Hook In
Karl Stice

It was a great day, in summer 1989, with thermals really strong. The Norwegian team was staying at our house (the famous "Delta House" across the street from the LZ at Sylmar, the house rented to us pilots by Bill Bennett), as they were getting ready to go to the World's Meet in the Owens Valley that year. We took them up to the Towers launch, which has a really steep dropoff for takeoff, a bit like a cliff launch.

I helped everybody launch, and was the last to take off. Our driver, one of the pilots, who chose not to fly, asked me as I went by with my glider: "Do you need a hang check? "

"Naw! "I confidently said; I was impatient to get up in the air with them all. I was distracted putting on my gloves; and that distraction caused me to forget about hooking in. I was test flying a brand new Dream 165 (just a production run standard test fly to trim it), and just leapt off running on approaching the launch.

Imagine my surprise, when suddenly I found myself doing a chin-up, one hand on the base tube, one hand on an upright, and wearing a Bennett integral cocoon harness. Two seconds into the flight, the ravine was under me a few hundred feet.
 

This was not the time to let go!
What saved my life, was remembering in a flash, Roy Haggard's written description of when that happened to him (at Bear Valley launch, or somewhere there south of Elsinore). I told myself, if Roy can pull it off, so can I.

It also flashed through my mind, "I really don't want to have to pay for this brand new glider!", and also I figured that even if I were to let go with one hand and pull my reserve chute, that I would be in for a serious trip to the hospital, because that ravine is really rocky.

So, with the adrenaline really pumping (what else could explain the super-human effort required to suddenly do an athletic chin-up and pull myself and harness up into a standing position in the control bar? Of course, I had very little time, because hanging like that from the base tube, puts the glider in a steep dive.

So, as soon as I found myself safe and secure standing in the control bar, I continued the flight out over the front ridge, all the time climbing now, as I entered into the strong thermal lift.

Now, had I used an ordinary carabiner at that time, I would have easily clipped in to the hang strap and had a good flight. But no, unfortunately I had chosen to test out one of those darned "push-pin" type "H" form of carabiners that were new on the

market then, and so I was trapped. Because it takes two hands to secure the push pin. Rats! I was condemned to riding it down to the LZ standing in the control bar, and boy did my arms get tired, wrapped around the down tubes, with my butt hanging out over 1000 ft. below.

Then again, I did discover a great way to go down quickly, even in a straight line: that is, sitting on the base tube creates a lot of frontal drag, and at the same time creating a nose heavy hang point. So, while the others were skying out, my flight lasted not too long. Frustrating, to say the least.

Now, for landing without being hooked in: I improvised by skimming in along the ground; then at the last second,  by grabbing the hang strap with both hands, and pushing out forcefully with both feet on the base tube. Perfect landing! Not a scratch!

Then, I lay down and kissed the ground, and was happy to be alive.
Thanks again to Roy Haggard, for his own story, which gave me the courage to save my own life that day!

Cheers,
Karl

See Karl Stice's article on Flight For Fun