On Wednesday, July 4, 2012 12:38:19 AM UTC-4, Bob Kuykendall wrote:
On Jul 3, 7:37*pm, son_of_flubber wrote:

Is there something wrong with this picture?

That's my way of thinking. Someone not fit enough to leave a sailplane
under their own power is likely not fit enough to fly. I remember Ken
Pruchnik (sp?) had no knees or lower legs and was every bit as capable
at the basics as any bipedal pilot.

I disagree. The only problem that I see is the expectation that bystanders will step in to extricate the pilot without a lift. There is a possibility of injury to the person doing the lifting.

It would be great if someone came forward with a proven rudimentary lifting device for occasional use. I don't want to reinvent the wheel. A golf cart mounted crane is a bit elaborate for an occasional requirement.