I happened across an old document that I wrote back in January of 2008. It was a little bit of history regarding why we needed the Torrey Hawks. The document contained quotes from the SDHGPA leadership from April of 2007 through August of 2007, and I think it's worth sharing.
To set the background, remember that in 2006, there was no sign of the Torrey Pines Soaring Council. David Jebb had effectively pushed it out of existence by ignoring it completely. The Council hadn't met in years, and I had no idea that there ever was such a council. Fortunately, I came across its mention in the Torrey Pines Lease in late 2006, and I began to ask around about it.
During the early winter and spring of 2007, I began to try to get the Council together again by approaching some of the existing clubs. Most of the clubs were interested in the idea (and some embraced it strongly), but the SDHGPA leaders (primarily David Metzgar and Bret Daniel) were adamantly opposed to it. They basically wanted David Jebb to have absolute control of the Gliderport, and they expressed that position by saying that either the SDHGPA would NOT be involved with the Soaring Council (and/or the Gliderport) or that
IF they were involved, then their representative would be Gabe Jebb (David Jebb's son). This was in spite of the fact that Gabe Jebb had an obvious conflict of interest with regard to the Soaring Council's bylaws.
If there was ever any question as to why we needed another club to represent pilots in San Diego, I think these quotes from the SDHGPA's President and Vice President make the case very well. Remember, I was just trying to get the SDHGPA to provide fair and unbiased representation on the Soaring Council. These were the SDHGPA President and Vice President's responses:Bret Daniel Monday, April 30, 2007 8:28 AM wrote:
First and foremost, the SDHGPA has no intention or desire to be directly involved with the operations at the Torrey Pines GP.
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If Gabe is not eligible, then the SDHGPA will not make an appointment to the TPSC.
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i.e. if Gabe is not recognized as the SDHGPA appointed representative, then there will be no appointment.
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If Gabe is dismissed from the TPSC, I am pretty sure that there will be no further appointments to the TPSC. (Dave M. to determine)
Bret Daniel Thursday, July 26, 2007 11:17 AM wrote:
I think that getting the City involved with this issue will be detremental to the flying at Torrey Pines.
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Nevertheless, good luck with your getting the city involved. I hope that your effort does not cause the closure of the gliderport.
Bret Daniel Monday, July 30, 2007 10:10 AM wrote:
And to be honest, not all of your ideas align with the SDHGPA. First and foremost, The SDHGPA is not and shall not be involved with the day-to-day operations of the Torrey Pines Glider Port.
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Go to the City, I think your wasting your time, but thats my opinion.
Bret Daniel Tuesday, July 31, 2007 7:53 AM wrote:
Again, to clarify, the SDHGPA will not be involved with the operations of Torrey Pines.
Torrey Pines has evolved the TPPA into a club/group of pilots that contribute to the enhancement of Torrey. If this club does not meet your needs, then you may start another club of your own.
Bret Daniel Tuesday, July 31, 2007 12:28 PM wrote:
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Again, to clarify, the SDHGPA will not be involved with the operations of Torrey Pines.
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Operations are not the SDHGPAs business. Please understand that the SDHGPA has nothing in the By-laws that even mention TPGP or TPSC.
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Once again, the SDHGPA will not involve or be involved with the operations of the Glider Port.
To clarify, yet again, for everyone.. The SDHGPA will not be involved with the OPERATIONS of the Torrey Pines Glider Port.
Bret Daniel Monday, September 17, 2007 7:30 AM wrote:
To clarify, yet again, for everyone.. The SDHGPA will not be involved with the OPERATIONS of the Torrey Pines Glider Port.
Bret Daniel Wednesday, October 03, 2007 1:00 PM wrote:
I have to reiterate, yet once again, that the SDHGPA will not be involved in the operations of the TPGP in any capacity.
Dave Metzgar Tuesday, April 03, 2007 10:00 AM wrote:
We can refuse to appoint anyone we want to (I still think we have no power to appoint people in the first place!).
Dave Metzgar Tuesday, April 03, 2007 12:41 PM wrote:
Among the people who I actually see flying, I encounter a strong majority who feel our club has no business meddling in Torrey Pines business. I intend to demonstrate the truth of this through my favored "straw poll" technique at the next meeting.
Dave Metzgar Monday, April 30, 2007 7:01 AM wrote:
... the idea that you and the TPSC are a negative force goes well beyond the limited reach of our club You had your chance, now get lost or go flying. Whatever you do, you have had more time to address the club than any onemember deserves. Do NOT show up at any further meetings expecting any time to discuss the issue of the TPSC. If anyone is given time to discuss the TPSC or it's actions, it will be Gabe Jebb, our appointed representative, or his self-chosen replacement (if you force him out based on affiliation). I will not give one more minute to your campaign - the membership has spoken VERY loudly - they don't want you to represent them. Period. Ever. Get it?
Dave Metzgar Wednesday, May 02, 2007 3:07 PM wrote:
We provided a representative who DOES represent the pilot community - YOU are the biased individual offering a skewed and personal viewpoint on TPGP as a potential "representative" of the flying community. You represent 3 people, as far as I can tell. I represent 100 people. Thanks to your reconstitution of a previously destructive and divisive organization, I WILL appoint someone to officially represent the local free flight community. And they (not you) will represent hang glider and paraglider pilots to the TPSC. The club has spoken very loudly - they chose Gabe because they wanted to support the current rules and management of TPGP, in turn because they believe that is what is best for our sport. The SDHGPA representative will therefore offer that viewpoint.
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Either accept Gabe or not - if you don't, I will appoint someone less close to the lease who will represent the vast majority of our members' opinions - someone who will offer the same viewpoint as the person they chose at the last meeting (Gabe Jebb).
Dave Metzgar Thursday, May 03, 2007 3:43 PM wrote:
We do want to be represented, and we want to be represented by someone who shares our basic belief - that Torrey is great, just the way it is. The majority of the club supports the status quo.
Dave Metzgar Thursday, August 02, 2007 9:29 AM wrote:
The SDHGPA (in great part thanks to your efforts with respect to the TPSC) now boasts a majority of members who primarily fly at Torrey Pines. Not coincidentally, those pilots also support the concessionaire and approve of the way in which Torrey Pines is managed. I know this because I have asked for and received the opinions of club members (witness my voluntary open invitation for club members to come to a meeting and vote on a TPSC representative - a vote that was more than 90% in favor of Gabriel Jebb as our representative, with a record number of club members taking the time to attend).
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I do not wish to ever hear from you about these issues again - you have shown your colors, had WAY more than your share of time to express your opinion to me and to the Board and to the club membership, and caused way more than your share of trouble.
Dave Metzgar Thursday, August 02, 2007 11:00 AM wrote:
SDHGPA will retain it's seat on the soaring council for the express purpose of representing the pilots who fly at Torrey Pines - the pilots who overwhelmingly chose Gabe as their representative and who are now well-represented by another very active and aware Torrey Pines pilot, Scott Kemp.
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I hope you realize that the more noise you make (especially in the eyes of the city), the LESS likely Torrey is to survive and remain a vital flying resource for our community.
Dave Metzgar Monday, August 06, 2007 7:05 AM wrote:
The only people who strongly urged me to reject the TPSC entirely (to refuse to send a representative) were several members of the SDHGPA Board of Directors and the Regional Director of USHPA. Perhaps I should have listened to these experienced folks who had witnessed the damage and divisiveness that the previous incarnation of the TPSC had wrought. Instead, I asked the club membership, and they overwhelmingly supported 2 things - firstly, sending a representative, and secondly, sending a representative who actively supported the current concessionaire and the policies thereof.
