US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

Dave Church had one in a junk yard corner inside a chain link fence that had the clearance of four inches beyond his left wing tip, also with six inches in front of his nose plate, about one foot from coming in contact with a truck with his right leading edge, and having just cleared a trailer with his back left batten tips at mid sail by about a foot.
No way we could fold the glider were it landed so we had to do some strange lifting and turning to get the glider out into the clear to fold it up.

I landed in the front of my Star Craft Capri 14’ tri hull boat that had a split windshield (or a walk through windshield) all completely by accident.
The left wing wire ended up lining up through the walk through windshield and the right wing wire was out over the bow of the boat and I ended up sitting in the starboard front seat in front of the windshield. The left Styrofoam base tube float was spanning the two front seats ahead of the windshield and the right base tube float was resting on the bow red/green light. I did tear loose the starboard hand rail with my heel but that was the only damage. It really looked like I was one heck of a pilot that could land on a dime, -------only I was trying to miss the boat.
My brother-in-law Tony hadn’t been told of the rule not to drive in front of the glider when it was landing.

Our training hill was just south of the dunp at Albq. N.M. in 1979, and after watching Jim Lee soaring the bunny hills, I decided to give it a go. What a thrill, first rush of ridge lift, climbing, cutting back and forth, off the 100ft. climbing 200-300-400ft. Forgetting all about having to put it down, till I got out in front too far, woa!!, where am I now! Over the pials of refuse and comming down fast. Well, to make a long story short, I attempted to land crosswise on the rutted dunp road, over shot that, Parachuted that little dove down about 10ft bank, skwated ankle deep in rotting garbage, but I kept the sail clean, waded out to the clear. Don't regret it a bit. Ive' never had an opertunity to thank Jim for teaching me how to soar. If you are out there, Jim; THANKS! tjm

I can just hear your mom! "Say, when is the last time you changed those socks?"

I think it was years back in a Hang Gliding magazine article where I read that a pilot flared and landed on the top wire of a barbed wire fence and rode the fence for about 4 of 5 seconds and then ended up having to try jumping clear either forward or backwards. Does anybody know of that landing or how it ended up?

I do have a picture of my HG friend Don Ray of Aurora, Minnesota, one second from landing in the rope basket (a laundry basket) on the frozen White Water Lake west of Hoyt Lakes, MN. He was flying our first glider. A 220’ Moyes Midi. Made in 1978.

Say Bob if I scan that picture how can I post it here? (Or on the video page. It’s a still color picture.)

This was a spot landing and not a puzzle fit landing.

billcummings wrote:Say Bob if I scan that picture how can I post it here? (Or on the video page. It’s a still color picture.)

You should be able to post it directly by using the "Upload attachment" button when you're making your post. But if you send it to me by email, I'll be happy to put it in your post for you.

By the way, I wish I had a good "puzzle fit" landing for this topic, but I'm a chicken who stays near big wide open LZs.

Just got back from Topeka KS. I'll try scanning the picture and uploading it tomorrow. If that doesn't work I'll try an email attachment.

My puzzle piece landings were supposed to be near the big wide open LZ's.

bobk wrote:

billcummings wrote:Say Bob if I scan that picture how can I post it here? (Or on the video page. It’s a still color picture.)

You should be able to post it directly by using the "Upload attachment" button when you're making your post. But if you send it to me by email, I'll be happy to put it in your post for you.

By the way, I wish I had a good "puzzle fit" landing for this topic, but I'm a chicken who stays near big wide open LZs.

I watched Clark Harlow, pull off a wild puzzle fit landing at the Hensens' Gap LZ, years ago.
It was almost dark and there were about a dozen gliders scattered around being packed up in the South East bowl and next to the fence at the road.

It was crazy! Clark did 6 or 8 flat spin revolutions on an Axis 13, all the way to the ground, and parked his glider right up against the fence in an area barely big enough to fold his wings. I was completely stunned at the lack of reaction from most other pilots. Clark must have done this so much that it was a non event?

Man, I don't know, but I'll never forget it.. and I'll never try it.

Free wrote:I watched Clark Harlow, pull off a wild puzzle fit landing at the Hensens' Gap LZ, years ago.

I don't know Clark that well, but he was very kind to me when I visited Henson's Gap a few years back (2006?). I was there with my paraglider (and I did make a flight with it), but I didn't have a hang glider. Clark offered me a Saturn or a Pulse. I chose the Pulse because I wanted an easier glider for an unfamiliar site.

Actually everyone I met at the TreeToppers Club was fantastic. It's a great group of pilots (and people), and I'd recommend the site to anyone.

Thanks for giving me a chance to put in a good word for the TreeToppers Warren.   

Bob,
I fired up the bedroom computer and had to download Norton updates that took about 20 minutes. Then Windows wanted to up date, next Flash something had an update that required a restart.

After a little over an hour I now had use of my computer and tried to scan a photo and when I clicked to email it to my laptop so that I could post it on the Hawks board it sent it to a default email that I haven’t signed on for and gave me fits trying to copy the attachment to my email in use.

So an hour and a half from start up I said *#@$(%+S^&$# |\]# and stomped away for a brandy/Dr. Pepper. Maybe later.

billcummings wrote:Bob,
I fired up the bedroom computer and had to download Norton updates that took about 20 minutes. Then Windows wanted to up date, next Flash something had an update that required a restart.

After a little over an hour I now had use of my computer and tried to scan a photo and when I clicked to email it to my laptop so that I could post it on the Hawks board it sent it to a default email that I haven’t signed on for and gave me fits trying to copy the attachment to my email in use.

So an hour and a half from start up I said *#@$(%+S^&$# |\]# and stomped away for a brandy/Dr. Pepper. Maybe later.

I was hoping that emailing might be an easier path ... but maybe not.   

Posting pictures really isn't too hard, and I'll try to put together a tutorial on how to do it in the next hour ...