[Bob Kuczewski]

I did my HOOK IN and tested to make sure that I was HOOKED IN

Well done Al. You just made my day.

The person using the name "Nobody" seems to get it.

Tad, if you read the entire launch description, Al is clearly saying that he feels the pull while he's ground handling the glider. He says it feels like it wants to pull him off the ramp. A glider doesn't pull you off the ramp with a slack hang loop!!

This may be evidence that you've got another agenda, because even when you get exactly what you want ... you're still unhappy about it. Maybe you're using "safety" as a facade for your hidden agenda to blast everyone in the sport. Do you feel you've been so badly disrespected that you have to tear everyone down ... all the time? Is that what's really going on here? I'm otherwise at a loss to explain your behavior.

We desperately need people who want to make this sport better and safer. But we don't need people who just want to shoot everything down to satisfy some personal vendetta. I'm hoping to see more proof of the former and less proof of the latter.

[TadEareckson]

The person using the name "Nobody" seems to get it.

Yeah, sometimes if you don't read things REAL CAREFULLY you come away with the wrong impression - just like I did on the first skim.

And here's what the person using the name "Nobody" on Kite Strings once had to say on the issue:

2011/08/10

Bob, you're full of shitt. Go learn how to launch with a tight hang strap!

And here's what Kite Strings Nobody's other brother Steve had to say to God's Special Little Messenger on The Davis Show on 2011/08/25 - ten days before The Cult was getting its a** kicked so badly that its Grand Dragon had to lock the thread down:

Ridgerodent

I have been trying to fault Tad's logic and so far been unsuccessful.

Jim Rooney

I suspect you ARE Tad.

Ridgerodent

No, but what he writes makes sense to me.

But thanks for the compliment.

Tad, if you read the entire launch description, Al is clearly saying that he feels the pull while he's ground handling the glider.

bulls***. There's no indication whatsoever that he's feeling tension at any time after he moves onto the ramp.

A glider doesn't pull you off the ramp with a slack hang loop!!

Right. There's NO POSSIBLE WAY a glider can exert a force to pull you forward or push you backwards or sideways if you've got your arms wrapped around the downtubes and have it clamped down on your shoulders.

http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?p=256503

Maybe you're using "safety" as a facade for your hidden agenda to blast everyone in the sport. Do you feel you've been so badly disrespected that you have to tear everyone down ... all the time? Is that what's really going on here? I'm otherwise at a loss to explain your behavior.

Yeah, that must be it. It couldn't POSSIBLY be that I'm trying to keep what happened to Al's best glider buddy nineteen months ago happening to Al nineteen months from now. (And hoping that some of what I'm trying to get through to Al will rub off on Martin.)

But I just don't understand why you seem to be getting so much more upset with my scathing attacks on Al than Al is.

We desperately need people who want to make this sport better and safer.

bulls***.

Jim Rooney - 2011/08/25

It always amazes to hear know it all pilots arguing with the professional pilots.
I mean seriously, this is our job.
We do more tows in a day than they do in a month (year for most).

We *might* have an idea of how this stuff works.
They *might* do well to listen.
Not that they will, mind you... cuz they *know*.

I mean seriously... ridgerodent's going to inform me as to what Kroop has to say on this? Seriously? Steve's a good friend of mine. I've worked at Quest with him. We've had this discussion ... IN PERSON. And many other ones that get misunderstood by the general public. It's laughable.

Don't even get me started on Tad. That obnoxious blow hard has gotten himself banned from every flying site that he used to visit... he doesn't fly anymore... because he has no where to fly. His theories were annoying at best and downright dangerous most of the time. Good riddance.

So, argue all you like.
I don't care.
I've been through all these arguments a million times... this is my job.
I could be more political about it, but screw it... I'm not in the mood to put up with tender sensibilities... Some weekend warrior isn't about to inform me about jack sh*t when it comes to towing. I've got thousands upon thousands of tows under my belt. I don't know everything, but I'll wager the house that I've got it sussed a bit better than an armchair warrior.

I mean seriously... it's laughable. We, the general public, have PROFESSIONAL PILOTS with thousand upon thousands of tows under their belts to tell us EXACTLY what we can and can't do. They've spent twenty years perfecting things and everything's still exactly the same as it was twenty years ago so - OBVIOUSLY - the sport CAN'T POSSIBLY be made safer and better. If it could these professional pilots would've done it already. Why tamper with perfection?

And don't even get me started on Tad. That obnoxious blow hard has gotten himself banned from every flying site that he used to visit... he doesn't fly anymore... because he has nowhere to fly. His theories were annoying at best and downright dangerous most of the time. Good riddance.

But we don't need people who just want to shoot everything down to satisfy some personal vendetta. I'm hoping to see more proof of the former and less proof of the latter.

Rooney's your man. He's highly respected on The Davis Show and gets along just fine with nearly everybody else Davis allows to post. Get Sam to invite him over here. He's in good standing on that forum and can run interference for Jim over here whenever things start going the wrong way.

[Bill Cummings]

Al you bad boy! Quit jerking Tad's chain.
You should know better than to write up your launch account like you did.
You can't just state that the glider was trying to suck you off the ramp!
You have to use the "WORDS."
"Glider's up," and then shout, "Lift and tug!" Then, "Clear!" Then shout,"Lifting and tugging and launching!"
Walk, jog, run!
As you zoom up above launch before getting out of ear shot, shout, "Thank you Tad for saving my life!"
Just don't fly back into the hill it might look bad for Tad's procedure.
You got that Al?
Don't put us through this again damn it!

[Bob Kuczewski]

Nicely said Bill!!!     

Tad, I've got nothing to add. Please consider my previous posts as the reply to whatever you've got to say. This topic celebrates Al's accomplishments and not your brilliance.

P.S. I might vote for Sam if he ever wants to run the US Hawks.

[TadEareckson]

Mark Johnson - 2008/08/31

I arrived at launch later than I had planned. Everyone had already launched and several hang gliders were scratching just over launch back and forth trying to get high enough to go over the back. The view from launch is breathtaking overlooking the valley, all green, and cumulus clouds forming over the valley, the cool wind blowing straight in with the scent of pine. It really is spectacular.

Three pilots had just come back up after their morning flights and were busy setting up their gliders for another. Kunio was one of them. He was laughing, and getting ribbed for letting a bagger help setup his wing. I shook his hand and we chatted briefly. It was good to see him. He is always so nice to everyone. His wife, daughters, and other family members were there. Camping at one of, if not the best spots in Arizona, Labor Day weekend, with his family, flying with his friends, just a perfect happy time for him.

Both Mark Knight and I wanted to see Kunio launch so as soon as we got someone to take our place, we started over. We had not gone ten feet when I heard "Kunio just launched". I stopped and looked and got my first glance at him.

Then all hell broke loose. "He's unhooked, shitt..." Guys yelling at him over the radio to throw his chute, "Kunio don't think, throw your chute - throw your chute". We all watch in horror not believing this was happening.

Yeah, these things are a million laughs - 'cept for two or three weeks immediately after one of them has happened in your backyard.

Please consider my previous posts as the reply to whatever you've got to say.

Sure, why not. So very little of what I say sinks through anyway.

This topic celebrates Al's accomplishments and not your brilliance.

Right. Al starts it but YOU get to define its purpose. Who gives a phlying phuck what Al thinks or has to say anyway.

P.S. I might vote for Sam if he ever wants to run the US Hawks.

I think Sam would be an EXCELLENT choice to represent this organization, stomp out any nasty little vestiges of brilliance, and defend its principles and values. And, trust me, they WILL be needing some serious defending.

[miguel]

Jr. high girls, at lunch, do better than this.

[TadEareckson]

Sure.

If there are no problems that can be fixed, things were as good as they could possibly get twenty years ago, ten minutes easily falls within the concept of just prior, recommendations work better than standards and regulations, freedoms come unburdened by responsibilities, one death per thousand participants per year is just the inevitable cost of doing business, all fatalities are accidents resulting one hundred percent from deceased pilot error, one person's opinion is as good as another's (just as long as the other isn't a professional pilot with thousands upon thousands of tows under his belt), then we can all just get along.

Otherwise...

We could do what's happening at Kite Strings. We could do our homework, answer each other's questions, concede when we've gotten something wrong, resolve issues, get on the same page with respect to the underlying scientific theory, fix problems, and make hang gliding just as simple, safe, and universal nuts and bolts as is the case in real aviation.

[miguel]

Act like a dildeaux and you will be thought of as one. Being thought of as a dildeaux detracts from your message and your ability to affect any change.

Think about it.

[TadEareckson]

1. Dildeaux is plural. (Right, Deltaman?)

2. This is hang gliding. If you're not being thought of as a dildeau by 99 percent of the participants you're doing something SERIOUSLY wrong.

3. No matter what you do in hang gliding you're gonna be thought of as a dildeau by a LOT of people.

4. The ONLY people to whom I'm gonna be able to get messages through don't give a rat's a** about the issue of me being a dildeau anyway so the effort to change would be a massive - as well as futile - waste of my time.

[Bob Kuczewski]

My French is very rusty. But if it is plural ... then it might have been intentional!!

You've now had at least two people advise you that your presentation is killing your message.

Think about it.

Miguel is right. Please think about it.