US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

Hellow All:


Well my Name is Chris McKeon: CCMCK@GOLDSTATE.NET 925-497-1059

I am writing to give you all I am writing this so to let you all know a little about Me. Bob Kuczewski thinks that it would be a good way for Me to introduce Myself to all you Hawks.
Currently it is June 30th. 2021,, I am a 6' 3" tall 60 Year old Man. I first flew a Hang Glider down in New Zealand
at Beach site named Remuera, Well I believe that is how you spell it's name. Well it was in during our winter During December 191. Well I had some time, I hade ventured down to New Zealand to Visit My Friend Mike Blake. So had the Time, I also had the will to try flying Free-Flight. I hade a High time flying down there. I found the Kiwi people to be quite a {Can Do Lot} bunch of People. Someday I will return to that Great Country.

Well Then I returned to California where continued pursing my Free-Flight pursuits. Well I got ahold of a Wills-Wing Dealer Dan Fleming, Who order me a Wills-Wing 225 Falcon. Then a couple weeks later I was at Fort Funston over in San Francisco, where Rob-Keels had My Crisp sail New 2285 Falcon. Well I flew that 225 for about two Years then it was time for me to think about getting some more Performance. That was an easy choice, I made the decision to get an Altair Predator 158. I called up John Heiney who got me my new Predator 158. What a Glider the Predator was and still is. I love it.

I have only been to 14,850 feet while flying My Predator. But some day I want to fly to 20,000 feet or more, Legally I want to fly to over 20,000 feet. I will looking for a Varience regardding from the FAA regardingg the rule that we do not fly above 18,000 Feet.

OK, so if this post is well receieved, I will add more of my Flying stories. Good By Chris McKeon

Hello Chris,

Thanks for your introduction to the history of your flying. I look forward to reading more on this blog.

I also enjoyed your post yesterday:

Hello Everyone;

Well here I am on this glorious Saturday July 3rd. I say that Today is Glorious because Everyday that I am now blessed with I find being a Glorious Day.

I think back to around oh it must be Eleven years ago. Yes, I was a mess I was flat on my Back in the Hospital. I was in a Coma, I was in a Coma for three Months. I had an attending Doctors who's Prognosis's was that I would not recover to much More than a Potato. It turned other wise regarding my ability to recover. I am as I continue to recover, I keep getting faster doing things that require my Left hand to function, to work. Such as Typing a I am doing right here and now. Yes, you could say that I am on the comeback trail of my Life.

Guys I just thought that maybe some of you might like too hear a message from Me regarding things that I have been doing to recover My Physical abilities. Like my playing My Guitar. Or my Typing as I just now have done, typing using two Hands.

So please if any of you do not like hearing my posts regarding my recovering due to my accident while I was Flying. Please tell Me to stop putting up my posts.

Anyways everybody Best High Altitude wishes and High Speed XC thoughts from Me to all of you.

Good By Chris McKeon. CCMCK@GOLDSTATE.NET 925-497-1059

Your story and your outlook are inspirational. I hope you have a happy 4th of July today.

First Off I wanted to put up a New Post, not a reply. But this is what i will Do this will show up as a Reply. Maybe someone will instruct me as to how one puts up a new Post with a new subject.


So here I go with what I wanted to post in the first place.

Eleven Years ago I pounded so severely into the ground that I should have Died. in Fact my Friend Pilot-X was told at the Hospital John Muir Hospital that I would not survive. I had extensive axonal shearing of my Brain, can you say Brain Damage? But I failed to live down what my attending Doctors Prognosis was that I would Die. I spent Three Months in a coma. I had one Doctor after hearing my Sisters Plea for An MRI be done on my Left shoulder, Replied to my Sister by saying; "Why Bother You Can't have a Conversation with a Potato". Upon hearing what this Doctor had said to my Sister. My Father told Me that when you are Physically able to you need to go beat that Doctors a**. But even though I am quite confident that I couuld Beat His a** now. I would get more out of beating that Doctor's Brain, than by Beating his a**. I think it wiuld be cool to play that Doctor a Game of Chess." I seriouslydoubt I would hear that Doctor say; "Checkmate".


What an experience, it was a real Game-Changer that Crash was. But that was then, and this Now. I will Fly again. I so look forward to the Day when I will be down south at Dockweiler Beach with Bob, and John hooked into that Condor. Where I regain my rightful place in the Sky once again.

Chris McKeon wrote:Maybe someone will instruct me as to how one puts up a new Post with a new subject.

There is usually a "New Topic" button on the left side above the topic list inside each forum. It may look different in the different styles used by different forums. Here are a few examples:

Chris McKeon wrote:What an experience, it was a real Game-Changer that Crash was. But that was then, and this Now. I will Fly again. I so look forward to the Day when I will be down south at Dockweiler Beach with Bob, and John hooked into that Condor. Where I regain my rightful place in the Sky once again.

Keep stretching that brain, and it will take you anywhere!

Hello Bob and everyone Else:


You know each Day I FIND Myself improving, I really do. For Me this a very, very, VERY Good thing! To think that for many Years I did not give protecting my Brain much thought. My Helmet was something in my Mind that I put on. Well looking back on myself, I think about how foolish that I was, how just plain stupid I was. I flew while wearing an "Charley insider" Helmet. That Helmet did not do a very good job when I needed it to. I think back to My Flying, and how overly confident that I was. I remember shortly after I had bought my Predator. I was standing by My Predator along with Ken Muscio. I remember how Ken Looked at My Down-Tubes and Jen then said to Me: "Big Guy you need to see if you will be able to replace these Carbon Down tubes." I responded to Ken's statement regarding having a source so as to be able to buy new Carbon Fiber Down-Tubes by saying to Ken's suggestion by my saying to KM: "A source? Why would I ever need more Down Tubes? But That was how I thought . I mean Me> Me. I never whacked let alone had an incident where I would Break a Down-tube. I look back and I am sort of shocked regarding how over Confident I was in my ability to Fly and land a Glider was. I was like this when KM said to me regarding be able to acquire new Carbon Fiber Down Tubes.

Well on March 28th 2010 I nearly did not survive a Very Bad Landing. This incident has caused Me to re-Think my Flying.

Hello Everyone:

You Know I was thinking about Flying Toda. I tend to do that almost Everyday. Well I remember I was talking to John Heieney about When I crashed; I said to John: "It sorta Blows My Mind how I Almost completely Totaled my self while Flying. I remember John's response too what I had just said, John said to Me: "Yes you were very a very good Pilot". In spite of the fact that I pounded so severely, and I was injured so extensively injured. In spite of all this I so want to Fly again. No I WILL FLY AGAIN!

Do you Guys think that I am nuts for wanting to Fly again?

Chris McKeon wrote:Do you Guys think that I am nuts for wanting to Fly again?

No. But you should do it carefully and safely.

As a long time pilot, you know that even when everything goes right, there are little bumps that happen when we're hang gliding. Let me give you a recent example.

When I was breaking the Dockweiler record of 200 flights (June 21, 2021), I chose to not use wheels. But over the years, I had gotten used to using wheels. And with wheels, I could step firmly on the base tube to push/hold the glider down during my unhooking. I was surprised that when I stepped on the base tube without wheels, the base tube went all the way to the sand and the keel came down far enough to hit me on my helmet (with wheels, the keel remained about 6 inches higher). It wasn't painful, but I was glad to have the helmet. If my head had been in a fragile state, then it might have been a problem.

My point is that you need to be sure that you are in good enough shape to handle the unavoidable bumps before you consider flying at even Dockweiler.

Well here it is Wednesday and I am doing what I do every Day. That is I am thinking about Flying. Isn't Flying Great? Yes I am an self admitted Air Junkie. Yes with Me a** it must be with a lot of You, I think of Flying all the Time. Fly Fly, Fly!. Well the Day will come when I shall: "Mount up with Wings as Eagles" once again. You Guys do not know How good it Feels for Me to return to My normalcy. It really is a great thing. Here is some of My Humor, I hope that You enjoy reading My mussing's. Question for You all; "Do you know how to tell that You have been in the Hospital too long? Your Mail starts being forwarded to You in the Hospital. I sure do not miss my previous Residence, Kaiser Vallejo. Flat, Flat on my Back for Months I was. I was a total Slacker, a no good non Working Bum.

Well I imagine Time will tell if I ever Fly again. But who knows? It would be the most glorious experience for Me.

Good By Chris McKeon.

Hi Chris,

I was just checking your page on USHGRS.org. It had a link to an article about your crash:

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2010/03/28 ... -accident/

East Bay Times wrote:Man seriously injured in Concord hang gliding accident
By Lisa P. White | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: March 28, 2010 at 7:25 p.m. | UPDATED: August 15, 2016 at 4:31 p.m.

Chris_20100328_glider1.jpeg (44.26 KiB) Viewed 1847 times

Chris_20100328_glider2.jpeg (38.56 KiB) Viewed 1847 times

CONCORD — A Lafayette man was seriously injured Sunday afternoon when he crashed his hang glider into an elementary school ball field, police said.

Witnesses told police it appeared the man was looking for a place to land as he circled Mountain View Elementary School at 3:15 p.m.

According to the onlookers, Christopher McKeon, 49, was about 30 feet up in the air when he suddenly, “lost air and fell straight to the ground,” Lt. Steve Dyer said.

McKeon had a parachute on, but it was unopen. Although he was wearing a helmet, he suffered what appeared to be massive brain and facial injuries, Dyer said. He was taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.

McKeon was unconscious when police arrived at the campus, located in the 1700 block of Thornwood Drive. He did not regain consciousness at the scene.

McKeon launched off Mount Diablo on Sunday with several other hang gliders from his Wings of Rogallo club, hoping to rendezvous at Lime Ridge Open Space in Walnut Creek. McKeon somehow got separated from the group, which is required to sign a waiver before jumping from Mount Diablo. The mountain is considered an advance-only hang gliding site, according to the club’s Web site.

Sunday’s accident marks the second time in less than a week that a hang glider has crashed in the area.

On Thursday, a man was taken by helicopter from Mount Diablo after crashing near the Juniper campground. Rescuers climbed about 50 feet above the campground to reach the man, whose injuries were not life-threatening.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

According to the article, you launched at Mount Diablo and landed at Mountain View Elementary School:



Here's a close up of the Mountain View Elementary School:

Man I tell You I look back at that Day; Sunday March 28th I just say to Myself; WOW! I mean I ponded so hard! The Doctors over at John Muir Hospital were My semi-Alive Body was carted off to. So Doctors at John Muir Hospital, their Prognosis was that I would Die. I mean They only had Me for a couple of hours, they then predicted my Demise. Come on, cut Me some slack! I had no intention of Dying. Yes I took a Licking, But I fully intended on keeping ticking. It really did stun Me how this All Knowing, All Seeing Care givers, My Doctors. I call them Charlo tens, Quacks, Hacks. But they really do write You off for Dead. That is if You are injured severally enough.

Well after Pilot-X gets over His damaged foot. I will be going to a site where I hope to Fly George's 330 Condor. I am still a little Bit taken aback by how Darn Big a 330 Condor is. To think that here is a Huge 440^* square foot Glider, Yet it is said that one should not bank it up. I hear that it has a problem with being Divergent. To Me that reality sucks! I truly do wonder; What is it like to Thermal a Condor?

^* Moderator's Note: Chris has confirmed that "440" should have been "330".