My son, Kevin, asked to do a hang glider tandem for his birthday. Dave Beardslee said he'd take him up today at Lake Elsinore. Here are the photos of the launch. The weather was beautiful, but the wind died down right after they launched - so it was a relatively short flight. That's okay though, Kevin loved what time he did get and now he wants to become a pilot!
I guess that's makes sense - both his dad and his godfather are airplane pilots. Maybe he'll consider that path as well. Either way, I'm proud of him!
Kevin and Dave at Lake Elsinore with Jeff assisting in the launch
Looking at the pictures of Kevin launching for his first time gives me a bigger RUSH than when I launch myself. I swear I can feed off of the rush even coming through a still picture. I remember the feeling from 34 years ago. (I haven't even met Kevin!) Thanks. (You captured the moment!)
Yeah, it kinda reminded me of the first time I parachuted. It was an eye-opening moment when you watch someone you care about jumping out of a perfectly good airplane! It was like that today - (my God, they're jumping off of a perfectly good mountain!). But, they did land safely - even with very little wind. Someday, I expect I'll be seeing him do this solo.
I confess to a bias against tandems. I love the fact that my first high flight was solo; my first thermal flight was solo;my first ground skimming flight...solo. Nothing brings as much freedom or sobering responsibility as that does. Plus the progression is more natural. Work your way up the hill, and the rewards come as you earn them. I didn't need any stinkin' discovery flight . I was a hang glider pilot long before I showed up to my first lesson.
Later in a sailplane I would have to tolerate that dreaded voice from the backseat (however necessary). Sometimes it seemed awful crowded in there...
Important points and topic, Merlin. Earning wings by desire, study, walking wings, model-flight study, study of the safety matters, getting fit for running wings, running wings, review of the history of flight, appreciating the challenge of gravity, mastering taking off and landing, making decisions, and so much more ... done right off with self-responsibility brings on an aura removed by tandem discovery. I have yet to meet a bird that took a discovery flight; is there a marsupial bird? Even the initial tow-me done by a secondary force robs a special unique potential of personal flight. What a different space tandem firsts from fledgling solo firsts!!!
Then: The WWRA supports dwelling and mastering WR; a large sector of WR has eye on first solo glides. Safe-Splat in Wing Running (WR) is a safety arm. All solo. The community aspects of study, discussion, team flows, mentoring, coaching, parallel study, etc. are part of the fun party of earning wings. Knowing one's wings is way different from putting down $100 and riding something different; the tandem discovery just might be robbing hang gliding of its heart and soul. Seasons of exploring, growing, wondering, desiring, building foundations, growing feathers, stumbling and prevention of stumbling, awareness of wind, awareness of ground challenges, force study and appreciation, lift, drag, stability, sense of wind, sense of airspeed, limitations, reflection, growing, and more... Ground-school delights, body awareness, fitness, preparation, body protection, site study, observation, and the hundreds of nuanced lessons...each a gem.
Mentor relationships for extended times.... Wow! Compare with: Discovery flight today, pay here. Even fast-moving commercial instruction has a side to it that may miss a host of very special experiences.
The hang gliding movement has yet to be masters of Safe-Splat. Even safe-splat in wing running. (SSWR) The whacking is just one of the clues. Compare the gouging tangent point contact of a wheel with the broad face of a ski; and notice the wheel use yet, even though early aviation knew the ski for safer splatting. We ache for the broken necks, lost leg nerves, and deaths. Injuries still occur that are preventable. Depths of care and appreciation may be forever out of motivational reach when flight virginity is disappeared by what might be termed as the rape by discovery flight. Passenger riding is a far different space than that of earning wings, growing wings, ... Make a paper model glider that avoids crashing; add a model of self onto a larger model. Discovery tandem flights are not used by birds, insects, or flying seeds. Even the voice commands of a remote instructor might be more deeply investigated; what earning efforts might be being missed, skipped over, given insufficient attention ... that would invite remote control of one's flight? Could practices otherwise make remote piloting not part of the hang gliding scene? Discussions, drawings, observations, study of hundreds of accidents, study of hundreds of stories of grown success, hundreds of conservative solo graduated flights, testing of early skills ... Prudent time tables, learning risk management. method comparisons, gaining confidence about each piece of the system from shoes to sprogs. Flight dynamics? Control dynamics? The full why of my little injury? Why did each of thousands of aviators crash?
Merlin wrote:I confess to a bias against tandems. I love the fact that my first high flight was solo; my first thermal flight was solo;my first ground skimming flight...solo. Nothing brings as much freedom or sobering responsibility as that does. Plus the progression is more natural. Work your way up the hill, and the rewards come as you earn them. I didn't need any stinkin' discovery flight . I was a hang glider pilot long before I showed up to my first lesson.
I have mixed feelings on this.
I did all my early training (1978) solo. I took my first "altitude" flights (1978) from the cliff line along Cape Kiwanda solo. When I got back into the sport in 2004, I went through Joe Greblo's program and he required tandem flights. I really didn't want to do them, but I had no easy alternative, so I went along with the program. The tandem flights were done after several launching and landing sessions at Dockweiler, and they really opened my eyes to what one could do with a hang glider. First of all, they were SOARING flights. Joe kept us up for about 45 minutes while I worked on rolling in and out of turns, varying speed, and a few other tricks. I was able to perform all those skills while knowing that we must be relatively safe because Joe had his life on the line with me. I think it was a tremendous benefit at that stage of my training.
On the other hand, a first flight tandem is a different thing. There's a lot of evidence that a first flight tandem is so overwhelming that it makes the passenger feel that "they could never do that" on their own. So the flatland running and building to higher and higher launch points does a lot to increase self-confidence along with flight skills.
So I think Joe's program has it right. Do the initial training solo so the pilot can build self-confidence. Then use the tandems to give more flight time and work on skills with the safety of an instructor on board. The best of both worlds.
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.
by majiemae » Wed Jun 06, 2012 4:51 pm 
Good job Dave 
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