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A life without risk is not worth living
- Thread starter Chas
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Craig Yeoman
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Cool picture. The dude taking the picture hasn't got a safety line.....bonkers.
Could be off camera.
Maybe he has a parachute! :
I didn't imagine those wind turbines to be as big as that.
Great picture though!
I didn't imagine those wind turbines to be as big as that.
Great picture though!
I think the picture doesn't give a true indication of the height, and a chute at that height would be a waste of time. When I used to fly a glider we were always told to leave at least 1800ft for the chute to open fully if we ever had to bale out, (the chutes we had were not like modern ones) thankfully I never had to. Those wind turbines are never that high.Maybe he has a parachute! :
I didn't imagine those wind turbines to be as big as that.
Great picture though!
Me waiting to take off on my first solo in a single seater, chap kneeling down was our chief flying instructor the fellow standing was our club treasurer, one probably wondering should I let him go and the other wondering what's the cost if he doesn't come back.
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I don't know the subject technically, but these days base jumpers seem to rely on the modern chutes which seem to operate at very low altitudes. My Father was an RAF bomb aimer in the Halifax and flew 36 missions over Germany. He was very pleased to have completed them without ever having to bale out. The only time he parachuted was in training. I can't bring myself to do it not even for a charity jump. I have flown tandem on a parapant though. We jumped off the mountain at about 1800m and the pilot caught thermals which took us up to 2400m or so. That was fantastic!
I think maybe our instructions to leave at least 1800ft included exiting the glider which would take time, jettisoning the canopy, undoing the straps even with the quick release buckle and reduce height for the chute to open. I wouldn't fancy jumping from 800ft
I was going to do a buddy jump but my doctor wouldn't sign medical clearance certificate needed by the para club that were organising it, if the club ever mount a scheme like that again I am going to sign it myself.
I had to look up 'parapant' it's what I've always known as paraglider,
I know what you mean about thermals it's one of the best things about gliding, I've flown in a thermal with a crow opposite me, he was watching me and I was watching him, a real feeling of being a bird, wonderful!
Modern fibreglass gliders are very efficient but heavy, so have to fly faster to sustain lift, not like the old wood and canvass ones, because they have to fly faster they can't fly tight circles. The best lift is in the middle of the thermal, I remember being at Lasham during a gliding competition (I wasn't competing) I was flying tight circles in a thermal with a lot of glassfibre jobbies and out-climbing them it was a great feeling for a rookie pilot.
You've obviously got a great buzz from the experience Chas!
I might have been a bit misleading when I spoke of the altitude we went to on the paraglider, the guys were taking off running down the ski slope and then trying to get extra height from the thermals. Of course on the mountain the relative height to the ground would have been considerably less than the height above Black sea level.
It was a bit cold, probably -18 or so.
Lousy photo, but those are my feet on the right...
Over the ski slope
Still rising on the thermals
Looking up to the "wing"
We eventually landed after doing several horizontal circles spiraling down to the area behind the ski lift station. I didn't feel too well after doing those circles, but it was a great experience!
I might have been a bit misleading when I spoke of the altitude we went to on the paraglider, the guys were taking off running down the ski slope and then trying to get extra height from the thermals. Of course on the mountain the relative height to the ground would have been considerably less than the height above Black sea level.
It was a bit cold, probably -18 or so.
Lousy photo, but those are my feet on the right...
Over the ski slope
Still rising on the thermals
Looking up to the "wing"
We eventually landed after doing several horizontal circles spiraling down to the area behind the ski lift station. I didn't feel too well after doing those circles, but it was a great experience!
One of my most memorable flying experiences was not in a glider but in a 'tug' the aircraft that tows the gliders up, in this case an old RAF training plane I think it was a or something like that.
I went up while he towed a glider and after release we were going back to the airfield and I said to the pilot 'I've heard these are aerobatically certified' he then treated me to one of the most thrilling flying experiences I've ever had (another was flying into Kia Tak which I'll tell you about another time) first he flew over the airfield and released the tow rope and then when an aircraft is about to perform unexpected manoeuvres it does clearance checks to see if there are any other aircraft near and to warn others as well, so the pilot did those and then put it into a dive, I thought he's going to loop, yes he did, then did another but at the top of the loop when upside down he inverted to the right way up then again dived and climbed straight up until the plane stalled did an upright turn and dived back down (called a Chandelle, I've done this myself in a glider it's very easy but looks impressive from the ground) I'm not sure what came next, he lost me but on coming into land we were much to high so he did those "horizontal circles spiraling down" so tight I could feel the G forces pressing down on me, I remember it well.
EDIT
I've just remembered the pilot let me take the controls for a while, but that wasn't during the aerobatics
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I'm fine with up and down, but round and round makes me feel sick. These fairground extreme rides are fine for me because there's a lot of variety in the movements, but put me on a simple roundabout and I go green!
My 4 year old daughter is testing and learning my limitations!
Good stories Chas, thanks.
My 4 year old daughter is testing and learning my limitations!
Good stories Chas, thanks.
ModelMakerMan
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I don't think I could climb that like they do in the video without safety lines, if I was paid a million pounds.
Even with a safety line I'm not sure I could do it.
I could stand the height but I'm not strong enough for the climb up.
ModelMakerMan
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For me its the bit where he stands at the top and faffs about with his safety line for about 2 mins before clipping on! I was almost shouting at the screen "CLIP ON!"
Leopard
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Good grief! That's insane. I'm surprised he doesn't have a line connected all the time. Surely that wouldn't fly in our current health and safety mad world?
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