2020 Summary

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BudRob
Posts: 365
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:40 pm

2020 Summary

Post by BudRob »

2020 was a tough year for obvious reasons. However, our club continued to operate safely by adopting a few safety measures. The most important one ensures the safety of drivers and passengers on the way to launch. Everyone is required to wear a mask that covers both nose and mouth. Additionally, the windows must be down. At one point, two different pilots in two different trucks discovered shortly after their flights that they had Covid. Because of our safety measures, no other people in the truck were infected. We continue to ask for awareness of wind direction when conversing, social distancing in the LZ, and encourage the wearing of masks.

Improvements to our LZ and launch include:

Overshoot hill reduction – The LZ overshoot hill is almost flat and reductions will continue until it is. Originally, the overshoot was built up to give people a chance to land on top instead of in the boulder-strewn wash. Since then, the wash has been cleared and the dirt plateau where the grass ends has been extended to the east. Any pilots who believe that they might overshoot are asked to stay on the far-left side of the dirt plateau. This way, if an overshoot occurs, they will be in alignment with the long and smooth wash LZ.

Defibrillator machine – We have purchased a defib machine and it is kept in the first aid storage cabinet behind the new phone location.

• New storage shed/office– We have built a new storage shed to house 4 new “lifetime” folding tables, 32 folding chairs (on a rolling rack), and 2 propane space heaters. These purchases give us the ability to conduct all future events without rentals. The north end of this new building has a 6-foot-wide window, with a wall-to-wall countertop and 3 swiveling chairs. Once Covid has passed, pilots, friends, and family will be able to watch landings without having to be outside. There are 3 outlets above this counter to support electronic devices. And yes, this new building has AIR CONDITIONING available.

2 new cameras have been purchased – One of these cameras has a 36X zoom lens and stays pointed at launch, and this picture is displayed LIVE on our website. The other hasn’t been set up yet.

The Towers Launch overgrowth was cleared in a single afternoon by approximately 20 volunteers. This launch is now usable by H4 pilots.

The “B” storage box doors were replaced – Because these doors were rotting, they have been replaced. The new doors are destined to last a long time, as a result of the way they were treated and painted.

Our tractor graded the road to launch twice this year. Additionally, all the road drains were cleared before the first rain, in late December.

A new decomposed granite path has been added. It extends from the parking lot to the bathrooms. Our LZ is now compliant with A.D.A. requirements.

New solar powered pathway lights have been added to the garden behind our pavilion. The old hard-wired lights had failed long ago. We now have serviceable lights that come on automatically at dusk.

Movie nights! – We have been presenting outdoor movies on weekends, as the weather permits. This has proven to be as good for the community as it is for our club. Many neighbors have attended and expressed their gratitude for being welcomed.

Weekend barbeques have replaced our traditional seasonal events. Because Covid required us to cancel our usual events, Wolf, a friend of Steve Murillo, frequently volunteers to barbecue on flyable weekends. The club pays for all the food and the tips go to the cook.

We purchased a weather station for launch. Once installed on launch, our website will display real-time wind direction and velocity, as well as temperature. Other weather monitors can be added, if desired.

Many club members volunteered to participate in these projects and events. Among them are: Joe Greblo, Kevin Kernohan, Phill Bloom, Jeff Chipman, Will Ramsey, John Partovi, Juan Arambula, Mike Ivey, Jay Devorak, Russ Richards, and others. Sorry if I left some names out. It’s a memory thing…

For 2021, we expect to:

• Install the weather station.

• Add a third camera (already purchased) that will look at the whole LZ and be steerable by the membership.

• Improve the gate to the Towers Launch. This gate is hard to open and close. It also needs a grease fitting installed that will lube the friction points.

• Complete the leveling of the old overshoot hill. This also includes continuing the east plateau extension to the south. It will be as long as our old overshoot hill.

Other projects being considered for 2021 are:

• A shade structure at launch.

• Installation of “lockers” large enough to store a paraglider and/or harness, or any other personal gear that people might want to keep at the LZ.

. Widening of our parking lot to the west by about 2 feet to allow for improved parking.


We welcome any comments or suggestions for future improvements.
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DrJeff
Posts: 73
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2006 7:29 pm
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Re: 2020 Summary

Post by DrJeff »

No suggestions, but I do want to say, "WOW" and "THANKS" to all who have helped with all these terrific accomplishments!
With gratitude,
Dr. Jeff, who still hopes to fly again...
Jeff Bjorck
www.purepiano.com ~quiet music to calm the heart in a noisy world~
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Bob Kuczewski
Posts: 660
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:39 am
Location: San Diego
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Re: 2020 Summary

Post by Bob Kuczewski »

DrJeff wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 8:46 pm ... I do want to say, "WOW" and "THANKS" to all who have helped ...

Dr. Jeff, who still hopes to fly again...
Ditto!! Great Job to Rob and the SHGA!!

Bob Kuczewski, who still hopes to fly again...
Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org
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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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