d67 Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Soaring passion This slideshow has for subject the passion for flying with gliders of a friend of mine, Roland Stuck, internationaly known in the glider world.He suffered last year a very dramatic crash in the french Alps and is unable to go back in a cockpit for months. He asked me to put together some photos as a remembrance of better days.There are 3 sequences : plain flight (thermal soaring) near the home base Haguenau (Alsace / France) and, in the french south Alps, mountain and ridge flight (dynamic soaring) at Puimoisson and wave soaring (the nirvana for a glider pilot) at St-Auban.I am the author of the first third photos and I give, as indicated at the end of the slideshow, a collective credit, because of numerous authors (french-german meeting of young glider pilots ) for the last third of photos.Photo format = 1280 / 848 pixelsSlideshow fully controllable (mouse or keyboard)Thank you to Bill for hosting the slideshowHappy flyings !Comments welcomePatrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Cox Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 just absolutely perfect-i was in tears by the end must have been the musicwelcome back Patrick ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deskjet1uk Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Superb photography and subject. Somehow it also moved me as it did Ken. I found myself glued to the screen. Extremely well put together and the choice of music a masterpiece in my opinion.Thank you so much Patrick.Ralph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpeterso Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Soaring passion This slideshow has for subject the passion for flying with gliders of a friend of mine, Roland Stuck, internationaly known in the glider world.Happy flyings !Comments welcomePatrickHello Patrick -My goodness, you've outdone yourself! Powerful images, moving music, and a professional presentation. Very well done Partick. Thanks for sharing your talent.Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadou Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Good pictures of an outstandind subject mixed with a superb music by a very good director with aeronautic knowledge does a masterpiece .... All is clear !I hope that Roland can soon fly again .Thanks for sharing . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canteau Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Patrick beautiful slideshow.I glide with you on pretty pictures and especially over the Alps, images of legend ... Very good choice of music, perfect!You give me the urge to resume ULM soon with my camera ...Congratulations and good luck to your friend Roland Stuck.Thank you for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d67 Posted February 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 Thank you very much for watching. Next time it will be very difficult for me, just to keep the same quality level after your comments ! Concerning my friend, just a few words. He crashed in the southern Alps at 2000m altitude because of strong unattended descending north winds. The glider was totally destroyed and he had to wait there about three hours, incarcerated in his cockpit, before the searching helicopter found the spot.Since then, he supported 3 surgical procedures for a crushed lumbar vertebra.For the moment, apart residual pain and difficulties to stay long times in vertical position, he is also too "stiff" to sit in a glider cockpit ... maybe at the end of this summer ?Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lin Evans Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 Hi Patrick,It appears from the picture that he is very lucky to have not landed a hundred meters or so beyond where it may have been fatal!Hopefully, he will make a full recovery and have a chance to again enjoy the freedom of soaring...Best regards,Lin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d67 Posted February 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 It appears from the picture that he is very lucky to have not landed a hundred meters or so beyond where it may have been fatal!... not hundreds of meters but only 1m50 and the crash would have been actually a fatal one !The glider slipped on his belly and was stopped by trees as they sheared off the wings.The wreck definitively arrested on a ridge, only 1m50 far from a steep stone scree which ends 200m down thereHopefully, he will make a full recovery and have a chance to again enjoy the freedom of soaring...Maybe in half a year...Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lin Evans Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 The god's smiled on him that day! That's about as close as one can come to loosing it. Back in the early 60's I had to pancake one of my old airplanes onto a 45 degree slope at 13,000 feet in the Sierras because of engine failure. Fortunately it was devoid of large rocks and I walked away without a scratch. The aircraft sustained only minor damage but retrieval was impossible and except for the engine, the winds took it away the following winter.Some areas in our High Sierras are littered with skeletons of craft which didn't get off a short Forest Service air strip on a hot day at 8500 feet elevation. Mountain flying is very tricky, even for the most experienced pilots of light aircraft and gliders.Best regards,Lin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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