The 3PL Blob eats the concession stand at Torrey: "Eeek! It's eating all the hang gliders!"

I find my sympathies ally with Bill Armstrong in his efforts to secure Torrey Pines for hang gliding. Here you had a phenomenal pilot acting in the service of his sport, finding out he has sacrificed a big chunk of flying time for his work as Flight Director at Torrey. (Do I hear laughter? That's not the way it was? I don't know. I wasn't there.)
    But you had a slew of mostly young pilots finding out they could do extraordinary feats that had never been done before, except maybe in sailplanes. Certainly not on kites. And they were trying to develop a way to keep their sites legal as the sport matured. Old Bill, here, got himself a paid position being around hang gliding. This started the income-generating concession at Torrey and the whole profit motive that grew around hang gliding there, and persists today, but now is relentlessly growing and morphing into something alien to the original concept -- like the 3PL Blob from Outer Space.    

    One thing that has changed today is that there are more and more old, retired, advanced hang glider and paraglider pilots on pensions or SSI that might be interested in doing a stint as Flight Director at Torrey if they could simply be allowed to park their motorhome on the spot where the concession shack was eaten by the 3PL Blob. The State of California offers a similar arrangement to retirees who manage highway rest areas. This would serve as part of a strategy to remove an inappropriate and cancerous commercial enterprise from a public open space.


        "They do? With parachutes? Really..."
Retired hang glider pilot in motorhome learns about parachicks.

Am I experiencing déjà vu, or perhaps some kind of weird cyber-forum echo?



Don't think so. Bill, I think your on top of the situation and thanks for doing what I was thinking I would have to do (repeat myself).

I do think that Bob is well documenting (publicly!) the issues that could next be addressed in a civil legal matter.

Scott, your message here appears to have at least two endorsements (Sam and Bill):



Maybe it is time to start moving in that direction. I really don't like bringing things to court, but so far, the courtroom has been the only place where I've found justice. I spent a lot of time in court to establish my right to be at Torrey Pines, maybe that's what I'll have to do to establish my right to fly at Torrey Pines.

Thanks gentlemen, for nudging me along.   

Thanks MajieMae!!   

Also thanks to Rick. His quote here was a big part of that speech:



I left out the 3PL Blob because it would need more explaining than I had time in my 2 minutes.

It's really great to be working with a team of people with lots of skills and insights!!!       

Bob, when the Torrey concessionaire called in the police against you and incarcerated you, you gained legal "standing."
When the USHPA sent their lawyer to the proceeding, they showed their hand in your persecution.
When the USHPA kicked you out and denied you your right to fly based on non-safety issues which violated your rights as a citizen, you were handed a lawsuit on a golden platter.
This is not a "turn the other cheek" and be a nice guy issue.
This is a "stop the bullying" and "I will not allow my rights to be taken away" issue.
No one has to know you or like you personally to understand that you have been mistreated on several levels.
There is no excuse for that mistreatment.
I am behind you. Others on this forum are behind you.
But more importantly, other hang glider pilots need to rethink the entire issue and give you the support you deserve.
You have standing. No one else does.
Use it.

Thanks Rick!!         

It has taken a while, but we are finally taking advantage of that legal standing. We are going to court very soon!!

These articles posted by Rick deserve reading ... or re-reading.