instructors and other qualified pilot fiends

[Tad Eareckson]

So here's what I wrote four days before this year's first contribution:

http://www.kitestrings.org/post8937.html#p8937

Tad Eareckson - 2016/01/24 14:04:41 UTC

And the launch is pretty much just the landing in reverse 'cept ... in light air you have to generate the power rather than dissipate it.
Minor error in the execution of a dolly or platform tow launch... Essentially never happens.
Minor error in the execution of a foot launch...

Karen Carra - Maryland - 61868 - Exp: 2016/06/30
- H3 - 1998/07/22 - Judy McCarty - AT FL AWCL CL FSL RLF TUR XC
- P2 - 2002/06/12 - Scotty Marion - FL FSL RS

Kenneth Andrews - California - 76491 - H5 - 2014/03/22 - Alan Crouse - AT FL AWCL CL FSL HA RLF TUR XC - OBS

Glider crashes. And it almost always crashes in terrain in which one would really rather it didn't.

miguel - 2013/04/02 16:45:50 UTC

I have been watching him land for over 25 years. Nothing but perfect greasers. Even in gusty crosswinds and rotors, which used to be the norm at McClure.

An environment in which there is zero NEED...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/13952329131_4903a4ca2f_o.png


for perfect greasers - 'SPECIALLY in the gusty crosswinds and rotors which used to be the norm at McClure.

Where he fails bigtime...

Steve Davy - 2013/04/04 02:51:53 UTC

Two broken legs, after a blown launch at Dunlap last September.

Scot Huber - 2016/01/29 20:19:28 UTC

He had some vertebra fused together in his neck after a blown launch at Dunlap a couple of years ago...

...is a foot launch at Dunlap ninety miles to the southwest in which this consummate master pilot does NOTHING WRONG. Right? Anybody heard anything about him doing anything human on this one?

So if there's any truth to this:

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34002
Fatality reported at McClure--Ken Muscio

Scot Huber - 2016/01/29 20:19:28 UTC

I don't know if the restricted neck movement contributed to the accident but it well might have.

...then foot launch has gotta be considered as a contributing factor.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34002
Fatality reported at McClure--Ken Muscio

Frank Peel - 2016/01/30 14:27:22 UTC
San Jose

Ken and I discussed this subject at length because I am also a member of "The Association of Broken Neck Pilots", one who has flown far longer with fused vertebrae than without. Based on our conversations and my own experience, I seriously doubt it was a significant factor.

Low over Bug Fart, scratching in close with another pilot nearby? Been there done that and it ain't a pleasant place to be. Even so, all most of us can do is speculate and that's a trap to avoid.

- You mean the way you just speculated about the issue of the fused vertebrae?

- Oh. All MOST of us can do is speculate. Meaning SOME of us are withholding solid critical information on this one - as usual. So care to name any of these motherfuckers?

- GOD NO! Don't fall into that trap of SPECULATING! Whenever people start discussing most likely scenarios based on the information available, logic, familiarity with relevant issues, historical record, personal experience they may come away with ideas that won't perfectly match the first hand observation reports, photographic record, track log data that official u$hPa Privileged Information Decimators are withholding and shredding. That's a trap that NOBODY wants to fall into.

For example... There was speculation that the focal point of Zack Marzec's safe towing system increased the safety of his towing operation at the worst possible time, when he was climbing hard in a near stall situation. And as a direct consequence the long track record of 130 pound Greenspot came to an abrupt end and people everywhere immediately started becoming test pilots for much more dangerous and unproven fishing line - much of it heavier than the Dragonfly’s tow mast breakaway protector.

I WILL channel Ken and say I'm glad the other pilot landed safely.

Me too. I expect any day now the dickhead will identify himself and provide the pilot community the video from his tail camera and a detailed accounting of his recollection of the events of the final thirty seconds before the collision.

Hope you're doing well, Scot. Long time no see.

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=13864
My new wing

Frank Peel - 2009/10/03 16:35:50 UTC

Do not STOMP on your wires. It's a good way to kink something that isn't already broken. Instead, have someone show you how to do a proper preflight on that model glider.

And the previous Bay Area crowd fatality:

Frank Peel - 51739 - H5 - 2004/01/27 - Urs Kellenberger - AT FL AWCL CL FSL RLF TUR XC

Go fuck yourself, Frank.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=33936
ANSWERED: Why Will RRG Succeed if Insurance Failed?

Paul Hurless - 2016/01/25 03:20:22 UTC

Posting a video of cloud flying is showing a direct violation of the FAR's.
I would say that is definately a liability issue.

I would say that one should learn how to spell "definately" before trying to use it in a sentence. Anyone who spells it that way obviously doesn't understand the meaning of the word.

Purposefully making yourself a hazard to other aviators is selfish and foolish.

Speaking of foolish.

NMERider - 2016/01/25 04:26:02 UTC

1200' AGL and clear of clouds. That's the rule. AFAIC I'm clear of clouds. You may see it differently. Since I'm hugging mountainsides I don't think it's terribly likely that any powered aircraft would come anywhere near the area. Calling it "Purposefully making yourself a hazard to other aviators" is a false accusation and to use your own words is, "selfish and foolish". I will pray for your soul.

Don't knock yourself out. Motherfucker doesn't have one.

Paul Hurless - 2016/01/25 05:14:18 UTC

Nothing false about it, I'm just describing what I saw in a video you put up. It's interesting how you readily call others to task, but when you are the offender it's time for the tap dancing to begin. You can attempt to rationalize it all you want, but I seriously doubt that you don't know better.

NMERider - 2016/01/25 05:26:14 UTC

I don't expect to please everyone Paul.

https://www.willswing.com/history/robs-page/
Rob's Page

Robert T. Kells, Jr.

Rob was a friend to every pilot he met...

That would've undoubtedly included Paul Hurless.

I'm sure Tad will have a field day with your posts like he typically does. It's pretty entertaining reading too.

I try my best.

http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Akitestrings.org+"paul+hurless"

Paul Hurless - 2016/01/25 05:49:39 UTC

It's not about pleasing everyone, it's about being responsible. As far as what Tad thinks (it's debatable if he's capable of actually thinking)...

Within the Jack Show Mutual Masturbation Society? No doubt whatsoever. Within the Jack Show Mutual Masturbation Society it's debatable whether or not one doubles the max towline pressure by installing a secondary weak link on a pro toad bridle.

...I couldn't care less about...

...much of anything.

...what that shit stain "thinks" about anything.

Shit stain? You're not gonna play the child molester card? How come?

Whatever, Paul. Getting unmitigated hatred and abuse from total dickheads such as yourself is assuring confirmation that I'm still on the right track.

2016/01/27 07:26:34 UTC - Sink This! -- Rcpilot

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34002
Fatality reported at McClure--Ken Muscio

Kevin Wright - 2016/01/29 02:51:49 UTC
Taos

Anybody lucky enough to know this man, knows what a great lost this is to the world in general and the ever shrinking world of hang gliding in particular. Ken was a great friend and inspiration to so many people. He was an amazing pilot and teacher. I have so many great memories with this man.Thanks Ken, I'm proud to have been your friend. Fly high.

So how many of you worshippers of amazing pilot and teacher Ken think that he would've appreciated having u$hPa permanently shred his qualifications record:

Ken Muscio - California - 30625 - H4 - 1983/05/13 - Tim Morley - AT FL AWCL CL FSL RLF TUR XC - MNTR

from the database before the dust had cleared and grab all the available reports, videos, track logs and run them through their spin doctor gauntlet to obtain an acceptable story for limited release at their convenience?

How many of you motherfuckers would appreciate that treatment in the event you died doing what you loved?

Tad Eareckson - 32674 - 2009/08/31 - H4 - 1991/12/17 - Santos Mendoza - AT FL PA VA AWCL CL FSL RLF TUR XC

I worked my fuckin' ass off - all way the hell east of the Rockies - for that rank and those merit badges and I sure as hell would deeply resent having that history immediately erased in the event I bought it doing what I loved.

Ditto for the circumstances. I'd want whatever I and/or another involved party had done wrong and right immediately totally documented to help keep and/or steer others on(to) the right path and further advance the sport.

2012/06/16 - Terry Mason
2013/02/02 - Zack Marzec
2014/09/29 - Joe Julik
2015/06/20 - Bertrand Delacroix
2015/10/11 - Jesse Fulkersin
2015/11/08 - Karen Carra
2016/01/28 - Ken Muscio

Everybody just suffered fatal injuries, Nobody did ANYTHING wrong. Shit happens.

Anybody know whether or not Ken was wearing his FOCUSED PILOT wristband? I'm not seeing one here:

http://forum.hanggliding.org/download/file.php?id=26611


If not, how many of you are gonna start wearing yours to help with your focus and safety awareness?

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34007
Ken Muscio Celebration of Life event

David Sahl - 2016/01/30 23:28:38 UTC

Myself (Doc), Shannon, Reklia, Jay, Andy, Tom and Tim got together today (Saturday) to support one another and share stories about Ken and flying and just be together.

We also met with Ken’s brother Terry to support him, offer our help and ask about the wishes of the family. As a result of that we learned:

The family will not be having a memorial or funeral. They would like to wait a while to have celebration of Ken's life so that people can plan for the event and make arrangements to be there. Some people that were influenced by Ken and want to participate live some distance from McClure and Modesto.

We believe that a shift in focus for the Coyote Howl in May can serve as the catalyst for that. So we are suggesting, and Terry Muscio agreed, that this year's Coyote Howl be the "Celebration of Ken Muscio's Life".

That's all about keeping the memory of Ken alive and showing respect for him, right? So how compatible with that is what u$hPa has done and is doing?

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34002
Fatality reported at McClure--Ken Muscio

Mike Badley - 2016/01/30 20:38:38 UTC

I've known KM from almost the first mountain flights I was getting at McClure - almost 30 years. There was a long break where I wasn't flying much, but the day I showed up again after that long break, he said "Hi Mike, glad to see you back here." He was a gentle soul, and a bold pilot.

And we all know what they say about bold pilots.

None better. He pushed things - and paid the price, many times.

Oh. NONE BETTER but he pushed things and paid the price many times. The price including having broken both legs and his neck blowing a ramp launch three and a third years ago and having his head movement restricted by a neck brace from that point to the end of his life Thursday. We seem to have very different concepts of what goes into the making of a best of the best pilot.

I always said if KM was like a cat, he was using up his nine lives... I'm bittersweet about it all, glad that he went out the way he wanted (on a hang glider)...

Oh. He SAID THAT?

Scot Huber - 2016/01/29 20:19:28 UTC

KM was pulled in hard probably trying to avoid the contact and didn't have the altitude to correct or throw his chute.

Sounds to me like all of his last efforts were motivated towards a goal of NOT going out the way he wanted (on a hang glider).

And if being a bold pilot and pushing things were relevant issues in this last flight of his then how does the other pilot involved in the midair feel about them? Or was he also a bold, pushing things, shit happens type pilot?

...and not some other creaky-old dude style...

Bullshit. Fire up the time machine and give Ken the choice.

Dan Veneman - 2016/01/30 14:52:09 UTC

Ken was a willing, patient mentor who sought to strengthen the skill of pilots who were willing to learn.

Can't do much along those lines if you're dead. I was blacklisted out of the sport seven years ago but still enjoy doing that sorta thing online. Ken would've still gotten to hang out at launch and in the LZ, crew, drive, coach. Would that have been a fate worse than death?

...but I'm sure gonna miss breaking down with him in the lakebed...

You guys land in lakebeds? There aren't any narrow dry riverbeds with large rocks strewn all over the place for you bold, pushing things pilots to land in?

...after another great flight over Horseshoe.

There isn't a soul in the Coyote Howl and Octoberfest flying regulars (not to mention MLSR) that isn't going to sorely miss the Captain.

There isn't a soul in the Coyote Howl and Octoberfest flying regulars (not to mention MLSR) who are calling any of these assholes on any of this macho total bullshit.

If Eric Mies had snapped his neck more cleanly at Funston on 2011/05/20 we'd have heard the same sorta crap. But his survival skills were a little worse than Ken's at Dunlap 2012/09 and little better than Ken's at McClure 2016/01/28 and he spent the last three and a quarter years of his life quaded in unimaginable misery...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc4-mRxy5GY


...devastating his family and putting a huge burden on societal resources.

So fuck anybody in this sport who expresses a desire to end his life as an active participant or idolizes such individuals. Crashes are pretty much ALWAYS results of incompetence or serious pilot error and need to be regarded as such.

And just how much does crap like this help with the goals of...

Kevin Wright - 2016/01/29 02:51:49 UTC

Anybody lucky enough to know this man, knows what a great lost this is to the world in general and the ever shrinking world of hang gliding in particular.

...maintaining, securing flying sites and a viable pilot population?

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34002
Fatality reported at McClure--Ken Muscio

Scot Huber - 2016/01/29 20:19:28 UTC

KM was involved in a midair close to the terrain at McClure. From what I've heard he and the other pilot clipped wings out by bugfart. KM was pulled in hard probably trying to avoid the contact and didn't have the altitude to correct or throw his chute. The other pilot made it to the LZ and was unhurt physically.

Funny we hear those details on what the dead guy was doing shortly before contact but absolutely nothing about what the other pilot was doing - 'specially considering he got off without a scratch, landed normally in the primary, and had obviously had a really good perspective on the situation in the critical moments.

If the other pilot had the right of way and is totally blameless on this one wouldn't he want to get detailed solid information on this out on the public wire as quickly as possible? Ditto for his friends and neutral observers. "Yeah, Ken was an absolutely superb pilot and wonderful human being but on this sad occasion..." But everything is about what a great pilot, mentor, human being Ken was.

Note that on 2004/09/12 near cloudbase over Ridgely I assumed I'd left all the other gliders behind and failed to clear a turn. Suddenly found myself looking straight at John Middleton pointed towards me. I could do NOTHING as he stuffed the bar and cleared a wee bit underneath me. Maybe some kinda pattern there?

Reminds me a lot about how none of the crew members on Terry Mason's and Kelly Harrison's / Arys Moorhead's tows were identified. Nor the asshole Dragonfly jockey who pulled John Claytor into his career ending crosswind lockout a couple ECC's ago.

The other pilot made it to the LZ and was unhurt physically.

"But for the rest of his life will hafta deal with the guilt and social stigma of being responsible for the death of the greatest pilot, mentor, human being this sport has ever known." And nobody on The Jack Show is gonna refute this and remind everyone what perverted sicko T** at K*** S****** is for saying such shit.

From the tiny bit that HAS been said and the huge volumes of stuff that very conspicuously ISN'T being said we've already got a pretty good lock on this target. It'll be fun narrowing things down better by noting what isn't being said after u$hPa's Privileged Information Decimators have finished going through the reports and summarized them into a form that can be presented to members.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34002
Fatality reported at McClure--Ken Muscio

Scot Huber - 2016/01/31 21:38:25 UTC

On thursday january 28, Stan Albright , Ken Muscio, and myself went flying at lake McClure. We met in the LZ and rode up together to launch. the winds were out of the southwest blowing 8 to 12mph. Ken launched first I went right after him and stan followed shortly after. the conditions were light but buoyant. We were maintaining just about launch height. Fifteen minutes into the flight I found myself working a thermal back over the north rocks.
Ken and Stan were working some lift near bugfart peak. As I made one more turn and looked back in there direction I saw Ken spiraling down with a broken leading edge. he impacted the ground between bugfart peak and launch. Stan made a large turn and headed out to the LZ and landed. I stayed in the air for two or three minutes calling to Ken as i burned off the altitude. I could see him clearly in a face down position and not moving. I proceeded to the LZ and landed. Stan informed me they had a mid air and ken tumbled before he started spiraling . We grabbed the first aid kit called 911 and drove to the start of the trail. I hiked up the trail while Stan waited for the emergency responds crew. In fifteen minutes I made it to where ken was.
After checking for a pulse I cut his hang strap and rolled him over. Ken was gone. I sat there with him for an hour before the Cal fire guys showed up. After assessing the situation they called for the helicopter to pull him out. I have flown with Ken for twenty years, He was my friend and I was his. We would sit and talk after a cross country flight drinking a warm beer waiting for our ride. Or sit in silence for a six hour ride to a new flying site. And the days I liked the best is where we sat at our local site drinking COLD beer and talking about our flight with no concern about breaking our gliders down well into the night.
I am beside myself, there are no words that anyone can say to ease my pain. I will miss him.
I can't imagine the amount of pain and mental anguish my friend Stan Albright is going through as well, I haven't the the magic word either to help him. All I will say is accidents happen. You are and will be my friend.
I will see you all in the air.

JB.

This is the writeup from Jay Bass off of Facebook. I'm reposting it here because I know everyone would like to read it who knew KM.

I think making the Coyote Howl a celebration of KM's life and time with us is a wonderful idea. I will be there for sure.

Stan I hope you are not beating yourself up over being involved in the midair which took our sky brothers life. No one but the Great Spirit who lives and breathes us all has any responsibility for influencing the length of our time on this earthly plain. That you flew away from it and landed safely only proves that fact.

The pain of our loss will ease with time and the gift of knowing KM and sharing in his life will stay with us forever.

hh

Two witnesses. So THIS:

Scot Huber - 2016/01/29 20:19:28 UTC

KM was pulled in hard probably trying to avoid the contact and didn't have the altitude to correct or throw his chute.

could only have come from Stan or a camera on his glider. (Or Ken's but I don't think he flew with a camera - seeing as how all the pictures we have of him are from other people's cameras.)

OK, people of varying ages... We have a midair involving two hang gliders.

Ken Muscio - California - 30625 - H4 - 1983/05/13 - Tim Morley - AT FL AWCL CL FSL RLF TUR XC - MNTR

Stan Albright - California - 89660 - H3 - 2012/01/12 - Andrew Beem - FL

Who do we think was most likely at fault?

I'm reposting it here because I know everyone would like to read it who knew KM.

But it would obviously be of no interest to any of the assholes who DIDN'T know KM.

Stan I hope you are not beating yourself up over being involved in the midair which took our sky brothers life.

And I hope Jon Orders isn't beating himself up for failing to confirm that his tandem thrill rider was connected to the glider just prior to starting the launch run at Woodside on the afternoon of 2012/04/28 - or for swallowing the video card right after he landed alone minus his shoes.

No one but the Great Spirit who lives and breathes us all has any responsibility for influencing the length of our time on this earthly plain.

Right. Nobody who walks away from a fatal hang gliding incident ever has any responsibility for anything that happened as a consequence of anything he did or didn't do.

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=32681
Tandem crash in LV (speculation thread)

Mark G. Forbes - 2015/04/01 03:46:29 UTC

Among ourselves, we agree (via the waiver) that we understand we're engaged in a risky sport that can cause serious injury or death. We each agree that we are personally and individually responsible for our own safety. If we have an accident and get hurt, we agree in advance that it is solely our own fault, no matter what the circumstances might be. We sign at the bottom saying that we fully understand these things, that we accept them, and that we know we are giving up the right to sue anybody if an accident happens.

Those are fundamental tenets of our sport. We are all individually responsible for ourselves and our safety. We need to see and avoid all other pilots, avoid crashing into people or property and use good judgment when flying. If someone doesn't agree with those principles, then they don't need to be involved in our sport.

Totally Ken's fault. What an asshole. Anyone who doesn't agree with this fundamental tenet of our sport doesn't need to be involved in it. He can go to the flight park Tad runs.

That you flew away from it and landed safely only proves that fact.

Fuck yeah! This was all God's will. Let's get Stan an NAA Safety Award for serving as God's instrument.

The pain of our loss will ease with time and the gift of knowing KM and sharing in his life will stay with us forever.

And as you know, Stan, your career is over. The only reason we do this shit is to have fun and you're never again gonna be able to enjoy hang gliding. Ditto for Matthew Graham.

Might make it a little easier for you to live with yourself, however, if you post a full account of what happened and an apology. We're human and we make mistakes. I lucked out, you didn't.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34002
Fatality reported at McClure--Ken Muscio

Scot Huber - 2016/01/29 20:19:28 UTC

KM was pulled in hard probably trying to avoid the contact and didn't have the altitude to correct or throw his chute.

Jay Bass

Ken and Stan were working some lift near bugfart peak. As I made one more turn and looked back in there direction I saw Ken spiraling down with a broken leading edge. he impacted the ground between bugfart peak and launch.

Stan Albright - California - 89660 - H3 - 2012/01/12 - Andrew Beem - FL

Andrew Beem - California - 46387 - H4 - 1989/08/18 - Joe Greblo - AT FL TAT TFL TPL TST AWCL CL FSL RLF TUR XC - ADV INST, TAND INST

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7671
Gallery Of Pain

Christian Williams - 2012/01/18 19:58:00 UTC

Here's the way Greblo looks at it (or how I remember his lectures):

We take off and land upright. Therefore, all the bad stuff happens when we are upright. And close to the ground.

Therefore, learn to fly upright in the worst conceivable (and sudden hairy) conditions. (One up/ one down is "upright").

The alternative, if "more secure prone", is to go prone instantly upon take-off, and stay prone until the last possible landing moment.

In both cases, this requires a change of hand and body position in the worst conceivable conditions near the ground.

Therefore, in order never to change hand position near the ground, it is necessary to learn to face all the worst moments (thermals, gusts, sinkholes, midairs, gear failure, downwind landings and takeoffs, a lifted wing into boulders and an entire wire ground crew snagged on your jock strap) upright.

A little reflection suggests that taking off upright and flying upright until well away from the danger zone is not very different from ground handling, where you are flying standing on dirt. A good test of upright flying skills is whether you can ground handle a glider in 25 mph of laminar flow. Do you require a wire crew? Hmmm.

Greblo will not sign off a Hang 3 (US intermediate rating) who cannot ground handle with confidence at the limit of his takeoff judgment.

He's not dogmatic about this for veteran fliers, recognizing that gliders and skills and terrain are different. He just provides his analysis. You often see him flying around in violent thermals upright, just (I think) as a kind of advertisement and thought-provoker.

So assuming Ken wasn't upright on the control tubes when he was pulled in hard probably trying to avoid the contact and you were - as you were properly trained to be at Windsports - it would've been his error after all. You're in the clear, Stan. Hope your glider didn't sustain any significant damage.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34017
White peopling

Khalesh - 2016/02/03 07:46:58 UTC

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=white+peopling&defid=8492619

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=white+peopling&defid=8492619
Urban Dictionary: white peopling

white peopling
Used to describe certain activities that are popular within the Caucasian community that People of Color don't usually participate in.
Keith: "Hey guys, would you like to go hiking and camping with me this weekend? Maybe do a little hang gliding if the wind conditions are right."
Darren and Diego look at each another.
Darren: "Does he mean he wants us to go white peopling with him?"
Diego: "I think so bruh."
by Benton - 2015/11/03

Robert Kesselring - 2016/02/03 11:49:01 UTC
West Virginia

Ok, that's got me curious...
Any non-Caucasian pilots here? Please tell me we've got SOME ethnic variety...
---
Do something today to inspire a new pilot for tomorrow!

Name some openly non Ward-and-June-Cleaver heterosexual type particpants in the sport.

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=31330
I wish that Fag Noman would chime in

Cool Breeze - 2014/05/31 21:56:04 UTC
Planet Earth

Dude was cool

Ken de Russy - 2014/05/31 23:37:08 UTC

I think it is time for you to realize that the world has moved on, grown up, and thought better of the use of such mean spirited and thoughtless descriptive epithets. Make this the day you decide you will no longer see more amusement than cruelty in this discredited term. Or choose to remain in an ever shrinking part of the population that fails to see the hurt that results from its use.

Glenn Zapien - 2014/06/01 00:46:46 UTC
McClure Pilot

Ken, that was beautiful!
---
Always a student.

Greg Billow - 2014/06/01 00:56:39 UTC
Park City

Here Here!!

miguel - 2014/06/01 01:31:08 UTC

BS aside, y'all needs to come back.
Jay did, y'alls can too.
noman, and the rest.

Go worldwide and back to the Sixties if necessary.

And don't bother clicking on that link. Jack deleted the topic instead of either dealing with the issue or allowing it to be dealt with.

Just checked The Basement for Brian Horgan's:

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?p=129499
dont be a fag

That little gem from Jack Show history has also been shredded. But fear not, people of varying ages. I have it archived.

Jim Gaar - 2016/02/03 12:43:49 UTC

Tiki Mashy in TX is AA and female! Great pilot and purveyor of all things hang gliding...

Fuck that useless goddam pin bending bitch.

[Tad Eareckson]

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=34050
Calling all tug pilots

Dan Lukaszewicz - 2016/02/10 23:02:58 UTC

Please help!!! One of my local flight parks is in trouble. Highland Aerosports in Ridgley, MD is in a tight spot. They need a full time tug pilot or they can't open their doors for the season and may have to quit the business.

If you or anyone you know is a qualified tug pilot and interested in the job please contact Sunny or Adam at hanglide@aerosports.net

Good.

http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6904
Highland Aerosports 2016 Season News

aerosports - 2016/02/10 15:59:43 UTC

Greetings Pilots,

We wanted to give everyone an update on Highland's current situation. We're currently still searching for a tug pilot for the 2016 season.

You've killed two of them in the course of your shoddy history.

In the event that we cannot find someone to tow for us, we will be unable to operate. We will continue searching throughout this month, but if we don't find someone that can commit, we will be forced to shut down. With our current rent situation, we cannot afford to stay located at RJD without flight operations.

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

Jim Rooney - 2011/08/28 19:39:17 UTC

Weak links break for all kinds of reasons.
Some obvious, some not.

The general consensus is the age old adage... "err on the side of caution".

The frustration of a weaklink break is just that, frustration.
And it can be very frustrating for sure. Especially on a good day, which they tend to be. It seems to be a Murphy favourite. You'll be in a long tug line on a stellar day just itching to fly. The stars are all lining up when *bam*, out of nowhere your trip to happy XC land goes up in a flash. Now you've got to hike it all the way back to the back of the line and wait as the "perfect" window drifts on by.

I get it.
It can be a pisser.

But the "other side"... the not cautions one... is not one of frustration, it's one of very real danger.
Better to be frustrated than in a hospital, or worse.
No exaggeration... this is the fire that the "other side" is made of. Best not to play with it.

http://www.chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6326
An OK Day at Ridgely

Matthew Graham - 2014/06/09 01:51:11 UTC

It was pretty quiet at Ridgely when we arrived at noon. Brian VH and Felix were there-- and Sammy (sp) and Bertrand... and Soraya Rios from the ECC. She was not flying.

Felix test flew Bertrand's T2C for about an hour and loved it. Brian had a short flight on a Falcon. I got on the flight line at a little after 1pm behind Sammi. She had a sledder. Then the tandem glider called rank and went ahead of me. The tandem broke a weak link and it took a while to sort out a new weak link. I finally towed around 1:30 and also broke a link at 450'. Back to the end of the line. Actually, my wife Karen let my cut in front of her. Bertrand and Sammi towed again. Each having sledder. The cirrus had moved in and things did not look good. Again I arrived at the front of the line only to have the tandem call dibs. And then the tug needed gas. I thought I would never get into the air...

If anyone has any leads on a qualified pilot looking for work, please let us know.

As some of you may have heard, the sale of the Ridgely airport closed at the end of January. With the change of owners, we've had a very substantial increase in rent and decrease in hangar space. This means we will unfortunately need to increase some prices if we are able to continue operations. We will have more news on that after we finalize our tug pilot situation.

We've also been exploring locations for a new base of operations without much success. We will continue to look for more affordable accommodations throughout the coming weeks. If we can't continue our operations at RJD or another location, we will unfortunately be forced to liquidate our assets and cease operations.

If anyone has any questions at this time, please refrain from calling us as we're still away from the phone for the winter. Please send us an email to hanglide@aerosports.net and we'll try to respond in a timely manner. We will also keep a more active eye on the forum and respond accordingly. We will update you with information as it becomes available.

Blue Skies,
Sunny & Adam

Fuck you guys and the horses you rode in on.