[Bob Kuczewski]

May 23rd, 2021 will be the 50th Anniversary of the world famous Otto Meet.

It seems to me that a major celebration is in order. It will be on a Sunday that year, and we should dedicate ourselves to ensuring that everyone can participate.

Update: Here's a video from a previous year:

https://youtu.be/PNWtzzvwtac

[JoeF]

Dove thermalled on tongues of fire
could be remembered by some on that coming day ....

[Frank Colver]

YES to Bob's post!

Maybe Lloyds will sell us one day (or maybe 2 days, Sat & Sun) of 3rd party insurance and on that special day(s) Windsports can operate without USHPA because they will be covered to satisfy the County.

Frank

[Bob Kuczewski]

YES to Bob's post!

Maybe Lloyds will sell us one day (or maybe 2 days, Sat & Sun) of 3rd party insurance and on that special day(s) Windsports can operate without USHPA because they will be covered to satisfy the County.

Frank

That sounds like a super idea Frank!! Let's try to move in that direction. 

Dove thermalled on tongues of fire
could be remembered by some on that coming day ....

50 years. There's a lot to be remembered in that time span.

                                                       
                                                      
                                                       
                                                      
                                                       
                                                      
                                                       
                                                      
                                                       

Thanks, Joe, for your long life of good works.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Less than one year to go ...

[Frank Colver]

Thanks for bringing this to the forefront, Bob. It was great to look back through those photos from 2011 and yes we do need to start thinking about the 50th anniversary.

It will need to be decided as to what type of meet do we have? Will it be a flying meet or like 2011 a meet at or near the original site which would not include flying, because it's all been developed. I don't know if the cemetery has any undeveloped area left or not. If they do, we might get permission (they have a lot of my money) to set up gliders on display but we would probably be too restricted by space and parking.

Of course a flying meet would be more fun. Would it be Dockweiler or someplace else? It should definitely be a training type site to encourage flying the old gliders. I'm definitely thinking a bigger meet than any that we have held at Dockweiler over the past few years. It should be in SoCal but we just don't have a bigger coastal dune or a nice open hillside with LZ that I can think of. Maybe Little Norco could be had for one weekend? Is there an active SoCal training hill, currently being used, that doesn't require USHPA insurance?

Food for thought,
Frank

[Bob Kuczewski]

Given that this is the 50th, I think this is the one to "pull out all the stops". Barring scientific advancements in full body transplants, I suspect this will be the most significant decimal-numbered anniversary that any of you Original Otto Participants are likely to see (sorry to break the bad news to any of you expecting to live another 51 years).

I would vote for Dockweiler with a possible short field trip to the Buffalo Ranch. I also think we should make a serious effort to book that meeting hall on the beach. The last time I called them (several years ago), they were booked many months in advance. It's a year out now, so there might be a chance to get it. I'll chip in along with anyone else willing to do so. It might even be worthy of a "GoFundMe" page.

I also think we should try to assemble an official list of all original Otto attendees and present some kind of award or recognition to each. I think we should set a fixed time for a true historic photo and have the press on hand. I think we should try to contact any retired police or FAA or other officials involved in the original and invite them as our guests. I think we should invite Bill Liscomb and cobble together an honorarium for him. I think we should invite Beaches and Harbors and all of the County Supervisors. I think we should contact USHPA's her-first-name-escapes-me Klein (Cyndia's daughter), and get her to publicize the event ... maybe even - dare I say it? - take out an ad in their magazine.

This is the big one.
All previous years were warm-ups.
Gentlemen, start your engines.

P.S. I didn't plan it, but this post was made exactly at 5pm, and we all know who's fond of 5's.

[Bob Kuczewski]

For anyone who hasn't attended one of the recent Otto Meets, this video gives a nice description of the event:

https://youtu.be/PNWtzzvwtac



FYI, I just called Windsports and left a message for Andy and Josh about our potential plans to hold a big 50th Anniversary celebration at Dockweiler. Things will certainly go much easier if we can all cooperate on the event. I'll post when I hear back from them.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Just over one month to go.

Or is the 50th Anniversary another victim of our national COVID hangover?

[Frank Colver]

As far as I know there hasn’t been anyone organizing a 50th anniversary of the 1st Lilienthal meet for this coming May 23rd. I have an email in to Windsports, at Dockweiler Beach, CA, asking if they are planning anything for that day, but don’t know yet. Word on the street is: there will be some informal, completely unorganized, gathering of the hang gliding faithful at Dockweiler Beach, CA. Nobody in charge, just like the 1st one.

We should not let this important golden anniversary go by without honor. That first meet, the first “organized” hang gliding world competition, brought the sport flying of these contraptions to the attention of the world and the worldwide sport exploded from a few isolated individuals to a growing popular recreation across the world, within that first year of 1971. Many new manufacturers of hang gliders had “sprung up” across the globe before the end of the year.

So, some of us will be out at Dockweiler Beach on Sunday, May 23rd to informally celebrate the 50th anniversary of that amazing first Otto meet, which some of you attended as well as myself and my kids. You can come out to Dockweiler, with or without a glider, to visit with old HG friends and relate your stories of “the good old days”.

Parking fees in the bluff lot (south lot) apply.

Many will have been vaccinated by that time and it’s open ocean air but if you feel uneasy about a gathering feel free to wear a mask.

May 23, 2021, a Sunday, just like the 1st one 50 years ago.

Frank