Janni's Litespeed Vs. Wuffo

[DanTuck]

Oooooooh. That was close.
Check it out - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5qncE5EnjA

[RedBaron]

Indeed. Thanks for putting it up.

[Matthew]

It didn't really look too close to me from the video. However, pilot's need to warn spectators to get down below the level of the rock foundations of the old ramp and to get well behind the wing if on the block. The pilot on deck is responsible for the safety of everyone at launch.

And don't even get me started on the violation of our site insurance (and disregard for safety) by using wuffos on the wing to assist in launching at High Rock or the Pulpit.

Matthew

[KirkLewis]

I clicked on another video youtube had in the sidebar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnQ3itKA ... re=related

It's the camera that got hit lol.

[RedBaron]

And don't even get me started on the violation of our site insurance (and disregard for safety) by using wuffos on the wing to assist in launching at High Rock or the Pulpit.

Lah lah lah. Why not turn the Pulpit and HR into museums and become a debate club? Might as well given the club's average HG activity.

[Matthew]

Yes. And knocking spectators off the mountain is such a great way to promote the sport and increase flying at our sites.

Oh. And here's another idea pilots might want to try-- pick up the damned phone if you are trying to get people to join you flying. Passive forum posts aren't gonna pull people out on marginal days-- especially in the winter.


Matthew

[RedBaron]

I tried. The list of typical answers incudes:
Too cold, too strong, too far, too much ice, the Pulpit ridge is ugly, HR is boring, my fortune teller told me I won't soar today, it's 60 degrees let's go skiing, let's go to WS, let's go to WS, let's go to WS.

[Matthew]

Didn't call Karen and me. We were on the fence about at least going out to Smithsburg. Don't love us anymore.

Matthew

[KirkLewis]

Hey Janni I'll probably be in the mountains in a month or two. I just had my first footlaunch lesson last weekend, and possibly 2 more this weekend if the weather holds up. It went pretty well but I am in pretty pathetic shape. At the end I would carry my glider like 50 feet... put down... collapse... repeat. LOL. Thankfully only John was there to witness my feeble efforts.

[XCanytime]

Alright, how's this? Pulpit Sunday 2/8. Be there! Why? 50's! West!! Soarable!!! BFD

[markc]

Regardless of your feelings about using wuffos to help with a launch....

THERE IS NO EXCUSE for failing to clear spectators!

In the video, the person who's sitting on the cube under the wing is perhaps
marginal. But the person who is standing, and the person who
is sitting on the left wall, should both definitely have been cleared.

And BTW, the same is true of pilots .... If there are pilots
hanging around watching launches, they gotta be cleared JUST LIKE
any other spectator.

High Rock attracts a pretty diverse crowd, and sometimes you've got
some real 'yahoos' on launch, ya know? But I gotta say, even when
spectators are reluctant to follow directions, they almost always respond
if you are friendly, and if you say things like "Hey, I don't want to see you
going off this cliff without a wing my friend!" .

Clear 'em! You're playing with loaded dice if you don't!

MarkC

[theflyingdude]

And don't even get me started on the violation of our site insurance (and disregard for safety) by using wuffos on the wing to assist in launching at High Rock or the Pulpit.

Lah lah lah. Why not turn the Pulpit and HR into museums and become a debate club? Might as well given the club's average HG activity.

Well, at least Janni dropped the "Safety Director" title from his signature, so the oxymoron-factor has been reduced.

JR

[hepcat1989]

.

[stevek]

Just got back from a month in Cali -- San Diego. Flew the PG almost every day. I had a good time. One of the things I have always liked about the place is the lack of snarky behavior by the locals including posts to the SDHGPA forum. Check it out. I'm gone.

[markc]

Great, another flame-war in the making. Just what we all need.

I tend to agree with SteveK, too much snarkiness around here.

[EDIT: BTW, that includes myself! Bold red letters to emphasize
the importance of clearing spectators prior to launch might get
the idea across, but it isn't exactly constructive]

I'm not sure how one defines snarkiness... Or how to prevent it
without becoming nauseatingly PC. But one rule of thumb that
I use is this:

Does my post contribute something that others might find helpful,
useful, insightful, supportive, etc?

If the answer is "no", then you gotta ask yourself what the purpose
of your post really is.

A companion rule-of-thumb that I use is this: Am I just venting?
Does my post consist of nothing more than a one-liner back-handed
dig at someone? If so.... Add some content. Hold off on your post
until the next day, when a cooler head might prevail. Talk to
someone DIRECTLY (imagine that!) . Whatever, you get the idea.

We might use an upcoming BOD meeting to work on some
more 'official' rules-of-thumb for constructive use of the forums.
But really... Do we *have* to do that? Or can people just be a tiny
fraction more civilized to each other?

MarkC

[RedBaron]

I was just venting alright. It p*sses me off that we can't get large groups of pilots motivated anymore. The need for wire-crews at HR and the Pulpit have become real issues and it frustrates me. But, that's what this forum is for, no?

One thing before I get more hate pm's for the video from people who don't even fly anymore. We always clear spectators, I don't recall a single time at HR when we "forgot". Holding wire-crew and pilot responsible for what spectators decide to do once launch commences is complete idiocy. For all I know that guy might have decided to sneak up again to be as close to the action as he could, ignoring instructions and advice given earlier. Once I'm on the edge, it's me, my wire-men and the glider.

As for JR's comment. He's a lousy shot for a wannabe sniper and misses every time. Who cares?

[theflyingdude]

Just got back from a month in Cali -- San Diego. Flew the PG almost every day. I had a good time. One of the things I have always liked about the place is the lack of snarky behavior by the locals including posts to the SDHGPA forum. Check it out. I'm gone.

Apparently, Steve wasn't around the SDHGPA forum when they were electing their Regional Director at the end of last year or maybe "snarky" is in the eye of the beholder?

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SDHGPA/ms ... s=0&cnt=10

[KirkLewis]

Oh man the whole Torrey Pines debacle was epic. Snarky doesn't even come close. That was some major drama... if someone had made a movie out of that I would of watched it. It kind of reminded me of this:

Santa Fight Club
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_E ... sched=1276

If you have time to listen to it, it's pretty interesting. It's about the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, a club for real bearded santas that got into a big fight and wound up splitting apart due to it. The audio is the full "This American Life" episode, I think the santa story starts at about 21 minutes in.

So at least we aren't that bad =P

[hepcat1989]

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[hepcat1989]

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[XCanytime]

I'm thinking more like Woodstock for Sunday. It's gonna be breezy, and hopefully not too strong and too cross. And I hope the road will be open by Sunday morning. Cross your fingers. The darker angels of our nature don't care where they are when they rear their ugly heads Bacil

[jimrooney]

You can tell when pilots aren't flying enough
I'm a sonofabitch to deal with if I'm not getting my fix... hrm... ok ok, I'm even MORE of a sonofabitch than usual.

I tend to agree with SteveK, too much snarkiness around here.

Yup

Kirk's onto the HG/PG strife thing that Calie just can't seem to let go of.... MAN is it thick over there! They even have separate clubs for the same flying sites cuz they can't get over themselves. Freakin 12 year olds. (end of rant)

... back to enjoying the show for me
Jim

[hepcat1989]

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[KirkLewis]

Or you could try to get more people into the sport. I'm working on a few of the guys I know... I think I might get through to a few of them. Hopefully I can get some of them to go out and do a tandem during the summer. It's a tough sell in the winter... although it does peak their interest when you tell them every weekend... man I hope I can get to fly, it's in the high 30s!

[RedBaron]

You could move.

Wow! This horse is dead.