Tree / Trophy story that happened back around 1976 (best guess) and I was
having a very unusual year with trees. Landing in a very tall tree at Lansing,
MI. straining an Aquila through a tree at Chicago at speed. The flying surfaces
stayed in the tree and the fuse came out alone. There were more as I couldn't
go near a tree that summer without an altercation.
The bottom line came in September in Detroit, at what was known as the SOAR /
GDSHS
Dual Meet. One day sponsored by GDSHS and the other day by SOAR and as SOAR
was handing out their trophies, Dan Pruss called me up and presented me with a
very unusual award.
The trophy was a very ratty log of wood with an even rattier old, beat up hand
axe sunk into the log, all spray painted gold.
This was for capturing more trees in one season with a sailplane than anyone
else. It was a very special award coming from Dan Pruss and the SOAR guys and I
have lost it over the years but I still have a picture of the award
presentation.
OK, who has their best tree story.
Regards, Dave Corven.
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About 14 or 15 years ago I was flying at the field on a rather windy,
gloomy day. There were many flyers their and the lift was challenging. ONE of
the older pilots got in trouble down wind and tree'd his glider. We all walked
back and located it Quikly.
That is when I informed the gaggle of people that were
there on what I did for a living. I was a tankman. I worked high rise
construction in Manhattan. I hang three hundred feet in the air with no net. I
am fearless!Better let a REAL MAN climb this baby. I effortlessly climbed the
tree to about 15 feet. Then, snap! crash. bang, boom.
To this day I smile when a fellow flier bent over me as I was
gasping for air and said," I think you need another job".
John Hauff
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