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#41
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On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 02:25:34 UTC, Bruce Hoult wrote:
: In article .com, : "JJ Sinclair" wrote: : : You really don't want to argue that the pilot wasn't operating his : aircraft below 500 feet (not in the act of landing) and that he wasn't : within 500 feet of a person, do you? : : I really don't think you could argue that a touch-and-go or missed : approach to a runway or airfield in active use means that you are "not : in the act of landing". If all the competition finishes and beat up I have seen were "missed approaches", some serious retraining is needed in the competition pilot community. Ian |
#42
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As both a keen amateur photographer and a glider pilot,
I am sure that I am as deeply saddened as anyone else, to learn of the tragic death of Neil Lawson. I did not know Neil personally, but his work was surely an inspiration to the whole gliding community - with apologies to other photographers, almost every published photograph I have seen of a glider held the caption, 'The White Planes Picture Company'. Neil’s pictures were certainly an inspiration to me as a photographer. Neil Lawson had the dream job, he spent his time travelling all over the world taking photos of aeroplanes and gliders, it is what he lived, and ultimately died, for. His images of our sport, however, will live for many years to come. I know only what I have read here and in the national press about the circumstances surrounding his death, so I will say just that he knew, as much as we all know, that we partake in a sport which carries with it the risk of accident. Neil was always prepared to do what was needed to get the best possible pictures; it is what he did for a living, and is what differentiated his images from those of almost every other photographer at gliding events. Last Tuesday evening, he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and for that he paid the ultimate price. I have read many comments on this forum about competition finishes, and I shall leave the discussions about gates, areas and cylinders to those who are more experienced pilots than I, but the image of gliding in the wider community is surely at stake here. Our friends and families hardly hear about the British World Champions - what they do hear about is the fatal accidents (type 'glider' or 'gliding' into the BBC News website search if further proof be needed). I am sure there must be a way of keeping the 'fun' and excitement in competition gliding, whether that is for competitors, spectators or photographers, without risking any more lives to accidents such as this tragic event. The work of Neil Lawson was possibly world gliding's greatest advertisement. May he rest in peace. Steve. |
#43
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There's a critical difference between asking "Why?", and declaring "I
KNOW WHY!" based on third hand information. |
#44
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I am now getting deeply upset by this and other similar
threads. Please everyone just stop them now - if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. If you have kind words or memories to share, please continue to do so. Neil was my best friend and most dedicated crew, and I have been most honoured over the years to work with him on many of his fantastic photographic exploits, as well as sharing much wine, beer and fun with him. Everyone knows him for his photos, but those who have met him will remember him for his incredibly friendly, helpful and passionate nature. It's fair to say that I've never met anyone with such an ability to make new friends wherever he went. I have just spent the last 2 days with Neil's parents (he was an only child), uncle, girlfriend and his best friend of some 42 years. I've also been to Hus Bos to find out some facts (rather than all the hearsay and speculation that's doing the rounds), to enable me to explain to his family and friends exactly how and why the accident occurred. JJ and others - I don't know if you've ever done this, but let me tell you, it was deeply distressing. Everyone that I've met has been fantastic and supportive and willing to share their great memories of Neil, and those involved in the incident have been willing to explain what happened to me. To all those people, I'm eternally grateful. Neil's family have been very understanding and know that he died doing the two things that he loved - gliding and photography. They also knew that in doing this, he was willing to take certain risks - risks which he calculated and rationalised to himself. Having been given the facts, they also know that this was just a very unfortunate accident - a series of individual things which lead to the ultimate result and nothing more. They have no desire to change the sport of gliding as a result. They also have wish to see any blame apportioned to the pilot involved. On Wednesday, after his initial posting, I sent JJ an email expressing how upset I was by him using the accident as a forum for his personal soap box. After his second posting, I have to admit to some some red mist descending and making me click send on a pretty offensive email, although in my opinion no more offensive than his. I don't regret this one bit, particularly as JJ didn't deign to reply to me personally, he just carried on with his rant. JJ - if you really believe you have a point that needs to be made on this subject right now, come here to the UK, and theres a few of us who would be interested to hear you make it in person, face to face. Neil will always be there - every time we smoke towards the finish line, and you can bet that, as usual, he'll be egging us on to get closer... Regards, Pete Masson |
#45
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We are all gentlemen here. One thing gentlemen do is to agree to disagree
agreeably. Allow me to cover a couple of points here. First, I have respect for JJ. I've spent time on the phone with him and honestly believe that he WANTS us to be safer. His motivations are pure and he only wants us all to live to a great old age and share a beer together. Second, I recognise the pain of losing GOOD people of immense talent. JJ jumped in because he saw ANOTHER guy lost in a process he feels needs changing. I can see merit in his proposal. JJ's message seems to lack tact, given the outspoken response his words have recieved....... But we are gentlemen, and we do need to disagree agreeably. JJ has a point that needs to be listened too, now isn't a good time for those very close to the incident. I would hope that everybody takes a step away from the keyboard and ask one question. Can we make Neils legacy one that extends beyond his art, and after we all grieve a bit, can we work to prevent this from happening again. I for one am certian he would wholeheartedly agree........................ Thanks for reading this Scott. |
#46
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#48
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JJ's mails do him no credit, nor do they do anything for his countrymen, although I believe many will be behind Pete and support his plea. Not in my case...JJ has been trying to prevent these sorts of tragedies from happening for years. His position is known to all who follow this forum. So if you want to wait for the authorities' report...so be it. Then let's call a spade a spade when it comes out. Why do I have a feeling, regardless of what is written in the report...that the supporters of this behavior will not budge an inch? |
#49
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Stewart Kissel wrote:
JJ's mails do him no credit, nor do they do anything for his countrymen, although I believe many will be behind Pete and support his plea. Not in my case...JJ has been trying to prevent these sorts of tragedies from happening for years. His position is known to all who follow this forum. So if you want to wait for the authorities' report...so be it. Then let's call a spade a spade when it comes out. Why do I have a feeling, regardless of what is written in the report...that the supporters of this behavior will not budge an inch? It might be because you have prejudged the situation, as has JJ. From what I've read, there is no indication the pilot was not performing the landing properly. JJ's claim that the police arrested him because he committed homicide was unsupported. At that point, the pilot had not even been charged, much less convicted of a crime. -- Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly Eric Greenwell Washington State USA |
#50
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Eric Greenwell wrote: It might be because you have prejudged the situation, as has JJ. From what I've read, there is no indication the pilot was not performing the landing properly. JJ's claim that the police arrested him because he committed homicide was unsupported. At that point, the pilot had not even been charged, much less convicted of a crime. At a contest in Minden a few years back, a pilot finishing a landing roll hit his daughter who was photographing him. The police arrested him. He got out quickly and injury wasn't serious IIRC. A bystander (airport employee) was well clear of the takeoff area, but had his back to the action. A pilot lost control on takeoff and nearly killed the bystander. You should have heard the wails of complaint when crew vehicles were then required to park aft of the launch, no matter how far to the side. All that these incidents point out is that vigilance must never be put in the back seat, period. -Tom |
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