WORDS LIKE THIS CAN GIVE YOU PIECE OF MIND

[gary stenhouse]

when you are given words from such a respected pilot it gives me some reasurance to what i always had thought. i never doubted my abuility to fly the wing i was flying even though i could of done the same flights with a standard wing.
(irwyn jehu)



Joined: 30 Apr 2005
Posts: 147
Karma: +21/-8
Location: annecy france
Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 6:42 pm Post subject: RE: Geordynut (Gary Stenhouse), collapse in Annecy

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Gary,

I'm glad to hear that ypu are on the mend. I never realised that your injuries were so serious and have just picked up this item on the forum.

There's been some interesting speculation particularly with regard to cause. Too often people think in terms of blame.

Prior to the accident Gary had been flying very well. The previous day he had flown to Parmelan and thence to the landing field at Chamoux in conditions which called for skill.
On the day in question Gary was flying in his usuall manner and it is unlikely tht he was flying too slowly. If he had this habit it would have been reveled on previous flights.

The accident may be related to his location. The ridge at that point may have complicated the air flow.

This could not have been predicted as other pilots flew that location without ill effect.

Gary's flying skill is such that he can reasonably have expected to recover from any mild disturbance.

That he was the victim of a genuine accident is pretty clear in my mind and I believe that it could have happened to any pilot with as little warning.

The main point of interest to my mind is why the wing failed to respond and recover.

I feel that Gary's skill and alertness was up to the task. So I blame the air. He had expertly flown that wing in more difficult conditions the day previously.

All the best, and get well soon,
_________________
Irwyn www.maison-du-moulin.co.uk

[Anonymous]

Thats a cool letter gary. It will no doubt quiet the naysayers.

did it cost much to get it written?

[AlastairW]

Gary...... can I suggest you read the couple of posts before that, rather than being selective?


I read Irwyns post from a cynical lawyers perspective...... He was covering his back to avoid being sued.

Irwyn was the person you paid for the guiding you had in Annecy?


To anyone else interested the link is:-

http://pgforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1178 ... c&start=30

I had not intended to raise the issue of the PGforum post again, but as you yourself have done so Gary.......

[Neil]

Go on Alister kick him whilst hes down.
or hold him whilst i have a go.
Iv just had a good read of that link. some very interesting points.
As the eye witness I can say with confidence when Garry dropped he dropped vertically .
that is there was no forward momentum.
and that the wing appeared to hang in the air folded in half before dropping.
all the way folded in half "same shape as a condom".

[John Wallis]

"same shape as a condom"

Got to say Neil from your description and the GPS trace it looks like a stall. (Of some description)

[Sad Northerner]

Neil

I respect Gary's flying ability but would still like to 'kick him when he's down, purely because he's ginger.

However, I do have one question for the two of you, and maybe Fingers and Miller as well,...How did the air feel prior to Gary's accident?

Actually two questions. Is there something about the boomerang should know?

Love

Ali G

[Neil]

iv posted my reply in the private section to be PC

[gary stenhouse]

the wing was fine and i would of put it down to the brick that landed on my head from above. neil does not like to be beaten expecialy after a uk 50k

the conditions up to that point were benine and never give cause for consern so who knows.

as for the boom sport i would have no quarms in flying the same wing again if not for pier pressure at the moment. i had been flying in some strong and fairly rough conditions the day befor and also had some quite fruity conditions in the uk, and to be fair i probably got less collapses than most. dont forget i have had a 75% accimetric plus front stall and recovery in windy rough conditions was imediate. so i have full faith in the wing and i believe it will look after you long as you look after it.

as for me flying slow on the ridge look at any of my track loggs and check my average speeds and you will see that i fly very fast as i have always not believed in holding to much brake.

my plan is high end 1-2 to start and when i do open distance of 100+k then i will move up, or if i get my competitive head back on i also will wether it is 2-3 or a comp wing who knows. there is a hell of a lot of comp pilots out there who have sufered the same fate as myself and all have gone back to flying the same wings.

after all you dont see top motorcycle riders have a crash and go back to a moped?

cheers gary

[gary stenhouse]

as a point is it posible to hit such a piece of sink that could litteraly make you drop out the sky? as someone who flys every flyable day for the last 2 years i would of felt something to react to. that day i did not why i ask myself did i pass out then crash. what happeend had to be quicker than quick or i lost my memory from befor the accident

[ron freeman]

Hi Gary, good to hear your fighting spirit is back...when I spoke to you in hospital about yer bump, you were clearly annoyed at yourself for flying in close for the first time and this was when you had your collapse ! so pilot error has to take some blame, I got caught out last year (Warkworth rotor) after 1000's of hrs !

What about the possibility of rotor ! Iv'e studied the area that you were flying and the behaviour pattern of your wing...maybe thermals have been kicking off on the backside of the mountain and you got caught out on the leeside ?

[gary stenhouse]

i would say the leeside thermal is a strong posibuility as up to that point i had never ventured that far over. and like you say i was closer than i normaly had been without the distance to take a 50%plus. this probably was due to flying for almost half an hour in what i would of said, been very week conditions even though the sky said diferantly. so it was possible that we had been sheltered from the thermals, then been hit with a strong one and a little off guard is a strong possibuility. the good thing is , is that i am still hear and ready to go, and when i am ready i will have even more knowledge to keep myself safe.

cheers gary

[gary stenhouse]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7HMmTe5MBk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3QcMB2owFc
some one pointed this out could it of been an invisable dust devil?

you certainly dont want to be launching near one of these

[Fingers]

Great video of the dust devils

Seen one or something like it get Ian Brown from Northern whilst training at the Bell, it just picked him up from standing on the ground and shook him like a dog. He did manage to land it OK but he was quite shook up about it.

Neil was there also sitting on the ground hooked up, it did have a go at him after it was finished with Brownie but I think the power of it had subsided a little and just gave his wing a good janking. Either that or the weight difference? Ian must be 6 stone wet through were as Neil could probably piss 6 stone.

Was great to see though!

[ron freeman]

Dust devil...don't thinks so Gary, these nasty little buggers are caused by very strong convection thats why they suck in dust, small stones, & litter.

I love to watch them because they give you a good idea of how the air flows in nice thermals. And as you said the conditions were not to bad (nothing punchy)

[brian day]

I've moved this post to the private section.