Jacks Sunday 11/6

[XCanytime]

Looks pretty good for a trek to Jacks on Sunday. Snow should be all gone up there by then. Drive from High Rock ~ 2 hours. Bacil

[sailin]

I'm in.

ETA at launch 11ish.

Jon

[XCanytime]

Hit the road to Jacks around 8:15A. Got there in 3 hours to find Jon already set up. Conditions were straight in at 8 to 12 MPH. Daniel Broxterman showed up around 12 noon, so we helped Jon launch for his first flight at Jacks. He had a good launch and got maybe 100' over for a 10 minute soaring flight. I was up next and with Daniel's assistance launched into lighter conditions and found nothing to the NE and went out and joined Jon in the main LZ. Daniel came down in Jon's car and picked us up, with me leaving my glider and getting a body ride. Jon and I helped Daniel stage for takeoff as Dennis Pagen, David Stevens, and Keith Olena show up. By this time it was 2:30P, and it had picked up a bit to possible soarable velocity. Daniel verified that by getting up. Jon and I dropped Daniel's car at the LZ and by this time Dennis, Keith, and David all launched and got up. Jon and I returned to the top to find Spoons just arriving. I set up for a second flight hoping to get some magic air. By the time I launched it was shutting down. Went to the NE and maintained. Turned around and flew past launch level with the bottom of the slot. Kept going SW but by this time the sun had dropped low in the sky to the west and the tree canopy on the ridge just looked like a black hole. I couldn't make out any contrast to where the tops of the trees were. Then all of a sudden I see two tree canopies jutting above the rest and it looked like a bad situation. It was. I tried to manuever in between them to fly away from the ridge to get much needed clearance but the gradient near the treetops reduced my airspeed and the glider was flying too slow, even though I had the bar pulled in a bit. It looked like I was heading in between them good but my left wing scraped the canopy on the left and stalled the left wing. I spun in and dropped through the trees nose down. The glider luckily got hung up on a tree branch stub that punched through the sail under the leading edge about 2' outboard from the nose, much like a coat on a coat rack, suspending me about 30' above a steep, rocky ground below. Dennis yelled down from above to check if I was OK, and I yelled back I was. Jon and Spoons were quick to reach me with a rope that Jon had in his truck. He threw me the line and I wrapped it around a branch just above me and through both my shoulder straps, tying a knot in the end and clipping the gated clip at the end of the rope at the end of the knot. I was tied off now, but now I needed to disconnect myself from the glider. There was no way I could unhook the carabiner because I was loading up the main of the harness with dead weight and I couldn't manuever myself up vertically enough to unload the main and unhook. The hook knife I have carried in my harness for a long time unused proved its worth, slicing through the hang loops like a hot knife through butter. The tree diameter was only 1' to 2', so I hugged it like a Koala Bear as Jon provided a few feet of slack in the rope at a time, gently lowering me to the ground. Thank you Jon and Spoons big time! I slogged back up the trail that runs to launch with my harness and helmet while Jon and Spoons pondered how to possibly get the glider out of the tree. Drove down to where Jon parked and now saw the glider still in the trees looking a little different with anhedral in the wings. Jon and Spoons abandoned the ordeal since sundown was fast approaching and more assets were needed to safely extract the glider. Went back to launch and debriefed with Dennis what happened. The only thing I got was a small splinter in one finger and a couple of scrapes on a thumb. Very very lucky! This accident shows the danger of scratching very close to the tree canopy on a ridge, and increasing the danger by having limited to no visibility of the canopy's extent. I pushed it way too hard and was lucky just to have a few scratches. Again, mucho thanks to Jon and Spoons for getting me down from the tree safely. Bacil

[theflyingdude]

Bacil, sorry to hear about your encounter with the flora at Jacks on Sunday. Having been in trees myself a time or two (or three), it's easy to imagine how that can effect your outlook on the day. At least you survived relatively unscathed and didn't require an "official" rescue by the local EMT service. I hope your glider is repairable and that you'll be back in the air soon. I still periodically enjoy reading the "Bacil-cast" and I think you're accuracy is as least as good, if not better, than many of the local prognosticators.

JR

[sailin]

Bacil summed it all up pretty good. I had a short but beautiful soaring flight for my first time at Jacks. Launched first and a little too early before it had filled in properly but I had a blast eeeking out every minute of the ten I flew The color in the trees down low was still brilliant. Daniel Broxterman had a very nice soaring flight later on in the day!! Very cool site and I will definitely be back.

I was very happy to be on top to help out Bacil after the tree incident. And even more happy that everything ended with no one hurt!!

Jon

[jyoder111]

Ouch. Glad you weren't hurt, Bacil. I hope the glider retrieve goes well and you can get it back in flying condition soon.

Way to be prepared with rope on hand, Jon.

[kcarra]

Hi Bacil

Ditto - glad you weren't hurt. Some pilots were complaining about the shadows at Bill's Hill on Sat. - maybe worse on East, SE sites?

[Roger]

I'm glad you are ok.

And had an encounter with jumping trees too. I don't like jumping trees. Everything is fine until, ... whack! one slapped me out of the sky. No sail damage, just aluminum and pride.

[brianvh]

Bacil - glad someone had a rope and that you were wise enough to wait for it. Everyone should try to have at least 80 feet of rope in the trunk.

-Brian.

[hang_pilot]

Everyone should try to have at least 80 feet of rope in the trunk.

I tried that after drinking too much tequila…maybe if the rope had been thinner.
-------
Bacil, I saw your cartwheel, but not the initial trip up. So, I don't have much analysis to offer as a eye witness. Like everyone else, I'm sorry about your glider and glad you're ok!

I can say that it was a light and cross day which created a lot of sink holes on the ridge. To get above ridge top in the beginning of my flight, I probably pushed the safety margin just as much as Bacil did. Once established, it was easier to stay up but still required a lot of focus.

I landed right after I was sure that help was headed in the right direction and I was quickly on the scene, but Jon and Spoons had already extracted Bacil. It was an impressive operation.

The cudos to Jon are well earned. He actually participated in two search and rescues that day. After lowering Bacil from his perch, he helped me find my phone which had fallen out of an unzipped pocket when I was scrambling down to the accident scene.

One take away for me -- besides better securing my phone -- I regretted not having a radio with me in the air. Yelling down to launch for help and flying over Bacil's tree worked, but only because he was so close to launch.

Best to all,
Daniel

[Matthew]

Gee Bacil, I know you've been thinking of getting a new glider. But you didn't have to sacrifice your current glider to the tree gods just to come up with a reason to pry open that wallet of yours to buy a new machine.

Glad you are OK.

Really, really glad you are OK.

Matthew

[Dave Proctor]

Bacil--Glad you are OK. Gliders are cheap in the grand scheme of things. Let me know if you need any help with the glider.

DaveP

[XCanytime]

Thanks to all who have responded with kind messages. I have done a lot more analysis in the last couple of days of what happened in phone conversations with a few very experienced pilots of 30+ years. Bob Beck listened to my account and reported that the aviation world has a term that describes my accident: CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain). And I am getting a new glider, a Sport 2. I've been going at it hard for 20 years now, flying every year, year round, since October of 1991, and it's time for a much needed break. It will take 3+ months to get the new glider, providing the break. I plan to still go out every once in a while in the next 3 months to assist launches and provide retrieves. Bacil

[Pete Schumann]

Hey Bacil,

Glad you're ok. I've been there and done that.

I have a Moyes Extralite (Extra Heavy, hee,hee) HG I want you to come take and use until you get your new glider. It's a great glider in good shape.

Pete

[Roger]

I hope your short break is just that (I believe it will be). It would be a great loss to the sport should you break permanently. Your knowledge and enthusiastic attitude would be missed.

I would really miss the Bacil-cast too!

[deveil]

1) "it's time for a much needed break. It will take 3+ months"

2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN99jshaQbY

3) "I have a Moyes Extralite (Extra Heavy, hee,hee) HG I want you to come take and use until you get your new glider."

'doesn't look as if they are going to allow you any time off!

[CraginS]

Bacil,
Truly sorry you had this event.. very truly glad you are generally unscathed. Climbing back on the horse that threw you is not easy.. going through that myself. Take care and stay on the boards during the hiatus.

[JMNTech]

Bacil,

I was supposed to go to Jack's on Sunday but I ended up going to 501 site, which I can't fly yet (H3 Site only), to help my instructor and watch all the veteran's fly. I just wanted to stop by and say thank you for going through the effort of writing out the details of your flight. As a new pilot I have so many questions and things I want to learn. You made it a learning experience.

My name's Joseph Nieves. I have been receiving instruction from Bill Umstattd since September 11th 2011 and I'm a new hang 2 Pilot thanks to both my Dad (Bob Nieves) and Bill. I just registered to this forum because I wanted to contact you about your flight at Jack's.

Best of luck to you in your new Sport 2, glad you didn't get hurt.

Thanks Mark for letting me join the forums.

See you in the sky!

Here's one video of my first cloud dive @ Hyner View, an amazing experience!!!

[Lauren Tjaden]

Bacil ,I just saw this! I'm SO glad you're okay.
But you're getting a new glider!! What colors are you getting? What size? The Sport Two is so fun.
Sending happy thoughts.
Lauren
PS: I would just blame the tree.

[markc]

I'll echo everyone's sentiments Bacil: Really glad that you are ok and that the damage is limited to the glider, not you!

If you've ever been "working low", trying to get up in light conditions, and had one of those "Oh cr@p! Come on glider, turn baby turn!" moments (as you try to clear some suddenly way-too-close trees).... Well... You could find yourself in exactly the same situation that Bacil did.

When you are scratching (and I'll be the first to admit that I do it too), the margins get very small, and there's just no way that you can predict/anticipate/counter everything that might happen in the air.

OTOH, one *can* be prepared for the possibility of being tree'd, and carry equipment that would help in that kind of situation. I've gotten very lax/complacent about that lately.... But that's going to change! I can't claim that I won't scratch down low (even though I shouldn't), but I can certainly prepare for a day when I might find myself stuck (again; I've been there/done that) in a tree. I've gotta be better prepared for that possibility!

MarkC

PS: Welcome to the forums Joseph, and congrats on your H-2! I fixed your Vimeo link, to embed it within the forums. Looks like you had a very nice flight!

[JMNTech]

Awesome,Thanks!!!

[XCanytime]

I appreciate all the offers to fly others' gliders, use others' harnesses, etc. But I am taking a break, period. The Sport 2 will have the colors of my employer, FedEx Express - orange and purple. Spoons and I successfully extracted the glider yesterday on my day off. I took the Paul Bunyan route and used an axe to fell the tree. It took around 45 minutes of continuous chopping to complete the task. Spoons showed up just as I was putting on the finishing touches. The tree and glider hung up in the trees downhill from the path. Spoons with his chainsaw cut a couple of 4' sections from the trunk, shortening the tree and enabling him to hook up his "come along" ratcheting system to the tree with the steel cable and to a rope that was connected to another tree uphill. With a few "ratchets" the tree fell uphill right between us on the path. I got my Avocet watch, camera mount, Finsterwalder wheels, and thermitts off of the basetube, Spoons and I packed the glider up, and I gave the glider to him.

The prime motivation I have when I write up these flight reports, warts and all, is to educate the less experienced pilots for the greater good. I am glad that this report's value has been acknowledged by Joseph and I encourage the more experienced pilots in our community to do the same. Bacil

[Ashley Groves]

Thank you for the write up Basil.

I am glad damage was limited to eqipment and pride. I look forward to when you are ready to return.

[Lauren Tjaden]

Bacil,
I think it's wonderful you came forward with this. Hang gliding is a great sport but it is also sometimes unforgiving, and when you explain what happened to you (a respected, experienced and competent pilot) hopefully others will take heed and avoid the same situation. Again, I so respect your mature attitude; you being man enough to share your experience may save someone else the same fate. You rock.
Lauren