[Rick Masters]

I have launched several types of hang gliders from the South Launch at Gunter in Owens Valley many, many times. I have always done this facing forward and regarded the approaching thermal as an opportunity. I dragged a tip, once. That was the worst it got.

But...

I have just received this message from YouTube: "The YouTube Community has flagged one or more of your videos as inappropriate. Once a video is flagged, it is reviewed by the YouTube Team against our Community Guidelines. Upon review, we have determined that the following video(s) contain content in violation of these guidelines, and have been disabled: Jody's Thermal - September 22, 2002." This is the high-resolution video I assembled at the request of the organizers of the 2002 U.S. Paragliding Nationals showing Jody Lucas' launch accident - first at true speed, then zoomed in in black and white to show his line arrangement, then a color zoom to show his actions at takeoff and in flight. The low resolution version is here http://www.cometclones.com/Movie/NATSBRM_56k.wmv
I held off publishing the high-resolution version for almost nine years, finally deciding a few weeks ago that potential paraglider pilots had a right to see how vulnerable a highly-experienced instructor and competitor could be to a thermal at launch, and to decide for themselves if inland thermal sites were the best place to practice paragliding. Also, I was getting tired of hearing the myth that paraglider pilots were spreading around that it was Jody's fault, that it was his pilot error that caused the accident. (They eat their own.) The individual responsible for the complaint to YouTube sent me this venomous note: "Wow, just wow, imagine being such a low life piece of s*** that you would use the death of a pilot to try to make your airframe look better!!" This is just one of the many nanny-fascists in the sport who "protect" potential pilots from the truth about the dangers of paragliding. See The Online Cover-Up http://www.cometclones.com/mythology2011.htm#THE%20COVER for more of them.

[Bob Kuczewski]

I''ve been surprised at the underhanded people I've met in the sport of paragliding ... especially at Torrey. I should show you the nasty hate mail that I've seen.

Of course, it goes without saying that the entire sport isn't that way. But still, I've been surprised at the kind of people I've met there.