US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

Paragliding April 10, 2017

Another paraglider crash at Wonderland Lake, Boulder, Colorado.
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Witness Ronald Zeiler said he was walking in an area west of Wonderland Lake on Saturday when he heard what he described as a "flapping noise" and he looked up and saw the glider.
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>> Note: Gliders don't make flapping noises. Laundry does.
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...he did not regain consciousness during the rescue and was transported in critical condition. His injuries are being called life-threatening.
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>> A series of paragliding accidents has occurred at Wonderland Lake when soaring parachutists have encountered perfectly normal atmospheric turbulence.
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August 21, 2016
Paragliding pilot critically injured in crash
After being carried out by rescuers, the pilot, described a man in his 50s, was taken by helicopter to the hospital. Investigators say he has life-threatening injuries.
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2015

Short scree evacuation of a person injured from a paragliding accident. Scree evacuation down an open hill side.
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Feb 27, 2006
As the uncle of Matthew Hecker, who was critically injured paragliding on Monday at Wonderland Lake, I would like to express unhappiness with the choice of words used in your story by Christine Reid. Reid states, "Hecker was conscious and in pain, screaming obscenities as he was loaded onto the ambulance." This can easily be construed that Matt was unhappy with the efforts of his rescuers. Nothing can be further from the truth.

Matt, indeed, was screaming obscenities while being rescued and continued in the emergency room at Boulder Community Hospital. Matt also was unable to respond or acknowledge his awareness of the presence of his family. His pain was intense and he was releasing in the only way he could. This in no way reflects on his attitude toward his rescuers and those that have treated him since. Matt has always been safety conscious, and admires all those who work in rescue and aid to climbers, gliders, jumpers and the like. His respect for all aspects of the sport including participants and those who help in accidents is immense. The family and friends of Matt Hecker would like to thank all those involved in the rescue and medical attention that Matt has received. They have saved his life and we are all grateful.

Furthermore, Reid quotes Kay Tauscher, owner of Peak to Peak Paragliding, who was reportedly walking her dog near the accident scene and spotted the two paragliders. Tauscher is quoted as questioning the judgment of these two young men and the day's conditions in which the accident happens. It is interesting to note that Matt and Alex Gilmer were attempting the morning's first ride, and Tauscher, who claims to have spotted them, did not attempt to warn them not to paraglide that morning, was not at the scene of the accident, never showed up to assist Gilmore whose actions saved Matt's life while waiting for rescue crews. In fact, her presence in the area was unknown to Gilmore until reading your article. Tauscher's grandstanding to be perceived as the "resident expert" in the Boulder area based on Matt Hecker's accident is disgusting and reprehensible.

The family and friends of Matt Hecker respect all those involved in the sport of paragliding, and wish that other paragliders can learn from whatever may have gone wrong through the reporting of your newspaper, groups, clubs and experiences and take extra precautions to make paragliding safer for everyone. Matt is stabilized, and we all pray for a successful recovery.

THOMAS R. HECKER
Arvada
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>> "...wish that other paragliders can learn from whatever may have gone wrong."    
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>> "...wish that other paragliders can learn from whatever may have gone wrong."

What went wrong was designing an aircraft without a rigid framework, or positive pressurized inflation, to hold its aerodynamic shape when encountering normal atmospheric turbulence.

Frank C.

Paragliding    April 12, 2017

Paragliding fatality #1558

Mt Brace Outdoor Club.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1154829 ... 9/?fref=nf

Joachim Roesler wrote:
Local paraglider pilot Varick Stringham suffered a fatal paragliding accident yesterday at Mt. Brace. The crash happened around 2 pm near launch, with no other pilots in the air or on the mountain. Eyewitness reports indicate that Varick experienced a large collapse shortly after launch, at an altitude of a few hundred feet above the ridge of the mountain. Weather conditions at the time were challenging at best and will be the subject of a follow up report.
Varick was a generous, self confident and valued member of the Brace flying community. He contributed a lot of his time and energy to the club and its facilities, always fun to be around. Varick will be sorely missed. Our thoughts go out to his two young daughters and loved ones.
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See Universal Paragliding Design Flaw (UPDF)
http://ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2586&p=20049&sid=1651a6bf0a37e01698385e74ae780f26&sid=1651a6bf0a37e01698385e74ae780f26#p20049

Paragliding    April 15, 2017

Paraglider seriously injured after plummeting 1000 feet
It happened above the 'V' in Centerville, Utah
http://www.good4utah.com/news/top-stories/paraglider-seriously-injured-after-plummeting-1000-feet/692630974

Critical condition: The 58-year-old man was transported by helicopter to the University of Utah hospital with back and leg injuries.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865677935/Paraglider-in-serious-condition-after-crash-landing-near-Centerville.html

Search and Rescue workers stabilized the man so he could be picked up by medical helicopter and transported to the University of Utah Hospital, Servey said. His back was broken, and he had a possible femur break as well, she said. “He was conscious, breathing and alert,” Servey said. “If the wind isn’t right or there’s a downdraft, you (paragliders) can fall, and he told us he had fallen from about 1,000 feet, which was why he had such serious injuries.”
http://gephardtdaily.com/local/paraglider-centerville-mountain/


The femur is the strongest bone in the body. Just think of the force required to break that. Paragliding often provides the necessary vertical vector at impact. I usually don't mention paragliding injuries, regardless of their severity, because they are so common. For instance, the day before, a soaring parachutist in Italy was flown by helicopter in grave condition to Cisanello Hospital in Pisa with a broken back, fractured pelvis and broken legs.
    But when I hear of a soaring parachutist breaking his back and leg in Utah, who is about ten years younger than me, I can't help but wonder if it's someone I know - particularly because I realize that, in paragliding, following a canopy collapse, the skill of the helpless falling human has so little to do with the end result. Thank God I'm not actively involved with such a stupid sport that has cost the lives of many more healthy participants than all the poor souls who went down with the HMS Titanic. I would be driven out of my mind with worry for my friends!


This Easter I pray that they will come to their senses and embrace airframes so they may soar toward Heaven without actually going there.
(Note the high-voltage tension lines in the upper right corner. Didn't see them, did ja?)

Paragliding    April 5, 2017

    Russians discover failure mode for paragliders in freezing conditions    
In the hidden internal surfaces of the wing, Kevlar lines pass through a nylon shell.
When stored in cold temperatures, a drop below freezing can create ice crystals within the shell which cut the kevlar.
This can lead to a catastrophic accident in the air. -- NDNews.ru
https://newdaynews.ru/ekb/599108.html

How's that used paraglider doin' for ya?
Where has it been?

         !

Paragliding    April 22, 2017

I have, in the past, compared paragliders to wet noodles when they loose their airfoil shape, collapse and fall out of the sky.
Because they also lack an air frame, wet noodles have approximately the same aerodynamic qualities as collapsed paragliders.
This, however, does not deter the soaring parachutist, who touts the lack of an airframe as a safety feature of the paraglider.    

#1563
This morning, it was reported that a soaring parachutist in New Zealand attempted a "tumble," followed by a "helpless falling human" - both common paragliding feats. He fell into his sail. Unable to throw his reserve, he plummeted for five seconds and impacted on his back on a building of the Queenstown Primary School where vendors were setting up for the Night Noodle Market. (I can't make this stuff up.) Luckily, he didn't hit anyone and only killed himself, impacting on a vertical vector at 109 mph less drag. I include "less drag" for the soaring parachutists who make it a point to say that "even a collapsed canopy will slow you down some."    
He joins in unending paragliding glory two other soaring parachutists, one also in New Zealand and one in Australia, who slaughtered themselves last Monday, and another two who died in collapses in Europe yesterday.

Video:    https://players.brightcove.net/4915776650001/rJepAGlOg_default/index.html?videoId=5406929229001

Paragliding    April 21, 2017

#1564

What-Me-Worry BASE-jumping
Can you say half-wit, er, half-life? "Hot particle? That's me!"


If this kind of thing interests you, explore Chernobyl with the amazing Elena Filatova.
http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/kiddofspeed/journal/articles.html

Paragliding    May 1, 2017

Pilot booked for molesting Mumbai woman while paragliding in Himachal    
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mumbai-woman-alleges-molestation-during-tandem-paragliding-flight-in-kangra/story-yvjbWbPxULrbwGIfM4E5EL.html
and
http://www.jagran.com/himachal-pradesh/kangra-woman-tourist-alleges-molestation-by-a-paragliding-pilot-in-himachals-kangra-15950626.html
Hopefully this guy is a USHPA member and will be defended by the RRRG.
Thank you, USHPA hang glider pilots, for your contributions to the future of paragliding.

Ballooning     1991