Flyfunston

This year, 2013, has been one of the most controversial for the Fellow Feathers since I have been flying here starting in 1981 over 32 years ago. I have never seen more animosity and attacks on pilots, both physical and to their right to fly.

I've talked with many pilots, both seasoned veterans and new pilots, about the events that have happened, to try to understand from their perspective what we as a group should do to deal with these issues. I've found a great deal of lack of communication, misunderstanding, intolerance & fear. But the bottom line is we all want to fly Fort Funston.

From these discussions I've heard a lot of good ideas on how to improve our experience as club members and flying at the Fort. Here are some that have been suggested to me:

- Sign off for landing on the wood chips - Anyone wanting to land on the wood chips must get a sign off from a H4 pilot observer. Landing there without a sign off not necessarily an offense, unless pilot demonstrates lack of awareness of spectator and pilot safety.

- Make Fort Funston a National Historic Landmark as one of the first hang gliding sites in the world, with the largest hang gliding club in the world, where any hang glider pilot who follows the safety rules has the right to fly. It doesn't remove our responsibility to operate safely, but the goal would be to grant us the right to fly there without the need to go through use permit renewals every few years.

- No waivers for any reason - eliminate the 3 waivers

- Move the club meetings to Saturday or Sunday mornings at the Fort, so more people can attend. It also won't require the rangers to stay late in the winter to open/close the gate, and we don't have to spend money to meet at off-site locations.

- Ballots instead of hand raising for voting.

- Zac's ideas for vetting hang 2 pilots by taking them on tandem flights, to see how they react and perform in the air, prior to letting them fly Funston.

The club bylaws state: "The purposes of this Corporation are to provide for the pleasure, recreation, comingling and fellowship of it members, hang gliding enthusiasts who fly at Fort Funston." This means ALL members. The EC should be charged with preserving the flying rights of ALL the members of the club. In the past the procedure was first a warning, then a one week suspension, then special hearings set to determine if a longer suspension is warranted. Our bylaws clearly state this process. The EC needs to follow it, and those who wish to have open hearings should be allowed to have others present. I believe ALL the members should be allowed to vote on suspensions over one week. We're all adult enough to know truth and bullshit - our opinions may be colored by bias, but I think as a group we all work best when we are all allowed to share in the making of decisions.

I wholeheartedly endorse Zac Majors as president. I've known Zippy for only a few short years but I believe he has fairness, excellence in piloting skills, great ideas for improving safety, and the charisma to get back to where to all of us can be flying together and having fun at the Fort. I also strongly support Chris Carillo for secretary - I have never in my long years of flying seen someone more dedicated to flying as much as he does, safely, and with the enjoyment of all the other pilots. Also Chuck Kranz for IT Director, who has selflessly kept the clubhouse system working for years. Van Pelham for Treasurer - he's done this for three years, thanks Van!

Finally I humbly request your vote for me, Tom Rust for Vice President. As it was when I was president for two years, I don't want the job, but I feel a duty to my friends and fellow hang glider pilots to push for whatever it takes to keep us ALL flying together safely and enjoying the wonderful resource that is Fort Funston.
One of the moments which will forever be a source of joy for me was at the 2012 Air Races, when we took the following group picture. This is what I hope the Fellow Feathers can once again be.

tom rust wrote:
- Make Fort Funston a National Historic Landmark as one of the first hang gliding sites in the world, with the largest hang gliding club in the world, where any hang glider pilot who follows the safety rules has the right to fly. It doesn't remove our responsibility to operate safely, but the goal would be to grant us the right to fly there without the need to go through use permit renewals every few years.

- No waivers for any reason - eliminate the 3 waivers

-We're all adult enough to know truth and bullshit - our opinions may be colored by bias, but I think as a group we all work best when we are all allowed to share in the making of decisions.

Tom,

I understand that you are attempting to garner votes for the upcoming elections but stumping on unfeasible issues are are a waste of everyones time. I'd like to shed some light on a few things if I may:

- I explored the Historic Landmark idea years ago when I was president, and if you did a little research you would learn that Fort Funston does not qualify as a National Historic Landmark just because we fly hang gliders there or have a large club: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c= ... 31&idno=36

-Fort Funston is owned by the National Park Service. We need to have a Special Use Permit if we want to manage hang gliding on their property: http://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/s ... rkuses.htm

-What "3 waivers" are you talking about? We used to have to fill out a special GGNRA waiver, but because of my work with the NPS, their solicitor in Washington D.C. determined that the NPS should not require us to sign a GGNRA waiver and they dropped it!

As far as the USHPA waiver goes: We need the waiver to qualify for the USHPA insurance, and without the USHPA pilot liability and site insurance, we would not have a flying site.

Lastly about your belief that group rule is best for suspensions: Recall back to the meeting you led to overturn Art's suspension. An unruly mob pressured the EC to overturn his suspension and Art went out the very next week, blew a loop and crashed.

We elect a group of officers that we trust to deal with things like this, which is why we need to select them carefully.

Regarding obtaining NHL status, I don't see anything in the rules that precludes it. Just because you failed to make it happen doesn't mean other parties can't make it happen.

As for the 3 waivers, Steve I'm glad you asked! Seems rather odd you have forgotten this, as it was your idea to use one of the three waivers to allow Tracey to run for president last year, as by her own admission she did not qualify for the 20hr minimum to vote or run for an office. And again this year when after her accident she had not even completed 10 hours, and as doctors recommended she not fly for at least a year, she would have no way of getting the hours by this election time to qualify her to run again for 2014.

Tom, Please get your facts straight before you make an accusation: The waivers were NOT my idea. They were added by a majority vote of the membership.

However, I DO support their existence as they provide for two valuable things that support our club:

First, The waivers let a decent person run for office and serve the club. After all, the club is democratic so they STILL need to get the votes. If the majority of our club members believe that person would do a good job then why should we let a technicality prohibit that person from serving? Could it be that someone has a political agenda? An officer should get elected by the most votes, not because their opponent was disqualified due to a rule that was not meant to apply to this in the first place.

Secondly, the waivers give someone new to the area a way to store their glider in the clubhouse, which is often the only way they can fly the Fort. Again, we don't want a technicality to keep a good pilot out of the air.

The waivers are good for the club and hang gliding in general.

In 2000 I wrote the bylaw allowing 3 members who had not met the flying requirement to vote in club elections. The purpose was to allow those who made contributions to the site but seldom if ever flew to fully participate. It was intended for people like Gene Foley, Tuna Ted and the late Lyle Thompsen.

Years ago I had a conversation w/a Dept. of Interior attorney about the insurance requirement. I argued that other users, dog walkers, horseback riders, fisherman, etc., were not required to have insurance and that the recreational use immunity statutes provided adequate protection for the GGNRA. He agreed but said but said they liked the additional level of protection.

Until a few years ago pilots had the option of obtaining their own insurance. USHPA became concerned that if pilots obtained their own insurance, they would not need USHPA. To prevent a loss of membership and revenue, USHPA refused to provide insurance to sites where self-insured pilots flew.

It is unreasonable to expect that all pilots would be able to be self-insured. If another organization obtained a site insurance policy, there would be an alternative to USHPA’s monopoly and healthy competition.

Having disciplinary matters decided by membership vote was tried and failed. The pilot to be disciplined brought his supporters to the meeting. The accuser brought his. There is a reason why disputes are decided by juries; not by popular vote.

- Sign off for landing on the wood chips - Anyone wanting to land on the wood chips must get a sign off from a H4 pilot observer. Landing there without a sign off not necessarily an offense, unless pilot demonstrates lack of awareness of spectator and pilot safety.
*** What is the point of this unless there is an offense or suspension. Its a rule with no consequences. If the pilot awareness lacks that much he/she should probably self regulate and land on the beach.

- Move the club meetings to Saturday or Sunday mornings at the Fort, so more people can attend. It also won't require the rangers to stay late in the winter to open/close the gate, and we don't have to spend money to meet at off-site locations.
**** I proposed this at the November 2013 meeting to "accommodate the rangers" and almost everyone said NO to Sat or Sunday meetings.

- Ballots instead of hand raising for voting.
*** with an already tight schedule for time during the meeting this would require someone to hand write out someones name for elections or "a new bylaw" etc onto the ballet x amount of times then hand them out, collect, tally and announce the winner/acceptance of bylaw. Counting hands only takes about 20 seconds. Most all votes win by a land slide.

Pilots who used to , but no longer, fly many hours each year, serve as Club officers in the majority of the US hang gliding Clubs , including Marin county , Sonoma Wings , Sylmar , and WOR.
No other Club has a rule requiring current hours . only Funston .

The idea of summarily excluding such valuable talented individuals who no longer fly , from contributing their time and skills to hang gliding, is nothing short of foolhardy.
The sport of hang gliding is shrinking . We cannot afford to lose these people .

I don't give a rat's ass if someone has ten hours or not , as long as they know how to, and actually do, fly a hang glider .

Please keep Funston INCLUSIVE by voting for Rob Johnson for President and Ken Martin for V.P.

Please withhold your vote from anyone who recommends the exclusion of any H3+ hang glider pilot from our Club affairs.

post election edit.
OK we have new officers.
Zach Majors Prez
Ken Martin VP
Tom White secretary
Chuck Kranz technology wizard
Dave Diver Safety officer
George Artz Clubhouse manager

thanks to all of the pilots who promptly paid their dues over the last five years that i managed the Clubhouse . I appreciate your patience with our clunky paper based system .

Vann is Treasurer again.