This video was recorded in the afternoon of Aug 7th about 5pm.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C0VJNYhjm ... ntinue=675Please read before watching.
I was present, and only to drop Joe Faust off at the glider port parking lot. There were several in this company of well known HG personalities. These pilots represented approximately half those who were in attendance in a private meeting with a San Diego City Council Woman running for Mayor.
I and others were invited by several key people who invited several more. I was asked to attend this 45 min meeting at 3pm on the 7th.
For me it was a difficult task to get down there after attending Airventure OSH, WI and driving back from there towing an airplane. A few days rest and on the road again. The previous day 6th I had to deliver an Open Class Sailplane to Coalinga, CA many miles north of San Diego. Coming from Carson City, NV over the Sierras towing a large glider in CA traffic is tiring.. I wrote about this road trip in a previous post.
I tell you all this because I had to drive back to Bakersfield, CA that night for a 9am meeting in Bakersfield, CA. From there I drove to Monterey, Petaluma, Sonoma, Sacramento and back to Carson City, NV on the same day stopping for meetings at each city.. A three day driving and working marathon.. I did not need this meeting…
It was grueling… But this meeting in San Diego was important for the future of Torrey Pines.. What happened in that meeting is not what this post is about. That info will be disclosed after all follow ups with City Council are completed. This meeting was well represented by City Council Woman, Barbra Bry (Bree). She had 3 staff members there with specific duties assigned, all very professional..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C0VJNYhjm ... ntinue=675Video Details:
I want you to be the judge of the contents in this video..
However I need to set the environment and location specifics. All present were meeting for efficiency after carpooling at City meeting down town. I drove back on my way north with Joe Faust as passenger, otherwise I would not have been present at the flight park. We had just arrived within mins an employee of ACA came up to us with a camera recording us.
We were in the North East part away from any flight ops at the far East fence line. Available parking… We were discussing the Sailplane history of Torrey and how they must have felt as HG’s crowded their ridge in the 80’s. How the Sailplanes were no more at Torrey. We commented that on such a great soaring day there were no HG’s flying and none present except for a lone tandem glider set up next to ACA ops. Para Gliders only we’re flying, reminding us HG pilots how the Sailplane pilots must have felt watching us…
That is a sobering feeling and I wondered, could it really be this uncomfortable for HG pilots to fly here now? I just did not believe it was so.
Then the camera toting ACA employee showed up with camera rolling in his breast pocket. This went on for several mins before we actually noticed he was recording.
That is when one of us starts recording him several min into this confrontation. This is when you see the video begin. It would be great to get his early recording. You would see how innocent we were just talking before our departure from Torrey.
I told you my road trip schedule so you would know I had no desire to stay there or get involved in a confrontation.. I had meetings scheduled that if missed costs me $thousands…
In the vid you hear my voice allot and even disagreeing with the un-named one. This is a fascinating video and we started filming several mins after Jesseppie (ACA) arrived.
Why was he there when none of use were even close and most had our backs to ACA. This is a fascinating reveal of what life is like at Torrey Pines. If you’re a HG pilot, you should be very very worried about your local site.
Do not let it go this far..
USHPA has the power to fix this and so far it has refused to act.
Will the city of San Diego act?
The meeting with Council Woman Bry was civil and professional, we talked about how to save lives and preserving this flying site for all, not just SOME!
This parking lot confrontation changed my focus from getting along to ending this now! No matter what you think about personalities and the whys of it? This has got to end!
If we as pilots don’t handle this, the city will because they have to. USHPA is failing us once again and not just HG pilots either! All of us, PG’s included..
You pilots should be very very worried, why isn’t USHPA? Will Torrey have to close?
No one wants that, not even the un-named one…
Ben Reese