[Bob Kuczewski]

In a topic titled "FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS WEAR CHARLEY INSIDER HELMETS", Red wrote:

I agree with the title of this thread, though.

Eventually SkippyBall replied:

Why would I destroy a helmet that saved my life (and yours)?

And you say you want to go hang gliding again, which is still considered to be an extreme sport with possible deadly outcome?

Maybe you should not point your anger towards a hard working company, who provided you with a helmet that saved your life. And yes, I have had my major crash ending in hospital, thanking my helmet for saving my life.

I fly with my gear, knowing it won't fully protect me from heavy injury or death. And it is me being responsible for the outcome.

And yes, maybe there are better alternative helmets out there. I just have not found them yet.
The current Kali helmets are not my choice as a better alternative.

At the risk of losing a friend that I value very much, I think Skippy makes some very good points. After all, it's quite possible that if Chris had been flying a Falcon instead of a Predator, he might not have allowed himself to get so low. And even if he did, the Falcon might have been much easier to land in a difficult situation. Does that mean that someone should offer money for people to destroy their Predators?

I am not trying to be confrontational, but sometimes it's important to consider alternative perspectives. People choose different helmets and different gliders for their own different reasons. I don't know the details of either helmet, and I am not against any campaign to remove inferior products from the market, but I did want to add some sobering thoughts for those who are reaching for their pitch forks.

[Chris McKeon]

So this Monday will be Twelve Years since I Pounded. My road back to normalcy has been a long and arduous one. There are things to do in the immediate time that I will not go into. But rest assured I will get things under control so as that I will be able to go down South where I will Fly the largest Glider that I have ever encountered, a Wills Wing Condor 330. Three Hundred Thirty Square Feet of Wing. THREE HUNDRED THIRTY SQUARE FEET! MAN WHAT A HUGE WING! Other than My Concern that I might have to deal with a case of G - C - I - O, i AM NOT TO WORRIED ABOUT fLYING THAT gREAT bIG bIRD. So Sunday May 22nd. If You want to Stay safe, I advise You to steer clear regarding the Air-Space above Dockweiler Beach California.

Predator Note: It has been Twelve Years since I last Flew. Ok, bear with Me here. For I musty choose a word to say what I want to say. A word that will not get Me Banned off this Site: I'm so Air } {Amorous { that I am bouncing off the walls. I am fully committed to this endeavour, so much so that The release that I filled out in order that I will be allowed to Fly with the Guys down at Wind-Sports. My Paralegal will Notarize
the Paper. Then I will put it in the Mail.

I can see it now; He used to Fly the Greatest King-Posted Glider ever made. Now He is Flying a Condor Single Surface! He has he fallen a long Way! I will not Sit and Listen to any dribble of this knd. While it is true that, no Question that a Predator is truly the best King-Posted Glider ever made. My Flying A Condor will be the greatest flight that I have ever had. I began Flying in 1991. No, Flying that Condor will simply be a lateral move.

BOB: Please do not Ban Me because the word Word: "AMOROUS"

[Bob Kuczewski]

BOB: Please do not Ban Me because the word Word: "AMOROUS"

OK, no ban for that. But I'm considering a ban for lack of proofreading. If your preflighting is anything like your proofreading ... you should also be grounded.

Post. Read. Revise. Repeat. Remember that you have 4 hours to revise your post before is becomes set in concrete. Use that time to re-read every word and even the title. Make your posts only perfect ... no better.

[Chris McKeon]

Well now Dave C is not looking like Dave will not be an option for My to getting down to Dockweiler. So I might haVE to get transportation down South in May by someone else. I might need to travel Via an Airline.

But I have a task that must complete, I really need to finally confront My Demons and achieve a resolution that My Demons are suppressed, and that they are dead and gone. This "Problems" are My personal issues', They will remain just that My Issues. This might be the thing that might derail Me in My efforts to be at Dockweiler Beach on the 22nd of May. But we will see.

[Bob Kuczewski]

So what do You Guys think? Will I be worthy of being Called "THE PHOENIX GUY IN THE SKY'?

I think it fits perfectly.

Phoenix_Rising.jpg (92.35 KiB) Viewed 1701 times

[Chris McKeon]

Well I just spoke with john. regarding my Hang IV rating. Well John explained to Me that I will have to Demonstrate to an observer that I can still Fly. Well I see no reason that could be done. John said that due to my having no communication with U-S-G-A My rating for over three Years, My rating was expunged. For the Short-Term I have lined up a Condor so that I can demonstrate that I am still a Competent Pilot.

Guys here is a heads-up for you. just know that if You ever are in a coma. your attending doctors will notify the DMV of that fact, then the DMV will render your Drivers License Null and Void. Pounding My Predator cost Me Dearly. I have already takin I Aced the written part of the DMV Driving Testing, I still need to get a Doctor to sign a form saying that I am good to go regarding taking the Behind the Wheel part of the Test.

I never thought that if I got seriously hurt Flying. I never thought that I would et hurt while landing. Heck, Landing was something that I used to do very well.

[Bob Kuczewski]

John said that due to my having no communication with U-S-G-A My rating for over three Years, My rating was expunged.

This is yet another problem with USHPA's rating model. You can fly every day, but if you don't pay U$HPA on their time table, you lose all of your ratings.

Conversely, if you make no flights (zero flying activities) for 30 years, but make regular payments to U$HPA, they will declare that you are still just as rated to fly as you were 30 years ago.

[Chris McKeon]

Check this out. Every Landing That John has ever seen Me make, all My landings have been made by Me while I was landing My 158 Predator. John said to Me once that there might be another Pilot that He knew who might be a better lander than I am. That Pilot would be Steve Moyes. John did use the Words "Might Be". I hope to have John No longer be indecisive regarding who is a better lander, Steve Moyes or Me. I have always maintained that it is My Predators inherently superb flight characteristics that enabled Me to attain such a great record regarding the Flights and the landings that I have enjoyed. I do not really know how long that I have Flown My Predator. But I have Flown My Predator. I believe that I have flown My Predator for 25 Years or so. My First Glider was a Wills Wing Falcon 225. I remember when Rob K brought My brand new 225 Falcon to Fort Funston. I flew My Falcon for oh I don't know. I Flew My Falcon for a Year or So. Then I bought My Predator From John. OK look at My Flying reality. I was always a pretty good Lander. But Yes way back then I did once in a while I would Whack My Falcon. After I got My Predator, Whacking a Glider became a memory. No Question if One rates the landings of their Gliders to optimally be Whack-Free. Then in My experience, My 158 Predator was a better landing Glider than An Falcon 225. When I think about the Predator that old saying comes to Mind; "You can't argue with success"

https://ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic.php ... =30#p30524


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[Chris McKeon]

well today, today's Flying will be a Non event. For I spoke with Pilot-X this Morning, Pilot-X says that There will be too strong a South Wind gor Me to Fly that 330 Condor. But there is always another Sunday to Fly. I want to say How much I want to Fly. I have not Flown in twelve Years. I would say using that statement that we all use to describe how badly i want to Fly, but Bob will ban Me if I use a certain word in describing How badly I want to Fly!

[Chris McKeon]

I realize that many of You might think that I am one Busted up, Brain injured Predator Pilot. Well i guess all of that may just be true, But I think about how my Friends say things like what Kevin D said to Me regarding when I told Kevin that now that I have lost One Hundred Pounds and still counting less than My last Flight. I told Kevin that I believed that now that I have Lost over a hundred pounds now I will be a force regarding My ability to cover distance XC. Kevin replied; "Chris you were a Force before You lost the weight" Well My friends have all had kind thoughts and words to say to Me. So, Flight one will be when I fly George's 330 Condor. I am so looking forward to experiencing some Ultra-Low Wing loading Happiness.