[Greg Launt]

Big Blue Sky DVD (by Greg Launt)

One of the Hawks, an E-teamer, and a great friend of the sport was asking me if I had a copy of Big Blue Sky. Unfortunately, my copy was no longer available.
Bob Kuczewski suggested that we could arrange a DVD exchange program and provided a copy of Big Blue Sky. This idea..and so many others from Bob..supports the sharing of good times and this sport with others..family members, etc.
_______
I packaged the DVD in an envelope and included the following guidelines:

HANG GLIDING VIDEO DVD EXCHANGE
You have received this DVD as part of the Torrey Hawks Video DVD exchange program conceived by Bob Kuczewski.
The intent is to provide an easy way for Torrey Hawks Members to circulate full-length Video in DVD format amongst themselves;
and, to share with their fellow pilots, friends, and family. Also, to provide some way to track the DVD.

GUIDELINES:
1. Enjoy the Video! If you really like it, please feel welcome to purchase your own copy.
3. Once you have viewed the video, we ask that you complete a log book entry including your comments on the video and with whom you have shared the experience. Use as many pages as you wish, disregard the columns at the top of each page.
4. Please forward the DVD package (including the envelope and Log Book) to the next interested Torrey Hawk Member.
5. Post the contact information for the person you have sent the DVD to on the appropriate page at torreyhawksforum.org

6. Go flying!

______
Today, I expect to hand the DVD to Mickey...and...with his permission, post his contact information on the my next post to this topic.

Big Blue Skies and smooth lift to everyone.

Greg Launt
Lake Elsinore, CA
951-551-8341

[Greg Launt]

I handed the DVd off to:
Mickey Sarraille (but I probably spelled that wrong)
949-246-7969
Southern California

[bobk]

Hi Greg,

Thanks for the post and for all your effort in getting this going.

For the record, all I did was loan Greg one of my copies and suggest that he pass it around within the club. Greg took the initiative to come up with a log book and establish a way to keep track of it and started the ball rolling on passing it on to Mickey. Good Job Greg!!!

Bob Kuczewski

[Greg Launt]

I've handed the copy of Big Blue Sky off to a Non-member of the Torrey Hawks. Have I no shame?...No I Do Not !.

I've put the package in the care of Roger McCracken. He was the Production manager at Wills Wing in 1980-1982, a flight test coordinator, pilot, and (as an engineer) was instrumental in the the development of the HGMA Standards...(along with Tom Price, Mike Meier, and Steve Pearson).

I expect he will share the Video with his lovely driver from those days...who continues to be his significant other.

[bobk]

Good Job Greg!!!

Now you've just got to sign Roger up as member of the Hawks!!

Please pass along my phone number (858-204-7499).

[Cal Glider]

Hello every one. I am introducing myself on the DVD thread because this post ties in with it. My name is Lyle Anderson I am one of the early birdmen of California and one of the newest Hawks.
I learned (nobody taught me) to fly back in 1969, (I was 13). I have been flying for 41 years now, and I've only crashed once and I have the false teeth to prove it. <grin>.
There was no USHGA when I first flew Torrey Pines. I was dragged kicking and screaming into this thing called The USHGA only after they threatened to not allow me to fly my beloved Torrey. I lived in a slide-on camper and parked my truck over on the north face. My TPHGA card does not even have a pilot number on it. I was grandfathered into The USHGA as a Hang-3 and immediately got my Hang-4, that was back in 1976. My pilot number is #975,
Anyway, in the DVD Big Blue Sky there is a bright yellow UP Dragonfly with a star on each wing. I flew that glider out at Little Black Mountain when it was brand new!
Those were the good old/bad old days. <sigh> so many pilots were killed by their/our ignorance back then. As I watched that movie I saw all these faces that I recognized. I had wondered what had become of some of them. Sadly, now I know…




Bamboo Bomber –Freeflight 17 ft STD – Cal Gliders Moth 18 ft STD - Cal Gliders 19X16 Short Keel - UP Dragonfly – Cal Gliders WindGypsy Mk 4 – Quicksilver M -Twenty years later… Wills Wing Falcon- Altair Saturn 167, Predator 142

[wild_high_mark]

[bobk]

Hi Lyle,

Thanks for that great history (and those vintage photos!!).

For better or worse, this site doesn't get a lot of activity. I've been president of the Hawks for 3 years now, and even I tend to do most of my posting to the larger forums (like hanggliding.org). Most of what we're trying to accomplish with the Hawks is fair representation for the sport of hang gliding at Torrey and that doesn't benefit so much from "preaching the choir" as it does from preaching to the larger world. So conversations on this forum would tend to go like this:

[Cal Glider]

Oh yea Mark, I can relate to that. When you get right down to it...just what does the USHGpA do for us pilots besides insurance? I only keep my membership because someday I “MIGHT” get to fly Torrey again.. It is very free out here in the middle of nowhere. If I find a place to fly, I fly it. I can imagine if I did what I did then now…


I had parked my camper over on the north face where it would be out of sight of all except the most energetic rookie patrolman in his cruiser. Most of the cops were not willing to endure the bone jarring ride over to the north face unless there was a reason. I did my best not to give them one.
The wind Gods awakened me by gently (at first) shaking my camper, I got up, and realized it was time to fly. Yes, it was late at night, but hey it was not dark, or cold...what the heck, IT’S SOARABLE! A brilliant, bright white full moon illuminated the world in stark black and white.
I could set up my old 17ft standard and give it a pre-flight without even thinking about it. I only came fully awake as I moved my diver to launch and did a hang check. Then, without hesitation, or thought about the illegality of what I was doing, I launched, and was lifted up into a star shot, clear night sky…<sigh> so many memories of places, flights and young faces now gone grey. Most of them quit flying long ago, but I flew hard and high well into the 80s, drifting from Cal to AZ and down into old Mexico. Years passed, my Cal Glider was a tired old bird by then. She had a lot of silver (duct tape) on her wings. I decided to let her ride the glass smooth lift of Torrey once more and then let her die with dignity out in the desert, but it was not to be.
I knew all was not right with the world (where did that building come from? And, where was the old radar station?) when I drove up.
I parked my truck and made my way over, I went inside and a person came up and we talked, I told him I wanted to fly and he asked what I was flying. When I told him, his eyebrows went up and he explained that my wing was far to old, that she was dangerous and unsafe to fly. Things went down hill from there... LOL

[bobk]

[Cal Glider]

Far out man….Oh boy, I am showing my age with that comment <LOL>
I would love to do that some time.