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I flew XC for years before getting a cell phone. When I landed out, I just
knocked on the farmer's door and asked to use the phone. Never had a
problem and the farmer and family usually enjoyed looking at the glider.

I now have a cell phone but it stays turned off unless I want to make a
call. Oh, and it's only a phone - it doesn't do all those other distracting
things that today's youngsters seem to need to stay alive.

There's an entire episode of the TV show, Southpark, which is devoted to
Facebook. I thought it gave an apt description of Facebook addicts.


"Ramy" wrote in message
...
So Bob, I must ask, do you fly XC without cell phone? If so, whatever will
be your good reasons to never carry a cell phone, I wouldn't blame anyone
who will leave you to hitchhike back from a landout in the middle of
nowhere...

Some technologies, like cell phone and spot are a must in anyone's landout
kit. Flying cross country without them is foolish.

Ramy

On Thursday, April 4, 2013 10:15:33 AM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
I flew XC for years before getting a cell phone. When I landed out, I just knocked on the farmer's door and asked to use the phone. Never had a problem and the farmer and family usually enjoyed looking at the glider. I now have a cell phone but it stays turned off unless I want to make a call. Oh, and it's only a phone - it doesn't do all those other distracting things that today's youngsters seem to need to stay alive. There's an entire episode of the TV show, Southpark, which is devoted to Facebook. I thought it gave an apt description of Facebook addicts. "Ramy" wrote in message ... So Bob, I must ask, do you fly XC without cell phone? If so, whatever will be your good reasons to never carry a cell phone, I wouldn't blame anyone who will leave you to hitchhike back from a landout in the middle of nowhere... Some technologies, like cell phone and spot are a must in anyone's landout kit. Flying cross country without them is foolish. Ramy

My new smartphone does provide some good post landout entertainment. For example last weekend my crew saw the picture of the glider in the field on Facebook before they left the field to come get me, and by the time they got there I had had about a 20 comment exchange with various glider pilots around the country debating the merits of why i landed out and how good or bad the field I chose was.

Different strokes, I suppose.

I always enjoyed sitting on the farmer's porch enjoying local conversation
and some of his beer. Later, when my impromptu crew would arrive, I'd share
my homebrew with the farmer.

I haven't landed out in a long time. Maybe I should plan to...


"Tony" wrote in message
...
On Thursday, April 4, 2013 10:15:33 AM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
I flew XC for years before getting a cell phone. When I landed out, I just
knocked on the farmer's door and asked to use the phone. Never had a
problem and the farmer and family usually enjoyed looking at the glider. I
now have a cell phone but it stays turned off unless I want to make a
call. Oh, and it's only a phone - it doesn't do all those other
distracting things that today's youngsters seem to need to stay alive.
There's an entire episode of the TV show, Southpark, which is devoted to
Facebook. I thought it gave an apt description of Facebook addicts. "Ramy"
wrote in message
... So Bob, I
must ask, do you fly XC without cell phone? If so, whatever will be your
good reasons to never carry a cell phone, I wouldn't blame anyone who
will leave you to hitchhike back from a landout in the middle of
nowhere... Some technologies, like cell phone and spot are a must in
anyone's landout kit. Flying cross country without them is foolish.
Ramy

My new smartphone does provide some good post landout entertainment. For
example last weekend my crew saw the picture of the glider in the field on
Facebook before they left the field to come get me, and by the time they got
there I had had about a 20 comment exchange with various glider pilots
around the country debating the merits of why i landed out and how good or
bad the field I chose was.

On Thursday, April 4, 2013 10:31:33 AM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
Different strokes, I suppose. I always enjoyed sitting on the farmer's porch enjoying local conversation and some of his beer. Later, when my impromptu crew would arrive, I'd share my homebrew with the farmer. I haven't landed out in a long time. Maybe I should plan to... "Tony" wrote in message ... On Thursday, April 4, 2013 10:15:33 AM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote: I flew XC for years before getting a cell phone. When I landed out, I just knocked on the farmer's door and asked to use the phone. Never had a problem and the farmer and family usually enjoyed looking at the glider. I now have a cell phone but it stays turned off unless I want to make a call.. Oh, and it's only a phone - it doesn't do all those other distracting things that today's youngsters seem to need to stay alive. There's an entire episode of the TV show, Southpark, which is devoted to Facebook. I thought it gave an apt description of Facebook addicts. "Ramy" wrote in message ... So Bob, I must ask, do you fly XC without cell phone? If so, whatever will be your good reasons to never carry a cell phone, I wouldn't blame anyone who will leave you to hitchhike back from a landout in the middle of nowhere... Some technologies, like cell phone and spot are a must in anyone's landout kit. Flying cross country without them is foolish. Ramy My new smartphone does provide some good post landout entertainment. For example last weekend my crew saw the picture of the glider in the field on Facebook before they left the field to come get me, and by the time they got there I had had about a 20 comment exchange with various glider pilots around the country debating the merits of why i landed out and how good or bad the field I chose was.

Oh I definitely enjoy meeting the farmers, if they are within walking distance of wherever I land. That doesn't always happen. Fewer and fewer people are farming more and more acres these days. Population Density in Western Kansas is probably less than 1 person per square miles.

150 likes 3900 views.

On 5/04/2013 02:35, Tony wrote:

Oh I definitely enjoy meeting the farmers, if they are within
walking distance of wherever I land. That doesn't always happen.
Fewer and fewer people are farming more and more acres these days.
Population Density in Western Kansas is probably less than 1 person
per square miles.

Same in Australia. SOP is to check the farmhouse you're planning to
land near for:
1. Power lines to the house (two reasons for this)
2. Laundry hanging out.
3. Fresh tyre tracks into the garage/shed/barn.
4. The garden/grass looks watered.

Only about 1 in 3 is inhabited these days.

GC

On 4/4/2013 7:33 PM, GC wrote:
On 5/04/2013 02:35, Tony wrote:

Oh I definitely enjoy meeting the farmers, if they are within walking
distance of wherever I land. That doesn't always happen. Fewer and fewer
people are farming more and more acres these days. Population Density in
Western Kansas is probably less than 1 person per square miles.

Same in Australia. SOP is to check the farmhouse you're planning to land
near for: 1. Power lines to the house (two reasons for this) 2. Laundry
hanging out. 3. Fresh tyre tracks into the garage/shed/barn. 4. The
garden/grass looks watered.

Only about 1 in 3 is inhabited these days.

GC

Heh. One of my hitchhiking retrieves was in the panhandle of Texas. Musta been
a wet year because the lawn looked well cared for. No laundry though, despite
fresh tire tracks and powerlines to the house. No occupants, either. After
walking 3 miles to a paved highway and thumbing a few more, a member of an
itinerant road-paving crew from Missouri picked me up as he was driving to
town to his motel for the night; I think he wanted someone to talk to. Saved
me about 8 more miles of walking to the airport (shot down by outflow from a
thunderstorm on the "R" part of an O&R). I was later told the former occupants
of that house now lived in town, though they kept & used farming implements in
the equipment buildings, hence the tire tracks, I guess. Since my retrieve
crew was 3 sheets to the wind by the time I finished trudging the length of
the airport access road (I've a photo to prove it!), my retrieve may have
benefited from me NOT having had a cell phone on that landout...

Bob W.

On Thursday, April 4, 2013 8:31:33 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Different strokes, I suppose.



I always enjoyed sitting on the farmer's porch enjoying local conversation

and some of his beer. Later, when my impromptu crew would arrive, I'd share

my homebrew with the farmer.



I haven't landed out in a long time. Maybe I should plan to...





"Tony" wrote in message

...

On Thursday, April 4, 2013 10:15:33 AM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:

I flew XC for years before getting a cell phone. When I landed out, I just

knocked on the farmer's door and asked to use the phone. Never had a

problem and the farmer and family usually enjoyed looking at the glider.. I

now have a cell phone but it stays turned off unless I want to make a

call. Oh, and it's only a phone - it doesn't do all those other

distracting things that today's youngsters seem to need to stay alive.

There's an entire episode of the TV show, Southpark, which is devoted to

Facebook. I thought it gave an apt description of Facebook addicts. "Ramy"

wrote in message

... So Bob, I

must ask, do you fly XC without cell phone? If so, whatever will be your

good reasons to never carry a cell phone, I wouldn't blame anyone who

will leave you to hitchhike back from a landout in the middle of

nowhere... Some technologies, like cell phone and spot are a must in

anyone's landout kit. Flying cross country without them is foolish.

Ramy



My new smartphone does provide some good post landout entertainment. For

example last weekend my crew saw the picture of the glider in the field on

Facebook before they left the field to come get me, and by the time they got

there I had had about a 20 comment exchange with various glider pilots

around the country debating the merits of why i landed out and how good or

bad the field I chose was.

All good points, and I had my share of the same experiences and adventures as you folks described, but the main point is that having technology like cell phone and spot provides you *additional* options that you don't otherwise have, and chances are that in some situations you or your crew would wish you had...
I also been at the airport when someone did not return, but unfortunately he did not carry spot, and although he also apparently died on impact, it took 3 days to find him, during which a TFR was set over the area and we spent 3 days looking for him.
My cell phone worked well in almost every landout I had, even in remote areas, and significantly simplified my retrievals.

Ramy

New Mexico is pretty sparsely populated and I DO carry my phone. Coverage
is pretty spotty, however, unless you're near a major highway...

"Ramy" wrote in message
...
On Thursday, April 4, 2013 8:31:33 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Different strokes, I suppose.



I always enjoyed sitting on the farmer's porch enjoying local conversation

and some of his beer. Later, when my impromptu crew would arrive, I'd
share

my homebrew with the farmer.



I haven't landed out in a long time. Maybe I should plan to...





"Tony" wrote in message

...

On Thursday, April 4, 2013 10:15:33 AM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:

I flew XC for years before getting a cell phone. When I landed out, I
just

knocked on the farmer's door and asked to use the phone. Never had a

problem and the farmer and family usually enjoyed looking at the glider.
I

now have a cell phone but it stays turned off unless I want to make a

call. Oh, and it's only a phone - it doesn't do all those other

distracting things that today's youngsters seem to need to stay alive.

There's an entire episode of the TV show, Southpark, which is devoted to

Facebook. I thought it gave an apt description of Facebook addicts.
"Ramy"

wrote in message

... So Bob,
I

must ask, do you fly XC without cell phone? If so, whatever will be
your

good reasons to never carry a cell phone, I wouldn't blame anyone who

will leave you to hitchhike back from a landout in the middle of

nowhere... Some technologies, like cell phone and spot are a must in

anyone's landout kit. Flying cross country without them is foolish.


Ramy



My new smartphone does provide some good post landout entertainment. For

example last weekend my crew saw the picture of the glider in the field on

Facebook before they left the field to come get me, and by the time they
got

there I had had about a 20 comment exchange with various glider pilots

around the country debating the merits of why i landed out and how good or

bad the field I chose was.

All good points, and I had my share of the same experiences and adventures
as you folks described, but the main point is that having technology like
cell phone and spot provides you *additional* options that you don't
otherwise have, and chances are that in some situations you or your crew
would wish you had...
I also been at the airport when someone did not return, but unfortunately he
did not carry spot, and although he also apparently died on impact, it took
3 days to find him, during which a TFR was set over the area and we spent 3
days looking for him.
My cell phone worked well in almost every landout I had, even in remote
areas, and significantly simplified my retrievals.

Ramy

On Thursday, April 4, 2013 5:07:29 PM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
New Mexico is pretty sparsely populated and I DO carry my phone. Coverage is pretty spotty, however, unless you're near a major highway.....

snip but the main point is that having technology like cell phone AND spot provides you *additional* options that you don't otherwise have.

I'm a HUGE fan of SPOT. Cell phones are great, but I've landed several places with no signal. SPOT allows friends to track progress in very nearly real-time. Which save lots of wondering and worrying, and is (IMO) fun. Very cheap and very effective.