a failing in the population is to be one of the sheep, and never risk.

- Yeah, we need a lot more total fucking assholes taking stupid risks like that. Hang gliding just isn't very rewarding when people aren't making crappy gut calls and taking stupid risks.

- So herd behavior is inherently risk adverse? Hook-in check skipping, bent pin releases within easy reach, standard aerotow weak links, standup spot landings?

Modern medicine has allowed too many of the sub-standard sheep to survive thereby adulterating the genetic reservoir, and eliminated a lot of the zest and fervor from life.

- What an ironic statement.

- So what kind of incantations and potions did the witch doctor who treated your idiot brother use when your idiot dad and you brought him to the sacred fire circle that night?

- How very odd. In my observations and experience in hang gliding crashes and serious injuries tend to eliminate a lot more of the zest and fervor from life than responsible and competent training and decision making.

They were not pussy couch potatoes or expert gamers who pushed the American frontier west.

- With their slaves and happily exterminating everything and everyone who got in the way of the natural resources rape.

- Mexican War, Wounded Knee, bison and salmon eradication, overgrazing, Dust Bowl, desertification.

- They're genetically indistinguishable from their great great grandchildren couch potatoes and expert gamers.

- A lot of the Eighteenth Century people who were able to grab the land, buffalo hides, old growth forests, gold, silver, slaves, railroad contracts were only too happy to become couch potatoes and expert gamers.

Undesirables and convicts broke open Australia.

- Broke it open from the people who had been living there the previous fifty thousand years and almost immediately became so bored shooting Tasmanian Tigers that they thought it would be a good idea to bring a few rabbits in from the old country.

- Yeah. The Aussies are so risk adverse that they'll lynch anyone they see in a harness and not under and connected to a glider.

In all cases, they were people who were fully ALIVE!

Custer was a chronic risk taker. He didn't stay fully alive all that long. Neither did any of the guys under his command that day.
Spend a less time watching John Wayne movies and more time studying history and biology.
Aviation owes NOTHING to risk takers and EVERYTHING to the people who tirelessly labor to eliminate it.
Asshole.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.crestlinesoaring.org/forum/20120527/6992

Joel Rempfer - 2012/05/27 18:07

Damn it!

Launched (Sport 2) Marshall Saturday about 14:40 and proceeded to scratch and work my way towards the LZ. Conditions were strong but I could not seem to climb away from the LZ. Flags/windsock were ALL over the place, but mostly from the East as I made my turn onto final over the shade structure.

After rounding out in ground effect, it became apparent the east edge of the LZ was looming up fast. I couldn't see over the lip into the gully at that point, and made the decision to belly it in. A lighter touch on the base bar would have been better, as I over-controlled and put the bar in the dirt too soon. WHACK!

I swung forward and hit the keel, but knowing it was coming may have helped, as I was curled up going through the control frame. Got up and waved and yelled "I'm OK" for the LZ group.

Broken keel (a foot behind the hangpoint) and right downtube bent beyond hope. NO sail damage.

In retrospect, it probably would have been a lot better to continue over the edge and try my hand at flaring into the gully. Not sure why I was so reluctant, but I made a decision and stuck with it. When everything is going to shit, sometimes you decide wrong. One slightly sore knee this AM, that's all, thank you Jesus. Hope the Falcon sells soon.

Guess you've got your flare timing perfected to the extent you don't need wheels. Or would the use of wheels have reduced the risk level and thus eliminated a lot of the zest and fervor from your life?

Give my best to Jesus and thank him for me for the great job he did limiting the severity of your landing. And maybe you can ask him what he was doing while Lois was locking out and slamming headfirst into the runway pavement.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=13136
Launch like your life depends on it...

]michael170 - 2012/11/21 05:39:02 UTC

With each flight, demonstrates a method of establishing that the pilot is hooked in just prior to launch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u51qpPLz5U0

07-0913


11-1118

2012/11/21 07:38:49 UTC - Paul Hurless - Sink This!

michael170 - 2012/11/22 06:51:04 UTC

One hour fifty-nine minutes, not bad, Paul.

Or - if you're really anal - one hour, fifty-nine minutes, forty-seven seconds.
What a cowardly malignant sleazeball that guy is.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30030
Drafted as the World's meet director

Davis Straub - 2012/11/19 17:52:30 UTC

When I didn't make the US team

Looks like if I can't be a pilot chosen to be at the World Championships then I'm fresh meat for being the meet director. I've been drafted to fulfill my duties to the hang gliding competition community in this capacity by Vicki Moyes, who is organizing the competition. So this is fair warning to all the pilots coming to the Worlds that you're going to have a great time with a safe, fair, and enjoyable competition.

Yeah, right. So...

http://ozreport.com/4.010
Oz Nats - bad day in the tow paddock

Davis Straub - 2000/01/12

Mike Nooy takes off to our left, and he launches right into a dust devil. Like I said, they've been coming in every ten minutes or so, and you can't see them as the paddock is pretty green.

I can't remember what hits first, Mike or his left wing, but it is a crushing impact. He is obviously not moving. Almost immediately Dr. James Freeman, a meet organizer and a physician, races to the lane, and gets Mike stabilized. An ambulance has also been called within less than a minute. Towing stops.

The ambulance takes about ten minutes or so to get out to the paddock from the town a ways away. James administers some shots, we log roll Mike onto the back plate, and then lift him onto the gurney and into the ambulance. He's on his way to the local hospital with James with him. He's unconscious, and has suffered extensive head injuries. His full-face helmet is broken on the right side where the jaw protector meets the head protection element. His legs are shaking.

While a number of hang glider pilots saw all or part of Mike's launch, there can still be some interpretation as to what happened, and how we can learn from it. There was plenty of warning about dust devils on this day, and there hadn't been nearly as many of these on previous days. It was a case of bad luck launching into the dust devil, but there were probably conditions that Mike could have chosen that would have reduced the chance of a dust devil.

Are you gonna have ribbons along the runway - even though it's been a while since somebody's been three quarters killed by a dust devil on launch?

http://ozreport.com/12.081
Weaklinks - the HGFA rules

Davis Straub - 2008/04/22 14:47:00 UTC

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.

http://ozreport.com/12.080
No one makes it back - Santa Cruz Flats Race, day two

Davis Straub - 2008/04/22 06:02:32 UTC

I was not the only one breaking weaklinks as it seemed for a while every third pilot was having this problem.

http://ozreport.com/13.238
Adam Parer on his tuck and tumble

Adam Parer - 2009/11/25

Due to the rough conditions weak links were breaking just about every other tow and the two tugs worked hard to eventually get everyone off the ground successfully.

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24846
Is this a joke ?

Davis Straub - 2011/08/26 14:04:52 UTC

We had six weaklink breaks in a row at Zapata this year.

Are you still gonna be mandating 130 pound Greenspot so the heavy gliders will be just as safe and have just a good a chance of getting up into the start circle as the light gliders?

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1143
Death at Tocumwal

Davis Straub - 2006/01/24 12:27:32 UTC

I'm willing to put the barrel release within a few inches of my hand.

http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3391
More on Zapata and weak link

Paul Tjaden - 2008/07/22 04:32:22 UTC

I have never had a lockout situation happen so quickly and dramatically and had no chance to release as I have always thought I could do.

http://ozreport.com/9.008
2005 Worlds

Davis Straub - 2005/01/10

He was seen reaching for his release.

http://ozreport.com/13.003
Forbes, day one, task one

Davis Straub - 2009/01/03 20:50:24 UTC
Forbes Airport, New South Wales

Steve Elliot came off the cart crooked and things went from bad to worse as he augured in. He was helicoptered to Orange and eventually to Sydney where the prognosis is not good. I'll update as I find out more.

Are you still willing to send people up with the best bent pin Davis Releases money can buy or are you gonna...

Gregg B. McNamee - 1996/12

If your system requires you to take your hand off the control bar to actuate the release it is not suitable.

...require SUITABLE releases - ones that...

Steve Kinsley - 1996/05/09 15:50

Personal opinion. While I don't know the circumstances of Frank's death and I am not an awesome tow type dude, I think tow releases, all of them, stink on ice. Reason: You need two hands to drive a hang glider. You 'specially need two hands if it starts to turn on tow. If you let go to release, the glider can almost instantly assume a radical attitude. We need a release that is held in the mouth. A clothespin. Open your mouth and you're off.

...don't stink on ice?

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=27560
Do You Think It's Funny

Davis Straub - 2012/11/13 06:40:42 UTC

I get into more trouble when I use a V-bridle going to the keel...

Are you gonna encourage everyone to "pro tow" 'cause YOU get into more trouble when you use a V-bridle going to the keel?

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26517
Upcoming shoulder surgery

Davis Straub - 2012/02/02 02:00:20 UTC

It was basically nothing. I was landing at a very small private abandoned air strip cut out from the cactus. I had the glider coming in fast in ground effect. Let out the bar to trim, then was running to unload the glider instead of flaring and I just tripped, fell out straight with my arms straight out and nothing happened at all but the sharp pain in my shoulder. The glider landed fine on its base bar.

Are you gonna require everyone to fly with wheels so the people who do won't incur an unfair drag penalty?

You're full of shit Davis. You're gonna run the same shoddy dangerous operation you always have and will and if someone - who would've been OK with decent equipment - piles in you're gonna portray him as just another incompetent Darwin case.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=25774
HG VS Paragliding

Ryan Voight - 2012/11/24 00:22:31 UTC

Voted to bury.

Did you, Ryan?
- Where can I go to see the current figures on this "vote"?
- How many Bury votes does it take to send a topic to Jack's Basement? Over half the number of people reading it?
- Where does one click to counter a Bury vote?

Suggest everyone do the same.

Why does "everyone" NEED your suggestion?

Get this blather off the front page already.

I don't really have a dog in this fight, but...

- This blather, at the moment, has 165 posts and 9651 hits. If people aren't interested in participating in and/or reading it nobody's forcing them to participate in and/or read it. So why does it matter to you where this thread appears?

- Assholes like you - Mister Ryan Instant-Hands-Free-Release Voight - should be real careful about referring to ANYTHING ANYONE writes as blather.

- I've got nothing but contempt for Jack, his loyal zombies, and the pretense of "rules" you spineless manipulative motherfuckers maintain over there.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1170
Possible virus @ Zack and Tads website

Bill Cummings - 2012/11/24 15:39:10 UTC

Immediately after leaving Zack and Tads website My Google search engine popped up in Chinese or some other such hen scratching.

It even popped up when I went to sign in here.

Someone has figured a way to infect that website is my best guess. I keep doing everything I can to eliminate the foreign website but it has a way of continuously popping up.
Hopefully Zack can figure out if his site has been infected and rid out the pesky thing.

I doubt you can pick up a virus just visiting a forum - especially one you don't even log into.
I'm sure not seeing any problems but I'm using a Mac.
But if you REALLY wanna get fucked up bad go over to The Jack Show and start incorporating some of the crap that Ryan advises.

[Zack C]

I doubt you can pick up a virus just visiting a forum - especially one you don't even log into.

It actually is possible (by exploiting browser/plug-in vulnerabilities).

I'm sure not seeing any problems but I'm using a Mac.

No problems here either under Windows 7 with Opera 12.11, IE 9.0.11, and Firefox 9.0.1. I tried a couple of site scans and they're clear.

Zack

[Steve Davy]

I could not log in a bit ago. Each time I tried I got a screen with lots of code then spit off.
Anybody else having problems?