I Fly 4 Funn

2009-12-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

Your looking at my Christmas present. I was able to spend almost a whole week with my Dad. Something I haven't done in so many decades that I can't remember. I will, however, remember that week, until the end of my time on earth ! What a blessing. I was even able to go to Church with him. Priceless Christmas for me, thank you Lord !
We discussed the plan of action, and it was to take them to Wally world before I left town yesterday. They felt that they could handle everything from here on, by themselves. So, with much regrets, I headed home yesterday. Dad told me that I took all the fun out of going to Wally world, as he was not allowed to get out of the seat at all during the trip. Not even the gallon of milk ! Right after I took this shot, the race was on ! Ruth left him in the dust, with the slowwww wally world electric cart !

Dad sent me this shot today. Remember the much regrets? well, not any more. It seem that I left town exactly when I needed to. A snow storm has arrived, and promises to be around for over a week. I'm a southern boy, and this snow stuff~~~ ain't for me !

In eveyone's life, there are crosses that we all must bear. This is my Dad's ! A puppy, that is all that , and then some, even after being fixed this little girl only knows 1 speed~~ wide open ! precious little girl tho ~

One of the coolest wind vanes that I've ever seen.

This has been a very memorable Christmas for me. Not for the intrinsic values of any gifts, but the memories obtained during the visit.

2009-12-24T16:16:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope all of your wishes and dreams come true. Please, take a minute and say a prayer for our men and women in uniform right now. The are keeping our country and it's people safe, during this holiday season, so that we can enjoy the privileges of freedoms that some countries in the world will never know.
My Dad is getting better everyday. We had to go get some things at Lowe's,, this was his trusty steed. So many horses associated with it, haha NOT.

Some local shots from here in Ohio. Can you tell that it's cold around here, and has been for a while??

Please keep my Dad in your prayers, as he is a long way from being 100%. Unsure yet as to when I'm going to be heading home. Have a great Christmas eve evening.

2009-12-19T21:44:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Lookout Mountain Flight parks Christmas dinner.
I grilled approximately 15 pounds of fresh salmon. I was told that everyone enjoyed it. I know that I did, with a little butter and lemon juice !

Matt talking with a possible new student, Christina.

We have some very talented cooks around our community !

As you can see from these pictures, there wasn't enough people to eat all of this !

There was a lot of care packages and left over bags taken home. Some of the rolls and ham came home with me, for the long trip tomorrow to Ohio.

Thanks to everyone that volunteered to feed us this evening, and I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas !

2009-12-14T19:42:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was the Tennessee Tree Toppers Annual Christmas and Awards dinner.
This year is was held at a Great family restaurant in Dunlap, Tn. called, Johnson's B-B-Q, just south of town.

The lady on the right is the owner, and I promised her a spot in the post. She shut down the place to the public at 4:30 for the club. Her and her helper, took care of the entire gathering by themselves ! They have the best ribs I've eaten in a very long time. Chili's has nothing on these guys !

Part of the crowd

Another part of the crowd

Eric Donaldson is the clubs' awards chairman, and seen here handing Steve Lee his award for the longest flight of the year. You know that it was a very slim year around here, when Steve's best flight all year is only 97.2 miles ! !

Ollie Gregory took the rigids longest, by flying a triangle,, I think James Stinnett landed in the same field, but Ollie tweaked out a little more distance. They both flew 65 miles, and shared the award.

Friday night was the 10th USA Dance's Annual Holiday Ball called: Home for the Holidays, and dedicated to the Men and Women in the Armed Forces.

Below is a Picture of Sgt. Paul Greene and his 5 year old daughter. Last month, a TV station asked her what she would like to have for Christmas, and she said a dance with her Daddy. Channel 3 made that happen, and he is in from Iraq on leave and is heading back out very shortly. Robert Gohr recorded the 3 minute section of news, and hopefully I'll be able to put it on here so you can enjoy it.

All the proceeds will be benefiting the Austin Hatcher Foundation. It is a foundation that supports children with pediatric cancer and their families. If you have a minute, please Google it, and see what a worthy cause it is.

This is the newest production of a very talented, and good hang glider pilot. He's already won a lot of contest this year, but this one will be his biggest. I hope some producer out there sees it !

STEP Into A I R Nikon Festival Lucas Ridley

http://lucasridley.com/

It's finally up! My entry in the Nikon Festival contest, where the brief was to describe your day in only 140 seconds! I decided to go the route of a little story telling...

2009-12-09T22:46:00.000-08:00

I was in St. Francisville, Louisiana this week testing. The below pictures were taken at a park there. The park was closed, and doesn't open until springtime.
I can just imagine the beauty of this place when all the flowers,like azaleas, are in full bloom. It's pretty now, but in the spring, this place would be breath taking !

This tree was just spooky. The state of Louisiana is thick with traditions, culture, swamps, Cajun

food, and even voodoo. The imagination can run wild on the shape of this tree. What was even stranger, is that a thorn bush is growing out of the side of it. 2 species in the same spot. Weird. I was so far out in the boondocks, that if I was to fire my pistol,,, the deer wouldn't hear it .

2009-12-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

This is a look at our float in the Trenton Christmas parade, last night.
Rick Gattone,Sr. pulled the float this year with his trike. Anne Horgan was his co-pilot.

Here's a better picture of those that were carrying the banner. JC and Dottie carried it, with Sarah throwing candy to the crowd.

The wirecrew & pilot was: John Stoke on the right wing, Pilot was Judy Hildebrand, Keith was keel, and Mary was in town, to help with the left wing. No altitude gain was reported. Nothing broken or bent is always a good day. She did reach for her chute once, but was able to get it back under control. Just kidding.

The below pictures are taken to show the 1st snow of this season.

2009-12-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

Just letting you know that the feature story about the little girl and her soldier dad, Spc. Greene who are dancing at the USA Dance charity ball next week, is in today’s edition of The Chattanooga Times Free Press, on the front page of the Metro section:

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/dec/04/wish-come-true/

Be sure and listen to the audio online. This should remind us what Christmas is really about.

2009-12-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

There was a break in the weather, just about sunset. I was lucky enough to catch it. Cloudbase was just a hundred feet over, and it was scarey warm. Almost like tornado weather. Winds are still honkin' up top.
I saw this in an email today, and realized how some people oh so reminds me of them.

Be careful when you ask some of the folks in the hang gliding community to do something for charity. I would have paid money to actually take this shot ! You really need to know these guys, to understand just how darn funny that it is !

They were for the Breast cancer Awareness fundraiser. I know they did well. If you weren't there and didn't get donate to the GREAT cause, I have a much easier(and way less funny) way that you can donate Every day. I try click it once a day, along with the Animal shelter link. Takes about 3 seconds each, depending on internet speed, to provide for both causes. Links are below.

www.theanimalrescuesite.com When you click on the link,, it will take you to a page with a bunch of tabs at the top of the page. No sign up, no personal information, but,, for good measure, I would read the page and what great people like you are doing for others, and for our furry friends !

The Breast cancer tab on that page allows you to donate the same way. So, why not click it every day that you think about it. I promise you, if you loose someone to breast cancer, or any cancer,,, or have dealt with strays much, you think about it more than others.

Please click, so the guys above don't have any excuse to get dressed up like this ever again ! lol

2009-11-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

The pictures below are of Thanksgiving dinner here at Lookout Mtn. Flight park. There was between 40-50 people that showed up to participate in the festivities.
This is going to be a little different post, as I was told that I don't write anymore on my blogspot, since I've gotten so involved with facebook. And, as bad as I hate to admit it,, they were right. So,,unless you needing something to bore you late at night, to help you to get to bed to sleep,,,,, fair warning.
This is going to be about some of the things that I'm grateful for. For example,, the little lady~Bella above. Her and Leanna, James and Dawns daughter are about the same age. I'm thankful for my hearing, and being able to hear them running around screaming and laughing, and reminding us of what we use to do when we were children. There is nothing on this planet, quite like the laughter of a child !

Above is a picture of the bonfire. I'm thankful for the friends that were there that night, that gave off more warmth than this fire could ever radiate! There are some friends that are closer to your heart than some relatives, and will live forever in your spirit. Those friends are in, what I affectionately call, my circle of life. For without true, life long Friends, and Family,,, you would have nothing. And, what a poor soul you would be. Money can not buy what they hold in their hearts. I'm thankful for the healthy, rich heart that I have. And very honored to be able to call them-- Friends.

I'm thankful for everyone of the calories on this table. And darn glad to just be able to feed myself. I have a couple of friends that would love to be able to do that very thing. Unencumbered by failing limbs, that just won't do what they want them to do anymore. I'm thankful for my eye sight, to be able to drink in the presentation that the ladies laid out on these tables.

I am thankful for the added wing loading of 23 pounds, that is a result of 2 major operations this year, accompanied by me quiting smoking in January. That just means that I'm healthy, and it's time to take this health thing to the next level. For example,,cutting out all the Cokes that I drink, more exercising, and just basically doing what the Dr.'s have told me to do. If I would do what I was told sometimes,, life would probably be a lot easier for me. Sometimes it takes a brick, to explain things to me, so that I understand them. Go figure.

I'm so very thankful for my sobriety. For, without it,,, I wouldn't be here. I thank the numerous friends that help me, sometimes on a daily basis, to battle the beast within. Most of the time, they don't even know that they are helping,,, but they are. And, they give it freely, and without hesitation, mental reservation, or restrictions. We are who we are, and what we are. As brutally honest, and gentle as we can be at the time.

I'm also thankful for my higher power, which is God, and Jesus Christ. He's got a birthday coming up,,,hope you remember it ! He and I, we be Mates !

I'm also thankful and proud of all of our service men and women, that fight on a daily basis, in our stead so we don't have to. No matter what you political views, you have to love those people. They are just doing whatever the Commander in Chief tells them to do. They have NO say so in the matter. And, most importantly,, they have Volunteered for this duty,,there's not a draft.

If you don't have any friends, or family to visit this holiday season do not sit in the house. You are desperately needed. There was a couple of years that I volunteered during the holiday season at a Missions, in Huntsville, Al. I would serve the food to the homeless and help out where ever they needed me at the time. I would also go to this Nursing home off the Parkway, and take soaps,shampoos, and other little things, and they would treat me like one of their family. Most didn't have families, or their families didn't care anymore, and wouldn't show up at all. Left and forgotten. Some of the looks on their faces, where like those of Bella and Leanna, with wondering and excitement. They didn't make as much noise, but it was still fun to do.

The most important thing in my life, that I am very thankful for, is that I still have my Dad. He lives in Ohio, which is a good piece away, but never Too far. He is in fairly good health, except his back, which he is having fixed. My Aunt, and cousins are a plus also.

I do hope, with all my heart,, that you are truly blessed this wonderful Holiday Season.

2009-11-22T18:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the first Flying Holiday Bazaar Festival, here at Lookout Mountain Flight park.
Below are just some of the pictures that was taken of the great artwork that was displayed.

Below, is Barry Brown. His metal sculptures are enjoyed by a lot of us local pilots. We have them on our houses, and in our homes. The designs are plasma cut out of this thick metals, and then primed. If you would like more information,,please let me know, and I can hook you up with his email address. Very unique pieces. My piece, displayed above my garage door outside, has my last name, Helman, on it.

Scott and Lia's airbrushing trailer. He does such great work ! Very talented.

Gabriel and Tami had a massage booth set up, and provided some excellent service to a lot of people !

Mark Fink really impressed me with his paintings. He uses a Bee's wax and raw pigment technique. Really captured some pretty sights !

Claire's silk paintings speak for themselves. I wish I was rich ! I would have a lot more of her work in my house !

Lia is to be commended on the organization of this event. Very nice job. I do hope that we are able to have it again next year.

2009-11-16T19:06:00.001-08:00

Chattanooga Dance Sport's showcase " Dreamscapes & Shadows", that got postponed last month, was rescheduled for yesterday afternoon.
Denny and Amanda really did an excellent job with this. The routines, and costumes were superb. Not only did Denny do most of the male leads, the last one that he did, shown below with Amanda, he had a bunch of lifts in them as well. Better man than me !

My Favorite costume of the evening, with Mark and Denise.

After the showcase, I was able to spend some time with friends over at Ann's. Tom had just flown in, and we had a small get together to visit with him. Please keep him in your prayers.

Thanks Ann, for having us over. Food, as usual, was impeccable !

2009-11-14T18:45:00.000-08:00

These pictures are of a friend of mine, Linda, and her best friend. They both had their 60th birthday, and hang gliding was on their bucket list.
Linda moments before her life changes forever.

I may submit this one to the magazine.

Eric bringing her in for a landing. As it happens,,, once a year our area is burdened by a small visitor to the bother everyone for a short amount of time. The Ladybug. The picture below is just a very small area, of infestation. 1,000's of these little buggers are everywhere. Then, as quick as they show up,,, they are gone. Really an amazing thing. Going to have to google to find out why they do it, and how.

2009-11-06T22:06:00.000-08:00

This is my post for Veterans Day. My Dad sent this to me.

Thanks to all of our men and women in & out of the services ! Semper Fi !

2009-11-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine,Tom shown below, sent this email out today, trying to get the correct information to all of his friends at the same time. I'm sure that some will be left out of the loop, so when you get this, would you please copy and paste this in an email to all the people in the hang gliding community, and to all the Prayer Warriors that you know. This is a good man, and a great hang glider pilot, and it's a shame bad things happen to good people ! ! By His Stripes ! !

"This has been an amazing few weeks. I don't know who knows what, so let me summarize what's been going on.

It started with what I thought was a summer allergy. We had astronomically high pollen counts, so I thought the stuffy nose and occasional watery eye was just from that.

After the pollen count subsided, but the problem didn't, I checked with the local doctor who put me on antibiotics and decongestants, thinking it was an infection. After a month of medicines with no improvement, the dr saw something, 'I don't know what it is, but I don't like it.' An x-ray showed some dark mass in my sinus cavity. Not very pretty.

The first trip to the ear, nose and throat DR. was less than reassuring. Good chance that it's a cancerous tumor. But let's do some more screening to get a better look. Feeling down.

The better look (an MRI) showed a mass like a balloon inflating, not good considering it's parked against my brain, but based on the shape, there's a good chance it's not cancer.Feeling a bit 'up'.

In for surgery to have 'it' removed. Guess what. it is a rare cancer of the sinus cavity that occurs in 1 of a milliom people. That's why it didn't look like the typical cancer. This type of cancer shows the exact symptoms as a sinus infection, so the initial diagnosis would have been correct 999,999 times out of a million. Back to feeling down.
Then it's where to go for treatment, At first, the best available place was in Houston,but they can't see me until the end of November. So, Sloan-Kettering in NY now seems to have the nod, having an opening for an evaluation on Friday.

There is also a problem with my one eye, but that is pretty insignificant, all things considered.

So, 2 quick favors. First my family and close friends have all been through the 'up and down' series with me. If you are a prayer person, please send along a wish for hope and guidance for them. It's been a big strain on everyone. Second, there are alot of folks whose e-mail addresses I don't have. Feel free to forward this to an acquaintance whose address you have. I'd prefer that the correct info is out there instead of someone being misinformed. Thanks. "

Love Tom

2009-11-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

These are just some of my favorite pictures that I took on Saturday night at the flight park.
Over in the index, to the right, you see a hyperlink that says, LOTS OF PICS,, click on that to take you to where the rest of the pictures are posted.
Below is Roadie Joel, and his lady friend Mandy. Can see why Joel would climb to the top of a tall building for her !
Matt and Robin was both sexy and disturbing,, I'll leave it up to you to decipher which is which,lol.

Below are the winners of the costume contest. Dale Stokes took first with her Amelia Earhart costumes. Very imaginative !

Her plane numbers were: IMSOLOST ,lol

Eric took second place as, basically himself, snowboarder. Ashely and Isaiah is shown here joining him.

Ieda took 3td with " A bun in the oven". She made the box and everything her self. Well, Josh did help with the bun, a little bit.

The food, the band, beer, camaraderie, and bonfire made for a great Halloween night.

Doris and the ladies really out did themselves with all the decorations, and making sure everyone had plenty to eat. Be sure to click on the link, to see pics of the decorations ! !

2009-10-30T23:43:00.000-07:00

Tonight The Dance Floor had their Halloween Party. Below are some of nice costumes. Mine turned out pretty scary, to some folks there at the party.
Joe and Judy's hair actually glowed. Great costumes !!

This is just a few of the pictures from tonight. I posted all of them on facebook.

It's always a fun time of year. The leaves are changing colors, the air has got a chill to it, it would be very enjoyable if it would ever quit raining !

2009-10-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

I call this one, " The First Father and Son talk".

I guess that the people at Facebook, are trying to send some of us back to MySpace. They have had me locked out of my account for 2 days now, with the message about Site Maintenance. I'm a tech, and know that it doesn't take that long to fix something that isn't broken to begin with. They've been doing a lot of that lately. Changing everything, and making it work, ha, less. If you go to their home page, and read their comments,,,you can tell that there's a lot of us not happy at all. Don't think that If I don't respond on facebook, that I'm mad or trying to tell you something by no replying,,,simply put,,, I can't get to it.

2009-10-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Dan Anderson and Amanda Robinson, at the Shadows and Dreamscape Ballroom Dancing showcase, at Chattanooga State Performing Arts Theatre Saturday night.
Here they are starting their dance,,, the Argentine Tango.

They really did a great job with this very difficult dance, and made it look easy. Immediately after this shot, Dan walked Amanda back to her card table, and sat down beside her. He then relaxed his legs, leaned back in the chair, and past from this world. Doing something that he absolutely loved to do. Without pain, or hesitation. If the Good Lord would give me a choice of how I was to go,, It would be after/during something that I loved to do and had a passion for. This was his final bow, and last curtain call. Rest in Peace, Dan.

2009-10-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

Below is an email that Ricker has sent out, thanking everyone for the gifts that he takes with him on his new adventure.

Hey Tree Toppers!
I am due to depart for Florida in the morning then from Florida to Ecuador on Friday.We are pleased to inform you that our efforts to raise money in an attempt to make a positive impact for the less fortunate children of Ecuador have been overwhelming. To date I have received just under $4,000.00. Anyone that has not sent me your pledged money or anyone that still wants to pledge money should do so As Soon As Possible. I have covered for the pledges not received out of my own pocket.
We thank you for your support and hope to soon share with you our progress and results of these efforts.
Please pray for our safety and wish me luck in the competition.
TTT Rocks!

Faithfully,
Ricker Goldsborough

2009-10-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

There are a few things that those who have recently come to our country,and apparently some native Americans, need to understand.
First of all, it is not our responsibility to continually try not to offend you in any way.This idea of America being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity.
As Americans, we have our own culture, our own society, ourown language, and our own lifestyle. This culture, called the"American Way" has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom. Our forefathers fought, bled, and died at places such as Bunker Hill, Antietam, San Juan, Iwo Jima, Normandy, Korea, Vietnam...
We speak English, not Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society - learn our language!
"In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some off-the-wall, Christian, Right Wing, political slogan - it is our national motto. It is engraved in stone in the House of Representatives in our Capitol and it is printed on our currency. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation and this is clearly documented throughout our history. If it is appropriate for our motto to be inscribed in the halls of our highest level of Government, then it is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. God is in our pledge, our National Anthem, nearly every patriotic song, and in our founding documents. We honor His birth, death, and resurrection as holidays, and we turn to Him in prayer in times of crisis.
If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture and we are proud to have Him. We are proud of our heritage and those who have so honorably defended our freedoms. We celebrate Independence Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Flag Day. We have parades, picnics, and barbecues where we proudly wave our flag. As an American, I have the right to wave my flag, sing my national anthem, quote my national motto, and cite my pledge whenever and wherever I choose. If the Stars and Stripes offend you, or you don't like Uncle Sam, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet.
The American culture is our way of life, our heritage, and we are proud of it. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. Like it or not, this is our country, our land, and our lifestyle.
Our First Amendment gives every citizen the right to express his opinion about our government, culture, or society, and we will allow you every opportunity to do so.
But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about our flag, our pledge, our national motto, or our way of life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great American freedom:
THE RIGHT TO LEAVE!
Another thing: To those who do complain about the usage of words like 'God' and 'American' and speaking the language of our great nation,
TRY GOING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY AND SPEAK AGAINST WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE. YOU WILL MORE THAN LIKELY END UP JAILED OR EVEN KILLED.
In America, you take your right to complain for granted. The more patriotism that is removed from where our children are taught, the less our children will learn about what it is to be an American and our nation's spirit will slowly be killed.
Keep patriotism alive.
It is time to take a stand!!
God Bless America and our Military and Veterans!!!"

What gets to me, is that the stats say that, 85% a Americans believe in God. Yet, we(as citizens of this great Nation), let them delegate what WE can put in our schools, and how we raise our students. Something wrong with that. Is the majority that weak, that they will tolerate this kind of stuff?! How about the government being employees of the People, for a change? NOT the other way around?!

2009-10-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

It was Candy's, mmm,, 30TH birthday this week, so Doris got her a little cake. She didn't want anything big, rofl. Happy birthday, my friend. Many more to come ! ! ! ! !
It was also a fund raiser for The Dade County Mountain Rescue.

The flight park has been such a large contributor, that they even gave us special mention on the vehicle. You many have to click it to see the bigger picture.

Inside the emergency vehicle with some of the crew, and the Captain.

Rick, the guy with the dark tshirt on, wouldn't be around today, if it wasn't for the DCMR team that rescued him during a caving accident. Thus, it gave Rick and his band, a good reason to get together and play, to try and drum up some more donations! Good music !

Tammy, a groupie of the band(and Rick's girlfriend) let her top speak for her tonight.

There was hamburgers, brats, potato salad, kraut, veggie burgers, a keg AND a band. What a great time, had by all.

2009-10-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

Pilots' Wisdom:
1. Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory.
2. If you pull the bar in , the houses get bigger. If you push the bar out, they get smaller. That is, unless you keep pushing the bar all the way out, then they get bigger again.
3. Flying isn't dangerous. Crashing is what's dangerous.
4. It's always better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here.
5. The ONLY time you have too much airspeed is when you misjudge your landing distance.
6. The propeller is just a big fan in front of the plane used to keep the pilot cool. Because when it stops, you can actually watch the pilot start sweating.
7. When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No one has ever collided with the sky.
8. A 'good' landing is one from which you can walk away. A 'great' landing is one after which they can use the hang glider again.
9. Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.
10. You know you've landed on the wheels, when that divet causes you to take a short nap.
11. The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival. Large angle of arrival, small probability of survival and vice-versa.
12. Never let your glider take you somewhere your brain didn't get to five minutes earlier.
13. Stay out of clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be another glider or plane, going in the opposite direction. Reliable sources also report that mountains have been known to hide out in clouds.
14. Always try to keep the number of landings you make equal to the number of take offs you've made.
15. There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately no one knows what they are.
16. You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.
17. Helicopters can't fly; they're just so ugly the earth repels them.
18. If all you can see is the ground that's going round and round and all you can hear is your own heartbeat, things are not at all as they should be.
19. In the ongoing battle between objects made of aluminum going very fast, and the ground going zero miles per hour, the ground has yet to lose.
20. Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, experience usually comes from bad judgment.
21. It's always a good idea to keep the pointy end going forward as much as possible.
22. Keep looking around. There's always something you've missed.
23. Remember, gravity is not just a good idea. It's the law. And it's not subject to repeal.
24. The four most useless things to a pilot are the altitude above you, LZ behind you, gas back at the primary LZ, and a tenth of a second ago.
25. There are old pilots and there are bold pilots. There are, however, no old, bold pilots.

2009-10-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

The Tennessee Tree Toppers received this from Steve,at Flytec. I personally own a 6030 Flytec vario, and I have yet to grow into it yet, but I'm looking forward to all the airtime that will allow me to do that ! Seems like we can always count on Flytec to support the hang gliding community, no matter what's going on! Thanks, for the quality products that you put out! The vario that I had before this one was a 4005, and loved it.

Steve has been our best and most consistent supporter for many years. Thanks to you Steve. We really appreciate what you do for the sport!
Ollie

Hi guys,
I just received the thank you gift, very nice and very unexpected! I am honored. My old lady saw it and quickly seized it :-) Which is a good thing considering all of the HG grief she has to put up with from me ;-)
I think you will be pleased to hear that that I have received more thank yous from TC participants than I have received from all of the other events that we supported this year combined! The nice notes that I have been getting make it so easy to support the TC. As a supporter, as a fellow pilot and as a director of region 10 I am proud and honored to be involved, even in a small way, with this event. The tree toppers truly are a credit to the sport. Keep up the outstanding work.
Please pass this sentiment on to the Tree Toppers, volunteers and participants

Best regards, Steve – Flytec & Brauniger USA
#1 instruments in the world for Hang Gliding, Paragliding and Ballooning800-662-2449 (inside the US and Canada)+1-321-773-2307 (outside the US)+1-407-264-8455 (fax)

http://www.flytec.com
http://www.braunigerusa.com
info@flytec.com

2009-10-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

Please start the music, if you have speakers.

Everyday, we are getting older. However, the older that we get, the more commitments that we have. The more commitments that we have, the less time for "Self". I feel that is a very important part of the day, in order for us to retain our sanity.

To me, music is the very core of my existence. As is my hang gliding, and photography. It feeds and fills my spirit. As does a talk with my friend, Jesus. In times of loneliness, you have to remember,, you're really never alone. Unless you so chose to be. And the longing that you feel, can always be filled with some time with your favorite music. And, if you are totally alone, and have NO one to fill that desolate spot in your being, I have an idea for you. Especially, with the holidays fast approaching. When I lived in Huntsville, there was a Nursing Home that I visited around the Holiday season. In my travels, I saved all the unused shampoos, soaps, sugar,coffee packs, in the rooms that I didn't use. You should see those young at heart, but not quite as young in body folks, when you hand them some of this trivial stuff that we so easily discard.

I haven't set down since my recent breakup, and just listen to some peaceful easy music, and I have to admit,, loneliness is not for everyone. Slow down some, from you fast paced life for a few moments a day, and I believe that you will have a much more longer & happier life.

2009-10-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

For everyone's information

Nick Greece sent a message to the members of United States Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association, Inc.

Subject: Good Morning America

"GMA will feature a 3 minute piece on Hang gliding this Sunday. The 2009 Big Springs Hang Gliding Meet will be featured on October 18th on Good Morning America. We hope everyone can tune in to see Hang gliding on a national broadcast. The piece features top American pilots as they relate why hang gliding is such an amazing endeavor. There will also be a short story with photos on http://www.facebook.com/l/d5cf8;ABCnews.com. The production of this segment was made possible by the Untied States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, the city of Big Springs, Texas, and the Foundation for Free Flight. Also, a big thanks goes to the Big Springs Comp team, all the pilots, and tug operators that made the video a reality.Hope you can tune in!"