[Rick Masters]

Paraglider pilots love to post funny, hilarious, gut-cramping humor about "accidents." Your post is a creative example. But if you search YouTube, you will find quite a few making fun of injuries and death. But if you post a real accident on YouTube, you are banned for exhibiting "violence." If you try to do something to inform paragliders what is wrong, they make fun about you. It is all about fun. There is no downside. Don't worry. Be happy.

Funny deaths this year

Apr 1 2012 _____, M50 tandem pilot heli-rescue Marguerite, Moule. Antilles FRANCE
"Fell heavily"
Apr 1 2012 _____, F30 tandem passenger heli-rescue Marguerite, Moule, Antilles FRANCE
"Two people were killed by falling heavily" "an instructor and his pupil" "...a paragliding instructor and representative of the French federation of free flight to Guadeloupe.".

Mar 30 2012 _____, M Valais, Fiesch SWITZERLAND
The pilot "experienced difficulties" with control of his paraglider during landing approach and collided with a lamp post. He died at the scene of severe injuries.

Mar 27 2012 Stefan Buhrer, 48 of Möglingen, Germany Mount Valinis, Meduno ITALY
Fell 20m at landing. Died at the scene, soon after impact, from multiple injuries. The experienced pilot had previously participated in World Championship paragliding competitions.

Mar 25 2012 Rolando Durogati of Italy, 56 700 km from Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA
"Fell" coma, multiple fractures Expert Italian instructor was participating in the "Fly de Aar Karoo" competition with his son Aaron. Ranked as one of the top 100 Paragliding World Cup pilots. VP of TirolFly. After a week in a coma, the pilot died of cardiac arrest following the crash on Mar 18, 2012.

Mar 25 2012 Priscilla Boliveira, 24F tandem passenger San Conrado, Rio de Janeiro BRAZIL VIDEO
Two launch attempts were made. On the second attempt, the passenger fell from the harness, screaming, at 20m. The passenger was the sister of actor Fabricio Boliveira, who was at the scene. She had paid an instructor $250 to take her for the flight. The experienced instructor, Allan Figueiredo, tried to hold on to the passenger as she slipped from her harness. He blamed the equipment, saying the harness failed. However, the pilot's video camera which recorded the flight has mysteriously disappeared. And a witness swears the leg buckles were not attached at takeoff. The police have demanded that the pilot, who did not mention the video camera in his deposition, immediately present the camera to them as evidence. The pilot's lawyer claims that the camera was taken as Figueiredo was surrounded by a mob at the accident scene that was threatening to lynch him. The pilot was also unable to produce the proper commercial paragliding training credentials. He has been indicted on charges of MANSLAUGHTER BY NEGLIGENCE and is now scheduled to appear in court on Mar 30. more

Mar 25 2012 _____, 49M Namwon KOREA
"Tangled lines" Died in hospital.

HG Mar 23 2012 James Berryman of Guernsey UK, 59 "fatalilly injuried" Algodonales, Cadiz SPAIN 1
Mr Berryman was a paraglider and hang glider instructor, who was undergoing further training.He was also a member of the Guernsey Paragliding Club.

Mar 23 2012 _____, 65M Hohe Wand Maiersdorf AUSTRIA
Collapse. "Fell into turmoil" from 30 - 50m. Heli-rescue attempt. The pilot died at the scene.

Mar 13 2012 German pilot, 47 Hesse-Diemelsee, Wirmighausen GERMANY
Ground-handling accident. Before attaching harness, pilot held onto the paraglider as it was carried aloft by a thermal gust. Fell from 30m. Died at the scene. "Only last Sunday in the same place, a 61-year-old man from Cologne was seriously injured in a paragliding accident."

Mar 12 2012 _____, 53 French pilot Escalette Maillède, Boutx, Haute-Garonne FRANCE
Competition. Organizers of the "Wings of Mourtis" race called to cancel day due to rising winds. The pilot was "suddenly caught by a gust of wind and crashed against the rocks." He died at the scene. In Lege, another competitor received back injuries. "A heavy toll for a day that began under the best auspices." The event was "immediately suspended."

Mar 9 2012 _____, 63 Jeiu KOREA
Drowned. "Crashed into the sea and died." Flying at the beach with 7 fellow paragliding club members.

Mar 9 2012 _____, 26M from Drôme l'Alpe d'Huez, Isère FRANCE
Speedrider. "Lost control of his trajectory at liftoff and hit a rocky ledge." The pilot died during the rescue attempt.

Mar 3 2012 _____, 25M Hochjoch, Schruns AUSTRIA
Speedrider. Hit an avalanche control fence. He "hit with full force against the massive structure." Despite 30 minutes of resusitation attempts by paramedics who arrived in 2 helicopters, the pilot died of serious head injuries.

Mar 3 2012 _____, 26M Villeneuve-Renneville Chevigny, Marne FRANCE
Winch towing accident during training. "Died on the spot." The pilot was climbing, when for an undetermined cause, he reached 15 meters high, then dropped vertically. The pilot suffered a head injury, broken ribs and went into cardiac arrest. He "could not be resuscitated." Police blamed the accident on the pilot's "mishandling" of the paraglider.

____ 2012 Rubio Veiga, 51 Sierra da Moeda, Brumadinho, Belo Horizonte BRAZIL
Fell from harness. Pilot was a musician with 4 years experience.
"...neighbors complain lack of supervision and accidents [are] covered up [so as] not to raise controversy."
Embora amigos e instrutores do Clube de Voo Livre de Belo Horizonte (CVLBH) tenham certeza de que o acidente foi uma fatalidade, porque ele não se conectou aos instrumentos de segurança, vizinhos denunciam falta de fiscalização e ocorrência de acidentes, que estariam sendo encobertos para não levantar polêmica.
"...warns Roger Tamietti, owner of Top of the World restaurant, neighbor of the club. "...Several accidents are covered up to not show the failures of the club, "he said.

Feb 21 2012 _____, 57 of Bâle-Campagne Engadine, St. Moritz SWITZERLAND
Speedflyer. "He lost control of his vehicle and had a fall of 20m." "The fall ended on a ski slope and the impact was so violent as to cause very serious injuries that killed the 57-year-old instantly."

Feb 18 2012 Michael Piazza, 45 Mandriolu, Valle-di-Mezzana, Corsica FRANCE
Spiral dive followed by collapse, fell into peak. The pilot "made several 360s before dropping like a stone." "Dramatique accident" "during an event." "...the paraglider is known as dangerous even for experienced pilots." Another pilot immediately raised the possibility of a "malaise in flight" . A hypothesis confirmed by autopsy yesterday morning, according to Guy Bayle, the club secretary. "This is an important clarification. Our sport is much maligned. In this case, this drama is not related to paragliding."

Feb 17 2012 Sean Kerridge, 40 Pub Corner, Treble Cone, Wanaka NEW ZEALAND
Speedflying. Found dead. "Skydivers and base jumpers are numb about this because Sean was an experienced pilot who was also a meticulous and cautious person."

Feb 14 2012 _____, 39 Schangnau, Bernese Alps SWITZERLAND
"The farmer heard... loud cries from the air. To see where the screams came, he ran to a hilltop." He found the pilot dead.

Parasailing Jan 30 2012 50F "tangled in straps", drowned Uruguay River ARGENTINA 1 2
Jan 12 2012 _____, 62 Cape LaHave, Le Havre FRANCE
"Fell into the water." The man was pulled to shore "but died shortly thereafter."

Jan 12 2012 Imtiyaz Ahmed Khwaja, 21 of Dwarkapuri Kusgaon Hill, Kamshet INDIA
Fell after launching from Kusgaon Hill. "Lost control due strong winds." Died of head injuries. The pilot was a civil engineering student at MTech. This was the second death at Kusgaon Hill in a month.

funny PARAGLIDING INJURIES (INCOMPLETE)
Note that pilots who linger and ultimately die from complications are sometimes not included in any statistics or fatality reports. See Dec 4 2007. Readers may notice what seems to be a disproportionate number of accidents from Austria. This is due to the fact that much of the German paragliding activity takes place in Austria and the Austrian enthusiasts provide better records. Of primary concern is that most other countries do not -- and similar frequencies of serious injuries (and most likely, deaths) may actually be occurring in other countries but are not being reported.

Apr 3 2012 "crashed" 500m below launch back injury 52M heli-rescue Obertilliach AUSTRIA
Apr 1 2012 "fell" multiple fracture of arm heli-rescue Urbasa, Navarra SPAIN 1
Apr 1 2012 multiple fractures, facial injuries 40M heli-rescue Castala, Berja SPAIN 1
Apr 1 2012 "accident" "wounded" 49M heli-rescue Leza River Valley SPAIN 1
Apr 1 2012 "tailspin" head, face, spinal injuries Danish pilot, 48M Neustift AUSTRIA 1
FAILED DEPLOYMENT "became entangled in the canopy lines" at 80m" "went out of control"
Mar 26 2012 "crash landing" injury 56F moved to hospital Cenes de la Vega, Grenada SPAIN
Mar 24 2012 possible back injury heli-rescue from difficult terrain Mount Alkurruntz, Amaiur SPAIN 1
Mar 24 2012 the pilot "had been dropped" injured, moved to "complex care" M.P,G., 52M Avalia SPAIN 1
Mar 23 2012 two pilots seriously injured 22M and 27M Schober AUSTRIA 1 2
The first pilot has a frontal collapse in a thermal. He throws his reserve and hits the mountain, receiving "severe injuries to both legs." A second pilot attempts to land at the crash site and suffers abdominal and severe back
injuries. A third pilot successfully lands to help the others but the rescue helicopter arrives and the downwash
inflates the first paraglider's sail and lifts him 20 meters into the air, then drives him back into the ground, head
first, 300m away from the spot where he had originally crashed.
Mar 22 2012 collapse fractured pelvis, chest trauma F heli-rescue Punta Quinzeina, Turin ITALY
"The parachute ...suddenly closed, making it fall into a ravine."
Mar 19 2012 collapse at 20m chest injuries British pilot, 59m Cape Santa Pola SPAIN 1
Mar 19 2012 "crash" seriously injured 55M San Cristobal de Valdueza, Leon SPAIN 1
Mar 18 2012 Daniel Johannes Rossouw, 28 Hartebeespoort, North West SOUTH AFRICA 1
severe head and spinal trauma critical condition heli-rescue "a catastrophic malfunction"
"As he took off, a farmworker heard his screams and saw him crashing onto a steep slope."
Mar 18 2012 "crashed into a clump of trees" seriously injured 54M Wiesenttal GERMANY
Mar 17 2012 at landing hit tree, fell 15m into creek 45M Kasberggipfel, Schindlbach, Grunau AUSTRIA 1
Mar 17 2012 "crashed" serious head injury unconscious 45M Lake Villeneuve-de-la-Raho FRANCE
Mar 15 2012 seriously injured "rapidly lost altitude for an unknown reason" 55M Schnifis AUSTRIA
Mar 12 2012 back injury landing at high wind warning in "Tuc de Pan" competition Lege FRANCE
a second competitor among the field of 50 was killed
Mar 11 2012 back injury M heli-rescue Tarland, Aberdeenshire UK
Mar 11 2012 found seriously injured "strong wind gusts" in area 61M Wirmighausen GERMANY
Mar 10 2012 stall from 20m serious injuries 53M German Zell am See, Pinzgau AUSTRIA
Mar 10 2012 A.R.S., 28M "crashed" taken by ambulence to hospital operating room Segovia, Arcones SPAIN
Mar 10 2012 knocked unconscious, then carried onto rooftop serious head injuries 65M Katschberg, Carinthia AUSTRIA
Mar 9 2012 Pal Takats of Hungary 2007 PWC series champion "heavily injured" Zermatt SWITZERLAND
compound fracture right leg, 8 broken ribs, internal injuries, possible brain injury, 3 days in coma
Mar 7 2012 "crashed" on frozen lake serious injuries Swiss pilot Arosa AUSTRIA
Mar 7 2012 "had fallen into brambles" severely injured Malay-le-Grand, Sénonais FRANCE
Mar 4 2012 collapse at 50m concussion, leg injuries heli-rescue 42M of Vienna Howen Wand, Wiener Neustadt AUSTRIA
Mar 4 2012 Miracle Ironman is Set to Marry Sunday Sun, UK
...in October 2010 he broke his neck, shattered 10 ribs and snapped his collarbone. ...James [Poole] underwent pioneering surgery to weave a form of titanium style Meccano to his ribs and has a metal rod in his neck holding a vertebrae. He is waiting to have the rod removed later this year by Newcastle medics.
Feb 28 2012 ___ Ulrich of Germany Lion's Head, Maiden's Cove, Camps Bay SOUTH AFRICA 1
collapse seriously injured broken leg experienced pilot "His paraglider folded and he crashed..." "By the time he opened his parachute it was too late as he was near the ground."
Feb 27 2012 Cristain Eiriz, 45 broken back Playa Larga, Tierra del Fuego ARGENTINA
Feb 26 2012 fell from 10m serious injuries inexperienced pilot 23M Kloster Banz, Bad Staffelstein AUSTRIA 1
Feb 18 2012 hit tree, fell 20m Chris Raidet of Australia Ruitoque COLUMBIA 1 2 3
"severe back pain" and "serious injuries to the face and chest" "fractured neck" professional pilot
Feb 14 2012 broke back in 2 places, pelvic injuries 20F Boggabri AUSTRALIA
Feb 13 2012 collapse at 15m failed reserve toss head injury Miraflores PERU VIDEO
Charles Zevallos, 54 Mayor of Maynas first reported unconscious
"a diagnosis of severe traumatic brain injury..." critical condition 1 2
Feb 12 2012 multiple injuries, back injury critical condition 45M El Cuchillo, Tinajo, Lanzarote SPAIN
"For unknown reasons lost control and suffered a crash landing..."
Feb 11 2012 JLFA, 54M back injury heli-rescue Lluaria, Villaviciosa SPAIN
Feb 11 2012 Cheltenham Paraglider Fights Back from Horrific Accident Gloucestershire UK
JUST two years ago, Shaun Goulding had a horrific accident which left him with 17 breaks in his body....
Feb 5 2012 collapse head leg shoulder injuries 43M Mt Olympus, Salt Lake City USA-UT
"...had glided about 50 feet away from the launch site when 'the chute completely collapsed on him.'"
Feb 5 2012 speedflyer began oscillating with 25% collapse, fell 30m "grave injuries" 29M St Georgen, Scheibbs AUSTRIA 12
Jan 30 2012 "Hit the slope." back injuries, broken foot 21M Taupo NEW ZEALAND
heli-rescue "...got too close to the ground and tipped himself.''
Jan 24 2012 "had a fall" back, both ankles 40M Ourtasse Peak, Aspe Valley FRANCE
Jan 19 2012 speedflyer "plunged into forest" broke legs 38M Innsbruck AUSTRIA
Jan 18 2012 after 10 minutes, pilotcrashed from 20m seriously injured heli-rescue 39M Kohlmais AUSTRIA 1
Jan 15 2012 "fell" leg injury young Polish pilot Obertraun, Gmunden AUSTRIA
Jan 14 2012 crashed at takeoff spinal injury "young F" Dieberg AUSTRIA 1
Jan 12 2012 speedflyer grazed a tree, crashed compound leg injuries Russian pilot, 38 Hinterux, Zillertal AUSTRIA
Jan 11 2012 critical condition, multiple trauma and fractures La Laja, Gran Canaria SPAIN
Jan 3 2012 "falls" hit "vacuum after jumping from a cliff" Miraflores PERU
Jan 2 2012 "lost control and crashed" tandem F injured Ilha do Mel, Parana BRAZIL
Jan 1 2012 "fell" semiconscious heli-rescue 50M Las Berrocoso SPAIN

funny WING FAILURE INCIDENTS NOT RESULTING IN DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY
Mar 24 2012 Tandem paraglider crashes into thick brush East Cliff, Portland, Dorset UK
A paragliding instructor plunged off a Portland cliff during a tandem ride and landed in 10ft-high brambles in the ‘worst landing’ of his 20-year career. “I was attempting to paraglide off Portland’s East Cliffs. I had already done
one successful flight solo then a client joined me for a tandem flight. “We took off and it started well but then we
hit turbulent air instead of lifty air in front of the cliff. ...I’m still baffled by what went wrong.”
Mar 10 2012 Shortly after takeoff, the canopy of the glider "suddenly closed." Treviso ITALY 1
The pilot fell into trees and came to rest 10 ft off the ground.

When all the paraglider pilots stop laughing, some of the hang glider pilots would like to point out that this is not funny at all and there is something wrong with you.

[Rick Masters]

Reverberations of Mythology 2012 Rick Masters
Apr 16 - Paraglider pilots seem to become upset when I describe paragliding as "the world's most irresponsible sport." Footlaunch pilots like to think that their skill in the sky makes them as responsible as pedestrians might be on the ground. Unfortunately, the survival of the global paragliding craze seems to depend on an overly-compassionate public footing the bill for helicopters and rescuers worldwide. Without helicopter rescues, for instance, the fatality rate in paragliding would surely double. It wasn't like this with hang gliding. We NEVER thought of trees as a safe landing alternative. More than any other sport, paraglider pilots depend on the likelihood of a state-financed helicopter rescue as a necessary element in their flight decisions to cross dangerous terrain. Now complaints are rising across the globe from search and rescue organizations outraged at the failure of paraglider pilots to take responsibility for their actions when outlanding. It seems that, while paraglider pilots expect - and even demand - a rescue when injured or stuck in a tree, if they walk away they don't even feel an obligation to let search and rescue know they are okay. Today word comes from Britain that a PG pilot who crashed in the Brecon Hills on April 15th, sparking a 6-hour search and rescue effort from 50 volunteers and an RAF helicopter, was only discovered to be safe when rescuers conducted an Internet search and found that he had told his friends he was fine - on Facebook! Don't think this is an uncommon occurrence. THIS IS HAPPENING EVERYWHERE - especially now that in many areas pilots are required to reimburse agencies for their expenses. Paradoxically, in this age of cell phones, the new dodge is to run like hell from the rescuers and hope they don't find you! Mark my words, my friends, the blowback will be on hang glider pilots. When the public has had enough, hang glider pilots will be grouped with paraglider pilots and will suffer severely in their ability to continue flying and obtaining site insurance. Why? Because they have willingly allowed themselves to be joined at the hip with the less responsible element of freeflight rather than rebelling, demanding separation and forcefully explaining to the public the dramatic difference between the two unique sports.

[Bill Cummings]

Would the insurance company consider insuring hang gliding and paragliding separately?
As they already do for cars and motorcycles!

[Rick Masters]

They did at one time.
Before paragliders.
So why not again?
I would think the only thing holding us back is all the hang glider pilots who want to be in the USPGA insurance pool.

[Bob Kuczewski]

... the only thing holding us back is all the hang glider pilots who want to be in the USPGA insurance pool.

That's why it's important to grow some form of HANG GLIDING organization willing to stand up for hang gliding ... either within (or without) UShPA.

That's the goal of the US Hawks, and it's time to start spreading the word. So please post about the US Hawks (including links to this site) on your favorite local and national web sites / forums.

Also, thanks to everyone like Rick who has already posted links to the US Hawks on their web sites!!   

[Rick Masters]

[Bob Kuczewski]

Thanks!!     

[Rick Masters]

Reverberations of Mythology 2012 Rick Masters

Apr 24 - Justice is swift in France. And it looks like Corsica is wide open for some new paragliding businesses now that the famous Leonetti brothers have been thrown behind bars for criminal armed assault on a competitor. On April 17, Stephane Leonetti (right), manager of Calvi Altore Adventure Sports Corsica, and his brother Oliver (left), manager of St. Florent Altore Adventure Sports Corsica, paid a visit to a fellow paraglider pilot who had started a new tandem operation nearby, according to Corse-Matin. Accompanied by two cohorts and brandishing a pistol, the XC paragliding record-holders for Corsica beat their fellow sportsman bloody and fled. Arrested soon thereafter, Stephene Leonetti was sentenced on Monday to 2 years in prison and Oliver, who had achieved the longest XC flight by a Frenchman since 2006 - a 380 kilometer adventure in Brazil - received 18 months.