Thanks, Linda. There was a good deal of our interaction that I did
not remember. As I reflect on the sequence of events, I continue to
wonder whether I could have gotten straightened out with an
aggressive (like hanging by both hands on the left downtube) early
control input; or, once a tree impact was inevitable and it was
apparent that the tree in question was not green and leafy, but a
trunk, why I could not have aimed a bit to the right of the trunk and
taken the blow on the leading edge vice the glider's nose/my body.
This is what they tell general aviation pilots to do: let the wings
get ripped off, but try to aim the fuselage between the trees.
I would agree that I was slow, and that this is a tendency I have in
general, so will have to rework my approach and landing routine.
Can't just stuff the bar a la Falcon, but gotta find a speed above
trim that gives me more control without floating in ground effect
forever. With one exception there seems to be strong consensus that
I should delay going one-up-and-one-down until treetop level and save
going to the downtubes until in ground effect. Expect to see me at a
towpark near you practicing this routine. Also, use the treeline at
Emma Jane's house end of the field for base, not the slot (thus
avoiding the whack dip) - and stay on centerline of the field even if
it's cross. (I would appreciate any divergent formulations from the
sages.)
One last thing: I am in the market for a motocross type (SNELL, DoT,
ANSI-rated) helmet. I don't mind clear face shields in the least, as
long as they can be locked open or removed in summer. Are there any
out there that don't look like Darth Vader?
I am taking a couple of days off (took a nap yesterday, which is not
my habit), taking light exercise to keep from stiffening up (walking,
a short gentle swim, even rode my bicycle a bit today). Still moving
carefully, bending my knees to pick things off the floor. Sneezing
is painful. Rolling over in bed, getting in and out of the car are
difficult. Chewing is difficult (right jaw joint hurts). As Sparky
predicted, I am finding more boo-boos every day. But things could
be much, much worse. I even have had cogent conversations with my
boss about various matters at work, displaying an astonishing grasp
of detail (now there's a waste of brain cells - why couldn't I have
forgotten about THAT crap?) And it's been blowing NW both days!
Cheers - Hugh
On 23 Aug 2005, at 00:02, breezyk1d wrote:
Hugh's crash
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
Re: Hugh's crash
Hey, I resemble that remark.mcelrah wrote:...
One last thing: I am in the market for a motocross type (SNELL, DoT,
ANSI-rated) helmet. I don't mind clear face shields in the least, as
long as they can be locked open or removed in summer. Are there any
out there that don't look like Darth Vader?
I'm glad you are feeling better.
I use a motocross helmet, which generally don't come with a visor. They are heavy and thus, are good excersize for the neck. Most I have looked at seem to have the Darth Vader apparatus on the front, but not all are black like mine. I got mine at Twiggs cycle in Hagerstown for about $125, but I have found other lighter helmets for less on the internet
e.g.
http://dirt-bikes.ridegear.com/cgi-bin/ ... 1124839463
'Spark
Accident Reports
As Brian has said, the USHGA Accident Review Committee (meaning him and I) do read the mail on this listserve. I myself have only been doing this for a couple weeks now, after susbscribing as a result of the airspace controversy. I do not, however, monitor this listserve for purposes of collecting data for the USHGA HG Accident Review column.
I consider this forum is a (semi-)private area where local pilots can discuss local issues, including local incidents. I do not wish to suppress valuable discussion for fear that sensitive information might be broadcast outside the intended audience without the authors knowledge or permission.
If you think you have had, or know of, an incident the knowledge of which would benefit pilots outside the local area, I would ask that you cut and paste your report into a USHGA report form (available on the web) and send it in that way. We can and do receive multiple reports concerning the same incident, so don't worry about trying to collect everything that's out there, just send in what you know. Only reports recieved by "The Committee" in this way (and not even all of those) will be included in the HG Magazine column.
I consider this forum is a (semi-)private area where local pilots can discuss local issues, including local incidents. I do not wish to suppress valuable discussion for fear that sensitive information might be broadcast outside the intended audience without the authors knowledge or permission.
If you think you have had, or know of, an incident the knowledge of which would benefit pilots outside the local area, I would ask that you cut and paste your report into a USHGA report form (available on the web) and send it in that way. We can and do receive multiple reports concerning the same incident, so don't worry about trying to collect everything that's out there, just send in what you know. Only reports recieved by "The Committee" in this way (and not even all of those) will be included in the HG Magazine column.
Joe G.