How I spent Father's Day

[Flying Lobster]

Today was one of the most unstable days I've ever seen in coastal Maine--the thermals were ripping and I didn't clue in on it--it just doesn't hardly ever happen next to the ocean. I climbed to the top of Blue Hill and laid out my paraglider next to the cliff edge--expecting a flight much like yesterday's. The wind was gusty, but never more than 12 mph or so--and there were no whitecaps out on the bay--my usual signal that it's a bit strong. I've flown Blue Hill and other sites nearby on much stronger days in terms of wind velocity.

I had just rolled out my glider and straightened everything out by preflighting the lines and risers just as I have done over a thousand times before. Part of my pre-flight ritual is to pull the glider up enough to build a wall and sometimes I'll pull the glider up off the ground a ways just to make sure there are no tip wraps and everything is clear of ground obstacles. This was all prior to hooking in and launching.

When I pulled the glider up I somehow got entrained in a powerful thermal/gust/rotor which literally ripped the risers out of my hands. I've been gusted before, but usually nothing worse happens than the glider just blows back in a worthless heap after I release pressure on the risers. I've always thought a paraglider couldn't fly efficiently without being loaded--but I now know this isn't true.

Standing on the edge of launch I watched in disbelief as my glider flew up and backwards fully pressurized from wingtip to wingtip while not being attached to anything--As it passed over the trees behind launch one of the dangling risers just managed to wrap around the top of a pine tree--otherwise I may have never seen the glider again. the glider was streaming and thrashing in the wind at the top of several pines. The rest of the day was an epic climb/extraction ordeal.

marc

[Pete Schumann]

I hear ya buddy... Could have been worse if you were attached...

Pete