US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

I was successful in getting the word out that Point of the Mountain Flight Park in Utah is *NOT* under any form of club control, and is in fact; PUBLIC. Recently I heard the rumor that there was an exclusive agreement with the local Water District for use of the Emergency Landing Zone, and that club membership and waiver were required otherwise you are "trespassing". After only a few phone calls I received documentation and a statement:

Logan,

Thanks for your call today. Attached is a copy of the paraglider easement. You will note it is a non-exclusive easement for public use. No entity should be collecting a fee for use of this easement. I have yet to contact Salt Lake County, but will be in touch with you after I do.

Thanks,
Ammon

Ammon Allen, P.E.
Engineering Supervisor

I am just spreading the word, as well as hoping to inspire people to check with actual requirements for use of public land. In Utah the government agencies are very quick to help ensure that public rights remain public.

Great job, Logan!

Thank you, Logan !!!!

Logan,
We all should be keeping as close of a watch out for tyrants infringing on our rights as you are doing.

I've already said Good Job, Logan. But I am puzzled why more senior local pilots have not taken the lead on this type of issue. Perhaps you know of other hang glider pilots who also stood by you on this matter.

wingspan33 wrote:I've already said Good Job, Logan. But I am puzzled why more senior local pilots have not taken the lead on this type of issue. Perhaps you know of other hang glider pilots who also stood by you on this matter.

That is a good question. The latest club rumor hit me through a local member warning me not to fly the Point of the Mountain or risk getting arrested and possibly closing down the park. As far as I can tell the rest of the other pilots just want to stay away from the politics/drama and fly the lesser known rural spots. As to other pilots actively keeping the point free from club requirements; I've stood alone on that. I have absolutely *NOT* been the lead on keeping the rural sites open (somewhat to my own shame), so perhaps it is simply an unofficial division of responsibility?

Logan wrote:As to other pilots actively keeping the point free from club requirements; I've stood alone on that.

Logan, the courage and willingness to stand alone on an issue you know to be right is one of the highest achievements I know. It's what separates the leaders from the followers.

Great job, Logan! Kudos to you for checking that out. The non-exclusive use is well spelled out in the document, I don't think anyone could hold a argument against that.

Frank

Logan wrote:I was successful in getting the word out that Point of the Mountain Flight Park in Utah is *NOT* under any form of club control, and is in fact; PUBLIC.

Logan's experience is not an isolated incident. That's exactly the kind of thing that the San Diego Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (SDHGPA) leaders have done for decades.

I made my first paragliding flights around 1990 at "Little Black" in San Diego with instruction from Fred Lawley (thanks Fred). We didn't have to join any club. Similarly, when I got back into paragliding in 2004, Ken Baier gave me instruction at Little Black without any local club requirement. In fact Ken loaned me a paraglider to train with at Little Black while I was working on my ratings (thanks Ken).

I was there one day when I met Steve Rohrbaugh (one of the rotating SDHGPA presidents), and he told me (lied to me) that I had to be an SDHGPA member to fly there. I was a newby at the time, and I assumed he was telling the truth, so I signed up and paid him the money on the spot. It later came to light that there was no such requirement.

Of course the SDHGPA has remained a Chapter in "good standing" with U$HPA despite these abuses, and the Torrey Hawks - which never solicited nor accepted a dime from anyone - was denied renewal.

Steve Rohrbaugh continued to post merrily on paraglidingforum.com where he whitewashed the sins of the Torrey concessionaire. I haven't checked recently, but I suspect he's still posting there to this day.

Many of the local clubs are puppets of USHPA, and they support the continued extortion of private citizens to use public land. The Torrey Hawks never participated in that shakedown effort so USHPA "expelled" the entire club in retaliation.

Logan,
Print copies for yourself and others to have in your harnesses for when the police are brought in by the tyrants.
There is a little bit of a chance the police will look at it. But the main drive will be to $end you to the court $ystem
to generate revenue for the pro$ecutor$, judge$ and bu$y work for the police.