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Memorial Day Fly-In in Alamogordo, New Mexico

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Re: Memorial Day Fly-In in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Postby Nate » Fri Apr 08, 2022 7:32 am

My guess was that Long Ridge is closed off to prevent vandalism at the towers.

My thought with the forest service was that it may be easier to talk them into a gate code for free flight purposes than it would be to talk them into some bull dozers for a road up Dry.

In terms of vegetation, I would think that could be mitigated (says the forester/arborist).
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Re: Memorial Day Fly-In in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Postby Bill Cummings » Fri Apr 08, 2022 9:29 pm

My dad told me the fastest path from being a tree hugger is buying a chain saw.
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Re: Memorial Day Fly-In in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Postby Bill Cummings » Sat May 13, 2023 9:50 pm

Memorial day Fun Fly
Hello, pilots!

The Rio Grande Soaring Association invites all pilots to fly Dry Canyon near Alamogordo, New Mexico on Friday May 26th through Monday May 29th, 2023. The Forest Service took a bulldozer up the road in March and it is much improved! Any stock high clearance 4x4 such as a Jeep, Tacoma or similar will make it up. NOTE: Outback, Forresters, RAV4s or similar will NOT make it, please do not attempt.

We are hoping that the "Dry Canyon weather effect" will prevail and bring clear skies, winds light to moderate, mostly west and southwest. Dry can often work when everything else is blown out.

The City of Alamogordo is being very supportive of our gathering. There may even be some food trucks, but we can't guarantee that. The turnout this year will be an important factor in how we can increase local business interest in the Fun Fly.

Camping is permitted at the LZ (at least no one has said no yet ) and within 100 feet of roads in the Lincoln National Forest. The mountain town of Cloudcroft is just 20 minutes' drive away, where tall pines and golden aspens may please your family while you're soaring high.

There will be limited RGSA officer presence in the LZ this year, due to various factors beyond our lcontrol. Don't hesitate to bring portable barbecues, portable tables, etc.

A porta-potty will be delivered on Thursday. Anyone who shows up early, please take possession of the Shade Structure; use of it is on a 1st come 1st served basis, so we need to occupy it.

Turnoff to Main LZ, off of Fairgrounds Road https://goo.gl/maps/b4qgBUWTwuiWtWfq9

32°55'38.4"N 105°56'48.1"W

32.927336, -105.946698

RGSA (and SSA) frequency is 151.925 , no DCS.

We are still sad about the tragic recent deaths of Lee Boone (April 2023) and Robin Hastings in 2021. Robin never believed the forecasts, and Dry always amazes - it can be blown out for a 100 mile radius and Dry will still work. Let’s make Robin and Lee proud and show up!

Come and fly with us at Dry Canyon, where you can find big desert thermals, 100+ mile XC flights and evening glassoffs, right above a town full of friendly people, good hotels and plenty of eateries.

Details on flying Dry Canyon here:

Dry Canyon Site Info http://rgsa.info

No fees, although we greatly appreciate pilots becoming members of the RGSA to help offset costs such as the porta-potty and the yearly USHPA insurance. Just come out and enjoy some of the best hang gliding and paragliding that this nation has to offer. Contact us for directions, conditions or assistance. We'll hope to be soaring with you soon!

—-

Please join us on Telegram, which is our preferred communication platform

https://t.me/+808xbAGw61FiZWIx

Norm Bloom

(RGSA Vice President, Alamogordo native)

Mobile 575-491-0456

Steve Crye (RGSA President)

Mobile (915) 549-1631
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Re: Memorial Day Fly-In in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Postby Bob Kuczewski » Sun May 14, 2023 2:21 am

Is USHPA membership required to fly Dry Canyon?
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Re: Memorial Day Fly-In in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Postby Bill Cummings » Sun May 14, 2023 10:06 pm

Bob Kuczewski wrote:Is USHPA membership required to fly Dry Canyon?

Oh, my Lord.
A simple yes or no to this question would be like asking someone if they had stopped beating their wife/husband.
If a claim of rights violation on this question, about Membership, made it to the Supreme Court there would likely be a 5/4 decision rendered.
Legally I would say, no. But actually I’d say yes.
If I were a politician I would dodge the question by saying technically we don’t fly Dry Canyon we drive up Dry Canyon Road
and as soon as we leave the launch we are over Horse Canyon. (If I’m remembering the old map correctly. )
When the RGSA hosted the Nationals and collected a fee we were required to have insurance and pay a percentage to the Forestry Service.
At the time insurance was cheap so the RGSA just paid for coverage each year. Eventually the New Mexico government passed a recreational Act that
would protect landowners from lawsuits. But, our excuse was that we were ignorant of the Act.
Later we stopped collecting a fee and only took in donations and club membership. We were not required to get a permit when there was no invitation and
no event fee.
But then the City of Alamogordo, NM required insurance to reserve the city’s landing field. (It was their call even though it wasn’t necessary.)
Now the School District has traded land with the City and the school controls the LZ. The City Attorney said we have to file a flight plan with the FAA each time.
Club President Terry Cummings at that time was having difficulty explaining that our sport was controlled only by part 103 of the FAA rules.
The City Attorney wasn’t open to allowing the truth to interfere with her point of view.
Current RGSA club president Steve Crye has had the most recent conversation with the City of Alamogordo. There may be a different understanding in effect.
Without trying to hide anything this is the simplest answer I can give.
Legally no membership with USHPA is required to fly Dry Canyon (Horse Canyon.)
Just land outside the City of Alamogordo.
Through peer pressure among pilots as a result of intimidation by an insurance company the answer
is yes; you have to have membership with USHPA to fly Dry Canyon (Horse Canyon.)
The only real push back has been that if a club had too high of a percentage of uninsured flyers USHPA might cancel the site insurance policy.
USHPA insisted that we also insure the launch area. We couldn’t just insure the LZ alone.
However, any pilot could launch from the ramp and not land in Alamogordo without insurance or membership with RGSA or USHPA.
Whether or not insurance would be canceled would be up to USHPA.
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Re: Memorial Day Fly-In in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Postby JoeF » Mon May 15, 2023 8:03 pm

Thanks, Bill, for that keen essay. :salute:
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Re: Memorial Day Fly-In in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Postby Finis » Fri May 26, 2023 10:05 am

Friday May 26, 2023 11am. No one is here.
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Re: Memorial Day Fly-In in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Postby Finis » Sat May 27, 2023 10:43 am

Saturday May 27, 2023 11:40 am. No one is here. A pole with a wind sock has appeared. I'm not a pilot but I think the clouds and wind are not what pilots usually like.
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Re: Memorial Day Fly-In in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Postby Finis » Sun May 28, 2023 3:12 pm

Sunday May 28, 20923 4pm. Two PG pilots arrived yesterday to camp at the LZ. Today HG pilots appeared and there were some flights. They are going back to launch now. More activity is expected tomorrow.
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