Nationals Day Four

[Paul Tjaden]

Today, the task committee called a short 36mile task and launched us early trying to get us to goal before potential rain that might come later in the day. As we launched, the sky was filling in and things were starting to look iffy. By the time all of us had gotten into the air some of us were getting a bit wet with light showers but no lightning or T-storms (or gust fronts). Lift was light and all we could do was drift along with the prevaling wind. Shortly after the first start window, Paris reported a lightning strike and a few others reported serious rainshowers ahead and the task was called with no score. I landed near the first TP and got a quick ride out before the rain started in earnest.

The next couple of days look iffy so hopefully we will get a couple more days to compete.

(A side note) As I have noticed in southern Florida in the past, some of the pilots have reported problems with the local land owners when they have had to land out. Although I have seen this occasionally in other places, it seems to be especially bad here. I find it VERY embarrassing with the international pilots who are used to the land owners in Europe asking if they need help and bringing them a beer. I have joked that they are all in- bred idiots but I really do wonder what is WRONG with these people? Davis had trouble today and landed with several Brits. He said he was going to call the Bureau of tourism but I doubt it will do any good.
Makes me ashamed of some of my fellow Americans.l

[Flying Lobster]

Hmmmm...I definitely have vivid memories of that time I was picking up Lauren and ol Buford T Pusser came to a screeching halt in his pickup and threatened to arrest both of us. Them frickin meat-packers own 80% of the whole county.

marc

[deveil]

left miami (coconut grove) and rode to virginia on a bicycle in, what was it, '72? ( by my lonesome). north/central florida had a definite 'deep south' flavor - but of course, this Was the 60/70's and things had been tense for a while. people swerving at me, beer cans (some not yet opened), cherry bombs, and many an unfriendly epithet were thrown my way. there were, of course, many good folks along the way - but there were definitely them 'deliverance' types - seemingly in abundance. my two cents.

[hepcat1989]

Well, Does anyone scout ahead to make sure the property you may have to land out on is flyer friendly. Some people just plain don't want you there. It sucks, but it's fact. We have sites up here that the owners don't want you on anymore. ( Fisher's) It sucks ,but that's the way it is.Paul, if they catch wind of your hissy fit ( calling them inbreds) with your nose all out of joint because they don't want you there. You may have Rock Salt flying at you next time. Some people could give a Rat's about your competition. It sucks! I know. I wish we could fly and land anywhere that was safe. Calling them inbreds may just get your ass handed to ya! Scout ahead! You can catch more with honey than vinegar. Right?
My two cents.
Shawn.

[Flying Lobster]

Well, Does anyone scout ahead to make sure the property you may have to land out on is flyer friendly. Some people just plain don't want you there. It sucks, but it's fact. We have sites up here that the owners don't want you on anymore. ( Fisher's) It sucks ,but that's the way it is.Paul, if they catch wind of your hissy fit ( calling them inbreds) with your nose all out of joint because they don't want you there. You may have Rock Salt flying at you next time. Some people could give a Rat's about your competition. It sucks! I know. I wish we could fly and land anywhere that was safe. Calling them inbreds may just get your ass handed to ya! Scout ahead! You can catch more with honey than vinegar. Right?
My two cents.
Shawn.

Actually Shawn, Paul's portrayal is quite accurate.

marc

[deveil]

having, in my time, paid both my blue collar And my white collar dues, i guess i'd say they're both 'right' - however far being right gets you - and i think that may be part of shawns point. (hoping to 'unignite' any culture wars)

[Matthew]

You are arriving uninvited on someone else's property. And they have no idea of what a hang glider is or how it works. It's just someone on their property messing around with a big kite and tromping about.

I'm not an XC guy. But on the odd occasion when I do land out the first thing I do is move quickly to the side of the road to break down.

If you see a landowner, stop what you are doing and approach him or her and appologize profusely for landing in their field, saying that you encountered an unexpected downdraft that forced an emergency landing. Then ask if it would be okay to continue breaking down your glider. You always get a better response from people if you are humble and ask for their help. Be kind. Be courteous. Be respectful. Maybe the problem isn't the landowners. Maybe the problem is a bunch of arrogant, ellitist hot shot pilots who think they own the world and convey that attitude.

However, there are mean SOBs out ther ready to shoot anyone who is on their land... no questions asked. So it's even more important to be careful and courteous. Do not confront someone when you are trespassing on their land.

Matthew

[deveil]

Well, Does anyone scout ahead to make sure the property you may have to land out on is flyer friendly. Some people just plain don't want you there. It sucks, but it's fact. We have sites up here that the owners don't want you on anymore. ( Fisher's) It sucks ,but that's the way it is.Paul, if they catch wind of your hissy fit ( calling them inbreds) with your nose all out of joint because they don't want you there. You may have Rock Salt flying at you next time. Some people could give a Rat's about your competition. It sucks! I know. I wish we could fly and land anywhere that was safe. Calling them inbreds may just get your ass handed to ya! Scout ahead! You can catch more with honey than vinegar. Right?
My two cents.
Shawn.

another two cents? instead of the formal tourism board, maybe form your own, sort of. assuming yous guys are planning on flying ffor a while to come, make a point of stopping in and eating at any local diners in the areas that tend to get flown over, and stopping in at any businessess, fire company breakfasts, fill up your gas tanks, buy your beers and snacks at the local stations, stuff like that. stuff you're probably already doing, maybe just make a point of going out of your way to do it and lingering around a bit. give them a chance to see that you are good people, and that you don't hold it against them that they're a bunch of . . . whoops! better stop there.

[Flying Lobster]

I have to ask the obvious question--other than Paul--have any of you actually flown in the area he's talking about (and its definitely NOT like Quest)?

marc

[deveil]

I have to ask the obvious question--other than Paul--have any of you actually flown in the area he's talking about (and its definitely NOT like Quest)?

marc

no. but i remember this one time i was outside the beltway - granted it was only for a short ways. (i'm guessing this is now going beyond the parameters for this forum, so i'll be bowing out).

[dhenders]

Having worked and lived in Florida I got to say Paul and Marc are correct. I use to drive a bookmobile around Lakeland and the rural parts of Hillsborough and Pinella counties.

If you so much as breath on one of the groves you are dead meat. Once you leave the either coast it comes a very strange place.

[huddlec]

I landed in the dogpatch (the huge field below High Point), where the resident farmer has made it abundantly clear that he wants no one on his property. I was bagging my glider as fast as I could when they showed up in a pickup truck. I started apologizing all over the place and telling them that I had done something really stupid - as in launching in a real southwest cross. They didn't seem at all upset and confirmed that no one should be flying when it's that crossed. (!)

I agree with Matthew. As soon as they show up, start apologizing for landing on their property. Works every time for me. (And doesn't hurt to talk with a hillbilly accent.)
Christy

[hepcat1989]

( and it doesn't hurt to talk with a hillbilly accent.)........
I guess they just figured you for a good 'ole'boy.....
Shawn.

[deveil]

Having worked and lived in Florida I got to say Paul and Marc are correct. I use to drive a bookmobile around Lakeland and the rural parts of Hillsborough and Pinella counties.

If you so much as breath on one of the groves you are dead meat. Once you leave the either coast it comes a very strange place.

well Hell boy! i kin see the problum right off - it was them darn books!
did ya take any time to properly splain what a book Was? didn't did ya? didn't think so.
they mightyna not seen one bafore, an iffin they did, they mighta had a bad sperience with it. did they have any pictures? they like them picture books generally.

sorry, couldn't resist.

btw, i haven't seen where there wasn't some truth in what anyone has said. mainly i saw that paul was just grousing a bit, that's all. (then again . . . you're not in jail or a hospital are you? (( watch your bung hole, dude))

[deveil]

on a serious note, i just remembered this: i have seen documentaries, not all that long ago, where there are itinerant work camps down that way that are virtual prison/slave camps. those type of people get scary Real fast, and are out to impress on Anyone that they don't want to Ever show up in their part of the world Ever again. Ever.
yeah, that's a whole other thing, and anything that might work elsewhere - ain't going to work there!

[deveil]

let's see. there's also the drug smuggling airstrips, the people smuggling business...and you guys are doing what? flying over otherwise remote, inaccesible areas, at low altitudes with cameras and other electronic gear?
Shit! i'm just gonna stay here inside the beltway. sorry guys (marc) - some things aren't universal and Do have there own unique local, err, 'flavor'. i'll just shut up now.

[Paul Tjaden]

Well, Does anyone scout ahead to make sure the property you may have to land out on is flyer friendly. Some people just plain don't want you there. It sucks, but it's fact. We have sites up here that the owners don't want you on anymore. ( Fisher's) It sucks ,but that's the way it is.Paul, if they catch wind of your hissy fit ( calling them inbreds) with your nose all out of joint because they don't want you there. You may have Rock Salt flying at you next time. Some people could give a Rat's about your competition. It sucks! I know. I wish we could fly and land anywhere that was safe. Calling them inbreds may just get your ass handed to ya! Scout ahead! You can catch more with honey than vinegar. Right?
My two cents.
Shawn.

4-13-07, Paul writes:

Shawn, perhaps you don't quite understand what we're talking about here. Competition tasks can be and are called for 100 miles or more away from launch. Last year at the Rigid Wing Worlds we flew 126 miles from Quest to Florida Ridge. We fly over hundreds of square miles of ground. It might be a bit difficult to consult with all these land owners. We do have land owners near Quest and Florida Ridge that we know don't want us landing on there property and we respect that as much as possible.

As to your concern about my name calling, perhaps it was not in the best of taste but I really doubt that any people who might be offended read this forum.

Matthew's comment regarding apologizing profusely, etc. is very correct and should always be used but even after doing this, I have had some of these pillars of society threaten me with arrest or bodily harm, blame me for every evil thing that has ever happened to them and extort money from me to "allow" me to leave in one piece. Of course, this can happen anywhere but it seems much more prevalent in Florida and especially southern Florida.

This kind of behavior is simply inexcusable. When Lauren and I owned a farm in Virginia, we allowed extra room around the perimeter and even created lanes through our property so others could stroll, ride their horses or walk their dogs. I think our "friends" in Florida instead go out every morning and urinate on each corner of their property marking it like a dog.

One final note. Not every land owner in Florida acts this way. Many are friendly and have offered assistance, food and drink. Many just ignore you or simply never know you were there.

Paul

[Batman]

I love you Paul & Lauren ... when are you coming home to the Mid-Atlantic?

[hepcat1989]

Allright Paul, I can respect your reply. You guys do cover some mass miles! I understand some of the mentality you can come across in your long distance flying. People are People!I'm just afraid that if a person relayed your wording to certain land owners, well things like that can escalate into some big ill feelings! Spreads like wildfire. Kid gloves are nessasary at times! That's all i'm getting at! In my experience "hunting" not flying, don't ever give the land owner any shit! Don't let the land owner find out later( through channels) that you were talking badly about them! FUEL FOR FIRE! You know what i'm getting at.......
Come on up here. Let's do some flying together. I'm sure I can benefit from your knowledge. We'll share some cold ones afterwards.
Respect, Shawn.