both good pilots

From: Sarah
Activity_Date: weekend
Remote Name: 207.154.67.86

Comments

I just wanted to peek my head into this thread for the benefit of all because I heard the story from Kent, I have read Dan's report, and I have flown with both pilots and respect them both grately. =)

I have flown close with Kent on a small ridge in Baja, Mexico. He is a very conscientious pilot and I have known him to be very strict about his own and his family's conduct in ground handling and in the air. I actually saw something rather miraculous last year when he, his teenage son and Chad shared a small thermal at Mt. Figueroa in Santa Ynez. For a moment, all three were at the same level seeing each other eye-to-eye. I was looking through a long lens to see that. Unfortunately I was too much in awe to fire off a single frame of film.

I haven't flown close with Dan, but I have seen him ride hard in tight cores at Chief's around(and up past) other pilots and likewise boat-about with Benson in lightening lift at Pine Mt. He too is an excellent pilot and I would relate my respect in that to anyone. I did not see in the time I was watching any lack of respect on his part for any other pilot's space, in fact I made a mental note that he was quite good at "giving room".

Dare I make an opinion?

By the sound of both stories I will hazard that there is a good chance that what Dan says is correct. Having seen him fly and knowing what it is like to fly Alternator, I can imagine Dan coming up on Kent and hiking up vertically in a thermal so quickly that Kent temporarily lost track of him--which he told me he did. It could be that Dan's skill level/luck superceded anything that Kent could predict or react to quick enough.

I am glad both of you guys are o.k.

Sarah