Channel 10 News Coverage of Gliderport Story

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dhmartens
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Channel 10 News Coverage of Gliderport Story

Post by dhmartens »

http://www.10news.com/news/confrontatio ... era-072915



taken from:
http://www.ushawks.org/forum/viewtopic. ... 824fd40b3e
Here's what's posted along with the video:

SAN DIEGO - “Bob, you got to get out of here, I'm trying to instruct right now I don't need you sitting there.�

Posted on YouTube, that’s the beginning of a confrontation with Bob Kuczewski behind the camera, rolling at the Torrey Pines Gliderport.

“You should put a helmet on if you're hooked into a glider, you're setting a bad example for your students,� shouts Kuczewski to a flight instructor.

“You know I have a right to videotape you, you are far too close.. get away from me, get away from me!" shouts Kuczewski as the instructor advances towards him to physically remove him from the property.

Kuczewski, a pilot and hang glider says he's fighting for city oversight of the Torrey Pines Gliderport, claiming every right to be there and film what he calls the “many� violations happening there.

For refusing to leave the property, he was arrested for the third time, but has never been charged with a crime.

"He sits there and shoves a camera in your face and he's harassing you,� Robin Marien said.

Marien, the property leaseholder, banned Kuczewski from the gliderport, a man he says comes here to provoke his staff and customers.

“I mean that's what this guy wants, he wants either a physical confrontation, he wants some type of control,� Marien said.

Kuczewski says it’s a public city park and he cannot be barred.

When asked why he keeps going back and challenging it, Kuczewski said, "Rosa Parks, Rosa Parks did the one thing that she needed to do."

"She knew she was going to be arrested, knew she was going to go to jail, I’m sure she wasn't looking forward to it but she did,� Kuczewski said.
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Steve90266
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Bob and Torrey

Post by Steve90266 »

I understand Bob's point. Safety should be paramount, but in my estimation, he does nothing to further the sport. He makes himself a nuisance and never lets up.

He wants to represent our hang gliding community and I believes he has good intentions, but his execution is nothing but destructive.

I'm not a fan of Bob K.
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Glenn
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Post by Glenn »

Like him or not, (I don't even know him) it seems to me Bob K. is within his rights, and banning or assaulting a man for filming at a hang gliding site with cameras running everywhere is nobody's right to do. Not liking someone is just too bad in public places. I'm no cheerleader for him or his opinion, but he has a right to it, and it seems that just doesn't sit right with some people. Stuff like this is a tough situation. People need to talk to each other and work things out like adults, but emotion always gets in the way, turning it into a long-lived mess. Talk to each other. You'll all be better off.
Flyyyyy
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Steve90266
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Bob K

Post by Steve90266 »

Sure, Bob K is perfectly within his rights to film, but his demeanor and attitude are inflammatory. He knew that his presence there would draw aggression. In fact, I believe that was his mission...to start something. He resents the control that those guys have over the launch and the concessions. This has been a long standing and still on-going feud.
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dhmartens
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Post by dhmartens »

I am a Focused Pilot - Emperor Palpatine
http://www.tubechop.com/watch/6553144

Image
Is this where USHPA came up with the Focused Pilot campaign ?

If doing whats right got you to the point of hang gliding then shouldn't you continue along that path?
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Steve90266
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Bob K

Post by Steve90266 »

:P :evil: :D
Steve Murillo
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Bob Kuczewski
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From the Horse's Mouth

Post by Bob Kuczewski »

Hello Gentlemen,

Thanks Doug for posting the transcript of the Channel 10 story. It's surprising when you're on the "inside" of a news story how much they get wrong (calling "paragliders" as "hang gliders", etc). But they didn't do too bad of a case in this one.

I find that a lot of people form opinions about me without really knowing me at all. That's the unfortunate nature of the internet world we've created. I don't mind too much, but I sure do wish more people would just pick up the phone and give me a call before making judgements. My number is 858-204-7499 if any of you would like to call me.

Struggles for fairness and justice go way back to the time when humans could fist conceptualize notions of fairness and justice. It's a never-ending struggle. I don't have any need to be at the center of struggles like this one other than I happen to be the person with the time and resources to do so. I don't have many of the obligations in my life that others do, so I figure it's something I can do to support the sport that I love.

The core of what I've been fighting for is probably what you guys (and gals) already have at Sylmar. You've got a club with a democratic process, and you work together to make things better. Sometimes I'm sure you have your fights, but the goals are always shared - for each pilot to be able to enjoy the joy of flight at your site.

Unfortunately, that's not what we've had at Torrey Pines. Our site is operated by a for-profit business. Now I'm not against for-profit businesses. That's the foundation of our capitalist society ... and it works pretty well. But a problem arises when public land - OUR LAND - is turned over to a for-profit business without proper oversight.

Torrey Pines is owned by the City of San Diego. In other words it's owned by the people of San Diego. The land is leased to a concessionaire (Air California Adventure) for free. It's actually not a bad lease, and I've made a copy available at "takebacktorrey.com". If you read it, you'll see that the agreement of the lease is that Air California Adventure (ACA) can use the land for free, but they also must make the land available to the general public. They may make reasonable rules as long as they are consistent with the rights of the general public.

Unfortunately, the City hasn't really enforced or monitored that lease, and the concessionaires (formerly David Jebb and now Robin Marien) have treated it as if it's their own private land. They think they can make up whatever rules they want and kick out whoever they want. The lease specifies rates that they can charge, but they claim they can charge whatever they want.

So how do you fight something like that? Take it to court? Guess what USHPA does if you even testify in court? Maybe you've heard of my recent expulsion by USHPA? And taking things to court isn't cheap.

So I've been applying pressure to USHPA to provide oversight by the pilots. It turns out that the Lease also specifies something called the Torrey Pines Soaring Council which is supposed to be made up of representatives of all flight groups. USHPA actually holds one of the seats on that Council. Yes, USHPA is a voting member of the Torrey Pines Soaring Council, and Rich Hass appoints the representative of his choice on that Council and tells them what to do and how to vote.

Well, that sounds pretty good. For historical reasons, there are currently two representatives for the sports of hang gliding and paragliding combined (essentially one for HG and one for PG although they don't have to be split that way). But there are THREE representatives for the guys who fly RC model planes. And there are TWO representatives for the sailplane pilots even though they haven't made a single flight there in at least 5 years.

So I've been asking USHPA to use their position on the Council to introduce a motion to increase our representation on that Council by adding the Torrey Hawks Hang Gliding Club. In fact, I introduced a motion to the USHPA Board to do essentially that (although I didn't specify the Torrey Hawks), and the USHPA Board voted to do it (it was a close vote, but it passed). That was in the spring of 2010. But while USHPA voted for it on paper, their leaders (Rich Hass, Mark Forbes, etc) haven't taken one step to carry it out in the last 5 years.

So that's what I've been fighting for. I want to get some oversight of our flying site by the pilots. That park belongs to the people of San Diego and it should serve the pilots who fly there. I'm not against ACA making a profit. That's wonderful. But they can't make that profit by bullying pilots or tossing unqualified PG pilots into the air.

Let me close where I began. If you're old enough to remember the civil rights movement, you may remember that much of the television coverage at that time portrayed the civil rights leaders as "radicals". That's always the tactic of those in power. They need to find a way to turn public opinion against those who call for change. So they look for any excuse they can find to paint the agents for change as "fringe" elements or "nuts" or any other pejorative term. That's pretty easy to do on the internet, but it's much harder to do in person. If you really want to get to the bottom of this situation, please give me a call. In fact, just PM me your phone number and I'll pick up the cost.

Thanks, and sorry for any intrusion. :D

Bob Kuczewski
Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org
View my rating at: USHGRS
Every human at every point in history has an opportunity to choose courage over cowardice. Look around and you'll find that opportunity in your own time.
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Bob Kuczewski
Posts: 660
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:39 am
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From the Horse's Mouth

Post by Bob Kuczewski »

Hello Gentlemen,

Thanks Doug for posting the transcript of the Channel 10 story. It's surprising when you're on the "inside" of a news story how much they get wrong (calling "paragliders" as "hang gliders", etc). But they didn't do too bad of a case in this one.

I find that a lot of people form opinions about me without really knowing me at all. That's the unfortunate nature of the internet world we've created. I don't mind too much, but I sure do wish more people would just pick up the phone and give me a call before making judgements. My number is 858-204-7499 if any of you would like to call me.

Struggles for fairness and justice go way back to the time when humans could fist conceptualize notions of fairness and justice. It's a never-ending struggle. I don't have any need to be at the center of struggles like this one other than I happen to be the person with the time and resources to do so. I don't have many of the obligations in my life that others do, so I figure it's something I can do to support the sport that I love.

The core of what I've been fighting for is probably what you guys (and gals) already have at Sylmar. You've got a club with a democratic process, and you work together to make things better. Sometimes I'm sure you have your fights, but the goals are always shared - for each pilot to be able to enjoy the joy of flight at your site.

Unfortunately, that's not what we've had at Torrey Pines. Our site is operated by a for-profit business. Now I'm not against for-profit businesses. That's the foundation of our capitalist society ... and it works pretty well. But a problem arises when public land - OUR LAND - is turned over to a for-profit business without proper oversight.

Torrey Pines is owned by the City of San Diego. In other words it's owned by the people of San Diego. The land is leased to a concessionaire (Air California Adventure) for free. It's actually not a bad lease, and I've made a copy available at "takebacktorrey.com". If you read it, you'll see that the agreement of the lease is that Air California Adventure (ACA) can use the land for free, but they also must make the land available to the general public. They may make reasonable rules as long as they are consistent with the rights of the general public.

Unfortunately, the City hasn't really enforced or monitored that lease, and the concessionaires (formerly David Jebb and now Robin Marien) have treated it as if it's their own private land. They think they can make up whatever rules they want and kick out whoever they want. The lease specifies rates that they can charge, but they claim they can charge whatever they want.

So how do you fight something like that? Take it to court? Guess what USHPA does if you even testify in court? Maybe you've heard of my recent expulsion by USHPA? And taking things to court isn't cheap.

So I've been applying pressure to USHPA to provide oversight by the pilots. It turns out that the Lease also specifies something called the Torrey Pines Soaring Council which is supposed to be made up of representatives of all flight groups. USHPA actually holds one of the seats on that Council. Yes, USHPA is a voting member of the Torrey Pines Soaring Council, and Rich Hass appoints the representative of his choice on that Council and tells them what to do and how to vote.

Well, that sounds pretty good. For historical reasons, there are currently two representatives for the sports of hang gliding and paragliding combined (essentially one for HG and one for PG although they don't have to be split that way). But there are THREE representatives for the guys who fly RC model planes. And there are TWO representatives for the sailplane pilots even though they haven't made a single flight there in at least 5 years.

So I've been asking USHPA to use their position on the Council to introduce a motion to increase our representation on that Council by adding the Torrey Hawks Hang Gliding Club. In fact, I introduced a motion to the USHPA Board to do essentially that (although I didn't specify the Torrey Hawks), and the USHPA Board voted to do it (it was a close vote, but it passed). That was in the spring of 2010. But while USHPA voted for it on paper, their leaders (Rich Hass, Mark Forbes, etc) haven't taken one step to carry it out in the last 5 years.

So that's what I've been fighting for. I want to get some oversight of our flying site by the pilots. That park belongs to the people of San Diego and it should serve the pilots who fly there. I'm not against ACA making a profit. That's wonderful. But they can't make that profit by bullying pilots or tossing unqualified PG pilots into the air.

Let me close where I began. If you're old enough to remember the civil rights movement, you may remember that much of the television coverage at that time portrayed the civil rights leaders as "radicals". That's always the tactic of those in power. They need to find a way to turn public opinion against those who call for change. So they look for any excuse they can find to paint the agents for change as "fringe" elements or "nuts" or any other pejorative term. That's pretty easy to do on the internet, but it's much harder to do in person. If you really want to get to the bottom of this situation, please give me a call. In fact, just PM me your phone number and I'll pick up the cost.

Thanks, and sorry for any intrusion. :D

Bob Kuczewski
Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org
View my rating at: USHGRS
Every human at every point in history has an opportunity to choose courage over cowardice. Look around and you'll find that opportunity in your own time.
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