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Baggage Boy

From: J.K.
Activity_Date: 5/26/01
Remote Name: 4.33.112.238

Comments

Got to South launch before noon to find conditions at Pine the same as the last and only other time I have been there, OTB. Brendan & Kristi had already flown and I was not inspired with the results. SD opted for the North side with his out of town tandem guest. They flew for a half hour or so but returned when the passenger started to go green. I had already made up my mind to stay in the bag, the North side launch being more than I cared to take on for my first flight from Pine. Well, SD hadn't come close to his expectations for the day and casually asks me how much I weigh. I tell him 160 and he says perfect. Wait, did I say 160? I, uh, meant 260! Too late, Ed and Tom P. are on me telling what a great opportunity this is. So it's into the harness for my first tandem ever and it's off the North side. NNNNervous? NNNNot me.

As it turns out, this really was an opportunity. I was able to see first hand what a few thousand hours more than I have does for your flying. Tom does a fantastic job of keeping you informed on what, when, why, where, and how. We were in the air over two hours and went through all sorts of condition changes. There was several times that I would have thrown in the towel and called it a day but was shown that being a hundred feet off the deck in a gorge with wind shadows all around merely poses a challenge. (I still wouldn't try it on my own.) Yes, I'm glad I went and when I do decide to go off the North side I'll be running the tape back through my head knowing that the difference between a long walk and a cold beer at Boccali's is perseverance. (Oh yeah, a few thousand hours airtime doesn't hurt either.)

John.

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