My (first) tree landing

[RedBaron]

Here is the description of my flight at Daniel’s, which as you all know ended in the trees. Up front, I’ve been pushing very hard lately. I was due for a major accident and perhaps part of me even knew it. I’m okay with the whole thing. Questions have been raised as to my proficiency. I’m okay with that, too, because I could not care less whatsoever. So, if you’re looking for an all-out confession look somewhere else.
My recent superb flights had me convinced I could fly and land the glider anywhere. This was my mindset when I set out for Daniel’s. In the morning I checked out both primary and secondary and decided I wouldn’t attempt to land in the primary. I felt very comfortable about putting the glider down in the secondary (old primary). With light winds and a blue sky I was anticipating yet another great flight. In flight thermals were popping and I managed to climb but couldn’t really sustain a soaring flight. I was scratching hard to stay up. At that point I realized how strong it was blowing from the West. Too strong and too cross to land in the secondary, so I opted for the primary right in front of me. I released the drogue and got ready to turn base over the tree line downwind (East) of the field. I got lifted by a thermal so I extended my downwind leg past the tree line because I thought I was still too high. A second later I had dropped, I don’t know, 100 feet? Massive sink had me trapped on the lee side of the trees with nowhere to go. For a second I was hoping the drogue would allow me to get the glider down so I pulled in to increase drag and sink. But the field slopes down, it was just matching my glide. Everything was lost. At the peak of my yet biggest adrenaline rush instincts took over and I almost aggressively went for the trees at the South end of that little grass field. Upon impact I flared for life and tried to grab branches, which all broke. The glider and I rotated over and I was watching the ground rushing up to me as I accelerated down. I believe I hit face first bruising my right eye slightly. I got out of my harness right away, checked my neck, lit a cigarette and felt terribly sorry for my glider, which was on the ground, nose down, wedged in between the trees.
I made two mistakes. Allowing myself to get blown downwind of a field I wasn’t too familiar with clearly sealed my fate. Second, all my previous landings took place in light conditions at familiar sites, this one was new and I couldn’t put it in reference to past experience. I obviously should not have taken landing the Litespeed at the Daniel’s primary so lightly (LOL). Mark Cavanaugh told me that I had lost a healthy dose of respect for this glider, and he was right.
On the other hand, I believe I did everything right from the second the flight became a life-threatening emergency. I didn’t panic and resigned myself to a tree landing rather than attempting futile evasive maneuvers. I flew the glider to the very end. I executed a massive well-timed flare and brought the glider to a full stop right before impact. These decisions possibly saved my life, and I can’t help but feel very proud of that. Of course, I was very lucky, too.
I learned a lot, about trees, my limitations as well as abilities and, most importantly, my attitude. I want everybody to know: A few little trees ain’t gonna stop the Red Baron.

[jimrooney]

Welcome to the treehugger's club
There's those that have, and those that will.

Glad you're ok.
Jim

[Batman]

At least you didn't stay in the tree for 5 hours. That gives you too much time to think! Glad to hear your okay Janni. My High-Rock event was caused by many of the same risk factors that you pushed thru. New glider, stronger conditions, first flight from HR in the Talon. The best thing you can use this event for is to reevaluate your priorities and what you want out of this sport. The things I took away from my Tree Hugger Membership Application, was that my flying time was slowly diminishing from what it once had been and that I had spent less time working on the fundamentals (i.e. launching/landing) and instead was only focused on maximizing performance (topless glider, slick harness, etc). Those factors all added up to increase my risk factor which gave me much less room to wiggle out of a bad situation ... hence 5 hours in a tree. That was the big turning point in which I made the decision that I could either scare myself out of the sport with another incident or step back and return to what really put the smile on my face. Getting high and staying up (P.S. This is not an add for Marijuana or Viagra). When I bought my U2, I was concerned that I would lose out on all that performance, but I soon realized that the performance wasn't what was fun. The U2 allowed me to relax a bit, maneuver into smaller LZ's with less stress, and really get back to the enjoyment of flight. I might not be able to go as fast as a Topless, but with good skills I can go just as far. I'm not going to become the next wonderboy on the US team, but maybe I can go farther than <insert name> at the next fly-in. The comraderie and bonds within our hang gliding community combined with the enjoyment of flight is what makes this sport one that I will stick with for the remainder of my life. You only learn your limitations when you exceed them. The blessing is that you can use them to further your knowledge and retune your goals & expectations with only the price of a black eye.

On another note, 50 degree weather is almost here so I can crawl out of my man-cave and return to flying. These lukewarm days are getting my excitement up. Seems snowboarding is about to come to an end since the snow is disappearing so that means its time to join you eskimo's back in the air.

Chris

[Ashley Groves]

Janni;

Glad Your OK.
Glad to hear you seem to have a very reasonable and sober perspective on the incident.
I know of well seasoned and highly experienced pilots who have ended up in the trees.
I once had a bush landing myself (OK, it wasn't a tree, but they were really big bushes!)

[RedBaron]

Thanks everybody for your support and kind words. It made a BIG difference because it helped me tremendously in overcoming my emotional distress and objectively analyzing the good and bad decisions I made on that flight.
Several pilots have expressed concern about the "I was due for a major accident..." part. Neither did I mean to insinuate that every pilot is eventually going to get hurt nor do I believe it. I believe HG is a very safe sport if wisdom and patience take precedence. I would drop out of the whole thing if I didn't.
Nelson Lewis called me up yesterday to remind me that I was supposed to let the Club in Virginia know about my tree crash. It has happened in the past that clueless local pilots were confronted by the landowner about accidents, which doesn't make the best impression and certainly does not serve everybody's interest to protect the site.

Cheers

[Flying Lobster]

Hey Janni:

Couple of things I'd like to add. First--glad things worked out OK and no damage done.

That section of the field is well known as a "red zone sink hole" did you not know that? I'm asking only cause I'm curious how a pilot could be introduced to flying Daniels without knowing that if you were not so informed previously.

I saw some pictures of your glider and it looks to me that you're flying a full-race litespeed. I've been flying toplesses since they first appeared in the US in 1997 and my litespeed RS is one serious bird to which I have adapted a very conservative learning approach. Due to certain performance enhancing characteristics, this kind of machine has roll response characteristics, retained energy and extended glides which have made me adjust to a much more conservative approach to learning and where I land. I'm humbled by the awesome performance this glider has--but I realize clearly that I have a long way to go to fully understanding all the nuances of flight control and glider tuning for this particular bird--but I know enough that I could easily get killed by even a small mistake.

Confidence is a good thing--so is knowledge.

marc

[jimrooney]

(dramatic voice)... Who is The Red Barron? (suspenseful music)

So I see people saying "Janni"... but the Janni I know doesn't fly the gliders we're talking about. Is there an other Janni in the group?

Ah, the longing for real names instead of "handles"
"10-4 good buddy"
"OilSlickWarrior4 signing off"

Jim

[hefalump]

awww ... come on, oilstick warrior 4
handles are fun ... I just sign out with my real name.

JD

Well technically actually JD is an alias as well

[jimrooney]

Oh handles are fun for sure.
But only if there's a way to figure out who you're actually talking to (like you signing JD).

OilSlickWarrior4 out

[Lauren Tjaden]

Janni,
#1. I’m glad you are okay.
#2. I know nothing about your skills, and certainly, even the best pilots make mistakes. It happens.
#3. I admire your positive attitude; specifically, that you are concentrating on the good things you did, like flaring hard into the tree, and that you are intent on not letting your accident stop you from enjoying the sport you love.
#4. You said some things that bothered me. I hate conflict but I hate not saying the things that I feel morally obligated to say even more. So here it is.
You said: “I was due for a major accident and perhaps part of me even knew it. I’m okay with the whole thing. Questions have been raised as to my proficiency. I’m okay with that, too, because I could not care less whatsoever.”
Since I became involved with hang gliding in 2001, I’ve lost my friends Chris, Arland, Bill, Chad, Terry, and Ed to flying. Chad died in a plane, all the others in hang gliders.
I’ll share a little with you. I remember ripping the car off the side of the road and screaming when Matthew called us about Chad. I couldn’t believe that I wouldn’t see him anymore. Chad taught me to fly. He used to smack my helmet when I wasn’t paying attention and he really, really cared that I was going to be a safe pilot. He broke the world record for loops and he lifted weights and he worried that he was going to get bored with hang gliding.
Did you know Terry? He was really witty and smart and was nice, too, and he’d just made this great life for himself with his new wife when he left forever. He used to help me a lot flying and would explain how the to watch the leaves and the streamers to read how the wind was rolling up the hill.
No matter whose fault it is – or even if it’s nobody’s fault at all – a lot of wreckage is left behind when someone dies before their time. My grief when my friends were lost was a vast, suffocating ocean, and it was so minuscule compared to the loss of others, like Terry’s wife, or of his best flying buddies. All of my friends had families and fathers and mothers and friends. Some had dogs and cats and daughters and sons and people who looked up to them.
My point is this. If you think that you are the only one who suffers when you get into an accident or die, you are very wrong. Whatever you say, or do, in all of life and in hang gliding, as well, affects the people around you, often in profound ways. It affects the sport, too.
"I’m okay with the whole thing. Questions have been raised as to my proficiency. I’m okay with that, too, because I could not care less whatsoever."
Accidents happen, yes. But if you think you are marching towards a major accident, you should BLOODY well care, and do everything in your power to reverse course. If not for yourself, for the rest of us and the sport.
Lauren

[RedBaron]

PM for you, Lauren

[mcelrah]

I for one have never heard of the "red zone sink hole". Please explain. Any other things I should know about when flying at Daniel's? - Hugh
P.S. Please everyone be very careful about beating up pilots (even via PM) who write up their mishaps on the forum or they *won't* write them up any more. Also remember that some people are writing English as a second language and their expressions - while perfectly fluent - may not translate directly to American colloquialism - I don't think Janni means "I don't care whether I live or die"; he means "I can take or leave your criticisms; I have learned what there is to be learned from this accident and I am confident that I can make the necessary adjustments". Likewise "I was due for an accident" may have meant "I was 'cruising for a fall'"...

[XCanytime]

A few pilots have been suprised by massive sink when they go too far downwind of the "west" field at Daniels. I remember one in particular who extended his downwind leg too far, got caught by massive sink, but still tried to make it into the field. The fence was present at the time (1995) and the pilot tried to porpoise over the fence. The pilot's wing got lifted just as he raised his nose to porpoise over the fence and got turned 180 degrees and cratered in. The pilot suffered a broken elbow that required surgery. The pilot quit flying hang gliders right after the accident.

Sink can happen at any time during the approach, but there have been many suprised by a sinkhole at the downwind edge or beyond of that particular field at Daniels.

Bacil

[Lauren Tjaden]

It's not my intention to beat anyone up, Hugh. I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from posting, but I don't want to be afraid to state my opinions, either, particulary when they could possibly do some good. I think it's crazy to quit talking to people you disagree with. As long as we're talking, there's hope.
Lauren

[mcelrah]

Lauren,

Janni is pretty tough; he doesn't need me to defend him. Feel free to disagree with him - I just thought people may have misinterpreted what he meant.

Just for the record and in case anyone has forgotten, I would like to stipulate that winter SUCKS!

- Hugh
president, CHGPA

"Work is the curse of the drinking class." - H.L. Mencken

[Flying Lobster]

I for one have never heard of the "red zone sink hole". Please explain. Any other things I should know about when flying at Daniel's? - Hugh
P.S. Please everyone be very careful about beating up pilots (even via PM) who write up their mishaps on the forum or they *won't* write them up any more. Also remember that some people are writing English as a second language and their expressions - while perfectly fluent - may not translate directly to American colloquialism - I don't think Janni means "I don't care whether I live or die"; he means "I can take or leave your criticisms; I have learned what there is to be learned from this accident and I am confident that I can make the necessary adjustments". Likewise "I was due for an accident" may have meant "I was 'cruising for a fall'"...

The outlying boundaries of the main--especially the eastern and northen sides--are well known as bad sink zones, (made even more dangerous because of the obstructions and trees on their borders)--perhaps because of the contour of the field which sets up a gradient in those areas. In the "old days" a pilot new to Daniels couldn't just simply show up and start flying there--they had to be observed or introduced by a club-appointed observer who, among other things, was supposed to explain the peculiarities of the lz and how to safely land there. Roger Ritnour (who owns the launch)and the Virginia club takes these things very seriously and expect all users to be familiar with the protocols, which include familiarity with the lz. My comment wasn't directed at Janni in particular--but more of a club-use procedural observance issue. This is especially important since Daniels is very rarely flown by hangies these days (I suspect Nelson must have uncovered a skunk-works launch someplace else).

A friend of mine in Maine bought a new Litespeed and came up short on approach to an LZ he knew very well and clipped some obstructions. He was killed instantly on impact with the ground. It was a major bummer going to his funeral and seeing his young wife and kids left fatherless prematurely.

marc

[RedBaron]

Janni is pretty tough; he doesn't need me to defend him

I'm tough alright but what exactly do I need to defend myself for?
Discussion is good, disagreement is good, so let's talk.
About the controversial proficiency statement. Matthew asked me to make my log book available for peer review three days after the accident. While I can handle cheap shots like him, other may not. I merely expressed how I recommend dealing with truly malicious critique. If you still disagree with me, perhaps we should discuss making the sniper-on-the-tree-stand culture official club policy on HG-related accidents.
Lauren, thanks for sharing your plethora of emotions. Never mind that your comments, which talk about little else than how you personally deal with a friend's death, leave the impression that I am a selfish and reckless pilot with a secret death wish. As they stand, they annihilate the purpose of my report. And what exactly do we disagree on? You know nothing about me, the loved ones I lost and the loved ones I care for. You never bothered to find out, either. Let's not call this disagreement, that just doesn't cut it. How about brassy ignorance?
Marc, thanks for portraying the Litespeed as a death machine. To me it is just a f****** expensive hang glider. So why are you flying the most evil of all Litespeeds if one mistake can kill you? Unless you claim you never make mistakes I think I know what it it is: You have a secret death wish, too!
I've had about enough of all this nonsense. I'm outta here.

[Lauren Tjaden]

Janni,
I did not attack you. I said I don't know anything about your skill, and I'm not commenting on that or your glider, which I have been told you are well qualified to fly. I quoted you -- in your own words -- about how you didn't give a rat's. I merely pointed out that you SHOULD care, because every accident affects the sport and the people around the victim. I DO know what you said. Look at the title of your post! Your FIRST tree landing! That implies you plan to have more. Great. That will draw people to the sport, give us an even better name for having good judgement. I called you on WHAT YOU SAID and what seems like your piss-poor attitude. That's not brassy ignorance.
Lauren

[mcelrah]

Enough! Basta! I'm through trying to make peace - seems to only inflame things. We *are* all friends, right? (By the way, this did not start out being just about Janni and Lauren.) I don't think you (you know who you are) would talk to eachother this way in person or if this were a professional (meaning there's money involved) exchange. Normal courtesy and moderate language may not be as colorful but will go a long way to keep a rational discussion from which we can all learn from degenerating into shouting. "Ah has spoken!" - Granny Clampett
- Hugh

[CraginS]

[quote="mcelrah"]>snip< "Ah has spoken!" - Granny Clampett
- Hugh[/quote]

that was Mammy Yoakum,
Li'l Abner's mammy,

not Granny Clampett

[mcelrah]

Ya, I couldn't remember Li'l Abner's last name, so I went with Beverly Hillbillies since they were a shameless knock-off of Li'l Abner. It's a shame today's youth are unacquainted with the classical literature... - Hugh

[theflyingdude]

Janni,
I did not attack you. I said I don't know anything about your skill, and I'm not commenting on that or your glider, which I have been told you are well qualified to fly. I quoted you -- in your own words -- about how you didn't give a rat's. I merely pointed out that you SHOULD care, because every accident affects the sport and the people around the victim. I DO know what you said. Look at the title of your post! Your FIRST tree landing! That implies you plan to have more. Great. That will draw people to the sport, give us an even better name for having good judgement. I called you on WHAT YOU SAID and what seems like your piss-poor attitude. That's not brassy ignorance.
Lauren

For what it's worth, Pete Lehmann and I flew here (Cumberland) on Monday. We had both read Janni's initial post and while neither of us have ever met him, we both agreed with sentiment of Lauren's subsequent post. It was not an attack on his skill or judgement, although we would suspect that luck played more than a small role in the outcome of his crash landing. It was more that his comments made it sound like he really didn't learn the important lesson about pushing the limits in a high-risk sport like hang gliding. Janni, if you're reading this, I hope you survive the learning curve and get to be an old pilot, but most of the ones that last long enough to become old pilots do so by not being bold pilots.

JR

p.s. In the interest of full disclosure - I've been in the trees myself on more than one occasion - it was always my fault and always the result of one or more bonehead decisions on my part. Luck was always the biggest determiner of my fate, regardless of how well I thought I'd pulled it off. Be careful out there!!

[brianvh]

Okay, I guess I have to come in and set things straight, since we can't read tone of voice in email and of course I'm always right.

I'm pretty sure that Janni used the 'don't care a rat's ass' phrase because he was stung by Matthew's asking to see his logbook (unprecedented in my memory) and he was anticipating more of the same. That's all there was too it and for the rest Hugh nailed it.

Hang gliding is very important to all of us, part of our identity. Emotions run high, and flat black and white in email can be read several different ways. Since this isn't a Tad thread let's remember that in the end all critical comments are kindly meant.

[Matthew]

Point of order.

I never asked to see Janni's log book. Janni was being figurative in his post.

I assumed that Janni would be making some sort of report on the server and I asked about the number of flights he had on his new glider and if he had his RLF-- both relevant questions for a tree landing in the primary LZ at Daniel's when making an accident report.

Matthew

[brianvh]

Okay, I thought it sounded extreme, apologies for taking the paraphrase literally.