In the Same boat

[DRT]

I stumbled upon this thread in a PG forum I frequent.

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=14885

Weird to see another group struggle with the same issue we have. They have a national organization behind them and they still haven't made any progress. From the sound of it I don't think they would have anything to do with a mass protest launch. I found it interesting that one poster actually blames base jumpers for PG's not being allowed in the parks because we would sue if they were allowed an we were not. Yeah "we" as if we as a group could ever come together and decide to do something. He doesn't know just how unlikely that would be. Anyway it makes for interesting reading if nothing else.

[lifewithoutanet]

Very interesting. The difference of course being that their national organization is a governing body with ratings, and as they refer to the ABP as ours, does not. This is one of the reasons that I--as a paraglider and member of USHPA, and as a BASE jumper--do not agree with a rating system for BASE jumping.
-C.

[Mac]

they continue to break the law by jumping of El Cap anyways. PG´s do not

PGers crack me up, they do seem to try to show they are law abidding, trained, insured, and governed. When I started groundlaunching with my Gin Nano there was some restless issues from PGers as I was untrained and uninsured and maybe about to rip their sites... Well I went to sites they were not allowed to fly and guess what, I found PGers there bandit flying... they are not as clean cut as they may wish everyone to see sometimes.

[lifewithoutanet]

PGers crack me up, they do seem to try to show they are law abidding, trained, insured, and governed. When I started groundlaunching with my Gin Nano there was some restless issues from PGers as I was untrained and uninsured and maybe about to rip their sites... Well I went to sites they were not allowed to fly and guess what, I found PGers there bandit flying... they are not as clean cut as they may wish everyone to see sometimes.

Hypocrisy abounds. When I recently relocated, I introduced myself to some local PG'ers as a new-to-the-area P2 with more experience on speedgliders than on traditional PG wings. I might as well have deflowered Mary. I was met with outright hostility and criticism over why I'd want to fly low and fast vs. seeing how high I could stay up and how far I could fly. It seemed they could not recognize the inverse of their own bias.

The funny thing is how this all evolved from skydiving. Groundlaunching is not new. Paragliding evolved from skydivers footlaunching the first squares. BASE took off from skydivers. Paragliders went off on their own path and came full-circle back to speedgliding. And we find ourselves bitching at each-other.

To paraphrase one of my favorite quotes from another jumper... "Beautiful sky. Rotten pilots."

-C.

[Mac]

Hypocrisy abounds. When I recently relocated, I introduced myself to some local PG'ers as a new-to-the-area P2 with more experience on speedgliders than on traditional PG wings. I might as well have deflowered Mary. I was met with outright hostility and criticism over why I'd want to fly low and fast vs. seeing how high I could stay up and how far I could fly. It seemed they could not recognize the inverse of their own bias.

The funny thing is how this all evolved from skydiving. Groundlaunching is not new. Paragliding evolved from skydivers footlaunching the first squares. BASE took off from skydivers. Paragliders went off on their own path and came full-circle back to speedgliding. And we find ourselves bitching at each-other.

To paraphrase one of my favorite quotes from another jumper... "Beautiful sky. Rotten pilots."

-C.

Sounds about right.

BTW: Did it not all come from BASE first? With Faust Vrancic and his jump from a tower with his non-vented "Homo Volans" parachute?

[lifewithoutanet]

Did it not all come from BASE first? With Faust Vrancic and his jump from a tower with his non-vented "Homo Volans" parachute?

Christ in a sidecar, Mac. Do we have to have this debate again?

-C.

[DRT]

Very interesting. The difference of course being that their national organization is a governing body with ratings, and as they refer to the ABP as ours, does not. This is one of the reasons that I--as a paraglider and member of USHPA, and as a BASE jumper--do not agree with a rating system for BASE jumping.
-C.

What do you mean you don't agree with a rating system for BASE jumping? Thats our way into the parks man. Don't ya see it! Here is what we do: First we start an organization and make it the national whatever in charge whatever. Then we make up a rating system based off of the USPA and the USHPA like a "B lic holder with the antenna endorsement". You got to really "Jim Slaton" that shit! You know what we can't steal just make up. Dude are you tracking? Next we start other organisations and websites that build up our national organization. We hold fixed contests with all of our friends everywhere it's legal to jump, and shamelessly promote ourselves. Now we do this Until it appears that we have this huge membership and following. Then we go to the NPS and demand that our membership of gazillions gets equal treatment. We show them our bunk rating system and only people with the bunk cliff endorsement will be allowed to jump. Pay attention. They issue us special use permit to the united states whatever of whatever in charge of all things whatever then we hand out membership cards to everyone and their mother with the special bunk cliff rating endorsement thingy, and then when some dumbass goes in we say he must not have been following our bunk safety procedures and if they investigate us we fall back on our CIA training and lie, deny everything, lie, make counter accusations, lie and for gods sake whatever you do never tell the truth! Dude Im willing to make you the grand-duda right now, but you'd have to service Abbie. let me know ok......TEAM Splatula RULZ!!!!!!!!