[Craig Muhonen]

"Judgement comes from experience, .....Experience comes from bad judgement"

"Growing up" in a commercial aviation family, and kinda on the pages of "Fate is the Hunter", I saw the excitement, and professionalism, but I also saw the underlying, "deadly" serious nature of all the flight crews, and then again being a "plane captain" in Marine aviation, Flying safely was job #1. As I progressed into getting "my" pilots licence, my dad and instructor, from day 1 instilled a "flying safely" attitude. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate, Step 1, step 2, step 3, etc. Over and over and over again until I thought I new it, and then, over and over again.
This brings me to my new friends, Bob and Frank, who have mentored (and been mentored by) pilots who asked for your help. US Hawks is a natural reaction to a new environment in the HG, PG world. "Flying" has been so commercialized by manufactures, by "training" organizations, by "tandem pay to ride" organizations, by insurance companys, by the lawyers who draw up the lease aggreements, by the city council "laws" that permits one thing and not another, by concessionaires. I see and read so many videos about the "thrill" of flying, and learning to fly, and the musical aspect of the videos is great.

I so remember my training to be a pilot (which also helped me in everyday life). I think that much more should be put into "training", and I think that the US HAWKS community across the country your "training glider", Frank, and "Little Hawk", and places like Dockweiler, go so far to help people feel "free to fly". I see many of the forums and videos talking about other stuff.

[Craig Muhonen]

Think about a way to design and build INTO hang gliders and paragliders, a "one pull" "D ring set up, with the reserve chute built into the top of the wing, so a pilot could "instantly" deploy it, and not have to "throw" it, and save many seconds.
Too much weight, too much drag, too complex?

[Chris McKeon]

Reading this Post picked My interest. YEs I was a Bold 49 year old Pilot who darn near wore that Expression; " There are no old Bold Pilots.But I am now 60 yerars old. I feel that because of that March 8th 2010 Day that I am and I do intend to truly benefit from that pounding. What a pounding that it was! I really do believe that when I return to flying that I will be a better Pilot than I was before I pounded, I really do believe that.

Y Journey back, back to Cloud-Base will Most likely begin down in Southern California at a Beach site called Dockweiler Beach. Flying is something that is always in my Brain. I guess that I could be called a ; " Head-Case "

[Craig Muhonen]

We The People.png (1.27 MiB) Viewed 3607 times

"Judgement comes from experience, .....Experience comes from bad judgement" JBP & others

"Growing up" in a commercial aviation family, and kinda on the pages of "Fate is the Hunter", I saw the excitement, and professionalism, but I also saw the underlying, "deadly" serious nature of all the flight crews, and then again being a "plane captain" in Marine aviation, Flying safely was job #1. As I progressed into getting "my" pilots licence, my dad and instructor, from day 1 instilled a "flying safely" attitude. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate, Step 1, step 2, step 3, etc. Over and over and over again until I thought I new it, and then, over and over again.
This brings me to my new friends, Bob and Frank, who have mentored (and been mentored by) pilots who asked for your help. US Hawks is a natural reaction to a new environment in the HG, PG world. "Flying" has been so commercialized by manufactures, by "training" organizations, by "tandem pay to ride" organizations, by insurance companys, by the lawyers who draw up the lease aggreements, by the city council "laws" that permits one thing and not another, by concessionaires. I see and read so many videos about the "thrill" of flying, and learning to fly, and the musical aspect of the videos is great.

I so remember my training to be a pilot (which also helped me in everyday life). I think that much more should be put into "training", and I think that the US HAWKS community across the country your "training glider", Frank, and "Little Hawk", and places like Dockweiler, go so far to help people feel "free to fly". I see many of the forums and videos talking about other stuff.

[Chris McKeon]

Well this is not Flying exactly. But My Body weight is a major component to how My Predator 158 Flies. MY BODY WEIGHT HISTORY! Before I pounded 11 and a half Years ago. Even though I never say My Bathroom Scale read 300 Pounds. My sister likes to round-up my Body weight number from the time before I went on what I call My Pound Diet. I only saw numbers such as 295, 297, 299. I never saw a number on My scale of 330 Lbs. or more. But that was then, this is now. Today I weighed 202 Pounds. I am 6' 3 and 3/4" tall. I am wearing 32" waist Pants. I really should be wearing a Belt.

A WEIGHT REDUCTION QUESTION: Any ideas out there on how I I can get down to SAY 185 LBS? The pound Diet does work, but surviving the process id tough. Any thoughts out there on how to shed just a few more Pounds?

[Craig Muhonen]

Here is something that might help Chris,
I had weighed 178 lbs for most of my adult life, after Marine boot camp in 65'. After my accident in 2011, I went up to 240 pounds, my metabolism changed, and my wife said that I smelled totally different. I struggled to recover from broken hips and left leg, and a TBI, but here is what finally worked for me. I quit drinking anything with sugar, started using local honey for my hey fever, I loved coca cola, and didn't eat anything after 7 or 8 PM. No matter what time I went to bed, I got up at the same time every morning, usually 6 AM. Breakfast was a hard boiled egg with salt, slices of apple, and a large glass of water with pure lemon juice in it, which I drank quickly, and sometimes a "Boost" drink.
I had to really catch myself from snacking and eating carbs, and make sure I had plenty of water during the day. I was, "Peeing like a race horse", which was good. Solid walking on my tread mill helped my heart and my legs and hips, a little painful but necessary. Cut back on my pain meds a lot, and anti-inflammatories too. When I got into bed I did this routine, deep breathing "bottom to top" and top to bottom, pushing all the air out and filling completely, then lifting my legs in the air and doing "bicycles", then doing some "cross crunches". Nothing strenuous, but it really helped me sleep which was as important as anything. I had tinnitus and a bit of vertigo and I couldn't turn my brain off at night. It took a bit of trial and error, but over a years time I got my weight back down to 180 and holding. Another thing was my blood pressure, not high, but too low, sometimes 95 over. (In fact, I had to spend 5 extra days in the hospital until my pressure came up). this routine and adding some salt and meat to my diet got it up to 110 over. Mikhaila Petersons "Lion Diet" is hard to do but really good.
A good routine and not eating anything at night will get some more pounds off, but it seems to me that you're doing crazy good.
As a pilot has a check list, have a check list for your body each and every day.
Deep breathing and strong walking on a treadmill, worked well for me, and I hope it does well for you.

[Chris McKeon]

You Guys I think that You all must think that I am a little, no make that lot off in the Head. But You also need to know that I have always been Ab Normal. I just had one Very bad Day. But that was then, and this is now. You Guys Really have no way of knowing How I feel knowing that I will indeed Fly down at Dockweiler Beach. Granted I will Be Flying not My Beloved Predator. But I will be Flying a 330 Condor. I will do the Flight launching off the sand-Dunes. I will be accompanied by Andy and Josh of Wind Sports Hang Gliding. This will be My First Major Step towards once again being a good Pilot. I so want to demonstrate to all that I can still Fly. Heck I really want John to see that I am able to see that I am capable of flying well. For John will be the one Who will help Me get Ratings reinstated.

JOHN:
I have known John a long Time for it was John who set Me up with Buying My first Predator. My having John's imputes regarding how well I ended up being as a Pilot. This confidence that John demonstrated in my ability to Fly really enabled Me to develop as a Pilot. The confidence that John showed in My Ability, as unfounded as it may have been, was really a great boon to my progress. So, then there is the Here and Now. Since My Pounding John has said things
that has caused Me to question if I will, or I will not I will again receive the raw Confidence in My Flying abilities by John, that I once enjoyed.

GRATEFULNES|:
OK I really want to say just how grateful I am for being able to recover to the point where I will once again Fly, to be able to work, to be able to just plain do what everyone else does. I anm able to walk, Work, speak while being understood. For Me this Whole experience has really been something else. I am looking forward to meeting many of You this comming May Good By Chris McKeon AKA: "THE PHOENIX GUY IN THE SKY"

[Craig Muhonen]

Hello Chris McKeon, AKA,
"The Phoenix Guy in the Sky
Your training to become the Pilot of a "Hang Glider"
seemed Ab Normal (a couple of "clicks" off) to most,
but once you broke the bonds of Earth you became
a completely Normal human being, and then to break the bonds again in a sailplane, well that says it all about who you are as a Pilot.
To be back in training again, is an inspiration for us all Chris.
Slow but sure.
My Dad said, "the only thing you need to learn to be a 'Good Pilot', is...
How not to throw up", so true.

C:+o)

[Bill Cummings]

Chris, and Craig,
Gerry Uchytil (U kah till) and Don Ray witnessed me getting my
bell rung as I bounced off of a frozen bean field near
Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Outwardly I’m displaying a scar on
one of my chins (not shins). Inwardly may not have fared
as well. I can describe my situation exactly by saying,
I feel a lot more like I do now than when I first got here.
PS Gerry was a pole vaulter. He’s 69.

[Chris McKeon]

I have had so much time to reflect on My flying, Heck My Life since I pounded thirteen Years ago. I think about how I tended PUSH IT it when it came to My Flying. Pushing Myself to go on route and quite possibly be able to extend My Horizon. On the one hand this served Me very well. On the other Hand I flew on a Very High Wind Day off Diablo. I had bot Yet left the Mountain on an XC excursion. I mean where I Pounded. If I had chosen to. I could have returned to the Mountain. Or if it were not possible to land up on top at Mount Diablo's Juniper Ridge LZ. I definitely could have made the Lower LZ. But no, I did not return to the Mountain. i ended up sinking out and Pounding.

But that was then, this now. I just need to be patient until John gets up here when the Weather get's warm.