More on Powered Paragliding’s Loudest, Least Honest Mouth
Last month the video below came out exposing a 2011 crash caused by Dell Schanze getting tangled in another pilot’s lines. Hooks on Dell’s boots causing the lead pilot’s wing to deform enough for him to throw the reserve. Although the glider reinflated right away it was too late, his reserve deployed then fought with the sideways flying paraglider (downplaning) resulting in a hard impact on ice. The screaming on impact made it pretty clear that this was a very hard hit.
This was apparently filmed in the same year as the owl video.
Dell was playing around trying to stand on the lead pilot’s cage. When the lead pilot pulled some brake, his wing went back and Dell snagged a line with his boots. Apparently he didn’t read or heed his PPG Bible which warns of boots with hooks on page 22.
There are many lessons in the video about flying, reserves, clothing, and so forth but it’s also revealing about the thought process in Schanze’s head. He can be heard saying “woah”, then flies by giving the injured pilot a thumbs up. The falling pilot is heard to say “this is gonna f*&king hurt” and soon after crashes onto the ice screaming in pain. A little later Dell shows up and, among the gems he utters is “what did you do?”
That’s rich. “What did YOU do to?” Trevor Meeks on the Facebook Paramotor group did a great job exposing the psychology involved. What’s so sad is that Dell just gets away with these behaviors. He bowls people over with fervent conviction, false though it is, and a few fall for it. Like a cult where someone falls under the spell of a Jim Jones type of character. From the outside it’s obvious but once they’ve been duped, it can take months or longer for them to see him for what he is.