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Old 06-30-2007, 10:49 PM
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ricki ricki is offline
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Just came across some towup video clips and prepared a sampler platter of towups gone wrong. There are a lot of things that can go wrong even with gear that is resistant to breakage, with safety systems and many years of development. I come from hang gliding and have yet to even try paragliding. Different bag of tricks in many ways.




Reserve parachutes are essential safety items that have been with hang gliders and paragliders for a very long time. Too bad no one carries them towing up with kites. Of course at such low altitudes they might not open in time anyway.



Lockout in a variety of ways. Lockout is a reality for anyone towing up, with a kite, glider, plane. Best to know what can cause it and how to try to avoid it (you think?). Good thing this guy is so stupid, otherwise he might have lost IQ points through multiple concussions. No proper training or gear for towing up. Just a wing, a prayer and no clue what he is getting into or risking. His glider is incredibly old, belongs in a museum. I almost bought one of these billow wing Regallo's myself, 30 years ago. Didn't have a car to drive to the LZ so passed, good thing.




Another tow lockout, upside down and with poor resolution. Still, it gets the point across. Has anyone heard of weaklinks?



Wind gradient and stalling one wing is discussed at length in gliding school. Of course they have a school. Like lockout it is good to know what the effects of wind gradient can be and how to try to avoid them. How about a broken line during one of these stalls?



This is one of tethered manlifting, really stupid. This is the practice that apparently resulted in the severed spine and permanent paralysis of Carolina:


Most of theses failures were related to aerodynamic issues as opposed to gear failure. Gear failure can cause you to plummet to earth easily without any need to stall your wing. All these guys that plowed in are remarkably lucky. A fall from 12 ft. even less is enough to do serious injury on land. There have been cases of guys falling about 50 ft. into water, losing consciousness and drowning.
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Last edited by ricki; 07-01-2007 at 11:20 AM.
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