You'll be sucked right in.
February 24, 2011 5:12 AM Subscribe
On July 25th 1997, Davor Jordas and a group friends turned up at Raspadalica to take part in the first ever Croation powered paragliding competition. The day was fine, with warm sunshine and scattered puffy clouds. The only sign of what was to come was a dark cloud over the beautiful mountains of Ucka. But it was twenty miles away, and downwind, so the paragliders took to the air. To put it mildly, that turned out to be a mistake.
Bonus link: the story of USAF pilot William Rankin, who ejected in the middle of a thunderstorm and survived to write a book about it.
Bonus link: the story of USAF pilot William Rankin, who ejected in the middle of a thunderstorm and survived to write a book about it.
A well told story and a very lucky man.
The excellent BBC documentary Cloudspotting contains (amongst many other things) the testimony and dramatisation of another paraglider's experience of being sucked into a cumulonimbus - worth watching.
posted by KirkpatrickMac at 6:07 AM on February 24, 2011
The excellent BBC documentary Cloudspotting contains (amongst many other things) the testimony and dramatisation of another paraglider's experience of being sucked into a cumulonimbus - worth watching.
posted by KirkpatrickMac at 6:07 AM on February 24, 2011
I was so relieved it was not yet another Croationist paragliding rally.
posted by Laotic at 6:18 AM on February 24, 2011
posted by Laotic at 6:18 AM on February 24, 2011
That was well written and extraordinarily harrowing. What a lucky guy.
posted by dazed_one at 6:25 AM on February 24, 2011
posted by dazed_one at 6:25 AM on February 24, 2011
"that turned out to be a mistake" is returning "curl_easy_perform failed: Empty reply from server"
posted by mwhybark at 9:32 AM on February 24, 2011
posted by mwhybark at 9:32 AM on February 24, 2011
It wasn't just luck that he's alive; his skill and ability to remain calm in a terrifying situation made the difference between living and dying. There's a lesson for us there.
posted by happyroach at 10:26 AM on February 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by happyroach at 10:26 AM on February 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Wow, great read.
I'm just imagining the guy, Branko Rabar, telling the story at the local pub. "Yeah, so we were having afternoon tea and this guy knocks on the door and says "please excuse me, I was flying with my paraglider and got sucked into by a the storm cloud, I am cold and in shock...". He'll get free drinks telling that story for at least a year.
posted by victoriab at 12:46 PM on February 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm just imagining the guy, Branko Rabar, telling the story at the local pub. "Yeah, so we were having afternoon tea and this guy knocks on the door and says "please excuse me, I was flying with my paraglider and got sucked into by a the storm cloud, I am cold and in shock...". He'll get free drinks telling that story for at least a year.
posted by victoriab at 12:46 PM on February 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
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posted by Splunge at 5:26 AM on February 24, 2011