End of an ending

With deepest regret I must inform all HPA members that due to personal and business hardships I must resign as Region 3 director.
I gave it my best and I felt that wasn't enough. I took off work and travelled to the board meetings in Texas and Colorado which cost me thousands of dollars in airfare, rental cars, meals, transportation costs, and hotels. USHPA will only reimburse up to $500.

Well last night was the straw that broke my back. With all my stress lately building a house, running Hawaii's top 10 roofing companies full time as chief cook and bottle washer I decided to spoil myself on the long overnight red eye flight to Denver. Especially since my meetings start when I land and can't check in until 3:00 I bought a 1st class ticket on United Airlines.

I arrived at HNL 1 1/2 early with no bags and went straight to Premier security line to avoid the longer coach lines with my 1st class ticket. It was then I was informed sorry sir your in coach?

I went United's 1st class desk and was told that yes, since I changed my ticket from Salt Lake to Denver I lost my 1st class seat upgrade and was now booked into 18E, coach. I paid for 1st class - $1900...

While I was on the phone with United the reservation agent handed me a ticket that was in 16F, not only was it a middle seat, but I was also informed I was on standby. I Freaking paid for 1st class and had a confirmation number.. WTF?

Looks like United over sold the flight, there were no other seats available. I almost threw my phone at them but this is my 8th IPhone of the year.

I am a loyal United Gold card member and have been for years. Gold status is not easy to get, and I purchase a lot of materials using my United cc card.

I am more than pissed off this morning that I am not at Golden for my last USHPA meeting.

My hotel charged my cc card $615.00, Hertz charged me $417.00 and United $1900!

Expensive screw up, thanks United Airlines!

See ya all at the new Fort Gravity in November for the HPA party.

Peace out,
Reaper

Rat Race 2015 Day 4

I apologize for not blogging here earlier. But we've been a bit busy.

Day 1 was pretty uneventful and we only had one tree rescue.

Jared Anderson a local pilot and a US National team member lost it over Upper Applegate and right above the old Lama field. Lucky for him he didn't land with the Lama.

Unlucky for him was hitting a huge Madrone tree and getting snagged in the upper branches pretty high up. We were able to get to him pretty quick with the old Bronco, and a short hike up thru poison oak and blackberry bushes. Forest was able to lower him pretty quick and we all hiked out. Unfortunately his wing had to stay another day.

Day 2 we had only one incident in which a Chinese pilot landed pretty far down Sterling Creek road and we received the wrong address by just a few miles. Was it 1050 (in Jacksonville) or was it 10500 Sterling Creek road about 10 miles away in the old ghost town of Buncum.

It was an epic strong day and the race flew near to the California border and landed at Emigrant lake which happens to be the local training hill.

Day 3 - Was probably the best flying conditions I have ever seen here in the valley.

Goal again was Emigrant lake. The course for the racers took them out to Rabies Ridge and the to Mt. Sugar, with a turn over the back at Camero (behind Woodrat) and then to Jville which brought them screaming by launch again in full bar race mode right into the Sprint racers. I heard someone in the gaggle say it was like running into mud...

Then as I drove to a guy with a hard landing in China Gulch (he was OK), I got a report from a pilot that someone had crashed hard on top of a peak west of China Gulch below Sugar mountain.

I drove the Bronco 2 blocks and looked up to see a pilot near the top in scrub bushes and no movement. I immediately called 911 and started the SARS rescue.

One pilot named Jiri from Czech Republic landed at the bottom of the hill and hiked to the downed pilot. After a very grueling hour he arrived at the same time the SARS helicopter did.

The pilot was complaining about chest pain (back injury) and didn't speak English as it was the same pilot from the day before. Protocol states that if we have no movement, no balling of the glider, and no communication with the pilot we initiate Search and Rescue with Mercy flights as well.

The SARS chopper dropped to Sheriffs search and rescue at the victim, stabilized him while Yuri bagged up the glider. The roped out the victim with the SARS chopper and lowered him right onto the Mercy flights gurney, he was wheeled right into the waiting Mercy flight chopper and straight to the hospital in Medford. Fast and precise. I guess all the training paid off for me, Applegate Fire, Mercy Flights, and the Sheriffs Dept Search and Rescue teams. It was exciting to see it all pull together.

The SAR chopper brought down the victim's glider bag that poor Jiri had stuffed for them to haul out, but they made Yuri hike down to his waiting glider and me n Jen with cold beers.

I haven't heard about the pilots condition yet and will update when I can.