Bingen, Cape Lookout, and where else?
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Discover Paragliding!
Jul 17, 2012, 12:58:07 PM7/17/12
to Cascade Paragliding Club
I have been watching, and starting to share my
opinion with our students that we are going to see some
'interesting' accidents at Cape Lookout in the coming season.
Seems Bingen is on the list too. Those that have been around long
enough can recognize the waxing and waning cycle of accidents we seem to have. (At
least I think I can...) Seems we have a few good accidents, and
folks take heed and start flying more conservatively. After a while,
such things fade from memory, combined with a new, fresh pilot crop,
and we start to inadvertently set things in motion for the next
round of accidents.
For me, Cape Lookout has been raising the red flag high lately. There are currently quite a few folks that have the experience to take a 5 second glance and the ocean and the sky 'out front' and have a very good idea what's to come. They have also logged the hours to 'confirm' that their analyses have been correct. I have watched as trips to the point have gone from a rare, special, and well considered event, to a more normal and almost average thing to do. (If I haven't flown out to the point yet, what's wrong with me?")
Flying out to the point is obviously a higher risk endeavor. I expect that most who do it haven't really considered all the potential variables that could make things go unpleasantly sideways. With so many folks flying out that way, it's easy to just become part of the herd. A common expression I use in ground school is "Don't be the pilot that other pilots look to, to see if the wind is increasing..." (Or in the case of Cape Lookout, decreasing, increasing, or going more north.)
I think Steve F. and Ancil could actually agree that, back in the day, when we all started, we all spent a great deal more time analyzing conditions than most pilots do now. It was pretty normal to sit on launch chatting with our fellow pilot (pilots?) for 4 hours prior to launching, just trying to make sure we had considered everything and we had a very good idea of what the weather patterns were going to be. We really don't do that anymore, and it's not even that it's completely necessary anymore. But for younger and more experienced pilots alike, it might be a good thing to once in a while, just sit on the hill and consider what an over zealous estimation of the days weather could bring. Not just at Cape Lookout, but at any of the sites we fly.
Taking a brief intermission from putting together my presentation to the Oregon Dept. of Aviation on Thursday. Hoping to head out with a student as soon as the sky clears a bit. Back to work now...
Brad
For me, Cape Lookout has been raising the red flag high lately. There are currently quite a few folks that have the experience to take a 5 second glance and the ocean and the sky 'out front' and have a very good idea what's to come. They have also logged the hours to 'confirm' that their analyses have been correct. I have watched as trips to the point have gone from a rare, special, and well considered event, to a more normal and almost average thing to do. (If I haven't flown out to the point yet, what's wrong with me?")
Flying out to the point is obviously a higher risk endeavor. I expect that most who do it haven't really considered all the potential variables that could make things go unpleasantly sideways. With so many folks flying out that way, it's easy to just become part of the herd. A common expression I use in ground school is "Don't be the pilot that other pilots look to, to see if the wind is increasing..." (Or in the case of Cape Lookout, decreasing, increasing, or going more north.)
I think Steve F. and Ancil could actually agree that, back in the day, when we all started, we all spent a great deal more time analyzing conditions than most pilots do now. It was pretty normal to sit on launch chatting with our fellow pilot (pilots?) for 4 hours prior to launching, just trying to make sure we had considered everything and we had a very good idea of what the weather patterns were going to be. We really don't do that anymore, and it's not even that it's completely necessary anymore. But for younger and more experienced pilots alike, it might be a good thing to once in a while, just sit on the hill and consider what an over zealous estimation of the days weather could bring. Not just at Cape Lookout, but at any of the sites we fly.
Taking a brief intermission from putting together my presentation to the Oregon Dept. of Aviation on Thursday. Hoping to head out with a student as soon as the sky clears a bit. Back to work now...
Brad
--
See you up
there,
Brad and Maren
Your 'Couple' of Instructors
www.DiscoverParagliding.com
503-861-2772 (W) 503-440-0733 (c)
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