Backwards Hook In - Non Injury

As happens a few times a year,  a pilot hooked in completely backwards and launched off a local mountain. A "common sense" approach to hooking in, in which the pilot practices the turn direction for the reverse inflation will usually prevent this. In this case, the pilot flew well while hooked in backwards and landed somewhere other than the designated LZ. If this ever happens to you, please consider just flying away from the hill and executing the flight to the LZ as normal, complete with nicely executed flare. While the task seems daunting, it can be done well, even on your first time.

PG Top Landing North Side Injury, July 29

A visiting P2 pilot attempted to top land the top of the North Side at 7:45 pm. At approx. 25 feet, the pilot stalled the glider resulting in an ankle and a back injury. Assistance was rendered by a local instructor and a registered nurse who happened to be flying tandem nearby. A helicopter evacuation was executed. 

Non Injury HG Tandem Launch Abort June, 29 North Side

A tandem HG pilot caught a wing tip in the bushes and aborted a launch resulting in some damage to the glider but zero injuries.

Accidental Deployment PG Tandem June, 21 ( non injury )

A tandem pilot had an accidental deployment on the North Side. There were no injuries. The reserve was difficult to disable. The pilot speculates that a reserve that had a small pack volume combined with a normal size under the seat reserve container combined with some mild acrobatic maneuvering led to the inadvertent deployment.

Kiting Accident S. Side

A visiting P2 pilot inflated on top of the South Side in 20 mph wind. He was pulled three or four feet in the air and when he landed he broke his leg. He was using a smaller than normal paraglider which may have made him think that the 20 mph winds would be less of an issue. We are all encouraged to avoid be smart about flying  in strong conditions even when we are using smaller canopies.

PG Downwinder Incident North Side (non injury - PG )

What must have been a new pilot made what has become a common blunder on the North Side (PG) over the years. In setting up for a top landing on a typically cross North Side evening, the pilot turned down wind toward the bathrooms but failed to bring the canopy into wind for landing. The pilot exercised excessive brake on one side of the glider at about 30 feet and caused a spin. The landing was firm but the pilot walked away. A few lessons here:

-most top landings on the NS do not involve turning down wind at all ---> just drift over the top of the hill and then "square up" back into the wind with plenty of time to spare

-members need to take pains to brief new pilots and visiting pilots about this potential pitfall and how to make top landings on the North Side

-if we point down wind for any reason it's important to look and lean (PG) back into the wind as early as possible while using brake in such a way as to avoid an inadvertent spin

Other common NS pitfalls to avoid:

-benching up in strong conditions ---> blowback
-benching up too low, going east behind the houses and having to do a forced landing on the side of the hill ( normal wind heavily favors a NE bound landing on the side of the hill ---> SE landing = downwind and VERY high speeds )

If you need further clarification on these subjects consult your instructor. 

HG Launch Incident N. Side

A Hang 4 pilot on an advanced (topless) wing failed to get airborne last night (April 16) on the North Side.

Conditions were very light- almost no wind, with light cycles of about 5mph.  There was little to no wind when the accident occurred.

Pilot was fine, and there was no damage to glider.

The cause was the pilot attempting to launch with his nose too high (improper angle of attack). The pilot also said he didn't run enough, and jumped into the glider before it was flying. But the high nose angle was the main cause.

The pilot had been cautioned by a senior instructor to keep his nose down while preparing to launch.

The pilot landed in large bush directly below launch. The pilot said neither he nor the glider even hit the ground.

The pilot was cautioned to thoroughly inspect the glider before flying it again.