Personal Journals about Hang Gliding

Frailey Mt, Oso, Wa

Postby DaveSchy » Wed Jul 26, 2023 9:47 am

Site closed
2600 ft agl, 3mile glide to dairy farm lz, bailout fields available but very inadvisable. Frailey is south facing at the north side of a valley flow venturi formed by local topography. On a unstable north wind day, we'd take leeside thermals to 500 over launch and get squirted up to cloudbase, anywhere from 3600 to 8000ft asl.
Like many of our sites here, it's smack in the middle of the NAS Whidbey MOA. Exciting, you bet.
Access negotiations were complex, private lz, corporate gated, state DNR gated, and 2 landlocked private parcels as well to get to launch.
I was involved in site negotiations in the era of Lloyd's coverage and the disastrous cluster that followed, perpetrated by Mister Greedy Flusterbuster ...
We had everything snapped down until the road washed out, (pre Oso disaster, same crooked bureaucrats) never needed "site insurance".
One of the private owners was an old logger who told me its ok to use the road, don't ever ask again, we're good!
Some egotist who's name rhymes with airwreck feely, called the old fella up trying to maneuver access after we had the above conversation and darn near blew everything. We sure were happy with that pilot!!!
My point has ALWAYS been that every site and owner and agency are unique, that the outdoor recreation statutes are valid, sufficient and effective, and never, never, ever offer insurance when negotiating access.
The formerly great national club to this day is pushing a ridiculous "one size fits all" agenda that simply will hinder, instead of help, our liability exposure, so, a big thank you to Mister Greedy Flusterbuster
Hey Dog Mtn, can you hear me now????
DaveSchy
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Re: Frailey Mt, Oso, Wa

Postby Bob Kuczewski » Wed Jul 26, 2023 8:41 pm

Hi Dave,

I am in complete agreement that USHPA has put too much emphasis on its "insurance product". They seek site control through insurance, and it ends up harming the sport.

Thanks for posting Dave
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