well Currently I am immersed with the reality that I have to move. Yes, right Here in the S-F East Bay Area town of Brentwood California. I really do not know where This Predator Pilot will be Roosting in the Future, But I am checking My Options. There are places that I could not Live. For I could not take My Beloved Predator with Me. I mean how well would an Apartment Building be able to accommodate a Predator? There is a quite Real Possibility that When My Sister takes My Mother Home to Cazadero California. I might head up there with My Sister and My Mother toi live for a while at My Mother's House. Heck My Mother has lived with Me at My House for around Ten Years. Why should I not live up at my Mothers for a Few Years? That old saying comes to Mind when I think about My going to Live at My Mother's House, Moving there from My House; "What goes around, Comes around".
STAYING ON SUBJECT FLYING:
Well this Spring My Friend John Heiney will come up North. John will Perform an IRAN on My Predator. I also intend on Flying His North Wing T Two. I just want to say; That My next Flight. The First Flight in Thirteen Years as of March Twenty Eight next Year. While to many of You know <y last Flight ended quite Badly. The very next Flight that I will majke should on the surface the Flight should hardly bear taking notice. But even if \ I go to the Coast, Launch and Fly say for say fifty Feet. That Flight will blow away any Flight that I have ever made. Yes I will be a Goon. I will be a "GOON" I will be so happy and proud to be a Dune Goon. Yes I will indeed be Honored, Proud, thankful, even honored to be known as; A Flying Goon.
I am so looking forward to Flying again, you Guys have positively no idea to Me anyways this will be!
I mentioned in a Previous Post how one of the Doctors who had given Me care while was in a Comma, said to My Sister; "He will Never Walk again". I have no idea as to what He would say as to if I would or would not Fly Again.
Join a National Hang Gliding Organization:US Hawks at ushawks.org View my rating at:US Hang Gliding Rating System Every human at every point in history has an opportunity to choose courage over cowardice. Look around and you will find that opportunity in your own time.
JoeF wrote:Much thanks for the gift of Bob Kuczewski ... bridge to flying friendships ...
Thanks for that very informative video. I did not know that we are a "kettle" of hawks!!
Kettle_of_Hawks.png (201.28 KiB) Viewed 913 times
The video also led me to look into the various Hawk species. Our mascot is a red tailed hawk which is know as " Buteo jamaicensis". I wasn't sure how that fit into the family "Accipitridae" as mentioned in the video. After a little searching, I found these web sites:
The first site is a forum (similar to our forum here) with these posts:
egret3 (Well-known member) wrote:Please .. anyone
how do I tell the difference between accipiter and buteo
John Cantelo (Well-known member) wrote: Essentially buteos are more birds of open spaces that largely (but not exclusively) feed on ground dwelling animals. Hence they have relatively long broad wings and a relatively short tail. This allows them to soar efficiently so they can spy their prey.
Accipters have shorter rounder wings and a longer tail. They tend (orginally at least) to be forest dwellers and this form of wing/tails allows them to chase prey through woodland in a way which buteos would find difficult.
Harriers belong to another group - 'circus' which as the name suggests tens to circle low over open country to catch prey. They're more likely to catch birds which probably explains the longer tail as compared to buteos.
I hope this helps, John
The second site is a taxonomy of species from the NIH:
Accipitridae
Accipitrinae
Accipiter
Aegypius
Aquila
Aviceda
Busarellus
Butastur
Buteo (hawks)
Buteo jamaicensis (red-tailed hawk)
Walking the family tree (according to Wikipedia) gives:
"Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage in which their body consists of a hollow sphere of cells, the blastula, during embryonic development. Over 1.5 million living animal species have been described—of which around 1 million are insects—but it has been estimated there are over 7 million animal species in total. Animals range in length from 8.5 micrometres (0.00033 in) to 33.6 metres (110 ft). They have complex interactions with each other and their environments, forming intricate food webs. The scientific study of animals is known as zoology."
"A chordate is an animal of the phylum Chordata. All chordates possess, at some point during their larval or adulthood stages, five synapomorphies, or primary characteristics, that distinguish them from all other taxa."
"Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (/ˈeɪviːz/), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton."
"Telluraves (also called land birds or core landbirds) is a recently defined clade of birds defined by their arboreality."
"Accipitrimorphae is a clade of birds of prey that include the orders Cathartiformes (New World vultures) and Accipitriformes (diurnal birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, osprey and secretarybird)."
"The Accipitriformes (from Latin accipiter/accipitri- "hawk", and New Latin -formes "having the form of") are an order of birds that includes most of the diurnal birds of prey, including hawks, eagles, vultures, and kites, but not falcons."
"Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet."
"The Accipitrinae are the subfamily of the Accipitridae often known as the "true" hawks, including all members of Accipiter and the closely related genera Microspizias, Erythrotriorchis, and Megatriorchis."
"Buteo is a genus of medium to fairly large, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings."
"The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members within the genus of Buteo in North America or worldwide."
Join a National Hang Gliding Organization:US Hawks at ushawks.org View my rating at:US Hang Gliding Rating System Every human at every point in history has an opportunity to choose courage over cowardice. Look around and you will find that opportunity in your own time.
You do not know Me. Well except for say John, Joe Spinney, Micky, and a couple of others mome of You Southern California Pilots, You Guys really do not know what kind of a Guy that I am. Well I am an Post Pound Predator Pilot. Who before I POnded. I was a pretty Good Predator Pilot. If any of You doubt My stating that I Flew My Predator well, why don't You the next time that You see John ask John about how well I Flew. I am confident that John will give His thoughts as to How well that I Fly a thumbs up. Yes I did Fly well, But that was 12 Years ago. the Pounding that I took on March 28th 2010, almost Killed Me. But As the saying goes; "Close but no Cigar".
So here I am, chomping at the Bit to Fly again. I am as Bob has said to Me; "I just love to Fly" So none of You really understand just how bad I was regarding My Injuries. But I think of it as ab horrible deal, My hitting the Ground that Hard! The Human Body has limits regarding just How many G's that it can absorb, Before as The brain is subjected to a Heavy G-load. It begins undergoing a shearing of Brain Axons. You Guys know that Program on TV. Called "I Survived" I really should be on that Show. Because in spite of My recovery being a non possibility. I did indeed did survive. My being a 100 Percent recovered is still a way off,. But I am undergoing the Process of regaining a 100 Percent recovery, Yea Baby!
OK here I am once again blathering, talking about Flying. Why do I type these Posts? i is not so i can put up a post about a recent Flight, for there are no recent flights by me. Anyways If I can not Fly, Heck I just love to talk about Flying. A Pilot friend said to me once; "Ijust Love to Fly!" What a great attitude to have when one is low during an XC Flight. JUst loving to be in the Air is a Trait that will serve You well.
HANG GLIDER:
So now that since My Pre-Pound Weight was One hundred and Ninety Ponds. This is how much My body weighed on March 28th 2010. Well, I now weigh a hundred pounds Plus less since that day. So quite possibly I will need to sell My Beloved 158 Predator, then buy a small 142 Predator. But The next time I Fly will most likely be on a Single Surface Glider.
I am just thinking that I might find a way to get down South to Dockweiler Beach to Fly at The; OTTO MEET. Is it in March?
FLYING IS A ONGOING PROCESS: I POSITIVELY LOVE THE PROCESS.
Well just like all of You I so totally enjoy Flying. For just look at the Great Flying experiences. I mean the Rush that We get when We are Flying an XC route. When We geet oh so low. We then get really focused on the task at Hand We almost to the point of being desperation. We get tinto really feeling how our Gliders fly through the Air. so that We can detect how our Wings are Flying through the Air. Yes as say You feel how one side of Your Wing rises, you just know that say it is Your Starboard wing that rises due to the Fact that Your Starboard Wing has just Flown into a Thermal. You make an immediate Right turn. You continue that turn thus circling. You adjust Your turn so as to Hopefully Fly Circles around the Thermals Core. Up, Up, Up you climb until You have enough Height to use by heading off on Glide. Then as You get lower. You start the Process all over again.
I have no Words that I can think of to Describe hOw Badly I want to do this again. Yes, Climb, Go on Glide, Find another Thermal, Climb. Head out back on Glide again and, again, Over and Over Again. Yes I so want to do this Process that so many of You do all the Time. Check this Thought of Mine out: I will never take My ability to Fly for Granted ever again.
So, I am embarking on making feeble attempts to loose a Mere Twenty more pounds or so. Sure I could go back onto that Tried and Proven way to loose weight. Yes the: "POUND DIET" truly does work. I mean take Me for example. I Pounded then I lost a Hundred Plus Pounds. While in the Hospital the weight simply Melted off My Body. But there is a Downside to the; "POUND DIRT" Gong on the POUND DIET goes in concert with spending Months in a Coma, that was Three Months that I spent in a Coma. Well so now, I will attempt to lose oh about Twenty More Pounds. That way My wing loading will Be optimal. It seems funny to Me that loosing, Loosing Weight could be such a Positive thing. That way when I get Low while Flying My Potato, I will not be needing to dig so deep into that Bag of: "I just love to Fly! I used to when My Body weight was knocking on the door of weighing Three Hundred Pounds. I used to be able to work a Weak Thermal quite well. But now this Sub-Two Hundred Pound Predator Pilot will most likely be able to climb better than before when I Pounded.
So it's Friday Morning. I hope that all of You Hawk Pilots make today where You all blow off going to Work. I hope that Yes, that You make Today a Fly Friday.
I hope that You all Fly well. That You Guys Get High and Go Far! As Buzz Light-year would say if He Flew HG's: "TO Clod Base and Beyond! Well this is just My Piece of encouragement to all of You. So Go out and Fly Your Hang Gliders. Yes I am wishing all of You to have grand Flights. I hope that all of You Get High and Go Far!
Also remember what the High Priests of Hang Gliding, Anita Bryant has said: "A Day Without XC is like a Day without Sunshine".
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