kgwilson Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBob Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 We all make mistakes. Then there are the Darwin award candidates. And, their peers, often driving boats............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgwilson Posted July 21, 2017 Author Share Posted July 21, 2017 The dedication of the participants is unquestionable. Then of course there is "Caravan, What Caravan? Bonk. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_d Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 I did feel for the hanglider pilots. Never actually hit anything on landing, but I remember lifting my legs to avoid the tree tops on approach once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBob Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 If you drag a canopy through the air faster than it can vent air (through the hole at the apex or the various slots cut into it) then it must dump the air from under the skirt. It will dump from under one side of the skirt, causing the canopy to oscillate sideways, which then causes it to dump out of the other side, and so on. Make a toy parachute out of a handkerchief, bits of string and a weight, and you get just this action. You also see it, very fast, with arrester chutes. It can be violent. There are some painfully good examples of it in the above clip. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soleair Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 Watching the hang gliding clips was spooky: it was like looking into a mirror that reflects the past. What fun we had in those early days! But fortunately our ignorance protected us from waking up screaming with 'might have been' scenarios. I flew into a cliff face while slope soaring - twice, amongst other adventures in early flying. (Slow learner.) ISTR some saying to the effect that we start out with a full bucket of luck, and an empty one of experience. The trick is to fill the experience bucket before the other one runs out. Certainly true of my early days in hang gliding & early self-built ultralights in the 70's. Bruce 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callahan Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 Hey Bruce! You brought back a memory of my first ultralight, a Terror-Dactyl (Pterodactyl).....before the canards came along. 22 hp Sachs. Scary sumbitch it was! Came in 4 boxes, no pictures or diagrams. 19 and 79. Kept it 2 years, sold it to a guy who crashed it. No surprise there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soleair Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 Hey Bruce!You brought back a memory of my first ultralight, a Terror-Dactyl (Pterodactyl).....before the canards came along. 22 hp Sachs. Scary sumbitch it was! Came in 4 boxes, no pictures or diagrams. 19 and 79. Kept it 2 years, sold it to a guy who crashed it. No surprise there. Hi Callahan That's amazing - I imported one of the first Dactyl kits into UK. And yes, complete with direct drive Sachs motor with that tiny little prop. Made a lot more noise than thrust. Taught myself to fly it from the few pages at the back of the build manual. When Jack McCornack introduced that big floppy canard, I stole the idea but made my own. It was about half the size of Jack's, but worked well because it was a defined airfoil made from ply skins with an aluminium leading edge. I also uprated my engine to a 440 Robin, & made my own reduction gear & 56" prop. I reckon that about quadrupled the thrust! I logged 132 hours on my Dactyl, including a night flight & a 140 mile cross country. I loved & feared my Dactyl in equal parts. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callahan Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 Bruce! I remember Crazy Jack! He did a two-up with a female on a cross country for Glider Rider magazine. Both were quite brave. Somehow he widen the "cockpit" to fit two. Guy wasn't stupid for sure & neither are you! You designed your own gearbox! Amazing! Well, glad to hear your survived a Terror-Dactyl ownership! P. S, Any idea how many less fortunates than us were killed in that "scary sumbitch?" P.S.S. Watch my video as I take a Drifter for a test drive. On YouTube...Drifter Flying by William Catalina Take Care! Bill Callahan Hi CallahanThat's amazing - I imported one of the first Dactyl kits into UK. And yes, complete with direct drive Sachs motor with that tiny little prop. Made a lot more noise than thrust. Taught myself to fly it from the few pages at the back of the build manual. When Jack McCornack introduced that big floppy canard, I stole the idea but made my own. It was about half the size of Jack's, but worked well because it was a defined airfoil made from ply skins with an aluminium leading edge. I also uprated my engine to a 440 Robin, & made my own reduction gear & 56" prop. I reckon that about quadrupled the thrust! I logged 132 hours on my Dactyl, including a night flight & a 140 mile cross country. I loved & feared my Dactyl in equal parts. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBob Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 Bruce!I remember Crazy Jack! He did a two-up with a female on a cross country for Glider Rider magazine. Both were quite brave. Somehow he widen the "cockpit" to fit two. Guy wasn't stupid for sure & neither are you! You designed your own gearbox! Amazing! Well, glad to hear your survived a Terror-Dactyl ownership! P. S, Any idea how many less fortunates than us were killed in that "scary sumbitch?" P.S.S. Watch my video as I take a Drifter for a test drive. On YouTube...Drifter Flying by William Catalina Take Care! Bill Callahan The things some folk will do to sit next to the girls................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soleair Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 Bruce!I remember Crazy Jack! He did a two-up with a female on a cross country for Glider Rider magazine. Both were quite brave. Somehow he widen the "cockpit" to fit two. Guy wasn't stupid for sure & neither are you! You designed your own gearbox! Amazing! Well, glad to hear your survived a Terror-Dactyl ownership! P. S, Any idea how many less fortunates than us were killed in that "scary sumbitch?" P.S.S. Watch my video as I take a Drifter for a test drive. On YouTube...Drifter Flying by William Catalina Take Care! Bill Callahan The UK agents for the Dactyl made a two seater, & I went up in it for a ride with one of the partners. It took a lot of runway to get airborne! About the time I was building my Dactyl, I got involved with David Kirke of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club. They pioneered bungee jumping in UK, & got up to all sorts of crazy stuff. David hoped to fly his Dactyl to France from Dover, UK, & then go on to Paris & fly his machine through the Arc de Triomphe in the centre of Paris. Jack wanted to get involved, to oversee the flying, & maybe take part in the stunt. I met him at Heathrow Airport, then we drove out to Longleat House to meet up with David & Alex Thynne, the Marquess of Bath, who also owned a Dactyl & bought it to fly from the grounds of his stately home. In the end, the trip never happened, mainly due to lack of funds, & the total lack of planning. But it was a great craic, as the Irish say. I don't know of any UK Dactyl pilots who died. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David2ayo Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 Bruce!P.S.S. Watch my video as I take a Drifter for a test drive. On YouTube...Drifter Flying by William Catalina Take Care! Bill Callahan There is mention of a Bucket of Luck being transferred to a Bucket of Experience somewhere. Even though you obviously have a pretty full Bucket of Experience, I think your Bucket of Luck is still pretty full, and not only due to some subliminal frames which took me a bit of time to examine with due diligence. Great watching, thanks! David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callahan Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 You're most welcome David! That was a very creative way to describe it too. That video took two months of effort & I got a No Tresspass notice for the airport delivered to my door by a Sheriff's Deputy after it was all over. Our local yokel airport manager didn't approve of my "dangerous flying." I violated the Trespass about 10 times, was never arrested. I had a video of all the encounters with this guy on YouTube but after things settled down I removed it. You wouldn't believe this guy. He went way out of bounds. I may put it back up & if I do, I'll post it here. He called FAA too. Thanks again! There is mention of a Bucket of Luck being transferred to a Bucket of Experience somewhere. Even though you obviously have a pretty full Bucket of Experience, I think your Bucket of Luck is still pretty full, and not only due to some subliminal frames which took me a bit of time to examine with due diligence. Great watching, thanks!David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callahan Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 That was a great story Soleair! Would've loved to have had that pulled off. I can imagine Jack doing it too! I've heard of the Dangerous Sports Club. I think its called the Travis Pastrana Dangerous Sports Club now. If you don't know who he is just type the name on YouTube! Didn't know two seater 'Dactyls were in England. There's still some about. Saw one for sale on Barnstormer's a while back....about $1,500. We did have a few deaths in the U.S. Let a friend of mine fly mine, told him to keep stiff legged so that nose gear wouldn't collapse on him on landing. It did. He was on an asphalt runway & it gouged a hole in his kneecap so deep you could see the bone! Take Care! The UK agents for the Dactyl made a two seater, & I went up in it for a ride with one of the partners. It took a lot of runway to get airborne!About the time I was building my Dactyl, I got involved with David Kirke of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club. They pioneered bungee jumping in UK, & got up to all sorts of crazy stuff. David hoped to fly his Dactyl to France from Dover, UK, & then go on to Paris & fly his machine through the Arc de Triomphe in the centre of Paris. Jack wanted to get involved, to oversee the flying, & maybe take part in the stunt. I met him at Heathrow Airport, then we drove out to Longleat House to meet up with David & Alex Thynne, the Marquess of Bath, who also owned a Dactyl & bought it to fly from the grounds of his stately home. In the end, the trip never happened, mainly due to lack of funds, & the total lack of planning. But it was a great craic, as the Irish say. I don't know of any UK Dactyl pilots who died. Bruce 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callahan Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 Like Ashley said: "That Bill is a pushover!" You shoulda' seen the ones I didn't show you! The things some folk will do to sit next to the girls................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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