I Can't Land To Save My LIfe!

[dpaInc]

nothing wrong with the landing... especially like you said with a x-wind... nice vid man.

[NMERider]

@dpaInc I was razzing all the folks who were unduly critical of my landings. ;-P Thanks!

[SupaNami]

do you guys where chutes just in case something happens?

[NMERider]

@SupaNami Yes. I always fly w/ a reserve chute. I've had many friends use theirs over the decades.

[zenji1]

@NMERider What is the secret to flare timing? I'm sick of having bleeding knees :(

[NMERider]

@zenji1 Read Jim Rooney's thread in the Oz Report forum. Aren't you both in NZ? Look him up. He's "The Man". Cheers, Jonathan

[kingscross30]

@NMERider how do you go up?

[NMERider]

@kingscross30 A bunch of us drive up on a truck w/ our gliders on the roof racks then we set up, launch and our driver takes the truck back down.

[gizmoguyar]

I know nothing about this sport, but I'm guessing the beeping is rate of ascent?

[NMERider]

@gizmoguyar That's correct. It's my variometer and it has a digital and analog readout as well as the beep tones.

[stantheman912]

@gizmoguyar In other words the machine that goes PING. 

[ilganis]

bravo young

[NMERider]

@ilganis Thanks!

[hakan737]

I really enjoyed your flight, thanks for sharing

[NMERider]

@hakan737 You're very welcome! I have lots more where that came from.

[mmichaeldonavon]

Let me say this about that: That sure beats flying my 12.5 year old Experimental Amateur Built Airplane! Hands down! Looks like lot more fun - and my guess is, it is!! Nice video, thanks, N-6395T

[NMERider]

@mmichaeldonavon The sport can be a tremendous amount to of fun, relaxation and adventure. Where I live it's readily accessible which helps. Thanks! Jonathan

[pilotman322]

how many miles did you go?

[NMERider]

@pilotman322 8 miles out then 12 back the other way.

[NevilleStyke]

Back-in-the-day we did have a rule that no part of the glider (apart from the keel) was allowed to touch the ground for a spot landing to count. They were real strict in those days!

[NMERider]

@NevilleStyke Funny (sad) how standards have dropped so much while equipment has gotten so much better. I will add that the earlier gliders before cambered battens were extremely easy to land without touching any part. They were also 20lbs lighter as were the harnesses.

[NevilleStyke]

@NMERider ......apart from the old Clubman (55lbs) which had tip-battens which stuck out-back further than the keel, so not only did they touch when you did a fully flared landing, but also you got two bent tip-battens!

[k1ng401]

were you in controlled air space or something? Are you allowed to do that in the US or were you being a bit naughty?

[NMERider]

@k1ng401 This was all done in unrestricted airspace however we are in a Victor airway and there is substantial commercial air traffic so we are always on the alert. There is restricted airspace nearby and we avoid that.

[mansanraps]

This video made me wanna hangglide and u seem to be a really awesome dude sir^^

[NMERider]

@mansanraps Thanks. I hope you do take lessons. There's nothing quite like it on Earth.

[cornell3206]

Awesome vid



[NMERider]

@cornell3206 Thanks!

[Bladerspirit999]

What country is CA??

[NMERider]

@Bladerspirit999 USA

[hanggliderrider]

Sorry for the mistake! I got slightly ahead of myself. You certainly don't need anything dramatic to happen at all. Good call! I thought I was communicating with skykidid in Japan. I,m getting ready to relocate due to poor circulation and intolerance of the winters. The only problem is my wife wants to stay here in CT because of family obligations. Oh well, I think I,ll go build myself another snowman! Keepm up the great flying and hope to communicate again soon!

[hanggliderrider]

Thanks for your positive response! Just wondering how things are going since the earth quake and devastating sanomi? Hope everything is well and were all routing for you! We just recovered from an unexpected winter storm which knocked out our power for 7 days! Everything is fine now. Not nearly as tramatic as what happened to you!

[NMERider]

@hanggliderrider I'm in Los Angeles and nothing dramatic has happened lately. Maybe you're thinking of skykidid in Japan? Sorry about your power outage on the East Coast. :-( I did my 25 years in Chicago and had to move due to poor circulation and intolerance of the winters.

[hanggliderrider]

Absolutely astonishing! I,ve flown hang gliders for some 15 yrs. but have been sidelined by M.S. so I have to get towed up behind an ultra/light. Last flight was 07/07/2007. After vewing that I,m ready to do it again! Fantastic! Glad I tap into your experiences. I,ll try to send you some of my adventures when I do them.

[NMERider]

@hanggliderrider Thank you and best wishes in your reemergence in the sport. I was out for 26 years and came back in 2008. Cheers, Jonathan

[210482fmj]

Hang gliders should be cheaper

[NMERider]

@210482fmj I buy mine used. I can't afford new gear.

[Bladerspirit999]

@NMERider where did you buy your hang glider?

[patrock2100]

WONDERFUL

[NMERider]

@patrock2100 Thanks!

[Twistopherdrake]

Nice climb out!!!

[Zaladorarch]

how many m/s did you have in the strongest thermals?

[NMERider]

@Zaladorarch 3-4 m/s at the most. More like 2 m/s. It rarely exceeds 5 at Sylmar. Mostly, we get skinny, ratty, high-pressure thermals.

[DoctorPotHead]

This is such a sick video! I really want to start hang gliding, but i'm kinda scared :P What do you think is safer, hang gliding, or paragliding?

[Zaladorarch]

@DoctorPotHead They're both considered "safe" when you complete the course and fly.. er.. safely. Me being a paraglider pilot, we're more laid back taking it easy compared to the high speed hang gliders.

Paragliders fly slower, but they don't have a rigid canopy; the shape of the wing is upheld by pressurised air flowing into the cell openings on the front of the wing. Which means they're prone to collapses and other nasty things. But still, they're pretty safe!

[igorBgood]

@DoctorPotHead Its safer for you to sit at home on the couch, eating donuts, watching TV, and become fat. Oh, wait, is not, because you will die of a heart attack...

[DoctorPotHead]

@igorBgood Wtf are you talking about?

[NMERider]

@DoctorPotHead I think he's mocking most Americans for being such 'couch potatoes'. It doubt it was directed at you. Did you ever watch the episode of Married With Children, where Peg Bundy just lays on the couch eating bon bons and causes her personal trainer to have a heart attack? YouTube is wrecking my health, between editing and watching I'm turning into a spud.

[WildFishFlying]

Nice video, thanks for sharing!

[NMERider]

@WildFishFlying Thanks & enjoy!

[MaGicMik3z]

if i wasnt scared of falling from high up then id love to do this i bet watching a video doesnt give you the real sense of what it like to look down on th earth like a bird.

one day ill maybe do this its defiantly on the list for the future

[MaGicMik3z]

if this is your thing then that a good 2 1/2 hours spent in my mind

[NMERider]

@MaGicMik3z It's a great sport and recreation activity that's fairly convenient for me.

[MaGicMik3z]

Im about shitting myself watching this so there not a hope in hell of getting me up. their out of intrest what keeps you hang to the glider as just holding on would begin to hurt your arms after a while and i can see your relaxed and moving your hands about 

[NMERider]

@MaGicMik3z We fly laying in a comfortable harness attached to the balance point of the glider by a bridle. Generally it take very little effort to fly.

[NMERider]

@TwoRussianNoobs That's the audio output from my variometer. It tells me the rate that I'm climbing or sinking. 

[cprich22]

@NMERider in north east england it just tells you how fast yr sinking :P

[NMERider]

@cprich22 Bill Forsyth directed, "That Sinking Feeling" which aptly captures the angst. If I flew in the UK, I'd reprogram my vario to emulate a flushing sound. I feel your pain , mate. I wish we had more Euro-visitors than we do. Our flying sites are under-utilized even by the locals. Darn economy!

[cprich22]

@NMERider its a good day in the UK if yr flight is 10 min long, i fly sailplanes rather than hanggliders so might be slightly better 4 you. it is an expensive sport, in fiberglass or even on fabric. where are yur sites?

[NMERider]

@cprich22 I fly within a 150-mile radius of Los Angeles. We have several sailplane clubs and I have been very tempted to join and get rated. It's a good option for me too.

[MrBradyiscool]

Wait, doesn't the title mean he would die?

[NMERider]

@MrBradyiscool All depends when you had in mind. ;-)

[PeNdErAg0n]

that looks just amazing! but, just if everything would go wrong, what safety do you have?

[NMERider]

@PeNdErAg0n Reserve parachute. Thanks!

[tahoeskiier]

Hey. What is that string that you pulled on the right and wrapped around your hand

[NMERider]

@tahoeskiier The VG rope. It's like the main sheet on a sailboat that control the sail billow.

[DragonFan97532]

That looks so fun 8D

[NMERider]

@DragonFan97532 Yes it is. If I could fly every other day, I would.

[hallobaaaby]

the bicicle of aviation lol

i had a great laugh at the "talking to tower" thing

[airwolfgunner]

Awesome to hear that vario scream! Great flying, great vid! Thanks for posting

[NMERider]

@airwolfgunner Isn't that vario scream a kick? Thanks!

[erikpmort]

that was a great video, nice job. 

[NMERider]

@erikpmort Thanks!

[cncryp]

Oh Yeah! Get ya some!! @2:08 Keep digging!

[anonysquirrel]

Actually, I thought it was a pretty good landing.

[NMERider]

@anonysquirrel Yes. The title was an inside joke to poke fun at some formerly frustrated friends who were wary of my landing carnage. Much of that is posted on my HGVidFun YouTube profile. There you'll see some "landings".

[aylesmerep]

Am I alone in finding this chin mounting over-emphasises the fish eye distortions of the hero?

[NMERider]

@aylesmerep No. Notice I've stopped using this technique in later videos?

[aylesmerep]

@aylesmerep

Despite the distortion, I like the immediacy of the angles...

[sporty155]

awsome flight  (nice landing BTW)

[birdman74]

Really enjoying your videos Jonathan..spring is starting to arrive here in the UK so things are looking up..at last..its been a long cold winter!! I hope to invest in a gopro cam soon so hopefully i'll post a few videos from here in the UK..that landing wasnt so bad..lol..seen a lot worse..at least you didnt WHACK..lol!!!

[Thermaliser]

Hi Johnathan..

Keep on flying cause we keep on waiting for a north wind for the take off....#(*$^(*&%#...:(

[NMERider]

Hi Γιαννης,

I'll do my best to keep the wings of the world aloft. Sorry about your weather.

Cheers,

dʒɒnəƟən

[HVYMETL]

I had to work Friday. Now it's Sunday morning, raining at Torrey. I hate you.

[NMERider]

For any non-pilots reading this, "I hate you" means, "great flight" in hang glider speak.

[rickhark]

Hi NMERider,

I like the position of the camera now. It gives the viewer the perspective you have but not the feeling. Have to be up there for that.

Looks like you're really, really enjoying yourself and great you are sharing with us.

Ahhh! Bliss.

Regards,

Rick.

[NMERider]

Thanks Rick, This camera position is working out pretty good. The extended weight is building up my neck muscles too.

[rickhark]

Ooo! I hadn't thought of that.

Is there a recumbent hang glider? Now that would be weird.

Rick.

[NMERider]

That's called flying supine and it's very comfortable. There are only a few pilots who fly supine.

[dregerclock]

you really got some altitude on that one ... :-)

[NMERider]

Got many nice climbs that day.

[tranquilitytrike]

"...into the Burbank blue yonder..." holy moly!... rofl... classic.

[NMERider]

@tranquilitytrike Nyuk, Nyuk!

[BungaEBiker]

R2?? Did you take R2-D2 with you on your flight or is that your thermal censer?

[NMERider]

@BungaEBiker That would be a good name for my variometer (thermal sensor). When I sink out it makes the Death Star music too.

[wrdturkey]

That was a terrible landing - you almost hit that cone ;o)

[NMERider]

@wrdturkey Then I spent the next 1/2 hour with a hair dryer trying to get the dent out. :-P

[gasdive]

Nice

[NMERider]

And FUN!