Wills Wing
Flytec

Oz Report

topic: Robin Strid (4 articles)

Bridle killed the hang glider pilot

Fri, Feb 11 2005, 1:00:02 pm GMT

Spinnaker shackles

Robin Strid

bridle|Dave Broyles|fatality|HPAC|release|Robin Strid|Rohan Holtkamp|safety|tow|USHGA|weaklink|Worlds 2005

"Special Pro Tow" https://OzReport.com/8.190#5

Other releases: http://www.hanglide.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=LME&Category_Code=AE and http://www.birrendesign.com/LKAero.html

Scare «Gerry» writes:

There are several different types of bridles described, diagrammed, or pictured here: http://hpac.ca/tow/HPAC_Tow_Manual.asp#3.3. We would like to have more pictures too, and would also appreciate any comments or advice you might have. How is it done where you are?

Robin Strid died because the weaklink wrapped around one leg of his spinnaker shackle. The weaklink was too strong to break. The weaklink was made of multiple loops. At least, that's the story that I heard Rohan Holtkamp, who investigated the accident, present to the team leaders at the Worlds.

The ends of the legs of the shackle were thicker than the middle. The weaklink caught up on the thicker ends of the legs after the shackle was opened by the release cable. Look at the first article linked to above to see the fat legs.

One of the legs rotates when the release is opened and the weaklink has to slide over the thicker leg. I'm communicating with Rohan to get better answers to what happened to Robin and how to avoid this in the future.

Another release system: http://www.flycyprus.com/release.html

Dave Broyles (USHGA Safety and Training Committee Chairman) comments on the spinnaker shackle here.

I'll have much more on releases soon. Send me your thoughts on bridles and releases and any pictures of bridles.

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Death on the flight line

Sat, Jan 29 2005, 12:00:02 am EST

Angelo says there is no option but to cancel the tasks.

CIVL|fatality|Flytec Championships 2003|Robin Strid|weather|Worlds|Worlds 2005

As I pointed out earlier here, Worlds meet directors and CIVL officials are quite restricted in their authority to cancel or stop a task. Unsafe weather conditions are the only reason.

There were two deaths at the 2003 Flytec Championship. As I recall launch was suspended to helicopter out one pilot who had crashed near the tow line. You can find the stories here: https://ozreport.com/7.098#3, https://ozreport.com/7.099#1, and
https://ozreport.com/7.103#2.

Apparently, under the circumstances, it was felt that it was not necessary to cancel the task. So apparently there are options. There was at no time any disrespect (quite the contrary) for the pilots who had been killed.

The safety consideration that brought about the second task cancellation at the Worlds was the lack of true weaklinks that were in fact originally supposed to be supplied by the meet organization (as hang glider pilots would most likely bring strong links). If they had been supplied as promised in the local rules, then Robin would have had a better chance to live, and the tasks would not have been cancelled.

It has also been stated that if Robin had been wearing an adequate helmet, he would have stood a better chance of surviving his crash. He died due to a crushed skull. I heard the infamous words - salad bowl with string.

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A media feeding frenzy

Tue, Jan 11 2005, 4:00:01 pm GMT

The Age quotes the Oz Report

hang gliding

news|fatality|Robin Strid|Worlds 2005|Nils Age Henden|Jon Gjerde|Johnny Nilssen|Øyvind Ellefsen|Otto Baste|Chris Fogg

Finding their news wherever they can (and apparently believing anything they find on the internet), the Age quotes the Oz Report on Robin's death. As does Seven News.

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The forgotten Norwegian photographers

Mon, Feb 24 2003, 10:00:04 pm GMT

Alf Oppøyen|Robin Strid|Frode Halse

Alf Oppøyen <alfopp@frisurf.no> writes:

Unfortunately, I forgot to inform your readers regarding the eminent photographers behind the pictures you published on my behalf in your issue #49. So for readers interested in more HG-pictures from Norway I can recommend all the albums of fellow pilot Robin Strid. It's not very difficult to figure out who's Robin - you'll find them at: http://foto.vg.no/public_albums.php?next=&freetext=hg&palbums=1&submit_albumname.x=10&submit_albumname.y=8

Regarding the pictures of me flying my Millennium, they're taken by Frode Halse, who's the man to consult if want to go flying a paraglider in Norway. You'll find his private PG-website at http://home.online.no/~100km/.

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