Come on out and share the the sky with the San Diego free flight crew.  Food & drinks will be provided by the club; feel free to bring booze and any appetizers you'd like to share (BYOB).

SDHGPA Membership is required to participate in the Fly-in.

Please take care of Memberships and print parking passes BEFORE driving out if not current.
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All memberships are available online, here.  Please make you're paid up and print out your Parking Pass before you arrive. Let's work together to keep these wonderful sites available to the free flight community!

To Check Current Membership Status

Current Weather:  ​
​Yep, we have a weather station on launch!

For detailed Site info, see the Palomar Site Guide
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If you haven't flown here before or checked out the site guide this past year for updates, please read the site guide prior to arrival.  It may save you from landing in a burial ground or from wandering into rotor, or it may even help make your flight epic!

The Social Committee would like some help from some volunteers to help coordinate, set up, BBQ and break down. Also, if you have a portable Fire Ring that would be great!

Thank you to all that responded to the Survey!

It helps to direct what we as Club Members want the Club to be and set some direction. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns about the SDHGPA & its direction, please let us know. by talking with one of the Bard Members or come to the meetings. If you offered to help or are willing to help, please reach out and we will try to get you involved.  Help is always appreciated. 

We will try to incorporate the higher requested meeting topics into this calendar year meetings

Quorum of Directors present

Site Brief - Bill Helliwell
Laguna - all new State Park folks, Bill talked to a temporary ranger about existing permit, sent to Heidi, got form letter on how to apply for a permit instead of info on existing permit, tried to clarify. We have heard nothing. Assuming permit is still valid. Chief Ranger position appears to be open.

SDHGPA Calendar & Upcoming Events:
Activities & Calendar was discussed and set for the Next 3 months:
 
SDHGPA New Year Fly-in & Awards @ Palomar - Saturday, February 3: 

1. Annual Windsock Flag Replacements per usual plan and two Masts to be placed on order in the next few weeks for windsocks at Palomar, Little Black and Horse. (motion Passed)

2. Increase Temp Membership Dues to at least cover costs of Fly-ins and keep the no excuses low Annual Membership of $40. Proposed Membership structure: Week $10, Month $20, Annual $40. After review of other clubs in CA and surrounding states. SDHGPA remains one of the least expensive while including the most sites. (Motion Passed) ​ 
Dues adjustment discussion: We’re low for clubs with actively maintained sites. Maintained sites with outhouses, groomed launches, etc, are usually much more. Suggestions to have daily fees for visiting pilots floated, but detractors pointed out that daily fees are unlikely to be paid daily without site monitors to collect. Noted that primary purpose should be compliance rather than income, to decrease risk of uninsured accidents. Steve R proposed week should be $10, month $20, year $40.

​Round-up of other Club Dues for comparison:

• Crestline/ AJ (single site): $100 annual, $10 / day,
• Symar/ Kagle (single site): $75 Annual, $40 month, $10 /Day,
• Saboba (single site): $65 Annual
• Santa Barbara: $30 Flat Annual but is also structured that all need to fly with a site guide/ instructors for + $/day (locals included even at the training hill for kitting there) and the club has very little overhead as they only carry insurance for the training hill. 
• Central Cal Dunlap/Tollhouse: $100 Y, $10 / Day
• Bay Area PA: $30 Annual + $20-40 per site sticker (fly more sites, pay more and some sites have higher overhead costs)
• Marina (one site): 30Y flat  (little to no Maint) + need to pay a State Park fee to use the site.  $195 annual pass
• Rogue Valley HGPA: $60 Annual local, visiting pilot annual $30, visiting pilot 7-day $20
• Arizona: $50 Annual, $25 M, $10 W, $5 D
• Utah HGPA: $50 Annual, $25 week, $5 day

4. Improve Palomar Launch surface to minimize line snags from exposed sharp rocks and weed snags. Motion was modified to put together a proposal looking at several alternatives from Heavy Erosion Control Matting typically used in Road Bed construction, Road Base Aggregate infill, Native GD infill. Anything installed will need to blend in with natural surroundings the majority of the year.  (Motion Passed)

​Discussion Notes: Palomar needs a DG fill on launch, to cover stubs and rocks. AstroTurf from worn football field was suggested (However, would need to be a natural color and blend in with the surroundings so recycled field turf wold likely not meet the pre approved criteria) Or Landscape Fabric (in beige/ light brown color) Or 3/4 in gravel. No carpet. All options have good examples of effective use at launches here or elsewhere, but must be acceptable to the tribe. In our Palomar Use Agreement , Artificial turf is pre-approved in concept, but would need to be in a “natural color.”   James Goodpasture (Pala Tribe Program Manager that worked on the original launch improvement project) might have leftover DG or gravel from a nearby site. Steve R will call to check on cost and delivery options/cost. Seems like using a tribal source and DG/gravel rather than artificial material like AstroTurf, carpet, or landscape fabric would decrease potential rejection by the tribe? Note: Additional Improvement project proposals beyond Site Maintenance need to be cleared through the Tribal Council. 

5. Laguna Site Intro as we have done in years past in conjunction with an XC clinic. (Motion Passed) and added to the Calendar

​7. Chapter Renewal and related application & activities need to be completed by the end of Jan to assure no gap in coverage: Risk Management / Risk Assessment for club insurance renewal. New forms required to streamline USHPA processing. Bill and Phil are going to do it. Giant cut n paste adventure, with some new items to cover. Mar 1st Insurance renewal Date, but there is a potentially long processing time upstream and Chapters are proceed on a 1st in 1st out queue so trying to complete by end of January so that we do not have a laps in coverage.