[Rick Masters]

An inherent weakness of soaring parachutes, compared to hang gliders, is that they have poor penetration and must operate within a much narrower range of weather conditions than hang gliders. If they are suited for anything, it is for an unusual day without turbulence and winds no higher than 20 mph. Flying soaring parachutes at altitude or cross country commits the operator to being subject to sudden increases in wind and turbulence, limiting his ability to reach a safe landing spot to return to earth. Soaring parachutes are frequently carried away by increasing winds and are helplessly blown into objects in their path, such as trees, power lines and the lee sides of ridges where deadly rotors lurk. Worse, attempts to make soaring parachutes fly faster increases the potential for collapse, as paragliding competitions so well demonstrate, year after year after year.

So it went for the one thousand, three hundred and second helpless human to die, to my knowledge, on a soaring parachute -- in France on March 14. He was carried off-course by what were so dramatically described as "sudden gusts," but likely nothing of significance to a much faster hang glider. The soaring parachutist was blown into a tree on the shore of one of the Ilettes lakes, then dropped into the water at the lake's edge where he drowned. In calm water. By the shore.

Drowning in a paraglider water landing can be particularly ugly. The stupidly-designed harness has an air-bladder at the operator's back that serves to hold him under water. The many parachute lines often entangle and wrap around the struggling person like a net. In swift moving water, a water landing is often a death sentence. If you are going to land in water, do it in a hang glider. Your chances for survival are much greater. The hang glider isn't actively trying to kill you, it's just in the way. Unhook and swim out from under it.

http://lci.tf1.fr/france/societe/haute- ... 79200.html

[Rick Masters]

[Rick Masters]

Caption for current ongoing rescue operation in Chamonix, France (above): "You want to go skiing? I want to go paragliding."
______________________________________________________________________________
Canary Islands fed up with paragliders and expensive rescues - Tourists advised to avoid tandem rides

"As revealed in this newspaper yesterday, so far this year there have been fifteen paragliding accidents, of which the vast majority of data provided by the CECOES 1-1-2 is attributed to foreign citizens. Two of them have resulted in death, while the rest usually suffer lower limb fractures. This high incidence of accidents (a serious accident every five days) has been repeated for years but until now no action has been taken."

RM -- What's coming? Probably the posting of a surety bond to cover government rescue expenses (because so many leave without paying) and the banning of "instruction" flights for tourists. These will apply to hang gliders, too. You betcha.

------------------------- The above article in Spanish
marzo 19, 2015 | Sucesos
TINERFE FUMERO | Santa Cruz de Tenerife
La inclusión de la práctica del parapente en los paquetes vacacionales que se venden en origen a los turistas que visitan Canarias está, según los especialistas consultados, en el origen de la proliferación de accidentes que sufren nuestros visitantes a la hora de practicar este deporte de riesgo en las Islas.
Ello se debe a que, como quiera que tal servicio ya está pagado y responde de ello servicios externos a los empresarios hoteleros, a la hora de la verdad se fuerza a los turistas a salir a volar a pesar de que las condiciones para ello no siempre son las más óptimas, tal y como han recordado en repetidas ocasiones a este periódico los especialistas tinerfeños.
Hay que tener en cuenta que si bien estos foráneos no son primerizos en el parapente, las condiciones que ofrecen las Islas son muy diferentes a las que están acostumbrados en sus países.
Así, los barrancos de las Islas, tan presentes como abruptos por ejemplo en el Sur de Tenerife, suponen un reto a la hora de interpretar correctamente las corrientes generadas por el viento, que en estos accidentes geográficos se tornan cual embudos poderosos a los que tienen que estar muy atentos para evitar siniestros.
Como desveló ayer este periódico, sólo en lo que va de año se han producido hasta quince accidentes relacionados con la práctica del parapente, de los que la inmensa mayoría los datos facilitados por el Cecoes 1-1-2 atribuyen a ciudadanos foráneos. Dos de ellos han tenido como resultado la muerte de los infortunados, mientras que el resto generalmente se traduce en fracturas de miembros inferiores.
Esta altísima incidencia de siniestralidad (un accidente grave cada cinco días) lleva repitiéndose desde años sin que hasta ahora se hayan tomado medidas al respecto.
http://www.diariodeavisos.com/2015/03/i ... ccidentes/
http://www.diariodeavisos.com/2015/03/f ... -vilaflor/

---------------------------- Attrition in January

The Archipelago recorded a dozen serious paragliding accidents this month
A British hang glider pilot broke both arms yesterday and a Spaniard fractured a leg

Javier Bolaños 01.29.2015 | 00:08
Imprudence, ignorance, bad luck, lack of professionalism of the organizers. Hopping on a paraglider and hang glider has become a risky practice in the Canaries, where foreigners are often involved, making the sports a daring and recklessness. So far this year there have been ten serious accidents, including one death in Lanzarote on January 18. Yesterday a British HG pilot, 47 years old, broke both arms in Lanzarote Haria. Within a few hours, a Spaniard, 33, suffered a broken ankle for a similar accident in the resort town of Adeje. All these incidents represent a strong economic cost as emergency services are forced to use helicopters to the rescue.
Six accidents in Tenerife, Lanzarote three and one on La Palma. This is the balance of the events in the archipelago since the beginning of this year. The most serious case took place on the 18th, when a German, 55, lost his life at Breasts in Caleta de Famara, in the town of Teguise (Lanzarote). The man suffered a fatal fall while paragliding. The staff of the Emergency Department Canarias (SUC) could only confirm his death.
In the case yesterday, the athlete crashed to the ground from a hang glider when flying Órzola in Lanzarote. Due to the conditions of the area in which he fell, was necessary to use an SUV of firefighters to transfer to the ambulance vehicle, and from there to a hospital. Fractures in both arms of a less serious nature were confirmed.
In turn, the athlete injured yesterday in Tenerife also fell into a ravine in Adeje. Being an area of difficult access, a Helicopter Emergency and Security Group (GES) was mobilized. He had a minor ankle injury.
On Tuesday Finn, 50, was diagnosed with open fractures in the lower extremities. The man fell into the area of difficult access in Taucho, Adeje. A helicopter was required.
The same situation was repeated on the first day of the year, but also the six, seven and eleven, all in Tenerife. And the 15th in Lanzarote. In addition, a man died on Jan 18 in Lanzarote.
http://www.laopinion.es/sucesos/2015/01 ... 87837.html

The madness begins for 2015.

[Rick Masters]

"Hurry up! We want to ski! Damned hang glider pilots! We've had enough!"

[Bob Kuczewski]

Damned hang glider pilots! We've had enough!"

I know that's how it would be reported in San Diego.   

[Merlin]

On Tuesday Finn, 50, was diagnosed with open fractures in the lower extremities.

These are just horrific injuries. Like auto accidents were in the 60s. Like jumping off a three story building. I would rather fly a Sky Sports Lark standard on a post-frontal thermally day than attach myself to one of these things.

[Rick Masters]

I would rather fly a Sky Sports Lark standard on a post-frontal thermally day than attach myself to one of these things.

I understand that now if you say bad things about paragliders or soaring parachutists, you can get kicked out of U$hPA.

Of course, it's a mystery to me why a hang glider pilot would belong to a parachuting organization in the first place.

Just look at the Spanish press. They have a hard time telling the two sports apart. Everybody does. They're joined at the hip. Can you imagine going to a hospital to get attached to somebody else so you can be Siamese twins? Not me. I didn't drink the kool-aid.


"Come fly with me."

[wingspan33]

There may be a growing list of pro hang gliding members tossed out of the USHPA.

IMHO, I would say this is the beginning of the end for the U$hPA. A point for the U$hPA to remember, X-members are exempt from the "Can Not Sue" provisions of the membership agreement. That means that, . . . . . . . . .

The USHPA has aligned itself with literal (pro PG) THUGS. Air California Adventure Inc. is just one example. It's agents are USHPA members as well as not yet convicted Felons. Yet personnel from USHPA's own law firm showed up and sat with individuals who committed Assault and Battery against Bob K on November 9th of last year. Hmmmmmm, . . . guilt by "Association" . . . ?

Forget pardoning the pun.

Such events would never have happened if the USHGA hadn't taken in the (once about to [financially] fold up) collapsible canopy group.

Time will tell who's judgement was best. I know the side I'll be betting on.

[Rick Masters]

IMHO, I would say this is the beginning of the end for the U$hPA.

Probably won't start until the U$hPA pisses off a whole lot of people at once by doing something really stupid.

[JoeF]

It may have just performed such an act: see expulsion proceeding re: BobK as BobK posted this morning early.
BobK has proven to care about hang gliding in an exemplary manner. The P org is formally starting what may amount to expelling hang gliding from the soaring-parachute org; they will probably consider changing name to USPA and then see their affinity to the extant USPA parachutists. We are in a transition period. Hang gliding will again have a national org dedicated to airframed hang gliding. The soaring parachutists will have their separate org. It is time to be at peace with US Hawks as THE premier hang gliding association for the United States of America. Time to incorporate; my dues are waiting to be paid to the US Hawks Hang Gliding Association.