New design for Wind Lines

After a lot of soul-searching and a fair bit of research, I have decided to change the software I have been using to maintain our web site. Back when we were part of the Hang Gliding Association, we started out using Yahoo Groups for our online discussions. Then just before we started the paragliding club, Sharky turned me on to a website system built around databases that seemed promising. Since then I have spent a huge amount of time tweaking and tinkering with this database system, and while I have managed to add some interesting features over the last few years, I have to admit that it's turned into kind of a mess, and the prospect of upgrading or maintaining the various parts is becoming increasingly unpleasant. It's a programmer's nightmare. And recently the system has started to suffer from grave and mysterious errors.

So I have decided to bite the bullet and do what any programmer does when a project gets old and cranky. Rewrite it! I have just set up our new site using tools that are more up to date and simpler to manage: I'm talking about blogging software. Yep, Wind Lines is now a blog, courtesy of blogger.com, the blogging site recently acquired by Google. The site will not be quite as ambitious in scope as the last one, but it will be a lot easier to run, and it won't require any real programming at all, nor any database work, just a little standard web design. I appreciate your patience as we get the kinks in the new system ironed out. Please let me know if you run into any problems or if you have any questions.

Click the thumbnails to switch between the old site and the new site.



Benefits:

• Number one: this site will be easier for me to manage and keep the underlying parts up to date. If anyone has any experience with blogger.com or any other blogging tools, please get in touch and share any insights you have. This system is fairly simple but I'd love to compare notes with other paragliding bloggers.
• The new system makes it super easy to create new articles complete with pictures uploaded from your computer. You will need to have a blogger account to write an article for the site - click the "Submit an Article" link on the new site to find out how to get signed up. I tested out at least a half dozen blogging sites and this one is by far the best for composing new articles.
• You don't have to log in to the site for most purposes. Only posting an article requires that you log in. But you can use the chatterbox, and post comments to articles, and see the entire site without logging in.
• This blog provides a better chatterbox. It refreshes quicker for more natural online conversations. And you can choose your nom de plume for each chatterbox message to make it interesting. Same goes for the comments to articles.
• The formatting of the text for the articles is more readable. Also, the design I have set up for us initially is "fixed width" so it doesn't fill your entire browser even if you stretch your browser out really wide. This keeps the articles wrapping at a readable width.
• This site is a lot easier to redesign and change the layout and formatting. This initial layout is just my first crack at it - hopefully it's not too hideous. I welcome your constructive criticism.

Things we'll need to get used to:

• We no longer have any hidden content on the site for members only. This includes the forum, the member directory, the meeting minutes and the timeline. I don't think we'll miss the forum too much, since we can use the front page articles and comments for that, but I'll have to think of a way to include the other previously hidden features. The timeline and minutes can probably just be made public. But the directory with e-mail addresses and phone numbers should remain a members-only feature if possible.
• There is no photo album capability on the new site. You can upload as many pictures as you want into your articles, which is great, and it's much easier than the old system, but there's no way to upload pictures that aren't included in an article. However, this software allows us to include photos from our accounts at Flickr.com, a free photo site that I think may end up being better for our albums anyway. This way we can store the full resolutions online if we want. We'll need to see how that works.
• Changes in the layout and the reorganization of some menu items in an attempt to simplify the main screen.

Help!

If any of you have a little time and a little html expertise I would like to ask for your help getting all the parts of the old system transfered over into the new one. Drop me an e-mail if you're interested in volunteering for this awesome opportunity to serve your fellow pilots.

Australian Xmas

G'day, Maties! OZ was great even for a short tour. Although the flight was 10 hours on Hawaiian Airlines direct, the time change was not a problem because they are exactly 24 hours from us. The OZ raiding party was Sucide Pete, his girlfriend Hillery, my mom Shirley (who arrived from Vancouver 2 days prior), and the Reaper.

Day 1

We landed in Sydney and did a day getting used to the driving on the wrong side and then made our way to the Tarongo Zoo (Sydney Zoo) on a high speed ferry harbor tour, we saw the Opera house, the bridge, etc and it was a great way to beat the heat (+100). Sydney reminded me of San Diego harbor, and it was way too busy at Xmas time for us. So we headed south for some flying at Stanwell Flight Park.

Day 2

We drove about an hour down from Sydney Airport along the coast and arrived at Stanwell park just 15 miles north of Woolongong city. The flight park is about 500 meters above the cliffs and they have a great big beach to bomb on if you need it. It is a drive up launch that's similiar to Torrey Pines. It is a Southeast facing site, and gets the sea breezes straight on. They even have toilets and their own hot dog stand.

Mostly it is a hang glider launch, but a few bags fly there as well. Think about dodging 20 to 30 hang gliders...

Everyone is extremely friendly and it wasn't too difficult to find a hang gliding instructor to take our freshly acquired Ozzy dollars for the 30 day temporary memberships, $30 OZ.

As luck would have it we arrived to see paragliders already in the air. And believe it or not when we started to set up on launch the local guy flying top landed and intruduced himself as 'Ash'. He also said he was thinking of coming to Hawaii and was looking at a web site called 'Gravity Hawaii' hehe.

It was epic conditions at about 10+ straight up the hill. Near perfect for bags, as the hangies pointed out. Pete flew 1st as I set up, and after that we flew all day (7+ hours) until dark, top landing, tree landing (Suicide tandem), and flying again. The wind shifted a bit east/southeast so we were able to go downrange for about 15km and back at 3,000 msl. Nice, really nice. After 7 hours of sitting in the sun and watching Pete and me fly, the girls were pretty anxious to get on the road.

Day 3

We decided to head north above Sydney as my mom and I wanted to get to some good beaches, Hillery and Pete wanted to see Hunter Valley wine country, and I knew about High Adventure paragliding and Lee Scott had some great flying sites along the coast up near Port MacQaurie (3 1/2 hours north of Sydney).

We drove north along the coast for 6 hours stopping at all the beaches and after 7 hours we still had only travelled 1/2 way. Ugh. So we set up in a great little beach town called Forester. Everything else we saw along the way was farm towns.

Pete and Hillery went to Hunter Valley and stayed at a lovely B&B in wine country. They went for a horse back ride at sunset and saw Wallabies (small Kangaroos) and their larger Kangaroo cousins. The next day in 115 degree heat they toured a few wineries and then headed off to join us at Lauriton to meet at High Adventure paragliding.

Mom and I arrived at High Adventure to find Lee and Robin Scott heading off to Xmas vacation with their 4 kids for the week. But he did give me a DVD of all the flying sites, and said "You'll figure it out". So we headed towards the beaches and found these amazing 30 mile long white sand beaches with sand dunes, etc. It was awesome. We had a hellova time finding a place to stay since it was Xmas and we decided to stay at Australia's famous caravan parks complete with hired cabins. As luck would have it I was watching the DVD and it seems we were within walking distance to a soaring site.

Day 4

Mom and I met some visiting Swiss pilots who were about to launch from a cliff launch above a really packed beach at 100' elevation. Maybe it wasn't a good idea since no local pilots were there and the gate to run through was locked. But that didn't stop team Advance from attempting a classic Quentin launch from below the grass in the bushes in a similar way as we do at Crazy man's. The guy pulled it off somehow, as he went smashing through the bushes and began to do massive wingovers to show off for the thousands of beach go-ers. He sank out and the last thing he did was more massive wing-overs before building up enough energy to slam into a poor skinny Indo guy on vacation and send the poor bastard to the hospital for a check-up. The guy wasn't hurt luckily, but all I could think about was our many visiting pilots at Makapuu and how this could have been at our site. Lee was pissed when he found out, and thanked me for assisting the injured bystander. The Swiss dudes took off before the cops came.

Day 5

Hillery and Pete joined Mom and I and we all ventured out to find more flying. Pete and Hillery flew Bonny beach hill for about an hour and half, and I headed off with Mom in tow to Middle Brother mountain (elev. 3,000' msl) to fly with a local tandem pilot. Mom said she would drive down the mountain, but onto the highway, so I would have to hike the 5 miles down the road from the LZ to meet her in 100+ sun. Ugh!

We arrived at Middle Brother mountain launch to find it was a hang glider ramp launch next to a 300' TV tower surrounded by a high barbed wire fence. The tandem launched with two 200 pound guys and went straight up like a rocket, then backwards, then forwards, and then he headed straight for the LZ. They do not fly with radios usually with the exception of CB raidios on channel 15. So there was no way for me to get hold of this guy. But what I saw was very strong lee side conditions mixed with some prevailing east winds. Not ideal, but it looked awesome for a great XC flight, or so I thought...

I launched into the strongest lift I have ever felt in the middle of the day, in the middle of the summer, on Middle Mountain. I immediately gained 1,000 feet and I was getting HUGE surges and basically I was being tossed about like a rag doll. My god it was strong. The tandem then barely made the LZ out in front of the giant Eucalyptus tree forest. Those trees were 300+ feet tall and extended about a mile or two from the mountain. I didn't know whether to SH*T or attempt to fly to the LZ. Bad, bad, bad...

I opted to attempt a top landing on the ramp next to the barbed wire fence crosswind and slightly downwind. It was my best option since a tree landing or deployment here was NOT an option. I really thought I wouldn't make it out from the mountain, or over safely. And If I did go over or something, what would happen to dear old Mom on top of the mountain?

I did a series of wing-overs and BIG ears and managed to get really close to the launch for some high speed passes, and I was trying to keep up my speed so that I didn't get blown over the back into the aforementioned 300'+ Eucy trees. I then had to dodge the bullet thermals coming up at me, and lose the height I gained every time. I decided to give it a shot and I came from the left side of launch over the trees/bushes and towards the fence, at about 20 mph and 3 feet off the ground sideways I impacted the fence dead on right in the middle as perfectly as I could throwing the right brake down and putting my very used harness to the test. D*mned if it didn't work. I hit about 3' off of the ground dead center, and the wing went cleanly over the barbed wire into some small bushes. I just sat there stuck sideways in my harness laughing, and thinking I got away with something really stupid again. Luck of the Irish I guess. It took only 15 minutes with Mom and me cramming the wing into the bag and we were off to find Hillery and Pete at the beach. The local beginner pilot on launch couldn't believe his eyes. I told him it was Hawaiian style, bra.

Christmas Eve everything was closed - food stores, restaurants, bars, etc., so we managed to make a salad, and some potatoes to go with the kangaroo sausages and kangaroo steaks tthat Pete bought at a butchery in Hunter Valley. Kangaroo steaks have to be only seared for a second or two on the barbie or they get tough and rubbery. The Roo sausages were tasty and I think mom and Hillery were hoping for more traditional yule tide feastings. Pete and I thought the kangaroo was good, but we'll eat anything dead... So here we are at Xmas dinner in OZ eating Kangaroo steaks. Funny!

Day 6

We tried to fly, but conditions were deteriorating and we all decided to head for Sydney as Hillery had to catch the plane home. Mom and I toured around Sydney and we witnessed the massive evacuation of Sydney of all the people heading off for the beginning of summer vacation. Pete decided that he wanted to extend his vacation until the 15th and head off to Melbourne and the Hobart, Tazmania for New years via car ferry.

After checking the Hawaiian airlines passenger loads for Hillery, we found out that Mom and I had better leave now as there were no seats available after today until the 15th (which is the day I leave with Sharkey to Peru). So ended our trip to OZ. I also found out you DO NOT get a refund on un-used days on your rental car in OZ. I was lucky enough to get a 1st Class ticket on return and boy was it nice after all the left hand driving and crashing into fences with my paraglider...

In summary, Australia is very expensive (about the same as Hawaii) at Xmas time, and it is very difficult to get around. the road signs are just a few feet in front of the turns, so if you're going over 50 mph forget it. Also, if you're travelling around OZ without pre-planned hotels, reservations, etc., you may get stuck with some high hotel costs. The cheap stuff goes fast.

My next trip to OZ would be a one-way trip up the East coast to Cairns (think tropics and great barrier reef) or to Melbourne in the south, and ferry ride to Hobart, Tazmania. then drop the car, and fly back to Sydney for the return. The East coast around the Sydney to Brisbane area reminded me of the California coastline into Baja, but all the mountains are covered in Eucalyptus trees.

We await Suicide Pete's version when he returns on Jan. 16th from Melbourne and Hobart.

Fair Dinkum!

Reaper

Nine at Nanakuli

Nine pilots flew at Nanakuli yesterday. Man was it nice. Doug jumped over the back (of course). Me and Bob and Doctor John (FL) went to the back and got up back there to cruise at cloudbase. Others tried to get back and hit massive sink so it felt like an accomplishment just to get back there. Bob and I were tempted to follow Doug but the cloudbase just felt a tad low for our comfort levels. Next time! Here is a picture of Greg doing his thing over Haleakala.

Getting Some: Two Days Trying, Two Days Flying

This time of year we have to be ready for anything. Pilots with good weather information and flexible schedules will see some interesting flights this time of year. Traditionally our best XC flights are made in this season. But there are also a lot of days where it's just not quite working right anywhere. That doesn't stop us from going out to try our luck anyway. And after a few days of delaying our gratification by parawaiting, the days when we do get flights seem all the sweeter.



Last Saturday many of us (including Greg) gathered at Makapuu hoping for a repeat performance of the previous day's sea breeze soaring (scored by certain sneaky scoundrels), but the day was cursed by a pronounced southwesterliness that just wouldn't go away. That didn't stop us from hanging out and hoping, all day. At the end of the day we decided to chase that southwest tendency all the way around past Mariners to Koko Head, desperate enough to risk electrocution or at least arrest in our quest for air. But it seemed too light to even bother hiking, just a sea breeze tease, so instead Bob gave us a nice tour of China Walls and Spitting Cave and we called it a day.

A few days later, I called Greg to come out to Kahana to help me welcome the tradewinds back, but by the time we got there it had picked up from an average of 13 to a solid average of 16 (as measured by iWindSurf). We hung out for over an hour, beachcombing and eating lunch, but it never backed off. It might have been possible to launch, and park ourselves in the air low and out front, but we weren't quite that desperate.

So after a rare two days in a row of unrequited parawaiting, yesterday dawned with light winds and a stratospheric cloudbase. I could hear the angels singing. Chopper Dave predicted on the Chatterbox that it would be a day long remembered in XC legend. Oh man, that got me drooling. Of course, it's easy to predict an epic day when you can't make it out there yourself. After lunch I headed out there to meet Don, thinking about how far downrange we would go. Kaneohe District Park? Hygienic? Kahana? Actually, as I passed Kahana it seemed totally flyable there - I wondered if we should consider the safe bet of a good XC flight there, but it didn't seem worth the risk of passing up a potential XC trip from Makapuu under clouds as high as the moon. On the way I called Greg, who like me had already suffered through two days of delayed gratification, and convinced him to blow off his work and come out to make history with us. He was dubious, but he managed to bribe Sue to let him come out and join us.

We launched Crazy's in a pretty stiff breeze, and shot up to almost three grand without breaking a sweat, but it really seemed too strong to leave the ridge. Not that it didn't seem possible to go downrange, but it was strong enough that we'd have had to be super careful the whole time to ride the outer edge of the huge lift band. And I always worry that on a strong day like that, the rotor behind Olomana or Ohulehule will be far-reaching and fearsome. We landed after a couple of hours up, joining the hang glider pilots at the golfcourse LZ: Cockroach Bay Links. I entertained the hangies with a demonstration of a goalpost landing, stumbling back towards the highway in a strong cycle, and hooking the speed limit sign with a line. Turns out Mike Benson made it to Kaaawa and back, and Leo and others all went far as well. Arrghh - hearing that really made me wish I had been flying one of those floppy little hang gliders that Dave and Ray have. We met students Scrappy Claude and Jeff McStalker at the LZ, and then when Bob showed up we hustled back up for another quick flight from Crazy's in even stronger wind than before. Five minutes was enough for me this time. I knew when I was beat. But I entertained Jeff with another goalpost landing, kicking the windsock pole and almost snaring it as I came barreling in. Note to self: got to stop landing on poles. Greg had another note for me: if it looks like this again tomorrow, please don't call him.

So the next day, the clouds were indeed high again, although nothing like the day before - they were grazing the top of Konahuanui. And it seemed lighter than the day before, but my reading of the forecast made me think it would be a good day for Kahana, or at least a safer bet for an XC trip, so after my chores in town I headed that way. I saw that Pete was already there with a visiting pilot from Japan. From the beach it really seemed super light, like maybe I should have been at Makapuu, but I watched Pete launch and scratch his way up, followed shortly after by Ukisu-san. What the heck - I like the light days best anyway. But it was so light I didn't think it was quite worth calling out any reinforcements - I don't need a bunch of bomb-outs on my conscience, especially one performed by Grumpy Greg. Don had thought he might come out but he had a small window and decided to pass. And I knew Bob was leaving for the Big Island today.

So I hiked up by myself and hucked off, and raced around in a cavalier fashion like I didn't need to work for it, finally bombing ignominiously into the bushes below low launch. I lugged my gear back up to the top to salvage the day with another attempt, waiting for any breath of wind to relieve the stillness, and finally got a cycle that seemed like it would hold me up. Even then I was pretty sure I was doomed for a sledder, but I persevered and milked the thermals like I meant it this time. With great relief, I soon joined Pete and Ukisu-san above Puu Piei, at around 2300 feet, about where cloudbase was by that time. The air at Kahana was light and thermic, and the thermals were hard edged and narrow. Pete didn't wait for a committee decision but headed downrange right away, followed soon after by Ukisu-san and me.

At the next ridge we got our butts handed to us as we came in low over the dirt spot. That spot consistently bakes off the meanest thermals on the Kahana XC tour. We all shot up and down over the Punaluu ridge like yo-yos for a while, trying to hang on to those monsters but mostly falling out of them into the very turbulent air sinking all around them. Finally Pete made it to the back to peek over the top of Sacred Falls, while me and Ukisu-san spiralled up into the clouds together over the front. Pete then headed out and around Sacred Falls to the next ridge, and I finally made it back to where he had been, but by now the clouds were looking ominous and a lot lower, so I didn't stay back there long. Ukisu-san and I followed Pete in for a landing at Hauula Beach Park and enjoyed some hard-earned refreshments while we watched the clouds develop into multiple squalls and showers. The bus never showed up, so in desperation we stuck our thumbs out, but in vain. Finally Pete showed some leg and managed to attract the driver of a pickup truck for a ride back to Kahana. The driver turned out to be a nice local tree trimmer who I know from my neighborhood.

After I got back home I heard that Don and Bob had flown Makapuu after all. They launched Crazy's for a nice sweet flight mostly over Makapuu Beach, buzzing the tourists and throwing their wings around in the strong lift there to make the most of their small windows of opportunity. Also Greg called me after I had landed, to hear what he had missed, and I tried hard to resist gloating about my nice day flying - but not that hard.

Looks like tradewinds are back for a while. See you all out there soon!

New Launch Discovered at Makapuu!

A new launch discovered at Makapuu! And it's the king of launches! The top of the top! No really, we hiked to the top, past Cactus, past the middle launch, all the way up. Actually, I should admit that it wasn't really discovered today -- Jon showed it to me. Okay, okay, so it's not new either -- it's the launch they used in the old days when there was not enough wind at Cactus or the middle launch. Kind of like today! Man was it light down there. We launched and scratched at ridge height for quite a while before the lift just died off completely and we sank out to the LZ.

Nanakuli Daze

(Originally posted by Frank on our old website)

The planets must have been in alignment - the wife was down hard with a cold and couldn't issue any "honey do's", the wind was out of the west and I was already driving across the Hawaii Kai bridge when Don called to issue rendezvous instructions - Nanakuli or Makua Valley - he, Alex and Greg were enroute on H3. After hiking up the day before and three times before that I was very familiar with Nanakuli's trail. I had either been there too late or too early previously and, not being familiar with the launches, didn't want to do something stupid and be the one who was responsible for losing a launch for the club. One thing Oahu excells in is it's challenging launches. What's the old saying? "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Chopper told me of his experience with Nanakuli so I'm always apprehensive - conditions have got to be just right - if I ain't feeling it, I ain't flying it.



On the hike down the day prior I passed Doug on the way up - it was tempting to join him but I still had to get to the yacht club for the Friday nite races at 5pm - 7 people were waiting on the boat. "...one of these days I'm going to have to fly this site..." I thought to myself as I trudged down, again, sweating like a whore in church.

We all gathered at the trail head in Nanakuli to check out the conditions - very overcast - no sun for thermals but at least there was wind to ridge soar. Greg drove ahead to check out Makua valley. Turns out both sites were good to go but since we were at Nanakuli and itching to get high we flew it. First group up the trail was Russel, Alex, Garth (Canadian visitor), Don, Jeff and myself.

Alex performed a flawless takeoff at low launch even with a wrapped brake line - it was a thing of beauty - no panic, he paused, cleared the line, turned and burned. In 3-5 minutes he was at 2k complaining of the cold. Don escorted Russel and Garth up to high launch while Jeff and I, happy with the conditions there, set up. Garth launched as Jeff and I watched him pull off one heck of a low save. He skimmed the valley floor and slowly climbed back up to join Alex and Russel in the ether. Russel had ignored Garth's plight and launched and worked it right up with Alex. Don hiked down to help Jeff and I launch. Don was doing yeoman's work getting all the Nanakuli neophytes into the air - thanks heaps Don!

It wasn't quite a no-brainer getting up - you really had to work it just right. I started getting low and started to scope out LZ's when Don came on the radio and instructed to head toward the beach where the spine descends. It worked like a champ - before I knew it I was up with the "big dogs" scrapping our helmets on the low ceiling. And, yes, it was cold. I had long pants on but the short sleeve T wasn't cutting it - next purchase is a flight suit. It was then I realized I left my camera in the charging unit at home - need that flight checklist.

Jeff was having his own issues gettting up and decided scratching wasn't his thing so he headed for greener pastures. Talk about timing, Gravity had just arrived to guide him in and give him a ride for a second go.

Before I realized it I was all alone. Alex and Garth had grown bored and cold with Haleakula and traversed over Nanakuli valley to Aircrafts and Russel had to depart early for an obligation in town. Don finally got up with me and tempted me out of my comfort zone with a trip to Aircrafts too. I reluctantly followed along always wary of bomb-out LZ's - the school's athletic fields are very inviting. We arrived mid-ridge and worked it back and forth to get up to where Alex and Garth had top landed. Alex was busy getting into his flight suit. It was nice and warm on that ridge - a welcome change. There is large flag on the end of that ridge that really helps assess the conditions. Don joined them with a top landing while I flew top cover getting to know the ridge.

That flag would show a wind direction change of up to 45 degrees. Sometimes showing straight offshore and sometimes straight out of Makaha. Nice to know as you get close to the ridge thinking about side rotor. The top landers re-launched with Alex getting some great altitude in the back and making the cross-over back to Haleakula. I just watched and wondered how the hell he did it. Garth soon followed. The wind had started to pick up and I was getting very little penetration making the beach and athletic fields seem out of reach since they were into the wind. I was starting to wonder where the heck I would/could land as my hands were getting numb - us AARP members have poor circulation - with my arms and hands in the up position for over 4 hours.

Things really started to get busy as Gravity launched his student and Jeff again from the ridge. Leo and Scrappy made the trip over to Aircrafts and joined us for some ridge soaring. Don did another top landing and I swooped in to see if all was ok just in time to see him hosing down the fragile eco-foilage on the slope. The radio was crackling with issues. Some strange fruit was happening on both slopes as the student scratched too close and Scrappy, getting low and back over Aircrafts, did a rotor tree collision. Don had relaunched again and we both circled overhead to see he was up and sorta ok. Scrappy has lucky to keep the wing out of the tree but the other incident was all about tree trimming. Heavy logistics were going on over the radio. Kept my mind off my hands and those frosty beverages waiting in a cooler in my car.

After 5 hours of boating around I was definitely ready for a soft landing and a cold beer. Don came through and said he'd lead the way to the beach. Departed the flag from the point at 1k and was worried about getting there. No problem, Don and I had plenty of altitude and did our S turns over the highway and held the stage as the crowded traffic below turned their eyes skyward. We both landed in the softest sand to the delight of a group of local children who looked at us like we were from another planet. Garth and Alex soon arrived afterward and Bob gave us a lift to our next flight - riding the cooler - where all the flights, altitudes, crash-landings were embellished. Great flying day guys - thanks for letting me join in.

Bad Day at the Office

Here's a sad story that might help another pilot avoid the same fate.

While tree landings and broken bones can ruin a pilot's day, nothing may be as bad as losing your wing. Or in my case, wings. For nearly four years, at least until tonight, I've always had a couple of them with me--one for good conditions and another for bad conditions.

For the past couple of weeks since a doctor cut a tumor out of my shoulder I've been grounded, practically counting the hours until today when the stitches were removed and I would be cleared for flying. But starting my day at Straub, I learned I would be grounded for at least another two weeks--they had failed to get all the bad cells and needed to go in and try again.



I was still thinking about risk management--contemplating what steps I might take to get a flight in this weekend without further damage to my shoulder--when I pulled into the parking lot on Nuuanu and Nimitz across from Murphy's at about 8 p.m. to end my day with a quick meal with my bride, who was already saving a table.

When I returned to my vehicle about 45 minutes later, both of my wings were gone. Thieves had jimmied a front door, jammed the ignition to lower the power windows, pulled both backpacks from the back seat though vehicles on either side were parked very close, and vanished.

Gone were the black Cayenne (Skywalk), with only about 40 flights on it, and a brand new white Titan (Pro Design) with only one short flight on it. Along with helmets, harnesses and reserve parachutes.

I'm offering a $1,000 cash reward for recovery, but that's not why I'm posting this. HPD says it's not a good idea to carry anything resembling luggage--within view-- in any vehicle due to the escalating numbers of desperate bad guys who can carry off this kind of burglary in seconds.

If you get wind of someone trying to fence a glider, please call me or HPD asap. Unfortunately at this point, there are no suspects, except possibly the elderly lady living on Lanikai beach who Quentin pisses off with his landings.

Rat Race 2006

James Bender, a regular visitor from Seattle, asked me to let you all know that the dates for the annual Rat Race competition at Woodrat Mountain, Oregon have been set for next year: sign-in on May 29, comp days May 30 - June 3, 2006. Registration opens February 15.

This is a fun and casual competition designed for people who haven't competed before, with experienced comp pilots assigned as mentors to the newbies. Last year was the third consecutive year for this event, and it has become super popular and successful. Check out results and pictures from last year's event at the competition web site by clicking the logo below.