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The Indian Open 2018 was cancelled again for Nov 3 - the final day - due to rain or maybe a cloud. The three leaders were bumped off the podium by the oxen. The podium then collapsed.
The contest website https://airtribune.com/indian-open-2018/info also appears to have collapsed at this hour. Perhaps it will re-inflate.
This pre-Worlds qualifier, held on the world's most magnificent mountain range, racked up an astounding 136 total miles and was declared a success by the authorities, reporting no more fatalities after Ng Kok Choong and Sanjay Devarkonda were killed just befor the beginning of the event.
For hang glider pilots like me, who judge the quality of the thermal activity by the paraglider body count, it is a shame to see the world's bloodiest sport dumbed down to a level of enforced safety by nanny tasks designed by the Army to save helicopter fuel.
Look, folks, paragliders have hardly any pitch control. They cannot escape strong lift. The faster they go, the more likely they are to have a frontal collapse. They ball up in turbulence and fall out of the sky. Their lines entangle with their wingtips and they enter deadly spiral dives. They cannot withstand negative loading. If the winds pick up, they land backwards and get dragged.
What's this BS about making paragliding contests safe?
They already think those silly harnesses offer protection.
They won't listen to anybody.
They can't count how many friends are missing.
Let 'em go!
Let them prove to the world what paragliding really is.
I got my tally card out with an extra pencil.
