ACCIDENT REVIEW COMMITTEE
> John Hovey, feat. Misha Banks
Speedflying With Discipline : A Case Study
: “Who is that?” I asked, approaching the small group of
wait a while. I frowned at the Tyvek streamer wagging
pilots and students milling around in the Nelson’s Butte
in a gentle downslope breeze and hoped it wasn’t one of
LZ. It was a gray evening in Jackson, Wyoming, with
my students or some visiting P2 trying to learn about the
switchy winds and no possibility of soaring. But some-
hazards of Rocky Mountain flying the hard way.
one had ignored the ample cues that flying might not be
“I think it’s The Colonel*,” someone said.
advisable and hiked up the Butte anyway. I couldn’t tell
Oh, great. The Colonel. Of course, it’s him.
who, but clearly, someone was up there laying out a wing
Migratory thrill-seeker, skydiver, carnival producer,
in preparation to fly. On most summer nights, the whole gang, myself
and self-exiled social outcast, The Colonel was that archetypical anti-authority guy. That guy who takes on
included, would plod the 600 feet up our west-facing,
fun, adventure, and free flight as his life’s missions and
sagebrush-covered slope just to bag one more sled ride
cannot understand anyone else’s point of view. His real
for the day. Jackson doesn’t have much of a “ground
12
suck” problem, so it seemed wrong for just one pilot to
Misha Banks and another pilot take to the skies.
be on launch when everyone else thought it prudent to
Photo by John Quinn.
US HP A P I L O T
