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Ibituruna Peak in Brazil, one of the world's most famous hang gliding launches, and the landing area in the city center of Governador Valadares, has been closed to hang gliding by the Brazilian authorities for the past month after a PARAGLIDER entered prohibited airspace, causing a passenger airliner with 70 souls to perform "a risky maneuver" to avoid a collision, missing the paraglider by 600 feet on June 2.
The Association of Flight Free Ibituruna (AVLI) immediately released a statement saying that all pilots would respect the order - but on its website, it has posted nothing.
http://avli.com.br/?p=noticias
Flaunting the official ban, two PARAGLIDERS launched on June 26 from the peak.
http://www.otempo.com.br/cidades/ap%C3%B3s-incidente-entre-avi%C3%A3o-e-parapente-pico-do-ibituruna-%C3%A9-fechado-1.1062834
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One can only imagine what Brazilian hang glider pilots have to say.
"Gosh, I was just about to take up paragliding - and now no one can fly! It was probably going to happen anyway, with climate change and all... Oh well, there's other things to do, like drinking beer and watching television."
"We just don't understand why the mean old National Civil Aviation Agency has to pick on paragliders. They're slow. They don't hurt anybody. It's those big old planes with engines that are the menace. Let them just go ahead and shut down Ibituruna and see if we care. We stand with the paragliders. All for one, one for all!"
"Well, it was fun while it lasted," said one hang glider pilot, reflecting on the 40 years of hang gliding at Ibituruna Peak. "I guess we'll roast a pig and drink beer on the weekends, now that there's no more flying. We can cut up our launch ramp for firewood and use our hang gliders for umbrellas." Waxing philosophical, he added, "Hang gliders are really good for providing shade. Much better than paragliders. They have airframes so we can put lawn chairs under them. You can't do that with a paraglider. Encountering sun with a paraglider can result in sunburn. Paragliders are better at keeping out mosquitoes, though, to be honest. We'll invite all the paragliders to the barbecue. They are just like us. They like to eat our lunch and drink our beer, too."
