US Hawks Hang Gliding Association • View topic

by **skydog** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:17 am

Greetings,

I'm a Skydog looking for a good (forum) home. Started flying hang gliders in 1979. Master rated(5) in 2001. Been an Observer, Examiner, Basic Instructor, Tandem Aerotow Instructor, Aerotow Administrator, and a partner in a Dragonfly tow operation. (yawn!!) I fly a Northwing Freedom 190 with a Moyes Contour harness. I was a good boy last year...good enough to get a Flymaster GPS vario from Santa. Looking at possible road trips to Chelan and/or Arkansas this year. I'd like to stay connected to some of the folks I've known over the years and get to know a few others (any other Skyline Skydogs out there?). I think that should just about cover it. Thanks.

"…with eyes turned skyward…"
Doug Johnson

by **Bob Kuczewski** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 11:27 am

Hello Doug,

It's an honor to have more and more of the early hang glider pilots finding a nice landing at the US Hawks. Please contact me any time if I can do anything to make this web site better for you.

Thanks again for joining the US Hawks!!

Bob Kuczewski

by **Bill Cummings** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 3:36 pm

Hey Sky Dog Doug. This is Sky Dog Bill ---do you copy? --Over!
How is Shelly?
Hey Bob my rating card is signed by Doug!
Doug, I’m hopping this website will become a parallel organization to USHPA. One day there may be enough members to get insurance separate from paragliding. I feel that USHPA sees HG as being on the way out and Paragliding on the way in. Which may be happening. But while there are still some HG pilots still doing it I want to see the RD’s looking out for me just as hard as they were in the early days.
I also want to know how my RD's are voting. (That isn't happening.)
Sky Dog
Bill C.
NM USA

by **skydog** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:18 pm

I have a copy there Bill!! Loud and clear! Five by five...that's a big ten four...whatever the verbiage we used when we were using CB's. Remember? 109" dipole antennas run out along the luff lines so we talk to our chase vehicles? I signed on to this forum because you are here and INVOLVED!!! Woohoo!! Let's light it up. I got dropped by hanggliding.org for inactivity and it was impossible to get back on. I think they wanted me to subscribe for a monthly fee but, I'm not going THERE!!!

'Majic' Johnson

by **skydog** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:31 pm

Oh, by the way Bill...to answer your first question...Shelley is just right! We're both retired now and lovin' it! Say hey to Terry for us will you? Does she still fly?

by **skydog** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:46 pm

Hey Bill...don't know if you've seen this. It's my last flight on Sept. 4, 2011. Labor Day before last. Five minutes after I landed I had the big one...but it didn't kill me...lucky, I am...and ready to fly again. More thankful than ever for the health I have and feeling better than I have in at least 20 years!! I've got that new Flymaster GPS vario that's just itchin' to record a track somewhere!!

https://vimeo.com/45874283

by **Bill Cummings** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:58 pm

Hey Sky Dog Doug, -- as I recall the correct verbiage was: “Cotton picker, mercy sakes, by golly for sure, good buddy -we definitely got a 10-2 copy on ya fer sure.- Yer comin in here wall to wall and ten foot tall, yer 5 by 5 and bending the needle on the “S” meter ---bring it on back! :srofl:

(How embarrassing.) :oops:

I quietly backed away from the hg dot org once it became apparent that SG was changing post that people made. Saw it happen to Al Hernandez from San Antonio, TX. And others.

This is the gathering spot for the brothers banned. Several are here.

Terry let her H4 run out once we left water towing for the desert area. She took up golf and now due to her job she hasn’t time for that either.

She is Director of Operations for a school district north of Santa Fe, NM.

Just got home after visiting her at the apartment in Santa Fe last week. I’m pulling guard duty at the house here in Las Cruces until she can come back and share in the guard duties. She will be down for three days this weekend.

Good video. I bet your, “big one,” started in the air. Wow. Three sky dogs had the big one while out flying. First Sky Dog Don Ray, then me (April 2000) then you.
Nothing like a few wangs to shake loose some calcium or clots, Huh?

Bring Shelley and your Flymaster down here and get out of the cold. Only give it at least a week since it will go to 14 degrees here tonight and only 46 tomorrow.
We should be back in the 50’s by the weekend.

Shelley can run us over to Dry Canyon and wire us off (7,000’ msl --2,500 agl).
I finally bought a four wheel drive vehicle. That’s what “Dry,” takes.

Sky Dog Buck called from Chelan tonight. No flying there yet, It’s cold and dark. The clouds are hanging over Lake Chelan like a scab or a clot. Buck got my answering machine. I called back and got his machine. (Phone tag) :wtf:

Doug, it’s about 1,540 miles between us. Take I-35, Kansas Turnpike, hwy 54, hwy 70 into Las Cruces. REALLY --GET DOWN HERE!
Finally a dog that is also retired.
Let’s go flying :thumbup:

by **skydog** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 3:03 pm

Hey Skydog Bill,

That's Skydog Buck in my avatar helping me launch from the 'South Side' of Point of the Mountain in Salt Lake City in July of 1981. I was just starting to fly that WW Raven 229 after crashing my first glider, an Eipper Flexi III, at Lake City, MN on Easter Sunday of that year. The crash ended my first soaring flight (which only lasted 10 minutes) and earned me my 'Hang 4 impact rating' from the 'Dogs and a four day stay in the Lake City hospital. I bought the Raven at the Region 7 Championships at Hager City, WI a few weeks later.
Buck was my instructor from the beginning. I spent a week with him in Salt Lake. His first words during my first lesson were "if you could see the air, you probably wouldn't fly". He had my complete attention!! Up until this road trip I had 2 hours total air time in about 60 flights over the span of 2 years!! I got a whopping 5.5 hours including my first 1 hour flight from the 'North Side' and my first mountain launch from Francis Peak. At Francis I got to cloudbase for the first time, 2000' over the top.
It wasn't long after that I met you and towed from your payout winch/trailer somewhere down by Eau Claire. Ah, my early days with the Hewlett Skyting system. Twisted nylon rope and horse bridle releases. I'll never forget that first tow. I only got 100' off the ground before I accidentally released (release string, which was run through plastic tubing on the down tube, was too short). That heavy horse bridle release came back as a result of all the stretch in that twisted nylon and hit me right on the end of my nose. I had to land blind because my eyes watered up instantly!! Am I bringing back any memories? You can't beat fun for having a good time, eh?!!

"...with eyes turned skyward..."
Skydog Doug