Something is off. To use the dirt at TP for launching to Federal airspace, some private corp is requiring membership to another private corp. What happened to just a simple waiver and no membership in an exterior private corporation? Something is off.
Having a rating from a private exterior corp and having a ground check and having someone's private-corp rating and showing a logbook is no guarantee of being "fairly proficient". A public citizen need not have to join some private corporation to use a public park to enter federal uncontrolled airspace. If the City of San Diego forces people to join a private corporation in order to recreate from their public park, such corporation could be an evil anti-American corporation or some religious cult corporation, etc. Something is off; I wish I had the words to describe what seems to be off; I wish I had the legal moxy to describe what is off in the scene.
Even a foreign pilot has to have a temporary "membership" in a private corporation. Something is off. Recreation has been pirated at TPG. And the City seems to be avoiding its responsibilities to serve people first, respect the private rights of people, and support recreation without oppression.
What can be done to fly in our federal uncontrolled airspace at TP lift zone without having to JOIN IN MEMBERSHP a failing private corporation? What can be done to fly in the federal uncontrolled airspace at TP without paying launch fees? CA84 has no landing fees. The pirated launch is a challenge.
LAUNCHING INTO FEDERAL UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE DURING VFR NO-RADIO REQUIRED TIMES? Have any ideas? 1. Get the City to recognize that people should come first before pirating an historical recreation? Have not just a citizen's walkway to the beach, but have a citizen's launch pad for hang gliders; let the Torrey Hawks be part of the volunteer caretakers of the Citizens' Launch at Torrey Pines.
2. Get the City of San Diego to treasure the aviation legacy that is in its nest. Let such treasuring advance the park to a no-fee zone. Move the store off the site; people could be given an address to any number of stores that sell things for aviation; don't use up great historical mesa for stores. Let both commercial AND non-commercial HG activity occur side-by-side and in turn. Commercial faction NEED NOT BUMP OUT non-commercial mentoring, coaching, education, recreating, tandem-education. Both could live side by side. City can collect day-use fee directly and not line the pockets of just one corporation; collect from any user without respect for commercial or non-commercial; the City would then be able to manage its park just fine and wonderfully.
3. Just sign a City-based waiver; have it not connected with a failing corporation or a profit-centered private corporation. A waiver need not be tied to any private-corp membership.
4. Enter the airspace with an eHG; shut the e-switch and glide into the lift zone. Land free at CA84 as specified for CA84; "No fee" for the landing deal. Aircraft and ultralight vehicles and RC craft have been landing for ages free with no fee. The recent fee for launch controlled by a private concessionaire is not necessary to have a good flight park; there are other ways to run the park. Hey, and wouldn't it be neat if the City obtained the day-fee; then the City could have funds to do works at TPP.
5. Soar into the lift zone from Mt. Soledad or other places of launch. Follow the FAA rules about uncontrolled airspace. Respect other traffic during the soaring to the lift zone.
What else?
_________________ Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org
View pilots' hang gliding rating at: US Hang Gliding Rating System
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