[magentabluesky]

Ernest with back-side to the camera.

I am behind facing the camera.

Find that Ernest shirt, Joe.

[JoeF]

Some were at the May 23, 2015, Otto Party VIRTUALLY for some key reasons. Noting the key reasons and persons could have the party be seen more clearly for what it was.
Some mentions were already noted briefly.

1. Neil Larson was fully putting in energy into the Otto Party preparations. He was teen onlooker at the May 23, 1971, party in Newport Beach; he lived close to Dockweiler. Neil became the first official historian of our Southern California hang gliding clubs and organizations; and Neil is the first pro tem historian of today's new Friends of Dockweiler Gliding (may change) club. Neil's communications in support of the Otto Party recently was consistent, helpful, and spirited. He formed graphics for the certificates distributed to about 12 persons, so far; more will yet be signed and distributed. From Florida! Many of us kept looking for Neil; a glance here and there among the gliders and pilots and mixers. That search and glancing was palpable. The Party was blessed with Neil's virtual spirited presence. Though his physical presence was not fact, his virtual presence was radiating. Thanks, Neil. Neil has been producing some preliminary logos for the at-Party-birthed new Friends of Dockweiler Gliding (may change) club. All who attended the May 23, 2015, Otto Party are invited to be founding members of the club that is growing.

2. Jack Lambie was virtually present at the Otto Party. Note the clouded Jack Lambie in a graphic produced by Neil Larson. R.I.P., Jack. But many of us flew you about the Party Thanks for your part in the 1971 party. Your Hang Loose, sailplane aerodynamics, and enthusiasm for gliding continues to show sparks in contemporary hang gliding.

3. Richard Miller's signature on his 1967 book arrived at last week's Otto Party at Dockweiler. Richard in 1966 graced Dockweiler gliding with two separate versions of the Bamboo Butterfly hang glider. His book inspired many including Mike Koman who arrived at the Otto Party. His book moved my hang gliding fast forward. His releasing rights to Low & Slow and Out of Control (about 30 SSA (Soaring Society of America) members in the 1960s had Richard's newsletter binding them to hang gliding concerns that have yet been reached by the contemporary hang gliding movement) to S-SA (Self-Soar Association) some 18 months before first and second USHGA orgs were formed. Self-Soar Association (S-SA) has had "Otto Member" flows. For many at the recent Party, Richard was a mentor. His signature was on the 2000 reunion poster that Frank Colver brought to the recent Party. Thanks for being virtually present, Richard (R.I.P.).

4. Mike Riggs, owner and engineer for Seagull Aircraft, was virtually present at the Party. His Seagull Seahawk was present at the Party ... it was gliding too! Thanks, Mike, for your many hang gliders that graced and still grace the world of hang gliding.

5. Ford Walters was virtually present. Dan Fitzgerald brought story and photographs of mentor Ford Walters. We hope Dan might post the stories.

6. Bill Cummings was virtually present. His imprint as on planning. Several attendees held his spirit present. Before, during, and after ... BillC was virtually, digitally, ideaationally present. Then BobK put his photo into the aftermath developments. I was carrying his towing background into my wishes at the Party.

7. Art Bean was virtually present from many causes. His signature was on the Colver-brought poster. Olive oil pressed from trees grown by Jackie and Tracie, dear friends of hang gliding and profound friends of Art Bean (R.I.P.) was on my running and gliding legs at the Otto Party. Jackie and Tracie were aiming to be physically at the Party; some dog-care matters got in the way; they were communicating about the Party strongly. They hold many of Art Bean's hang gliding artifacts in northern California. Jackie and Tracie were virtually present carried by Joe F.

8. Christopher Talbot-Jones (R.I.P.) was virtually present via many, especially by the welcomed attendance of Victoria McBride.

9. Roy Haggard was virtually present, as his Comet influence spiced several of the gliders present. Thanks, Roy!

10. Irv Culver (R.I.P.) with his "Culver Twist" was present in some of the gliders that flew.

11. Volmer Jensen (R.I.P.) was virtually present in some of the attendees. Some of us "saw" his high-above-Dockweiler-slope soaring. Memorable moments and times!

12. Bob Lovejoy (R.I.P.) was robustly virtually present in several ways, one being a root flow in the flying Qucikarus.


=========== Others too. All, feel free to state the fact of virtual presences at the recent Otto Party. Either an attendee brought a virtual person or a person placed themselves virtually present at the Otto Party. Tell all!

[Frank Colver]

John Anderson would be a good member to have in the FODG. He is a "get'er done" type person who has been very active in the Harbor Soaring Society in Costa Mesa. He has been especially good at helping young people get interested in model airplanes at schools and fairs. I'll e-mail him about the new Friends of Dockweiler Gliding (club, association, society ?).

Frank

[Bob Kuczewski]

I'll e-mail him about the new Friends of Dockweiler Gliding (club, association, society ?).

Frank

That sounds super Frank. You might also consider how you want to handle membership. I've got phone numbers for many (but not all) of the people who signed up to fly at the Otto meet. I can call them to invite them as members of the Dockweiler club if you'd like (I would also let them know about the pictures that have been posted and invite them to post their own as well). I can also pass the phone numbers on to you or anyone else you might want to make the contacts.

Just let me know. Now that the club has a Board, I'll leave all decisions in your hands. Just let me know how I can help with things like forum style (look at other club forums to get ideas), and bylaws (we've written a few very simple ones so far), and anything else.

I am at your service!!!

[Frank Colver]

Heres a photo of Ernest. Foreground: Taras on left, Ernest on right.

FC

[Frank Colver]

BobK, I would like for FODG members to use their own names since I think we will have some of the old timers in the org. This may be also due to the membership not confined to those presently or future flying. The board should consider this. However, if they sign in under the US Hawks forum then they would not have their own names on the link, so I don't know how that would be handled. needs discussion.

The format could stay as it is on this forum. many potential members are used to this format.

Those who were on the list at the 44th meet should be notified of the new org.

Frank

[JoeF]

Great, Frank

Ernest Feher

ErnestFeher2015OttoPartyAtDockweiler.JPG (33.66 KiB) Viewed 6663 times

.

Taras Kiceniuk, Jr.

TarasKiceniuk2015atDockweilerOttoParty.JPG (60.14 KiB) Viewed 6663 times

[Bob Kuczewski]

BobK, I would like for FODG members to use their own names since I think we will have some of the old timers in the org. This may be also due to the membership not confined to those presently or future flying. The board should consider this.

This is a good point of discussion. The US Hawks Board has been considering a requirement to use real names throughout the forum, but we may be split on that decision so it's still on hold.

But clubs may set their own policies. For example, we have some clubs who have banned certain people from posting to their forum. I enforce that even though the offending person is able to post to the rest of the forum. So if the FDGS wanted to require real names, I could do that. But understand that it does complicate things because someone like Wingspan (who we also know as Scott) might have to change his user name or use a different name for your club. And what would happen if another club decided that they wanted everyone to be anonymous and forbid anyone from posting under their real names. Then everyone would have to have 2 different log in accounts to be able to post to both forums. And then there's the issue of deciding what's a "real" name. Is "fcolver" sufficient to be a "real name"? What about "bobk" or "JoeF"?

My whole point is that it's a sticky issue. If your Board decides that they only want real names, then I will honor it, but it does create some possible difficulties. So please give it some thought.

Finally, there are some settings that are required to be the same throughout the forum. The editing time window is one example. I can't set it to be different for different sub forums (although maybe this will change in future updates). So when we had requests to increase it from 1 hour to 4 hours, it had to be decided by the US Hawks Board (and it was). User names are somewhat like that because they're the same throughout the forum ... although one alternative is to allow people to have multiple accounts. So there are some limitations on what Chapters can do, but we'll try to find good compromises when we run into those limitations.

[JoeF]

Friends of Dockweiler Gliding Society (FDGS) was birthed at the 2015 Otto Lilienthal Birthday Party sponsored by the US Hawks Hang Gliding Association; the FDGS is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the park's gliding activity for the public.

Hang gliding
The park boasts the Dockweiler Beach Hang Glider Flight Training Park, where beginners can learn the sport of hang gliding. Students launch off 25-foot-high (7.6 m) dunes. The facility was built by the city and county and is operated by concession WindSports.[5] With gentle breezes and a broad, sandy landing zone, Dockweiler was a major testing ground for hang gliding pioneers in the 1960s. Concerned about safety and liability, however, city officials banned the sport at the beach in 1986. Practitioners lobbied for 13 years to reopen Dockweiler to hang gliding, ultimately winning a $6 million renovation in 2000 that included the flight training park. It was the first hang gliding park established in conjunction with a city government.[6] Friends of Dockweiler Gliding Society (FDGS) was birthed at the 2015 Otto Lilienthal Birthday Party sponsored by the US Hawks Hang Gliding Association; the FDGS is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the park's gliding activity for the public.

With that and a further note was just published in a new topic in another forum:

If you answer yes to: "Are you a friend of Dockweiler gliding?" then enter your name in this Oz Report topic thread or email one of the pro-tem officers: Frank Colver, Joe Faust, or Neil Larson. Be an early friend. Friends may be from any state or nation. Vacationeers are invited to take their first solo hang gliding foot-launch flight at Dockweiler site. If you were at the Otto Party on May 23, 2015, then you have option to be forever recognized as a founding member. Free join yet. MoreHERE

[JoeF]

Ian Brubaker
was there!

IanBrubaker.JPG (45.36 KiB) Viewed 6534 times

.. Ian, that was a neat way to be a friend of Dockweiler gliding !