Hang Gliding for Paragliding Pilots of Southern California

[Bob Kuczewski]

Many years ago I proposed a "Hang Gliding for Paraglider Pilots" event within the San Diego Hang Gliding and Paragliding community (specifically the SDHGPA). The plan was to offer group HG lessons at Dockweiler for PG pilots. Even at that time, the situation at Torrey Pines was so toxic that not a single PG pilot took me up on that event.

Maybe this would be a good thing for the FDGS club to think about offering some time? The great thing about PG pilots is they're already comfortable (translation: not scared to death) in the air, and they already have a fair amount of aeronautical and weather background.

The FDGS could coordinate with Windsports to create an event similar to the Otto Meet, and we could advertise it on local forums (Crestline, etc) and nationally as well.

What do you guys think?

[Bob Kuczewski]

P.S. If the FDGS can work out the details of holding semi-informal events like these, there are other groups we might serve as well. I could easily imagine outreach events advertised for local schools and colleges inviting their students and faculty out for a day of gliding introduction. Maybe commercial flight schools might also participate in "Hang Gliding for Airline Pilots" events. Maybe "Hang Gliding for Boy Scouts" or "Hang Gliding for Girl Scouts" to earn a "Hang Gliding Badge".

The point is that there are lots of ways that the FDGS - in conjunction with Windsports - can contribute to introducing (or reintroducing) the public to the sport of hang gliding. That would be a great gift to the sport from some of its most senior members.

[JoeF]

1. FDGS is not a corporation yet.
2. Windsports has training sessions available.
3. Only Windsports instructors may instruct hang gliding at Dockweiler.
4. Just advertising hang gliding intro and training for Dockweiler is already a stream that may be deepened.
5. A PDMC PG invested person has a huge cultural peer pressure thing going, on average, it seems. Having a day with such title as suggested might be seen as a hardcore affront to that culture; and thus avoided, as the deal is a public place ... and the word might get out that he or she attended ...
6. A PDMC PG invested person already may arrive without the challenge of a titled day and explore hang gliding at Dockweiler.
7. If a PDMC PG invested person did know about wind and wing, then how did they end up in PDMC PG world?
8. Energy presented with focus just on HG without stressing cultural issues might be a more open door for entry to HG by those in PDMC PG culture.
9. The PDMC PG stream is going to play out its story no matter what occurs at Dockweiler. The journey to HG away from PDMC PG might arrive from personal enlightenment and courageous decision making.
10. Appearing to sell to a particular group might have backlashes. Differently: Just showing the joy of hang gliding in various ways that can be seen by all groups maintains non-suspect freedom for the viewers. The "for" seems to have a pushy sense to it, as though someone made up half the decision about the matter for a person already. But "Hang Gliding for joy, fun, adventure, challenge, exercise, health, .... " presented within various communities gives full choice to the viewer. Personal adventuring ...
11. Just the title has a very challenging linguistic pattern. The persons involved are fine; but for some people, myself included, the structure "for _____" programs an untenable. I am in no way "for" PDMC PG; all gliding sport energy here is for hang gliding (no energy left for PDMC PG for safety reasons and respect for human families). Yes, positives to the pilots of any craft, but no positives for the PDMC PG method itself.

[Rick Masters]

How about "Rehabilitation of Ozone Warblers" at the Friends of Dockweiler Ornithological Society meetings?
"I'm Bill. I'm an Ozone Warbler."
"Hi Bill..."

[Frank Colver]

I agree with all of the points that Joe said in his reply.

In addition, I think that PG will slowly diminish as more videos come out showing sudden collapse and lines tangling, especially those under a clear blue sky. It's too bad that more will be injured and die before enough people come to the understanding that all aircraft need to be able to survive and fly through normal air turbulence.

I would laugh at the joke if someone told me that I should run a whitewater river in an inflatable craft that would deflate upon entering a rapid.

Frank C.

[Rick Masters]

normal air turbulence

It's not something to be afraid of. You just need to be on an aircraft that is capable of surviving it. All these deaths in paragliding from collapse - it's unbelievable! And they always say, "it was a sudden gust of wind!" Like that was unusual, unique, unexpected. As if the gust of wind did it and they had no defense. Well of course they had no defense - they were flying a parachute, for God's sake! Nobody with any sense flies a parachute in turbulence. They collapse.

Turbulence is everywhere. It's part of the atmosphere. That's why real pilots demand a rigid airframe. To have fun, not to dance with death.

[Frank Colver]

As I said.

FC