I'm typing this with my left hand, since my right arm is in a sling while the shoulder recovers from a dislocation. I had a bit of a hard landing yesterday in a challenging little field up toward the Applegate Reservoir and pinned my arm under a broken downtube. I'd chosen the biggest, clearest field I could find, only to discover that it was scattered with fence posts and irrigation lines. I did my best to avoid all the hazards, but in so doing I was forced into a last-minute manuever that brought me in at an oblique angle. After unhooking and assessing the situation, I'd determined that other than a little soreness I was alright, so I radioed the other pilots and proceeded to disassemble my wing. As I did so, a neighbor came over and chatted with me for awhile. All seemed well until I went to lift the keel. Apparently I'd lifted it at a slight angle, my shoulder slipped out of its socket, and I went to the ground in pain.In around 450 flights, this is the closest I've come to a hang gliding injury. I doubt it can even be considered as such, since it could have occurred just as easily in the garage lifting my bagged wing onto the storage brackets. Nonetheless, after attempts to move the arm back into place by a fellow pilot, I finally had to resign myself to being driven to the Medford emergency room. Thanks to the folks who showed up to help, and particularly to Rick, who packed up my glider, drove me to Medford, and hung out in the waiting room. You guys are the best!
Otherwise it was a surprisingly nice flight. After watching several other pilots struggle and/or sink out fairly soon, a few of us worked up to 6k over launch and 7k over Raby's Ridge. A couple of us tried to push towards Grants Pass, but the air beyond Raby's Peak was sinky so we had to fly back to the ridge to refuel. Rick and Karl headed up toward the reservoir, so I topped out the thermal I was in before chasing after them. It turned out to be about a 17-mile triangle, but in retrospect I wish I'd hung out with Bruce and waited for glassoff.
1 comment:
You are a good writer with a gimpy arm. Imagine what you could have written if you had broken your arm! Nice to read your recollections of flying and pilots of northern CA, and assure you it is reciprocal.
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