Hot Times

A discussion restricted to the topic of hang gliding.
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Col.r
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Re: Hot Times

Post by Col.r »

In about 9wks it will be 2yrs since the topic " Hot Times" was posted by the Oz Report.
Will your coming March be just as hot? Surely any climate change deniers have finally shut the fack up now, and worldwide we have all experienced terrible new disasters. The science is clear and why we are heating up too. Many know why are elected leaders are still not taking decisive action in a shrinking window to at least avoid some tipping points.

In our consumer driven finite world, my Aussies are just as preoccupied with electronic distractions or head in the sand denial-"don't look up".
Will enough people ever wake up to promises,misinformation and cash bribes every election cycle?

Anyway, here is some shots from my flying year so far. The new harness may not be the slickest but function and price were my priorities.

Here's a link from one of my many diverse subscribed channels..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIEu-OW9_YA&t=159s
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We are all in the gutter,but some of us are looking at the stars. MT.

Youtube videos- Col Rushton
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Remmoore
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Joined: Wed, Feb 06 2008, 10:33:29 am

Re: Hot Times

Post by Remmoore »

Col,

What harness did you get? Looks fairly streamlined, but also sturdy.

Also - are you sure you have enough velcro and tape holding your camera mount together? :wink:

RM
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Col.r
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Re: Hot Times

Post by Col.r »

Hi mate, yep, it's a real dogs dinner that set-up. Though the tape just stops the arm from rising up except in a whumper! Also the stretch velcro works good to hold the bracket to the upright- of course there is the fail-safe back-up cord tied to the front wire.Yes, a more professional clamp is nearly made.. since I have now a new vario- the Flytec Element Track, a new helmet with a boom mic and finger ptt button, better gloves and of course the pièce de résistance the RR Mk3 harness- with all that new,cool gear- my bodge up bracket and clamp have to go ha,ha..

It's funny because since down-grading to my sports wing there is nothing carried over now from my topless wing. Perhaps I feel the inevitability of time and have finally got the gear I've always said I'd like one day? Anyway here is the link to the great company which makes harnesses and does a lot more..
https://www.dynamicflight.com.au/for-sa ... /scorpion/
We are all in the gutter,but some of us are looking at the stars. MT.

Youtube videos- Col Rushton
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Col.r
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Location: Australia

Re: Hot Times

Post by Col.r »

"We've just received more rainfall in the last 48 hours than what we received for the calendar year in 2019 and 2020, so it's fantastic — it shows it can rain again."
"It will be some years and perhaps even a decade before we get to repair all of this, I think."
Some of the comments from people living in regional South Australia less than a week ago.

No,this wasn't caused by the volcanic eruption on one of the islands of Tonga.
Our current "La Nina", bringing tropical moisture much further south than usual. How the map looked..

This link describes closely my thoughts too on the bigger picture..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDWhjSUu8UY
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We are all in the gutter,but some of us are looking at the stars. MT.

Youtube videos- Col Rushton
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Col.r
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Re: Hot Times

Post by Col.r »

Well I thought the record sized hailstones smashing everything was bad,
I figured those devastingly horrific bushfires were catastrophic,
Now these week old floods over my hang-gliding area have really left their mark..

My wife and I left our hilly and relatively unaffected area ( only lost the power for 30hrs and our village isolated for 48hrs, just got internet back today) to drive a meandering route to help in Lismore.
As the accompanying link will explain-floods and Lismore are not strangers!
It wasn't an ex or a cyclone, just an upper trough that spawned a surface low pressure-coastal wind speed never over 35knots.It just barely moved,kept dragging in coastal moisture from our increasingly warming South Pacific Ocean.

The aircraft in their hangers,the industrial hub,the purpose built shopping centers etc were no match for a flood 6ft higher than the record from 1974!

The amount of young/older people from unaffected areas coming into these mud pits to help in a massive clean up has restored my faith in our humanity.
If only my faith in my elected leaders could be so renewed..

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/thi ... 5a1tf.html
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We are all in the gutter,but some of us are looking at the stars. MT.

Youtube videos- Col Rushton
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Col.r
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Re: Hot Times

Post by Col.r »

We hang-glide depending on the weather that is apparent for each day. These days become weeks,then months and years. String enough years together and you start to get a picture of climate.
There are surely no climate change deniers left now especially amongst those people intimately involved in ocean, free-flight or probably any occupation/activity with the outdoors.

So I guess I'm talking to the converted and it's just our fellows with a monetary gain or delusional beliefs still spreading the misinformation.
The world has become crazier still with countries we used to see as a beacon on a hill now dimmed to a matchlight. Indeed the colonial power that sent their poor and wretched souls halfway around the world to OZ would never have thought this would help create a nation of people with a hatred for the class system and a ethos of a fair go for all.

The reason I bring these up is because I believe our leaders are letting us down badly with each countries climate change response. Just as our atmosphere is a fragile mixture of gasses, so too the way neighbouring nations sharing rivers, essential goods, labour etc. Finally my people have elected over-whelmingly again a centrist govt,which gives me some optimism however climate change action people are tired of the inaction and degenerating biosphere and are disrupting the sleep-walking ignorant'

The sun will always rise tomorrow and bring its weather too- but what will the natural and social environment be like? Join together and forget your media poisoned rhetoric, demand a future with empathy and equality. Things have to change but bring the change you want- not the change you get.. Thanks Beau and thankyou Peter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX29FR-1m3s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTfs4kKpFEQ
We are all in the gutter,but some of us are looking at the stars. MT.

Youtube videos- Col Rushton
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Col.r
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Re: Hot Times/ because power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Post by Col.r »

"Both hang gliding and paragliding are amazing ways to experience the feeling of flight in the rawest and simplest way possible. There are many similarities amongst the two – they both leverage the principles of lift and drag to achieve flight. Both take off from the ground, and offer the thrill of takeoff, unlike other forms of human flight such as skydiving.

Many people would enjoy both hang gliding and paragliding, however there are a few small differences between the two which may determine which form of flight you choose as a long-term hobby.

Hang gliding is suitable for those who live for adrenaline. If you’re the kind of person who loves skydiving and other high adrenaline activities such as bungee jumping, dirt bikes and kite surfing, you’re probably going to love hang gliding. If you need to challenge or frighten yourself, there’s plenty of tricks you can do to keep you interested.

Paragliding is suitable for those who are not looking to perform a variety of tricks and are not driven to achieve high speeds. Once you’re in the air, you’re the type of person who wants to enjoy the view, perhaps even take photos or a video. You may also find transporting a hang glider too challenging and enjoy the ease of carrying your paraglider while hiking to an ideal launch area and taking off into the sky.

Hang gliding or paragliding, whichever you pick, we hope you enjoy your flying and stay safe!"

That was the final paragraph from a website describing their simplistic result after comparing HG and PG. To really understand these differences, you must research using trusted sources ,so it is with comprehending global warming causing climate change.

But new records for weather phenomena keep occurring and more often.
We know the science is right, we have known since the first IPCC report in 1990. The accelerating increase in CO2 was ignored and still accelerating now. So why all talk and no action?

Is this part of the puzzle?
"Our global society does not have the luxury of being able to focus on only one threat at a time. Threats are intertwined, synergistic. Today’s petro-dictators, using oil money to finance war, are intent on enhancing rather than diminishing reliance on fossil fuels. Fossil carbon is their life support system. Its continued use also adds to emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, imperiling our planetary life support system.

The bottom line is that we must pay attention to the many threats to human wellbeing boiling over on the war burner, the global pandemic burner, and the climate change burner.
Stopping greenhouse gas pollution will require a complete transformation of the way the global community produces and uses energy. We cannot achieve that goal without sustained efforts on many fronts: technological, scientific, socioeconomic and political. In a world beset with multiple threats, the challenge is to carve out a durable climate strategy – one that can withstand the distractions of other critical, but inevitably shorter-term, crises."

So, on top of a major transition away from ff, we also have each countries internal problems bubbling away! It's enough to keep taking the blue pill and shrug.
When I wonder why our leaders haven't even started the process of change, knowing what terrible consequences inaction will cause- I can only conclude.

The status quo is enriching all, them and theirs believe they will have the means and wares to still be fine. As more and more sh!t hits the fan, the haves will cope better than the nots.
These 3 links will give some explanation to our desperate situation and I wonder how many countries citizens will need to use the last resort of link3.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... utm_medium

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXEL4ZfDbdE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws1HTvWCjCM
We are all in the gutter,but some of us are looking at the stars. MT.

Youtube videos- Col Rushton
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BilleFly
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Re: Hot Times

Post by BilleFly »

And Lake Mead is getting even lower , because nature refuses to give-up
any water .
From :
https://www.google.com/search?q=lake+me ... e&ie=UTF-8

It's forecast to drop more than 26 feet by July 2023. If Lake Mead were to keep dropping, the level would eventually approach a danger zone at 895 feet, below which water would no longer pass through Hoover Dam to supply California, Arizona and Mexico — a level known as “dead pool.”

Bille
GOOD RUSH !!!
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BilleFly
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Re: Hot Times/ because power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Post by BilleFly »

Col.r wrote: Tue, Jul 05 2022, 09:31:39 am ...

Hang gliding or paragliding, whichever you pick, we hope you enjoy your flying and stay safe!"

...
I was into Both sports ; now I'm trending more towards HG , because the
machines I have can offer a much wider speed-range than my old PG. Also
I have bin flying HG for near 45 years, and PG for 1/2 that ; so I have a
much wider knowledge-base with the HG.

I even gave away my WW U-2 , because I didn't want to split my time between
weight-shift, and Rigid wing gliders with control surfaces ; staying with just one
at my age , (69) kinda made more sense to me ?

Bille
GOOD RUSH !!!
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Col.r
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Re: Hot Times

Post by Col.r »

Hi mate, yes, I've been watching that on-going drought. The sooner it breaks the better, though I think a lot of those dams rely on snow melt? By the way, the drought in northern Italy has just caused 5 northern regions to be declared a state of emergency.

I think your an inspiration to many and good luck to you mate- still think about sharing a beer and stories with you after a fly and sail.. :D
We are all in the gutter,but some of us are looking at the stars. MT.

Youtube videos- Col Rushton