White Out and Deployment

I was going to write about my thought process leading up to this incident, but I decided that it would be just an exercise in excuse making for my bad decisions, including my disregard of FAA rules regarding ultralight aircraft and clouds. The bottom line is that I wanted have my cake and eat it too: I thought I could scoot under that cloud line and purposely cut it close in order to maximize my altitude for the long glide out into the desert.

Once in the cloud the instinct was to fly fast and straight to get to the other side. However, afraid of PIO I popped the VG and tried to slow down. But the video doesn't capture the surge of lift I was experiencing. At one point the base tube was almost ripped from my hand. Soon after that I no longer had control of the glider and the G forces seemed to be building so I thought the safest course of action would be to throw the chute. Fortunately, it worked out.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Hang
• Gliding

[tontar]

Thanks for posting this video. Scary stuff. It has made for a lot of conversations about what to do and what not to do. Glad you came out of it okay. Looked like a nasty place to come down under canopy. Funny you say that beyond the cloud there wasn't a cloud in any direction for 15-20 miles. Just that one cloud in the way.

[extopaflyer]

@tontar Hi Aaron, as an aerobatic pilot you're just as much an expert on these things as anyone. What do you think the outcome(s) might have been if I chose not to deploy?

[NevilleStyke]

Did you try to fly a compass heading?

[extopaflyer]

@NevilleStyke I usually have my GPS set on ground speed, altitude and distance from launch. Once I entered the cloud I looked over to change the page to compass. When I couldn't read the display of the setting it was on at the time, I didn't think it was worth letting go with one hand to change it.

[extopaflyer]

For what it's worth, the only injury I sustained was a wire burn along the back of my neck; I'm not sure which one caused it, but I swapped out my racing wires just two flights earlier.

[jtc125]

Would you consider posting a screen still of your flight track in google earth? Im assuming you use a flytec...

[extopaflyer]

@jtc125 I have a 4030 race that for some reason didn't save the data from the flight and I lost my GPS after deployment.

[Cappiuk]

JCorry14 - aren't you the clever one! I don't think extopaflyer needs you to point out where he went wrong on this one, and certainly doesn't need you to broadcast how you would never have made the same mistake. That sort of attitude does not encourage people to share their mistakes for the benefit of all.

[extopaflyer]

@msmyk2 The reason I let off the VG was to do exactly what you write about: to fly straight and calm. The camera didn't capture the surges of lift I was experiencing. This wasn't a cunim; the tops of the clouds were no more than 4k over base. Before deployment I no longer had control of the glider (another thing that doesn't show up on camera) and the Gs were building. Do I bank on not passing out and or having the glider break or do I try another option before either one happens?

[timmay301]

@skyout19 that's a good idea, i will think about that if im ever in a cloudsuck situation

[timmay301]

respect man! im sure i would have panicked. especially if you dont know your altitude.. was it possible to ball up and dive at any point?

[markyp1968]

Can @RobMM17 or anyone else explain to me where it is published that a hang glider or paraglider is legally allowed to fly in cloud in the UK ? My understanding as a hang glider and microlight pilot is that to legally fly under IFR in IMC (in cloud) you need the correct instruments and a IMC rating. Simply flying with a GPS and ball compass does not legally entitle you to fly in IMC. I could be wrong but that's my understanding, please correct me if i'm wrong.

[kokalti]

why didn't you dive as soon as you started entering the cloud? 

[donliddard]

Thanks for posting this video, it is fantastic, shame about the vario the data would have been interesting to have a look at, glad you walked away

don

[skyout19]

This reminds me of a flight that I had 20 years ago at Le Treh, France, on a Magic 3. I had been circling with another glider under the only cloud above TO and had the bar pulled into my knees to get away from it, with my vario beeping constantly at 3m/s. When all went white I slowed down to a reasonable speed, then got thrown around, also nearly losing the control bar, ended up clamping myself in one corner and spiralling out, what a relief! You have no orientation whatsoever in the clouds.

[drbobbeattie]

@RobMM17 Apologies if I seem tetchy. I just get annoyed about these discussions descending into paragliders are bad hang gliders are good type discussions. Also for the record, I much prefer hang gliders to paragliders, but where I live, it's all carry ups and side landing is essential so it's just not practical. The only point I am really trying to make is that loosing visual reference on a paraglider is, judging from what hapend to the poor guy in the video, less of a problem.

[RobMM17]

@drbobbeattie When I watched this video, a fellow pilot buddy of mine was showing someone the second half so I assumed he was inside of a cu-nim. That being said- these clouds can overdevelop quickly- which i'm sure if you are as experienced as you say, you know. While cloud suck is dangerous for both hang gliders and paragliders- strong cloud suck can be fatal for both- but is more dangerous for lower speed wings.

[RobMM17]

@drbobbeattie No need to flex your flying-ego here- I wasn't trying to insult you. It seemed as if you were blindly claiming that cloud suck was less dangerous for paragliders- hence my assumption that you were a novice who needed to learn about the potential dangers of that danger. I agree that the lift in this particular cloud must have been reasonable if he came down under canopy.

[drbobbeattie]

@RobMM17 Although, if I was being honest, I would not have flown into or under that cloud. It did not look like a cu-nim though.

Cloud shaddow was to small, and the lift must have been reasonable if he came down under the reserve. I have been sucked into clouds like that in the past though, when I was younger and less cautious.

It's a bit scary, but far from fatal. Big ear's, speed bar and follow the compass. You pop out eventually.