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mdnanwelch7(at)hotmail.co
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 Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 2:08 pm Post subject: Learning to fly...whatever!!! |
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You know, Clint Eastwood said it best!! "A man's GOT to know his
limitations!!" These were words well said, and they contain a lot of truth
in them.
Included in that concept is; "A man's GOT to know his airplanes
limitations.
I agree whole-heartedly with Mark...hanggliding is not anymore unsafe
than any other form of flying, providing you don't try doing something
incredibly stupid. (Like many of those who did and had hanggliding
accidents or mishaps, me included, albeit not too severe.)
If you examine practically ALL hangglider/ultralight/light plane
accidents, you will likely find in one way or another that the Pilot was the
blame! He either had poor maintenance, bad weather he shouldn't have been
in, poor judgement in the type of flying he was doing, on and on. The point
is; you can USUALLY blame the pilot for crash. Not always, but MOST of the
time. But you shouldn't blame the plane (glider), but many do!
A few years ago I bought a three wheeler Honda. Many people said "Oh
my God, do you know how dangerous those things are!?" Yes, I do!! My
heighbor, and 30 year old AF Captain was killed riding one. He was hauling
ass on a small bluff and went airborne over a rise, left the trike, slammed
onto the ground...and died..... Then people come along and say
"See, I told you
those things are dangerous!" Yeah, right! I owned mine for two
years, drove it fairly benign, no crashes. Where was the "danger"?
It never ceases to amaze me when you hear about some idiot who goes out
and dings up his plane, and then the plane gets the bad reputation. Huh??
As a former hangglider pilot, if I look back on the few "mishaps" I've
had, not ONE of them was the glider's fault.
I really do believe in the saying that says "Flying (whatever you fly) is
no more dangerous than many other forms of recreation, but it is incredibly
unforgiving of mistakes!! Without a doubt, in most cases, the pilot in
command controls the safety of the flight.
Just a little soap box ranting......Mike in SW Utah
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JetPilot
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1246
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| Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 5:43 pm Post subject: Re: Learning to fly...whatever!!! |
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Thats part of the problem with Hang Gliding, its never the gliders fault, but the conditions that exist to jump off a mountain with enough wind to are extremely challenging. Same goes for landing, with a hang glider its usually in wind, turbulance, into an unimproved field, and go arounds are never an option.
Bottom line, the skill level required is so high that if you do it, it will bite you, no matter how good you are. Look at many of the best and most famous hang glider pilots, most of them end up hurt or dead sooner or later. Its never the gliders fault, but the challenges and conditions of flying hang gliders are just so high, sooner or later it will get you.
BTW ... Yes, hang gliding looks like a heck of a lot of fun. If I lived on the gently sloping hills of Austrailias coastline, I would probably have to do it  All the places I have seen in the eastern states are really hairy and dangerous.
Mike
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knowvne(at)aol.com
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| Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 9:54 pm Post subject: Learning to fly...whatever!!! |
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Mike
Little steps not big ones ...
Always say no to conditions above your skill level ...
A safety first attitude goes a long way in aviation... All forms..
Thats part of the problem with Hang Gliding, its never the gliders
fault, but
the conditions that exist to jump off a mountain with enough wind to
are extremely challenging.
MIKE
They're Challenging ONLY if Turbulent and Strong.. I fly in coastal
winds such as those at
( STAN WELL PARK in Australia for example  When it's blowing 20 and
can self launch...
Condition at Sites Differ ... Conditions always must dictate if you
should fly..
Just as with Power Flying..
Same goes for landing, with a hang glider its usually in wind,
turbulence, into an
unimproved field, and go around are never an option.
Mike
When landing out in a hangglider you can quite often wait out the
turbulance......
That turbulance say 500 AGL is often not enough to climb in but more
than enough
to maintain in..... When it disapates you can then go in and land...
The Trick is
not to force your self to the ground just because your low.... Wait
till you have to
land because the lift and most of the turbulance has passed...
Landing out is a special skill and is why we as HG pilots get a XC
sign off
before were permitted to go ....
Bottom line, the skill level required is so high that if you do it, it
will bite you, no matter how good you are.
Mike
When you say BITE do you mean Crash Break The Glider, Get hurt, DIE
What?
We have had ONE death in our flying area in the past 16 years..
Ive crashed into Trees, on to Slopes and walked away with out hardly a
scratch.. BELEIVE ME WHEN
I SAY THIS .. the Glider takes most of the impact, not you...... We
control the glider while hanging inside a
TRANGLE we all know is one of the strongest shapes around.....
Yes at some point you will probably WHACK as we like to call it but
landing at the speeds we land its really
not a big issue unless you hit a BIG ROCK...
Look at many of the best and most famous hang glider pilots, most of
them end up hurt or dead sooner or later.
Mike
Most deaths are from doing stupid human pet tricks... AKA PILOT ERRIOR
it had nothing to do with the Craft
Some have blown up their Gliders doing AERO Some Slam into the Ground
Doing Loops too low to the ground..
I know one pilot who blew up his Glider doing a LOOP and tossed his
chute but failed to attach it to his harness ...
Guess WHAT He survived to talk about the Mistake he made... Stupid
human pet tricks... PILOT ERRIOR...
How many power pilots have died doing the same stupid things ? Pilot
Error not the craft..
Its never the gliders fault, but the challenges and conditions of
flying hang gliders are
just so high, sooner or later it will get you.
Same is true in Power craft... Fly within your limits and its
extreemly safe... Go beyond your skill level
leaving 0 room for errior and yep its going to mess up Christmas...
its not the craft
BTW ... Yes, hang gliding looks like a heck of a lot of fun. If I
lived on the gently sloping hills of Austrailias
coastline, I would probably have to do it All the places I have
seen in the eastern states are really hairy and
dangerous.
As I said its the most amazine sport in the world...
Come up to NH and visit Morningside Flight park ... There you'll find
the Gental Grassy slopes your
dreaming of... OZ is much to far hahahahahaha8-) Check out
www.flymorningside.com They also Aero Tow there...
Come up and take a tandem flight... I dare ya...
Mark
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