Richard Bach injured

[stepwilk]

Author/pilot Richard Bach hurt badly enough to be hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries in the crash of his homebuilt seaplane.

Author Richard Bach injured in plane crash | Local News | The Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019049001_planecrash02m.html?prmid=4939)

[Rotorhead1026]

Actually, there's a head injury. No prognosis until he wakes up.

[stepwilk]

Okay, non-life-threatening head injury.

[SpringHeeledJack]

Always saddened to hear of a light aircraft crash/event, but more so as Mr Bach enthralled many with his writing over the years, including my favorite short book "Illusions". Let's hope that your head just ends up with a bump and a headache sir! :ok:


SHJ

[DaveReidUK]

"Stranger to the Ground" is another classic.

Here's wishing Richard a speedy recovery.

[Herod]

I'll second you on "Illusions". If you want a factual book of his, try "Stranger to the Ground" or "Biplane".

[Jhieminga]

And thirded! 'A Gift of Wings' and 'Nothing by Chance' should be added to that list too in my opinion.

I hope he recovers fully and is back in the air again as soon as possible. As mentioned by his son on Twitter, mr. Bach is not one to stay on the ground.

[kluge]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

'Letter from a God fearing Man' and 'Cat' are two of my favs from Gift of Wings.

[Ian Burgess-Barber]

Here's a sincere wish for the full recovery of the pilot whose contribution to the literature of aviation is as valuable as his distant ancester's compositions are to the world of music.
In my home his books sit on the same shelf as, and right next to, my Ernie Gann collection - and I hold them in the same high regard.
Get well soon Mr Bach.

[Robert Cooper]

I love reading your books sir, here's wishing you a speedy recovery and more literary achievements!

Bob C

[BobRiversIntern]

On the Bob Rivers Show, 95.7 KJR FM, we will be talking James Bach, Richard Bach's son with an update on Richard's health!!

If your in the local Seattle Area you can tune in 95.7 or if your anywhere else in the country you can tune in at The Bob Rivers Show with Bob Spike and Joe (http://www.bobrivers.com)!

[Spooky 2]

I have heard from what I consider to be a very reliable source that Richard suffered a broke collar bone along with a punctured lung. In addition, his head got banged up pretty badly and the extent of that injury was being observed and treated. He is a tough guy and in very good shape so fingers crossed that there are no permanent injuries.

[Fantome]

It will have been necessary for me not less of about ten readings to understand finally the sense of this history. Subtlety lies in the fact that protagonists take place aboard a single place glider aircraft. They are in fact the two facets of the same person : Richard Bach. The characters of the one and the other one are diametricaly different. The one that holds commands is a exalted poet , impatient to feel free again, going back to his favourite element : air. He is in a state of jubilation close to the bliss going as far even as comparing every takeoff with a new birth. He is in no way concentrated on his flight parameters and makes fun royally of the soaring competition in which he is supposed to participate. The other person (conjugated to the first person), is a killjoy procedurer, annoyed by the rigorous lack of a flight instructor, seeing in the landscape arround only potential dangers. Which is not the bewilderment when, after the takeoff, the poet releases himself too much early from the towing cable, making so very weak the chances to join the landing field. In this mountainous region, made by lakes, by forests and by cliffs, any forced landing would be extremely risky. Finding the providential lift becomes then a question of life or death. The poet laughs at it and counts on his chance, while the other one does not stand having only this solution. In spite of some minutes of fear, everything will end happily ...
This story reminds us that once in flight, we navigate all between these two attitudes, and that it is not always easy to reconcile admiring beauties of the sky and the total mastery of the machine...

Loops, voices and the fear of death
Richard evokes here difficult situations in which every pilot is brought to be confronted one day: taken in the trap of a weather which degrades faster than forecasted, involved in an autorotation of which it'is impossible to get out, sucked down by downward wind in mountain... The only question that one asks to himself at this moment there is always the same: " What am I doing here? ". The answer which gives Richard is nevertheless simple: " I am not somewhere else, I do live the present moment by fighting to protect my life. Only moments as those are to estimate the real price for it ". Going out from such situations give a victory feeling on elements and on ourselves.
The pleasure of their company
Richard speaks about writers who urged him to push the doors of the sky and supports the idea that it is not necessary to meet a writer so that he becomes friend. It is enough to read his books ! he takes for example Antoine de Saint Exupéry, who was already necessary to be able to perceive through the thick cloud of smoke of cigarette which surrounded constantly his head. Those that knew him confidentially, dreaded so much that he'd speak about his health that to wait for the return of one of his flights by wondering if he would think of taking out his landing gear. Richard Bach claims what is more there are all the chances so that the German pilot who has shot him down without suspecting, naturally which was his target, possessed at his home (bombed by the allied) all the Saint Ex's books

[Herod]

I don't know what you're on Fantome, but can we get it off prescription?

[Jhieminga]

I recognise some of it as a copy from 'A Gift of Wings' but it seems to have been translated back and forth from English to something else and back again using Google translate or something like that.

[Pilotage]

Author Richard Bach's condition upgraded after plane crash | Reuters (http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/11/uk-usa-author-crash-idUKBRE88A0IO20120911)

P

[Agaricus bisporus]

I must say I never thought JLS had anything to say on mob rule - that's a new concept to me. Conformity yes.
It wasn't mob rule surely, rather the incomprehension and suspicion of the conservative and unimaginative masses to the spirit of one who dares to be different - and learn to fly. Given RB's background as a fast jet pilot (and from some of his chronologically earlier stories) I take JLS as a glorious celebration of the joys of military (and to a lesser extent civil) flying training and the discovery of the freedoms and separation that flying brings from the ground-gripping masses who just cannot comprehend why or what it is all about.

Non pilots just won't/can't ever see that aspect of the book and have to make do with its more mundane and obvious message, hence some of the wilder theories about its meaning (at school it was presented as some sort of quasi spiritual/religious work as indeed it is, but they had completely the wrong end of the stick about why. Sadly that put me off reading it until years after my Wings, when I immediately saw the light)

Just magical. No pilot (and certainly no FJ/mil pilot) should fail to love this wonderful little book.

The flock are "afraid" (suspicious) of anyone who doesn't want to conform and be another grey little accountant and get a "proper" job like all the rest. Non-conformity is first regarded as frivolous, then destabilising, then heretical because there is something there that they cannot understand and the human reaction to that is often to discourage it as being against the grain. Its what makes the ground bound look at us with a measure of bemusement, they're not quite sure what to make of us. Recognise it?

[Herod]

At the risk of this becoming a book club, I have to take issue with some of AB's comments. Yes, the book concerns flying, but not just as a celebration of the joys thereof. The meaning, at least to me, is that we are at our best when striving to be our best. For Jonathon that meant trying to get the very best out of the body he was given. He trancended the mundane, the everyday. (In fact IIRC there is a track called "Trancend" on the soundtrack of the film. Get the CD if you can, some of Neil Diamond's best work. Don't bother with the film, I gather RB distanced himself from it, and I can see why.) The same theme occurs at the beginning of "Illusions", where creatures are clinging to rocks at the bottom of the river. One of them, against the advice of all, decides to let go and allow the current to carry him where it will. Only by giving in to the life force within all of us, will we be able to reach our true destiny. Before anyone asks, no I didn't; but to quote RB again "There is one way to know if your mission in life is accomplished. If you're still here, it isn't."

[stepwilk]

Well, the track would have been called "Transcend," I hope.

[fustall]

Sorry to hear of this,hope he is on the mend.
Loved the book JLS,there is a song about Jonathon,it's called 'Jonathon' by a Lancashire group called 'Barclay James Harvest',it does the story well:)

http://youtu.be/UgfbKE6EzBk:ok::ok::D

[DaveReidUK]

Bad link.

Here are Oldham's finest in full flow:

Barclay James Harvest - Jonathan - (lyrics) - YouTube

RIP Woolly and Mel.

[Herod]

Thanks for that, Dave. I've found my album, and the track I was referring to is called "Anthem".

[Hasel Checks]

Beware falling into the New Age snare Richard Bach fell headlong into.

His earlier writing was interesting, but then "he went New Age" and lost the plot.

During filming of the JLS book, he and actress Leslie Parish, had an affair, living in a caravan together for months pursuing New Age riddles.

Dick Bach left his wife and SIX children, for Parish, then penned "Bridge Across Forever" a biography of his and Parish's "eternal soulmate" relationship.

The "soulmates" eventually married, but divorced not long ago!

Bach married a younger, female, called Sabrina, whilst insisting Leslie Parish is still his "soulmate".

Naturally, his readership rebelled against such hypocrisy.

His long-time publishers rejected his latest "new book", whilst struggling to get it published, Bach tripped over well-marked power cables whilst approaching to land in his Sea Rey amphibian. (A sort of poor-man's SeaBee amphibain.)


He typifies the foolish man written of in the Holy Bible; Psalm 53:1 KJV;

Q/ The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. /Q

Proverbs 14:12 KJV;
Q/ There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. /Q

[RenegadeMan]

Hey there Hasel Checks,

While I appreciate your understanding of biblical wisdom and guidance (and I'm not kidding, I'm a Christian and believe in God.....but not with most of the "Jesus" baggage that many Christians carry) I think your judgement around Richard Bach's life choices and experiences is bordering on appalling.

Richard Bach is, for many of us, the epitome of a person who has been able to articulate in so many wonderful, diverse and unique ways the feelings that many of us as pilots experience and that "in stepping over the edge into the darkness we'll either find our footing on the next piece of ground or learn how to fly away" (not word for word but roughly one on RB's quotes). I personally found much to celebrate in Richard's writings, especially Bridge Across Forever. So his relationship with Leslie broke down....who are you to judge him for this and what does it mean anyway? Sharing a life with someone is an incredibly complex activity; successfully achieved by very few (and by "successfully" I mean couples who haven't sold out on each other's dreams and actually improve the opportunity to realise them.....very rare I think).

The Bible has much substance and authority to guide a human through the complex experience that is human life, but please don't write someone's choices and lifestyle off because you think it's clearly labelled "New Age". RB has added enormous substance and goodness to my life and for that I thank him profusely. I wish him all the best and hope we'll see more writing from him.

I think when it comes to summing up an individual's life, what they've done, how they've behaved and what their pathway has been, the age old "Judge not lest ye be judged" is the most appropriate motto (and no I won't be quoting the biblical verse reference numbers....)

All the very best to you Richard Bach (and good life to you too Hasel Checks)

:)

[Hasel Checks]

You've glanced at The Book, but have never known, or received, The Author as Lord.

That means, like New Ager, Dick Bach, you will be judged by the Judge of judges, whom you too have sadly rejected.

The LORD Jesus Christ is Almighty God in The Flesh, not some cooked up new age pilot guru, leading you to Hell.

I respectfully suggest you read John's Gospel in the Holy Bible, and ask the Lord to open His Word to you, before it is too late.

Prov. 14:12 KJV;

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Crikey, the irrational god-botherers have taken over the thread. :rolleyes:

His 'A Gift of Wings' inspired me to fly; a wonderful book. Some of his following stuff was good (not the seagull), but the later stuff was just wierd.

[kluge]

Have you been touched by his noodly appendage?

Flying Spaghetti Monster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster)

At least this has an element of aviation to it :rolleyes:

[fustall]

Looks like the ancient game of 'Squidditch'!:D

[Agaricus bisporus]

Hasell, and you are judged by the gods of bad taste and inappropriateness. This is an aviation forum, please keep your prejudices and superstitions to yourself and don't insult us by ramming them down our throats, that is very poor behaviour indeed. Please go somewhere else, like Chemtrails where that sort of irrational voices-in-the-head nonsense belongs.

[Herod]

Methinks the guy has a lot of bitterness toward RB. Do you think Richard pinched his girlfriend or something?

[Pilotage]

Given that Bach was (according to Wikipedia) divorced from his first wife with whom he had 6 children in 1970, the film JLS came out in 1973, and he married Lesley-Parish in 1977, I suspect that Hasel's timeline may be a little out.

Mind you, having read a lot of his books, I got the strong impression that the man is/was probably a bit of a nightmare to live with, and rather self centred.

Which doesn't stop him, so far as I can see, being a superb aviation writer.

Where I do agree with Hasel however was that his writing has always been at its best when he stuck to flying, rather than the more mystical stuff. But personally, I've always enjoyed both.

Bu66ered if I can see where the biography of a 2000 year old dead carpenter comes into the argument at-all however.

P

[stepwilk]

At some point post-Betty Bach and before the actress I've never heard of, Dick was also heavily involved with his book agent, Eleanor Friede. Can't remember if he married her or not.

[Cubs2jets]

Now posted on another forum that his condition has taken a turn for the worse...

I had the misfortune of crashing in a Stenson with Richard during the filming of Nothing By Chance, back in the early 70's. From speaking to his Son
through a mutual friend, it appears his condition is headed South with a brain infection. I can only hope for the best for my friend, but it really is
not looking good at this time- regretfully. http://www.j3-cub.com/smf/Smileys/default/cry.gif

Steve

C2j

[fustall]

:sad:Hope he recovers,just like JLS after doing his intrepid dives.:)

[RenegadeMan]

You've glanced at The Book, but have never known, or received, The Author as Lord.

Good grief Hasel. You don't know anything about me. That's an extraordinary statement to make (and another huge judgement).

That means, like New Ager, Dick Bach, you will be judged by the Judge of judges, whom you too have sadly rejected.

Good grief again Hasel. Let me see, you've decided there are those who have "rejected" your 'Judge of judges' scenario and others who have not. I can hardly believe I'm reading such stuff on PPrune. Don't you realise that this is fundamentalism....the same flawed logic, mindlessness and lack of conscious awareness that brought us 9/11.

The LORD Jesus Christ is Almighty God in The Flesh, not some cooked up new age pilot guru, leading you to Hell.

Hasel you have got to be joking! I don't know that words and phrases like this have ever been used on this forum before and I'd like to not see them again. Please keep your beliefs and views on fundamental Christianity to yourself; I think I could speak for most on here that they're not welcome.

I respectfully suggest you read John's Gospel in the Holy Bible, and ask the Lord to open His Word to you, before it is too late. Prov. 14:12 KJV;
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
I respectfully ask you to get down off your high horse, smell the roses, understand that the hard-line judgemental views you hold are the very essence of what's not working with the many culture clashes the world is now subject to. Those 911 hijackers flew those planes into buildings absolutely convinced that they were right and the rest of us were wrong. Your views are similar, not conducive to a modern society with empathy and tolerance (and certainly not in the spirit of what this forum is about). A person's spirituality is a sacred thing and for each of us to consider in private. Telling people what they've done or haven't done and what they need to do when it comes to something so personal and private and then making huge judgement calls on a fellow pilot who's been badly injured in a crash is very poor form. Please desist.

If you respond with more judgement and fundamentalism I will not be responding again (but that doesn't mean you've made "valid points" and I'm busily considering taking up your fear based fundamentalist rhetoric....no I'll just be moving on....along with everyone else that by now will have pretty much written you off I would think).

Ren

[RenegadeMan]

Hey Cub2jets

Now posted on another forum that his condition has taken a turn for the worse...

I've been following two of his sons on twidder (Amazingly I've had to spell it incorrectly as PPruNe automatically word replace twidder, the correctly spelt version, with PPruNE.....auto-censorship!:oh:). One of them posted this in the past 24-48 hours:
"Thanks for the thoughts Out of ICU again, but not coherent and semi-conscious."

Here is the most recent media article about his condition I've been able to locate:
Son: 'Seagull' author Richard Bach speaking, slowly heals | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KOMO News (http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Son-Seagull-author-Richard-Bach-speaking-slowly-heals-169110496.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter)

I hope he'll pull through as I'm sure he has much writing still to publish.

Ren

[Hasel Checks]

Predictable reactions to having your balloons burst in front of your eyes.

Dick Bach is Judged by His own foolish words, and you will be too. The Judge is ready and waiting...

Holy Bible, Hebrews 4:11-16 KJV;

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

The Word always has the Final Word.

[Herod]

Where's a moderator when you want one? On second thoughts, it's more fun to let him drone on (yes, I know, I'm next on the list). I can't wait. I bet when Richard fully recovers he'll be rolling on the floor with laughter to see what a hornet's nest this has stirerd up. ;)

[India Four Two]

Where's a moderator when you want one?Herod,

Ironic isn't it? A stalwart member like GTE gets busted but HC is allowed to ramble on.

It seems to me that he has left the planet. ;)

[mushroom69]

Now I am curious

Tried to clean up the bad link to the song, then saw the next page with a "good link," but that is now blocked as well.

Tried on YouTube and it says no video available.

What happened?

Dave? Anyone?

[Herod]

The link on post 21 still works for me. Just click on the play button.

[DaveReidUK]

Dave? Anyone?

Well I didn't do anything fancy, just pasted the YouTube URL into my message.

PPruNe converts the URL into a preview, here it is (dots replaced with spaces to defeat the formatting):

www youtube com/watch?v=mWfm7m9u9O8

[Herod]

Pardon my ignorance, but I have to ask sometime. How do you get the quotes lifted from other posts to appear with a nice light-blue backing?

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Pardon my ignorance, but I have to ask sometime. How do you get the quotes lifted from other posts to appear with a nice light-blue backing?

Like this!

When you reply, you'll see on the toolbar at the top of the page a symbol that looks like a 'speech bubble'. Put your cursor over it and it says 'wrap [quote] tags around the selected text'. So select and copy the text you wish to quote from someone's post, click the 'quote' bubble on the toolbar, and paste the text in the gap between the two sets of [xxxx] [xxxxx] that appear (XXXX=QUOTE, XXXXX=/QUOTE).

[Herod]

Like this!



Thanks; now even a technophobe like me can do it!!:D

[Molemot]

Back in 1971 I was going through RAF Basic Flying Training at RAF Linton on Ouse. Wandering around the bookshops of York one Saturday I chanced upon "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"; having read "Stranger to the Ground" some years before, the author's work was known to me...so I bought the seagull book. I read it in one go.....and passed it around the crewroom. It's probably still there, as I never got it back! It struck a chord with all of us in the flying training system at the time. I have since read the rest of Richard Bach's works, and have found the later stuff to be rather more existential...but always entertaining. I like the idea of "every man his own Messiah"...

My thoughts go out to him and his family, and I wish him a speedy and complete recovery.

[India Four Two]

My kids still remember the time I tried to read them the "terminal velocity" passage from JLS and had trouble doing so, because I kept bursting out laughing! :)
There in the night, a hundred feet in the air, Jonathan Livingston Seagull - blinked. His pain, his resolutions, vanished.

Short wings. A falcon's short wings! That's the answer! What a fool I've been! All I need is a tiny little wing, all I need is to fold most of my wings and fly on just the tips alone! Short wings!

He climbed two thousand feet above the black sea, and without a moment for thought of failure and death, he brought his forewings tightly in to his body, left only the narrow swept daggers of his wingtips extended into the wind, and fell into a vertical dive.

The wind was a monster roar at his head. Seventy miles per hour, ninety, a hundred and twenty and faster still. The wing-strain now at a hundred and forty miles per hour wasn't nearly as hard as it had been before at seventy, and with the faintest twist of his wingtips he eased out of the dive and shot above the waves, a gray cannonball under the moon.Later, when he tries from 5000':
He began his pullout at a thousand feet, wingtips thudding and blurring in that gigantic wind, the boat and the crowd of gulls tilting and growing meteor-fast, directly in his path.

He couldn't stop; he didn't know yet even how to turn at that speed. Collision would be instant death. And so he shut his eyes.

It happened that morning, then, just after sunrise, that Jonathan Livingston Seagull fired directly through the center of Breakfast Flock, ticking off two hundred twelve miles per hour, eyes closed, in a great roaring shriek of wind and feathers. The Gull of Fortune smiled upon him this once, and no one was killed.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Well, that just shows that Molemot gets it and I42 doesn't - but as a civvy flyer why would he? Kinda illustrates my earlier point.

[stepwilk]

Serial womanizing is naughty? spent half my life doing it, then got married.

[RenegadeMan]

Latest twidder conversation 11 hours ago from James Marcus Bach (one of Richard's sons) in response to someone asking how his dad is doing is:

Francesco Grant ‏@energipsy
@jamesmarcusbach hello from Rome...have you good news ? thanks. Francesco

James Marcus Bach ‏@jamesmarcusbach
@energipsy On what subject?

Francesco Grant ‏@energipsy
@jamesmarcusbach I couldnt read any news about your father conditions...

James Marcus Bach ‏@jamesmarcusbach
@energipsy There are some encouraging signs, but it's too early to say much more. Stay tuned.

Here's a great video Richard posted just days before his accident that I thought you all my like to see. It's him flying his SeaRey down very low along the water up around the San Juan islands. A lovely bit of footage.

Cliff flight - YouTube (http://youtu.be/ufIjczeWEsY)

Get well Richard!

Ren

[kluge]

Great vid - thx for posting.

The SeaRey is a fun aircraft to fly. I did a check ride a few years ago at the Florida manufacturers.
On being taught the correct approach attitude:

ME: Are those logs in the water.
QFI: No boy they be 'gaters.
ME: What if we hit one?
QFI: We'd be 'gater bait boy, we'd be 'gater bait.

QFI reported afterwards how quickly I learned the correct approach attitude and water landing.

Get well soon Richard Bach.

[RenegadeMan]

QFI: We'd be 'gater bait boy, we'd be 'gater bait.

That's hilarious Kluge!

SeaReys are amazing little aircraft. I don't fly one myself but have been in them many times.

Here's a video of some SeaReys getting their feet wet.
Four SeaReys go for a dip at Tiona Park, NSW, Australia - YouTube (http://youtu.be/gLOiz-d2rdI)

And a landing onto water filmed from the right seat.
Searey seaplane landing at Hardys Bay - YouTube (http://youtu.be/jAFOXpGkft4)

Another new message on Twidder from James Marcus Bach (Richard's son) that Richard's improving

James Marcus Bach ‏@jamesmarcusbach
My father was truly lucid today for the first time. He can't speak much, but he definitely understands what's happening. Life signs stable.

Things can go either way at this point. I've known of people starting to get better like this and then they still die unexpectedly. My best prayers and wishes to Richard Bach. If he comes out of this I'm sure he will have an incredible story to tell us all.

Here's another of Richard's videos flying in his SeaRey called Puff
Puff flying2 - YouTube (http://youtu.be/x6-jNk9nqxU)

Hope you enjoy.

Ren

[RenegadeMan]

From Twidder (spelt this way to prevent the auto-replacement of that word with the word PPRuNe) in the past 24 hours

Curt Johnson ‏@CJTheAv8or
@jbtestpilot How's Dad? Any change? Holding him in my thoughts....

Jon Bach ‏@jbtestpilot @CJTheAv8or Physical numbers improving. Mentally, it's about the same. Inconsistent responses.


regards

Ren

[Herod]

Time to re-activate a moribund thread. I was wondering how things are going, and it seems he's back with his family and has completed a fourth part to "Jonathon". Let's hope he gets back in the air soon.