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On the net since 1994. Still don’t know what I’m doing.

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What happens when an unscrupulous Instructor sells you a canopy waaaayyy outside your level of capability...

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Doing fun stuff.....under instruction with Airborne. Although they denied it, said I was there (on HIS hill) on my own. Ned was my Instructor on this day.

 

This was the actual flight, image taken by my 14yr old daughter, who witnessed it all.

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Then...

***!!"+**Ouch!**!

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Typical of the media to get it wrong.

This is what happens when a student flies a DHV-2, whose only experience thus far was a few top to bottoms.

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Now it's hobble hobble.

Thanks, Airborne!  In particular, Tony who sold me the glider, & Ned for being the instructor on the day.

I want to say thanks to all those wonderful people who looked after me on the slope. Words cannot express my gratitude (especially to Terry, who massaged my thigh! - don't ask)

I tried to use a solicitor, from Irwin Mitchell. Got Dave Urpeth. I (apparently) had a personality conflict with him. He accepted money from the ‘other side’ (I have a copy of the cheque). He waited until the last moment (3 years), before he made a move, and smothered me with reams of paperwork in the meantime. I thought that was his job...

He didn’t do as I asked, which was to get an independant report on what a DHV-2 glider actually was...

 

Whatever... He screwed me, and as a final aside, whispered in my ear that if I were to pursue this, I could end up losing my house. Me still in pain....

All in all,  he screwed me over, big time.

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Another bad year. My, doesn’t  it rain...

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26th August. It all started like this........ Oooops!!!! It was NOT my fault! (Everybody says that, eh?)

 

I followed my Instructors directions. I was looking at him (Ned) on the hill, he was looking at me. He radioed me to do another 360. I applied brake, a little more than the last turn he asked me to do. The canopy suddenly entered a spiral dive, I was unable to correct it, not having the skills. My right tip collapsed, and I got it half decent when I was facing the hill. I saw what was coming, applied full brakes, and held my breath.

Bang.

 

The lads got to me fairly quickly (Ned was the firne to me, I think, and applied what assistance they could. His firt words...”That were my fault, Pete, sorry!”

I was eventually taken to Rochdale hospital to get put back together.

 

Eventually, and after much thought , soul searching & advice, I had a go at him.

 

'Course, it's only later that I find out that he's not insured  :( 

(letter to prove). I’m not the only one he’s hurt...the list is long, apparently.

 

I've learnt some lessons. Novices should only fly school canopies, or good novice gliders. If you buy one, do NOT buy anything more than a DHV-1 initially! Ensure that the instructors are regularly kept informed of new and updated methods of training. Try to ensure your instructors are competent. "But he seems a nice chap" doesn't cut it!

In other words, fly with the BHPA.