[Bob Kuczewski]

OK I am just going to come out and say it Myself. I am a very pathetic Predator Pilot. ...

Hmmm ... where have I heard that before? I searched the forum for the word "pathetic":

Jul 31, 2021 "You know I am pretty pathetic. For all I do is I Day Dream."
Aug 17, 2021 "I Know how pathetic I must come across..."
Aug 24, 2021 "I must sound pathetic. But I so want to Fly it Hurts."
Oct 14, 2021 "I tell You I am a pathetic Pilot."
Feb 01, 2022 "I realize that I am pathetic. But this is Me."
Jun 25, 2022 "I have not Flown in 12 Years. I am pathetic!"
Aug 14, 2022 "I must be a bit odd to You Guys, sort of even a Bit pathetic even."
Sep 23, 2022 "i am only a pathetic Busted Up Predator Pilot."
Nov 27, 2022 "I know that I am a pathetic Predator Pilot"
Dec 04, 2022 "I am a very pathetic Predator Pilot."

Keep your eyes looking forward Chris. What's past is past. Focus on what you will do today and every day. Every time you're tempted to post that you're a "pathetic" pilot, go out and set up your predator ... and post a picture instead.

[Chris McKeon]

Bob, and to everyone Else. You know this Experience in Total hAS really been something else. Sure I did the most severe Pound, and subsequent recovery that I had no concept of being possible. I mean what an experience this has, and I imagine it will continue to be,

PREDATOR THOUGHTS:

I simply live My Predator. I mean I look back at all the Hours Flying My 158 Predator. I think about the tremendous Pleasure I had Flying it. Also Yes I dream of Flying My Predator again. I hace this dream in My Head as an almost constant thought. SETTING UP MY 158. I will not be setting up My Predator any Day in the near Future. For My Brother and My Sister took My Predator up to Cazadero to My Mothers House. But I will one Day be setting up My Predator. John is coming up in the Spring where He will do an IRAN on My Glider. My First Flights will be Either where I will Fly a Condor 330, or John's North wing T-Two. But You can bet yOUR BOTTOM dOLLAR THAT I will fLY My Predator again. I think back to all the Great Moments that I had Flying My Predator, What a Glider! Thank You John for designing such an awesome Wing.

[Chris McKeon]

Well I hope that I will be able to make My wat down South, So that I will be able to take part in the Otto Meet at Dockweiler Beach. well I realize that For me to state here and now, that i will try for a Flight to goal. While in distance, flying a flight to Goal being where One would launch at Dockweiler and then land at Torrey. this type of a Flight while not being at all far, would be difficult being that both Sites are at the Coast. But heck if I experienced] BObb Get ready, for i am going to use a Filthy, Foul, Four Letter Cuss Word. If I do indeed do "SINK" out. I will have to land. then call Bob or ohn for a ride. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. no harm, no Foul. So if I were to make it to Torrey, then land at Torrey. Would Police be called? Look I have already after flying a Measly Forty Four mies I have been in a Field when Two Guys with Automatic Rifles drive up shouting at Me that i Violated restricted Airspace. When I responded to one of these two Angry Men's Question as to where I had launched From. I pointed down the valley at Mount Diablo, Diablo is only Forty Four Miles away from where I was standing. TaKE nOTE: wHEN i INFORMED THESE TWO ANGRY mEN THAT i HAD lAUNCHED fROM dIABLO. oNE OF THE tWO gUYS TOLD mE: "you are a Lier". I have upon landing after having Flown an XC Flight. I have had Land owners call Me a Lier in the Past. What these People fail to realize is a 44, a 54, a 64, a 74, a 84, a 94, a 104 Mile XC Not one of the distances that I have just stated are a long Flight For a Predator.

[JoeF]

Pathetic

XC involves a "path" taken by a Predator Pilot.
"etic" --- "etics reflect constructs which apply to phenomena that occur in all cultures"

... So, maybe Chris is just highly focused on the soaring paths that are found in all cultures ... paths of a soaring dream, perhaps. PPP Pathetic Predator Pilot might be a pilot with a Predator that concerns himself or herself with the soaring paths of the heart, mind, heart, or gliding kite.

[Chris McKeon]

OK here it is: The nuts and Bolts of Who I was as a Pilot, and a Person. WEll way back in 1990 Flew down to New Zealand. It was our winter, Their Summer. So anyways I was downstaying with My Friend Mike B. I was on Holiday. Mike was Living there at the Time. Being that I was on a Long holliday, I spent I think about Two Months down there. I really liked New Zealand and their People. Forgive Me for my Memory is Shorter than My arm, so anyways here i will try and recall what I can. I hooked up with an Hg outfit where i met with Geog Green, and Glenn Meadows. It was at a Costal site that I had my First soaring Flights. I flew a Moyes Mars at a Costal site I believe was called Remuera, that could very well be the wrong spelling. Sorry Please Forgive Me. I also Flew a Costal site called Kariotahi. Can You say Great Fun? I had a Blast,

Well after I got Home I bought a Wills Wing 225m Which I flew all the Time. Then after og about a Year I Bought a Predator. I have never looked Back. i love My Predator, What a Wing. For the Predator is capable of Climbing on a too weak thermal. That on another Glider I would be on the Ground.

It seems funny to Me, it is Ironic, The Predator is the finest, The Best landing Glider that I can imagine. But Twelve Years ago during a Landing. I Almost Died, in fact I was supposed to Die as My friend Pilot-X was told, as X was probably the first of My Friends to get to the Hospital. But in the end I failed to live Down, or should it be said this way? I failed to Die down to a Doctor's Prognosis.


OK, so right here and now after twelve and a half Years, I really do not know if I will achieve Flight again flying a HGF. But I want to so badly. I did not have the desire to Fly knocked out of Me. Yes I still have that Burning Desire.

[Chris McKeon]

So this Spring I will be up in Sonoma. I will be staying at My Mothers House in Cazadero. Well John will be coming up to Cazadero. He and I will either go find a nice training Hill, or We will head out to the Coast so that I will be able to make My First HG Flight in 13 Years, I just hope that because I suffered a crushing Pound at the end of My last Flight. i just Hope My Brain will not let Me Down. I hope that I will not forget to think about the Thought regarding that I should Land. Heck after Thirteen Years of not Flying I will need to really enjoy being Airborne again.

So if I think of the idea that I should land. I just hope that My Brain does not let Me down. I just hope that I remember how to Whack a Glider! I can see it now. after My Flight, I will say. Heck I failed. I did not remember how to Whack a Glider!

[Chris McKeon]

OK I have an ICOM IC - 02AT FM Radio. I need a Push to Talk Switch along with an Ear Piece. Where do I go look to see if I can Procure what I am looking For?

[Chris McKeon]

{XC FOLLIES}


OK I have a Question or Two regarding Flying. OK What exactly is restricted Air-Space. So if there is an Area of restricted Air-Space,, how do i find out that say if i am Flying an XC route. in order to Get to where i want to land. My route would cause Me to Fly over Terrain that is Controlled by I do not know Who actually does the Controlling, or exactly how People-X enforce their will upon You. I mean if i should ignorantly fly through Air space that is controlled. What is the deal/ Will some other Aircraft fly in behind Me and flash red and Blue lights. Then what will I hear either over my fm radio, or a Bull horn, land immediately! I know thast Ignorance of the Law is no excuse. I just do not want to have happen what did happen to Me once: Ok Bob, I will be Ok with the reality of My being banned from this site. For I am about to type a filthy, Foul, Four letter Cuss Word, "SINK": I do not want to happen to me once. I do not want to after experiencing {SINK} I do not want to have a couple of angry agitated Guys Brandishing Automatic Weapons Telling Me that I had violated {THEIR AIRSPACE} And that I had just landed on Their Property. Get This; When I responded to their questions such as What Powers Your Glider? Where is Your Engine, I simply pointed up to the Sun. They asked Me where I had launched from? I said the name of the Mountain which was only about 44 Miles away. I just love this part, Their response to what I had just told them. They said that I was Lying, This scenario of having out landing, being confronted by local Property owners who believed Me to be a Lier. This Deal has been Played out before, sans the Automatic Weapons. When Locals are told that Your Flight was 57, 144, or in this case 44 miles. Local People look at You in Disbelief. They simply refuse to accept the facts. I look back on these experiences with great Fondness.

[Chris McKeon]

You know after I pounded, and I had gotten to the point that I could be understood talking while on the Phone. I was talking to a pilot friend of Mine Tim. I was saying to Tim how badly that I wanted so much to Fly again. Well Tim replied; "You need to find something else to do". i said what should I do tim, nothing compares to Flying a hang glider.

That is the way I see it. Nothing compares to Flying a hang-glider, and Flying My predator is pure Gravy. Predator! What a Wing!

DOCKWEILER:

So By Hook, or by Crook. this March is it? Yes I want to somehow get Myself down to Dockweiler and do Some Dune Gooning with You Southern California Pilots.

QUESTION:

If somehow I were to be able to Fly from Dockweiler to Torrey Pines. Upon landing at Torrey pines would I run into Flack by the Locals? As I have previously written about. I have landed only to have the Property owners confront Me in an angry, and a Hostile way. I mean if I were to pull off a Hat Trick by Flying from Dockweiler to Torrey Pines. I assume that the Proprietors of the Concession at Torrey Pines would have to respect the X-C that will hope Fully be Made By Me in is it March? In the Case of if I were to have Flown from Dockweiler to Torrey Pines. This Flight will be entered in My Log Book as an XC Flight, CROSS SOAST.

[JoeF]

Hang gliding at Dockweiler: We are not allowed to be over 60 ft AGL. There might be a wind that would allow a high L/D glider to use surfline lift to get some distance south and out of the LAX restriction just stated.