[BigBird]

Pat Conniry gave me my second HG lesson up in Shasta County very early in '74. When he died (October '74 I believe) I was told that it was a result of a stabilized vertical dive. I just found a '94 post that refers to his death as pilot error.

Do we have anyone that knows for sure what happened?

[Bob Kuczewski]

Pat Conniry gave me my second HG lesson up in Shasta County very early in '74. When he died (October '74 I believe) I was told that it was a result of a stabilized vertical dive. I just found a '94 post that refers to his death as pilot error.

Do we have anyone that knows for sure what happened?

I didn't know him or the circumstances, but his death was featured prominently in the "Big Blue Sky" documentary by Bill Liscomb. I believe it shows a sequence of him flying with his feet on the base tube at a coastal site. I'll try to bring my copy with me to the Otto Meet to watch in the evening ... in case you (or anyone else) hasn't seen it already.

By the way, if it looks like we're going to get a good turnout, maybe we could arrange for a showing of Big Blue Sky in some venue that would hold everyone who'd like to see it.

[Rick Masters]

I heard Conniry launched off Big Tujunga and flew into the hillside on the way down. USHGA Accident Chairman Robert V. Wills speculated that "Conniry may have become disorientated when he converted to a prone flying position." I tend to believe that because he was such a good pilot.

I remember when I switched to prone on my Seagull III, it took a few flights before I got comfortable. It was disorientating and I veered all over the place with my legs hanging down like a duck. I was a novice on sand dunes and I knew I wasn't good. Pat, on the other hand, was at the top of his game. He had just completed a television special where he taught Margot Kidder to fly a hang glider in Wyoming. He probably felt invincible.

I had another friend, an accomplished expert, Keith Davis, who flew straight into a tree off Walt's Point while looking down at his boot, trying to get his feet into his harness. Flew straight into this beautiful tree in a mild dive and killed himself. He nailed that tree on his topless Dawn. He may never have seen the tree. We always flew over the tree. The tree wasn't the problem. The problem was, Keith stopped flying.

I'll always remember the words of my mentor Don Partridge, relaying the words of Steve Sperlock. "Don't stop flying." People who get killed often stop flying and do something else. Pay attention. Don't stop flying. Years later, Steve Hawxhurst, USHGA president, told me the same message.

"Keep flying," Hawxhurst told me, taking a lost book and reading from it. "Steve Sperlock said, 'Hang gliding burns energy – a lot of mental and physical energy. It's a mind game with unknown and limitless rules. The further a pilot ventures into unknown regions, the greater the risk. At any time, a new set of circumstances may appear that do not follow the rules of flight known to the pilot. On this occasion, he must be persistently innovative, striving to regain full control of the situation.' That's his way of saying, 'Keep flying.'"

Don always said he recognized two kinds of people who flew hang gliders. One kind flew the hang glider. The other kind: the hang glider flew them. It became pretty obvious to me, my first year flying the Owens, what he meant. But today, with the terrible death rate in paragliding, I see it again. Paragliders fly people. It's the same thing. The same message. But paragliders are so slow, you can stop flying and just ride along.

[BigBird]

I heard Conniry launched off Big Tujunga and flew into the hillside on the way down. USHGA Accident Chairman Robert V. Wills speculated that "Conniry may have become disorientated when he converted to a prone flying position." I tend to believe that because he was such a good pilot.

Well, that clears that up. All these years we (those of us flying in Redding at that time) were told he died in a full luff dive. Thanks again for clearing that up.

I remember when I switched to prone on my Seagull III, it took a few flights before I got comfortable. It was disorientating and I veered all over the place with my legs hanging down like a duck. I was a novice on sand dunes and I knew I wasn't good. Pat, on the other hand, was at the top of his game. He had just completed a television special where he taught Margot Kidder to fly a hang glider in Wyoming. He probably felt invincible.

I went from supine to prone with a Price harness. Whether by design or not this harness allowed me to go somewhat 'seated' when prone wasn't working for me. I still have that wonderful Price harness.

I had another friend, an accomplished expert, Keith Davis, who flew straight into a tree off Walt's Point while looking down at his boot, trying to get his feet into his harness. Flew straight into this beautiful tree in a mild dive and killed himself. He nailed that tree on his topless Dawn. He may never have seen the tree. We always flew over the tree. The tree wasn't the problem. The problem was, Keith stopped flying.

Yep, you've got to fly the glider first - something too many pilots have forgotten with disastrous results.

I

[Merlin]

I still have that wonderful Price harness.

I would like to see a pic of that. The Price was my first prone harness too - but my memory was that it was pretty uncomfortable for "longish" soaring flights. Not that we cared at the time.

[BigBird]

I would like to see a pic of that. The Price was my first prone harness too - but my memory was that it was pretty uncomfortable for "longish" soaring flights. Not that we cared at the time.

Here it is. Had it bagged in the garage but something (cat by the smell of things) got to it and marked it. It will soaking in the bathtub later today. I bought it in January of '77 - took 29 flights at the training hill on my Cumulus 5B. Ultralight Products (UP) attached the parachute bag in July of the same year. Hard to believe that every prior flight was without a parachute - scary to think about now!

[Merlin]

Here it is

Oh jeez, that's it. I was flying mine later in '77. I think mine was a loaner from my instructor. Also did some soaring sans-chute. Looks skimpy now, but they seemed luxuriant after the bikini harness!

[flyingbrian]

I would like to see a pic of that. The Price was my first prone harness too - but my memory was that it was pretty uncomfortable for "longish" soaring flights. Not that we cared at the time.

Here it is. Had it bagged in the garage but something (cat by the smell of things) got to it and marked it. It will soaking in the bathtub later today. I bought it in January of '77 - took 29 flights at the training hill on my Cumulus 5B. Ultralight Products (UP) attached the parachute bag in July of the same year. Hard to believe that every prior flight was without a parachute - scary to think about now!

Phil, that's the harness you were looking for and couldn't find when I picked up the Seagull. Didn't we use that at Ono hills when you first started instructing me? You told me a story about some woman/girlfriend sewing in that sheep skin padding for you.

[BigBird]

Phil, that's the harness you were looking for and couldn't find when I picked up the Seagull. Didn't we use that at Ono hills when you first started instructing me? You told me a story about some woman/girlfriend sewing in that sheep skin padding for you.

We couldn't find it but the cats did . A good cleaning and it almost smells normal. Yes, that was used for training back in the day - if that harness could talk...