Sylmar Hang Gliding Association

dhmartens wrote: I have been creating another plan for Memorial day weekend where 3 powered harness hang gliders follow a Cessna with a banner down the beach coast just out to sea. About a million people would see this. The banned could have a simple web address (maybe a turtle too). For safety the gliders could have some floatation device and keep a 45-degree glide angel from a rescue boat following with guys to assist incase of a water landing. Unknown are what LZ’s could be used.

Probably impossible to do this since it would be in controlled airspace by LAX.

>>>When you tell someone it’s a bad idea they stop giving ideas.

Which might not be a bad thing, if the ideas are ridiculous.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, pilots, I post here today to make my concession speech in the race for SHGA presidency. I ran a spirited campaign, brought forth the issues I believed were of most importance, inspired debate, and motivated an electorate. An excellent man and a model pilot was elected and will lead us. While I was not elected to office I do not count this as a defeat. The Democracy has spoken clearly and loudly and in my opinion provided us with a bigger victory at my highest possible expectations.

Please expect SHGAcommunications to make a detailed statement after the dust settles and smoke clears.

Thank you for your consideration and see you in the skies.

Doug Martens

Friends of the Air -

My DSL has been down for three weeks, so I couldn't follow all this discussion while it was happening.

I think this discussion has been one of the most constructive things I have seen in the Club in my 10 years on the board - - lots of original thinking -- if you're not thinking Paris Hilton, you're not thinking crazy enough for me.

Seriously, what a wealth of great ideas. There may be historical, practical, monetary, legal or policy reasons why some of the proposals look unlikely at first blush. But the Board has always tried to find ways to make good things happen, and I'm excited about what you have all been writing. It shows a real serious spirit of volunteerism that we need to foster in our members.

Nevertheless, did you notice that there are only about ten participants in the whole, four-page discussion. And those are people who I know to have already contributed substantial time and efforts to the Club.

I am completely behind those who say that we need more outreach to the public, and to our Club members. If we could get from each member, or even half the members, half the thought and effort you each have put into just this thread of discussion, SHGA would rule the world! Well, the US and Australia, anyway.

Seriously, I think hang gliding needs more participants, or the sport will die. It won't support hang glider manufacture or hang gliding businesses like Windsports without a steady infusion of new pilots. Although it is not the Club's mission to subsidize businesses, our relation with them is symbiotic. The Club really can't live without them, although they don't absolutely need us. We have a fortunate situation here, where we have found ways to be mutually supportive, to the advantage of all.

I can't tell you how much effort, support, wise guidance and thought Joe Greblo has contributed to the Club for the last quarter century. It's really more than most of us can imagine. Sure, the existence of an active, fun and exciting Club is a nice incentive to learning hang gliding, and can work to the advantage of Windsports, but having that kind of a Club is a worthy end in itself.

Yesterday, there was a turnout of thirty people to clean up the road. That is really great! However, we couldn't find anyone to lead the effort except, guess who. Ken Andrews, who has done more work in the past two years than almost anyone I have ever seen put out effort for the Club.

Anyway, thanks to all of you for your interest, efforts and participation in the Club. We need more thinking out of Paris Hilton's box. Let's us 10-12 people who are pounding keyboards try to involve other members by asking them -- personally and face to face - their views on all of these things and asking them to give the Club a litttle of their time and creativity.

Oh yeah. Although the cleanup of our road was great for our relationship with the Forest Service, we have to do it again on Monday, January 15, 2007, Martin Luther King Day on the road to Towers.

The reason the Towers Road cleanup is important is that the Forest Service is asking for our help on that one. The "micro-trash" (bits of glass, bottle caps, metal bits and foil, plastic and other small crap) is killing California Condor chicks in our area. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is finding such micro-trash in condor nests and stomachs of dead condors. Fish and Wildlife is coming down on the Forest Service to clean up its roads, and everyone knows that the Towers Road is a big source of that micro-trash.

So, we have an opportunity to do a solid good deed to help the guys in the Forest Service who are helping us with the Kagel road.

And don't forget, last year, the Forest Service gave the Club a permit to use the Towers site even when the rest of the Forest may be closed on account of the danger of fire. That's huge, and the Towers road is the road we use to get to the Towers lanuch -duh.

So, even though it's just a month after Saturday's cleanup of our road, we have to turn out a good number on the Towers Road Jan 15.

Thanks, folks.



[/b]

As I was saying, (writing),

I was making the extremely cogent and perceptive point that it is the self-same Towers Road that we use under that permit to use the Towers launch - duh. So, it would make sense to the Forest Service that SHGA might pitch in big time for that project.

That's all. Smirk out.

Larry

Well spoken, Larry.

A last suggestion:

Just as Chris got filled-in to the Activities Director spot, hopefully with his consent, I think the new president might consider appointing Doug M. to an at-large directorship. At this point, anyone who is willing should be given the opportunity to serve and DAL is a good training position for higher office.

Congratulations to all the new officers!