Amazing 80 year old pilots

[@penrynbigbird]

Glider caddies is what this sport needs :) After nearly 50 years of shouldering my glider off the vehicle, setting up and breaking down, then shouldering it back on the vehicle I'd pay a caddie a good price to do that for me. Of course I'd handle the preflight and flying 😁 Back in the 80s when I had a shop in Redding CA. there was one pilot that paid me $20 bucks just to break down his UP Comet and bag it. I could get it in the bag in 15 minutes - that was good money back then. He was only 50yo. Good to see the "old-times" out there - looks like the perfect site for some mellow fun in the air. I hope to still be flying at 80, that's only 13 short years away. You guys are an inspiration. Thanks for sharing...

[@justhangin7186]

That's a good idea , glider caddy , I like it

[@Birdman953]

I’m 70 next month! Last flew competitively in 1980, having flown for 10 years altogether. I flew a trike for a few years and that got boring. Now seeing these old guys having fun, I’m definitely going to check out a new glider! Something in the intermediate class. Whaddya think?!

[@justhangin7186]

Go for it mate , maybe a gecko👍🇦🇺

[@2Airzhumn]

74 now, USHGA 9396, started in '72. Now after some back surgeries, in a Swift Light E. Not as much fun, but still magnificent.

[@monkeymuggs]

damn I'm jealous, I wish I grew up in an area where Hang Gliding just is..

[@mikedunn7795]

What a way to spend your golden years! Good for them!

[@JasonAndrewsUK]

Great to see this. I hope to still be flying at their age. Love the casual touch down and take offs, nice to get smooth coastal air to play with. Thanks for sharing.

[@wesleycardinal8869]

Thanks for that, it was inspirational. I ride a motorcycle up to a bikers cafe most weeks, and there's an old gentleman there called Dave who is late eighties and rides up on one of his vintage motorcycles, some of which are older than he is. He said you don't stop riding because you get old, you get old because you stop riding. Probably true of hang gliding too. 👍🇦🇺

[@streetphone4619]

Nice video. We need an interview with these guys.

[@justhangin7186]

Coming up soon

[@GolfFoxtrot22]

I hope I'm still flying at that age.

[@malibu188]

Bold move going over the back from the Gully to Hill 60. Given it’s about 1/2 a kilometre back to the Hill 60 ridge it well over a 10 to 1 glide I recon, plus the potential of wind shadow on the beach if you don’t make it back to the lift. Nice flying.

[@justhangin7186]

Yeah had a bit of east in it which reduces the shadow effect but your up for a tailwind landing if you don't hit the Ridge lift , these two did it a couple of times that day 😎

[@spinny2010]

Very impressive. They make it look easy.

[@skypix777]

Thanks for this sweet video. Where is this? I'm guessing this is Australia. Lovely lovely site. After seeing these old boys doing their thing, I'm ashamed of myself for wimping out from aches and pains at only 77. I'm going to have to give it a go again I guess. That's the one thing I miss, the smooth ocean ridge lift. Flew all the great coastal and mountain thermal sites in the 70s: Marina near Monterey, CA, the dunes at Pismo Beach CA, Torrey Pines, Torrance Beach, Crestline, Telluride, the cliffs at San Luis Obispo, Grouse Mt., Vancouver Pepsi Invitational two years running, Sylmar, Silverton CO, Crested Butte, CO, Big Sur CA, Canada, tons of others. Can you tell I miss the best flying there is? Great to see these "old duffers" inspire a youngster like me. -Jim Lawrence

[@skypix777]

Glider caddy is definitely a brilliant idea. But you'd have to train him/her. And it would probably cost $100 a packup these days!

[@justhangin7186]

Yeah your not done yet mate . This is in Port Kembla bout and hours drive south of Sydney. Hope you get back into It and inspire others to do the same 👍👌🇦🇺

[@malibu188]

@@skypix777 " 2 Wheel Foldable Golf Push Cart Collapsible Golf Trolley Push Pull Golf Cart" These cost about $40 in Australia and I strap one to the nose of the glider. With a bit of planning I only ever have to pick up one end of the glider, even when loading the wing onto the roof of the car. Also great for porting the wing in and out of the garage 👌

[@99bx99]

I was at Grouse MT those two years also. I think I remember you. Weren't you an aspiring actor?

[@garrykennedy5484]

I'm 56 and started at 53 Got 2 seasons in for H2. Had a rough areotow up on my second flight with my new to me Sport 2 and hit a spiked thermal under tow. Slipped my right hand off and when I went to grab again, my right thumb got bent way back. I didn't think anything of it at first and finished the tow up to 2K ft. Glided around about 15 more minutes and my thumb area started aching, so I landed before it had a chance to get much worse. This injury took me out the next season, then had a pinched sciatic nerve that took me out the next season along with tennis elbow which I believe was a result of the thumb jamming as the problem travelled up my arm. Now I am wanting to have my instructor take me up again as a refresher just once to make sure everything is working with me cause I still have a bit of a shoulder problem. I don't think it'll affect me, but I'm not THAT sure. If I were to mountain launch, I think I would be OK, but aerotowing is a much more critical thing to take on after 2 seasons off with only 2 seasons under my wing. Hope you get back at it because I too want to last a long time with so much invested.

[@ericoschmitt]

Inspiring to see them flying! Also worried to see they are the only two that day, where are the young pilots?

[@justhangin7186]

There is none except for me and red who will fly this place , it intimidates a lot of good pilots , these two blokes have been flying here for 35 years

[@ericoschmitt]

@@justhangin7186 no way! Smooth beach soaring, I'd love to fly there

[@syedbaniamin]

Respect you bro.

[@DavisStraubOz]

I never thought of that as over the back.

[@justhangin7186]

2 separate hills that's all , its tricky to get through the rotor and make the big hill

[@DavisStraubOz]

@@justhangin7186 I assume that's true if it's coming from the right a bit.

[@bcanm]

Colurs are perfecttt

[@mattburg5896]

4:45 yeeesssss !!!!!!!!!!!

[@szoja1984]

In Bassano we met a hang glider pilot who was 81 years old ! Maby its the same person

[@ferdluzzi3385]

I flew in my 30's for a couple of years. I'm 63 and I'm thinking of doing it again. I still ski and snowboard so I think I'm good to go. Where is this spot?

[@chrisnegele6875]

This is 50k south of Sydney Australia, actually two spots hill 60 and the low spot known as the gulley. I’m a yank that lived there for 5 years from 2012-2017 really miss it. One of these guys Ken taught me how to set up and fly from there great guy, good to see he is still flying.

[@ferdluzzi3385]

@chrisnegele6875 I live just north of Stanwell tops, and I did fly there and at Hill 60 also Lake George, many years ago.

[@Nikiforos59]

I hope to be a life at your age,, 👏 🙀 😯

[@martinpolach1330]

Why do you not include some audio? Are these chaps 60? 70? 80???? Without audio ..Nothing ?,!

[@justhangin7186]

80 and 86

[@markdavis9148]

I know, it was weird, who are these guys, how old are they really? How long have they been flying? Why all the dumb music, when we have no idea what's going on? Where is the site? No information at all.