[Frank Colver]

There is proposed development that threatens the airflow at Point of the Mountain, Utah.

Here is the link to the petition to do an airflow study and consider it in the development approval process. I received this link in the latest USHPA newsletter.

https://www.change.org/p/utah-governor- ... -the-point

I don't know if my signature went in or not because it kept wanting to change my email address. This has happened to me before on other petitions.

Frank

[Bob Kuczewski]

Thanks for posting Frank.  

I got that notice as well (through a different source):

Notice.png (174.93 KiB) Viewed 1244 times

Here's one of the many special videos that could only be made at Point of the Mountain:

https://youtu.be/-shwu0e3H-w


Here are a few more:

[Chris McKeon]

I just hope that I did not wait to long to go to Utah to fly Point of the Mountain. For John has talked to Me how great a site that it is. I just hope when I regain My Hang Four, and My Drivers License that I will be able to Fly the Point.

[Bill Cummings]

I used to love south side point of the mountain but took it off my destination list
years ago due to over crowding. With the volume of pilots that are drawn to the
point to my way of thinking it has become an attractive hazard like Torrey Pines.

[Frank Colver]

I totally agree, Bill. After that wonderful and joyous flight in 2018 I had a big desire to go back the next summer but the mass of PG's usually soaring the hill made me reluctant to go back again. My biggest fear in hang gliding was always mid-airs. I witnessed one at Elsinore and had a long time friend die in one at Torrey. During my "heyday" of hang gliding through the 1970's I always moved to newly discovered sites that had not become crowded yet.

That first time at POTM Bob had actually talked a lot of PG pilots, who would have launched, into staying on the ground until after my flight. Something that i greatly appreciated. I joked that it was easy to ground them when he would tell them I was an 83 year old who hadn't launched from a height over 25 feet in 39 years. However, I couldn't count on that happening a second time.

The hill was definitely easily soarable (wind @ 18 mph) but the preflight plan was for me to fly straight out until I was clear of the traffic before making a turn and then just a sled ride to the LZ. Right after launch i remember looking at the hill side and wanting to turn while I was still in ridge lift and soar. However, I did the wise thing and stuck to the original flight plan for safety.

I think that any site that has a high usage rate and has some club or agency controlling it should alternate HG and PG flying days. Since a week is not an even number of days those days would always include either a Saturday or a Sunday for both groups.

Frank

[Craig Muhonen]

I humbly challenge all US Hawks members to come along with Frank's, long time thoughts on this very subject.
A petition at each flying site could be presented, and if enough local people signed up for separate, "Paragliding Days", and, "Hang Gliding Days", it would happen very naturally, at some sites, and not so much at others.
Also an issue is the fact that "Training fliers and tandumb fliers are in the same airspace for take off and landings.
It would bring Hang Gliders back to the flying sites that they've been "bullied" out of, and make for great Hang Glider Advertising to boot.
On paper that is.
The US Hawks Hang Gliding Clubs become so important.
I feel that a well written proposal to each local individual site, could go a long way (finally) for each local flying club to understand, and gain back control of their OWN flying space, and other organizations and clubs are "free" to do what they want, as long as it doesn't infringe on the local,
"Air Traffic Control" operations (if there is one) of the Local Pilots. USHPA is the overlying organization yes, but they aren't the ones in the "control towers", to somehow organize safe and friendly flying days, at these, sometimes, very crowded little "airports".
Good and Safe, 'foot launched' flying sites, are important to cities and towns, and I think that it's a good time for all HG Pilots to sign up for "HG days and PG days" Proposal by Petition.
But who will write this "Proposal Petition", starting with the major sites first.
Maybe each US Hawks Hang Gliding Club, could write their own,
"Carefully Crafted Proposal",
but presented as US Hawks.
THINKING HATS ON

[Craig Muhonen]

Along with 3 and 4 story condos and trees, they now are planning a "Flight for Life" helicopter pad at the North LZ!!!
with no wind study!!!, at one of the most premier flight parks in the Country
Petition with a capital P

check out;
birdmanacademy@gmail.com
Kevin Koonce 801-448-2494

[Craig Muhonen]

There is proposed development that threatens the airflow at Point of the Mountain, Utah.

Here is the link to the petition to do an airflow study and consider it in the development approval process. I received this link in the latest USHPA newsletter.

https://www.change.org/p/utah-governor- ... -the-point

I don't know if my signature went in or not because it kept wanting to change my email address. This has happened to me before on other petitions.

Frank

=======================================================================================================
Craig writes:
We are reminded by the posting by Bob And Scott in SD, that city councils at Point of the Mountain seem to be acting in the same way. This petition which Frank brings up again, is as big, if not bigger, and needs all hands on deck, to make sure that the "dirty air" issue, and the overcrowded conditions (which in itself is very dangerous but unrelated) are not intrenched at this site, which is historic like Torrey. They are also planning a "flight for life" helicopter pad, down very near the North LZ!!!
In the GA world, Fixed Based Operators are most important to quality flying, but sometimes "operators" get greedy and safety goes by the boards.
Every recreational launch site, no mater what the overlying organization, needs a stronger local board made up of professional pilots, to approach city councils with "recommendations" and sometimes "petitions" to make their flying sites as safe as possible. I know that "pilot error" is a big factor in the deaths of fliers,Paragliding and Hang Gliding but city councils can address this, if they wanted to, by listening to professional local pilots, not politicians with their hands in the different "cash cow" business. That's where the organized flying clubs can and should get much stronger. Flying is easy, "safe flying" is an illusion, but can be taught from an early age by prolonged good training.
Maybe after a city council meetings where the subject of "safe flying" and "air park" issues are brought up, printed information and any petitions could be handed out as people come and go.
My friends in Telluride stopped flying at Torrey because of overcrowded conditions, and Bill said he stopped flying at Point of the Mountain, that's really ashame, two very historic flying sites.

How can we get the word out to the people who need to hear it?
All Hands on Deck