1974 EK Sky Cycle flight poll
Poll regarding the 1974 Sky Cycle "flight"
Yes, I'm ONLY allowing two possible opinion choices. |
Third choice--- * Couldn't care less...
OL J R :) |
I deliberately limited MY poll to ONLY two choices as THOSE choices are the ONLY opinions I deem valid on the issue.
3rd opinion not needed, warranted, nor wanted. |
Everybody has an opinion on this....get your votes in.
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I voted malfunction because early chute release made the "jump" much more dangerous than if it had made a full ballistic flight. Early release meant crashing down the side of the cliff or landing in water. Either would result in serious injury or death. Pure luck allowed him to land on a small ledge instead of tumbling down the side or drowning.
EK may have been a Richard Head, but he was smart enough to know he had little chance of completing some of his jumps on an extremely heavy HD bike with 3" of suspension travel, and fearless/crazy enough to do it anyway. Therefore he was smart enough to know he needed to ride it out. Malfunction. |
Short of seeing IN-cockpit video from the 1974 launch PROVING otherwise, I'm sticking to "BAILED by yankin' the leever !"
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I though the designer of the cycle confirmed that the base drag on the cover which was not tested pulled it off and that the lever was not pulled.
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Once again, he was smarter than that. Bailing put his chances of severe injury or death near 100%. Landing on that small ledge was a minor miracle. It was much safer to ride it out and he knew it. |
I'm thinking that was a convenient EXCUSE for what really happened.
BAILED by yankin' the leever. Honestly, I don't think we will really ever know. From a safety standpoint, it sure seems like riding out the flight would have been the right option. Unlike many others on this forum, I DEFINITELY don't give the original 'pilot' credit for "intelligence" whatsoever and never will. Belligerent, yes, intelligent NO. Way more "guts" than BRAINS, hence the number of serious CRASHES. |
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Correct. Thought it was cool that Truax's son designed the Evel Spirit that successfully made the Snake River jump some 42 years later. |
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