Boy Who Flew With Condors - Dick Johnson? Other Comments

At 16:47 30 March 2016, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Boy who flew with condors youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqHXiaMhSIo

More on "Boy Who Flew with the Condors." On Chris Jury, yes, as
mentioned, he flew and was the son of a TWA Captain. And yes,
sadly lost in a powered aircraft accident. Never met either, although
we were all circulating in the sport as youngsters about the same
time...I was East Coast, they West.
The movie was one of the reasons, as opinioned by Paul Schweizer,
that helped the late sixties surge in the sport. Other two were the
National Geographic article on the Reno 1966 Nationals, and Bob
Buck's articles in Air Facts Magazine/Reader's Digest.
On low saves, why couldn't you from 200 feet...if you really have to
try it? Hopefully you make a good call on what's smart...what's
not...for both the concept as well as how you, aircraft and weather
fit into the equation on that day, at that time. Chatted with a pilot at
the 1973 Liberal Nationals, the evening after he'd thermaled away
from 50 feet in an ASW-12. Yup...50 feet. Not off the wall, really, as
over a West Kansas section, not field, he ran into the lift on low final
and continued in a shallow bank knowing if it all quit he'd just level
out and land...stubble field. Well, finally coming around in a wide
360 he was 100 feet, and the process continued until thousands of
feet and on his way! Was flying the meet in our Libelle, and on
discussing it with him, remembering it a relatively calm day and it
actually all made sense! Simpler times, few gadgets, more stick
think. Do it today, wiser, older, and less sharp? Why?
On long cockpit sits in a 1-26, or any of those upright gliders of the
day, we didn't know any better, so did it. We were flying, man!
Marfa 1967, in a 1-23, averaged about 6+ hours a day for eight in
a row, with a couple pushing 8 hours. Of course I was 18, had a lot
of foam jammed between the chute and small of the back, but last
day was convinced I had a wound on my butt. Back still hurts
today...but wouldn't have traded the opportunity for the world!
Diamond C? We called them whatever. Three diamonds, diamond
badge, diamond C, etc. Figured when you earned it, you could call it
what you wished. Saw some who put diamonds on a Silver badge,
for the heck of it...could do it on a C badge if ya wanted...ya earned
it and the three diamonds told the story. Bronze C...back in '60's
didn't exist, so C Badge was same as today's Bronze C. Later, with
better gliders, stretched it out a bit. Unbelievable motivation when,
on landing in a 2-22 with C-Badge duration your instructor handed
you a C Badge, as Bernie Carris did to me in 1964 at Schweizers in
Elmira. Badges are still marvelous tools today, that if properly
presented and mentored, both compliments and encourages! RB-
Buck