7 second flight report. or My 'biffed" launch at Woodrat
Dan Wells
My biffed launch at Woodrat 9-5-22
My plan for the day was to get a quick flight in on my brand-new Advance Lightness 3 harness and then get back home for some chores. Mary Beth was happy to drive so we headed to top launch arriving around 1:30 PM. I was figuring perhaps just a sled ride down to Hunters or with a little climb off launch landing at LongSword.
The conditions were pretty typical. A day starting with are light cycles coming up the North Launch before switching west. The cycles were not very long and at times it looked like it was switching, and I should take the West Launch. I didn’t want to wait. I laid out on the North and with a little waiting had enough wind to build a wall and then set the glider down as the cycle quit. I waited for the next cycle.
The wind picked up and I pulled the glider up using A’s and brakes, turned around and headed towards the edge of launch. The glider drifted a little to the right and I corrected and kept moving towards the edge of launch. It felt just a bit soft, but I made the decision to press on. As I took the last step before the edge, I thought I had enough lift to clear the edge but my glider just touched the edge of launch and my glide slope had me headed for a couple of alder bushes below launch. It was an “uh oh” moment. There was a space to go between them and I headed for that space. Unfortunately, the reason there was space between them is that there were rocks between them.
I impacted the rocks with my left rear thigh just below my buttocks. That slowed me and the glider kept flying for a bit before the right side wrapped around a larger Alder and the left side fell limp. I was resting on the slope with a bit of tension on the right risers where they were wrapped around and hanging from the Alder bush.
Mary Beth saw the glider disappear below the edge of launch and quickly came down to investigate when she didn’t see me flying away. She was concerned because she couldn’t see me. I called her on the radio and told her I thought I was OK but need a minute to self-assess my condition. No need to call 911.
After a bit I got out of my harness and disconnected it from the glider. It was a long trudge back up to the launch with the harness and helmet. Don’t ask me why I didn’t put the helmet back on instead of carrying it. I was only 50-75 feet down from launch but it’s steep and lots of scree to navigate if you try and go pretty much straight up which I did.
Once back at the truck I saw on Telegram that lots of pilots would be coming to fly glass off which by this time was only a couple of hours away. So, I made a post and help was on the way. I had a nice bruise and a raspberry scrape under my ripped pants. Marybeth got the first aid kit and applied wound wash and a bandage to my injury and I was ready for help to get the wing when they arrived.
Of course, the “energizer bunny” of rescue, Rick Ray was first to the rescue. We headed down with loppers and a broom with a long extension on it.
Lots of lopping off limbs and untangling lines followed. Rick cut the limbs while I tossed them away and untangled lines. I was able to get the left side of the wing clear without much trouble. Then Sam Crocker arrived, and he worked on untangling as well an getting the glider balled up. It was a godsend when Sam told me he would take the balled-up glider back up to launch for me. We all made our way up to launch and trucks where Rick produced a tube of poison ivy/oak wash. Rick, Sam and I washed the areas we thought might have had oil on them. Fortunately, between the three of us we had plenty of water to rinse off.
That done I thanked them, and Mary Beth and I headed home. Clothes are in the washer, another poison oak treatment in a cold shower followed by some ibuprofen. Now I just wait to see if things get itchy tomorrow.
The harness is not damaged and tomorrow I’ll have a look at the wing and the lines.
Bottom line in all this is don’t be impatient on the winds when you are on launch. You know they will get stronger that time of day. Just wait a bit. And if your glider feels a bit soft over your head abort the launch. I’ve tempted fate quite a few times launching when the glider felt a bit soft and got away with it. Today was a different story.
Dan
Dan Wells
Kevin Lee
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Thermal Tracker Paragliding
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