Hang gliding in the greater Lakeview area
Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 11:40 pmWe are fortunate to live in one of the prime hang gliding areas of the country: The greater Warner Mountain / Lakeview area. I am flying for 20+ years, in many places and on many continents, but this here is one of the best areas for our sport. It's probably 10 years ago that I flew famous Sugar Hill the 1st time and almost as many years that I live here, at the foot of Fandango Peak. For those who don't know, that's the peak you have to jump over from Sugar to go cross country. Just a little over 20 min and I am at launch of our greatest flying site. I am lucky I guess. And there are many other sites around of equal quality. Conditions from spring to summer are pretty consistent and a 30 mi Sugar to Lakeview glass off is easily doable every few days. People are very welcoming. We have excellent relationships with the ranching community, who is providing us with plenty of LZs, the Forest Service and BLM, who provide us with all these great launch sites. Local businesses and the local Chamber of Commerce here in Surprise Valley, which I am a member of, welcome visitors.
Heck, a close friend of mine, Rancher and private land owner, who owns one of our great launch sites, which is listed on the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce website, told me laughing "It's all yours, do with it what you want".
Sounds like hang gliding paradise, doesn't it?
If there wouldn't be one big problem (Well maybe two because there is also the long and cold winter). There are not enough of us hang glider pilots up here. We are only a handful, and I guess not the youngest anymore. We need more pilots and people who are interested in this sport to be able to keep flying for a while, to help maintaining our sites, to support each other in the sport, to share resources and driving duty. We have plans to acquire a scooter tow winch for the days we don't want to or can't get up to launch, like winter and early spring when the roads to our launch sites are still covered in deep snow. There is endless space for towing around here. I am personal friends with many of the ranchers around who are more than happy to let us use there fields.
So I recently heard of the story of Sara Martin of Lakeview, OR. I am a personal friend of her mother for many years. Sara is enthusiastic about learning to hang glide. And that's what we need up here. Not only one but many young people who are enthusiastic about getting into this sport. It appeared as if a small minority of people who are to a varying degree related to hang gliding in this area felt threatened by Saras aggressive approach to promote hang gliding. Too bad, because that's exactly what we need and no one else is doing it, trying to get new people involved. 2 of her major opponents, not even hang glider pilots, voiced their opposition the loudest.
I guess it's time to stand up. as one of the local pilots, and voice my support for Sara and everyone else up here who wants to get into hang gliding for that matter. All the names of the long time local pilots just went through my head and I can assure you Sara and everyone who reads it: The majority of the local pilots support your efforts to learn hang gliding!
Don't be mislead by that small minority making a big fuss about - I don't even know what. They will get over it eventually.
I have a huge stack of accumulated HG magazines I want to get rid of. Would be a great read for you and keeps the enthusiasm up during these short and cold winter days. The next time I am over in Lakeview I'll drop them at your place.
Derk
Heck, a close friend of mine, Rancher and private land owner, who owns one of our great launch sites, which is listed on the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce website, told me laughing "It's all yours, do with it what you want".
Sounds like hang gliding paradise, doesn't it?
If there wouldn't be one big problem (Well maybe two because there is also the long and cold winter). There are not enough of us hang glider pilots up here. We are only a handful, and I guess not the youngest anymore. We need more pilots and people who are interested in this sport to be able to keep flying for a while, to help maintaining our sites, to support each other in the sport, to share resources and driving duty. We have plans to acquire a scooter tow winch for the days we don't want to or can't get up to launch, like winter and early spring when the roads to our launch sites are still covered in deep snow. There is endless space for towing around here. I am personal friends with many of the ranchers around who are more than happy to let us use there fields.
So I recently heard of the story of Sara Martin of Lakeview, OR. I am a personal friend of her mother for many years. Sara is enthusiastic about learning to hang glide. And that's what we need up here. Not only one but many young people who are enthusiastic about getting into this sport. It appeared as if a small minority of people who are to a varying degree related to hang gliding in this area felt threatened by Saras aggressive approach to promote hang gliding. Too bad, because that's exactly what we need and no one else is doing it, trying to get new people involved. 2 of her major opponents, not even hang glider pilots, voiced their opposition the loudest.
I guess it's time to stand up. as one of the local pilots, and voice my support for Sara and everyone else up here who wants to get into hang gliding for that matter. All the names of the long time local pilots just went through my head and I can assure you Sara and everyone who reads it: The majority of the local pilots support your efforts to learn hang gliding!
Don't be mislead by that small minority making a big fuss about - I don't even know what. They will get over it eventually.
I have a huge stack of accumulated HG magazines I want to get rid of. Would be a great read for you and keeps the enthusiasm up during these short and cold winter days. The next time I am over in Lakeview I'll drop them at your place.
Derk
