And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
There's someone here in town that flies these. Looks like fun.
I used to think the same until I watched a neophyte launch from Fort Funston in SF. She went up, out, did a 180 and slammed into the side of the cliff. The helicopter rescue was quite the event. I mean, who jumps from a perfectly stable cliff?
The best way to learn is on a golf course, one with lots of small hills. You pick one that is just a little steeper than your glide ratio, and that way you're not too far off the ground as you learn handling. Or at least that's how it worked with the old Rogallo wings when I tried them out in the 70's. From there we graduated to ski slopes (bunny slopes first). Quite exhilarating, once you've done your pre-flight checks like a grownup.
Uh huh. It's all fun and games until that little backpack putt-putt craps out at 5000' a mile or three out to sea, or over inhospitable terrain for landing, and you start doing best-glide ratios in your head like a nuclear physicist on crack, before you run out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas.
I knew one guy that flew those. Got to know him while he was wheel chair bound with his right leg held together with pins. Misjudged the landing and barely survived. I like being on the ground thanks.
This guy flew his paraglider to 17,500 feet altitude just to see if he could. spoiler: he said it was the last time he'll ever do that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Z8YT6w7Rc
There are at least 3 people here in Fall River Mills that fly these. They sound like a pissed off bumblebee buzzing around.
ReplyDeleteI used to think the same until I watched a neophyte launch from Fort Funston in SF. She went up, out, did a 180 and slammed into the side of the cliff. The helicopter rescue was quite the event. I mean, who jumps from a perfectly stable cliff?
ReplyDeleteThe best way to learn is on a golf course, one with lots of small hills. You pick one that is just a little steeper than your glide ratio, and that way you're not too far off the ground as you learn handling. Or at least that's how it worked with the old Rogallo wings when I tried them out in the 70's. From there we graduated to ski slopes (bunny slopes first). Quite exhilarating, once you've done your pre-flight checks like a grownup.
ReplyDeleteUh huh. It's all fun and games until that little backpack putt-putt craps out at 5000' a mile or three out to sea, or over inhospitable terrain for landing, and you start doing best-glide ratios in your head like a nuclear physicist on crack, before you run out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas.
ReplyDeleteI knew one guy that flew those. Got to know him while he was wheel chair bound with his right leg held together with pins. Misjudged the landing and barely survived. I like being on the ground thanks.
ReplyDeleteThis guy flew his paraglider to 17,500 feet altitude just to see if he could. spoiler: he said it was the last time he'll ever do that.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Z8YT6w7Rc