San Diego Free Flyers, we’ve got a bunch to catch up on!
| Year in Review It’s been a rad year of learning for me. I spent most of this last year flying Blossom with the intent to build my basic XC skills of thermal flying and mini-XC legs over to the Cap & back. The good news is that Blossom is still as technical and and fun and challenging/dangerous as it ever was, the better news is that I’m still in one piece to be able to enjoy it thanks to a bit of luck and a lot of guidance from the local pilot community. |  Article by Nik Hawks |
I should probably start naming names: Bill Davis was the one who saw the opportunity to shove me into a thermal over at Little Black, and I’ll probably always remember his super simple and intensely shared advice over the radio: “Keep turning, ya knucklehead!”
As funny as it sounds, that’s really all you need to get started with thermalling, although that’s just the start of the invisible elevator game.
Chris Cote spent lots of time at Blossom with me going over what he looks for and how he understands the sky from the ground and from the riser-feel once he’s skyward. It’s always nice to get the perspective of someone who has put in a ton of time in a very short period (and who holds more than one of the local site records.)
Ivan Guajardo was also more patient than he needed to be when it came to talking through the first steps of Blossom and the crossing to El Capitan, and Mike Dowdall has been about the most generous and encouraging pilot I’ve met on launch.
Yes, Phil Russman was there barking his occasional gems of wisdom, Paton always drops the technical flying info-bombs, and before he got sucked into buying a house, Robert Michiels was a fairly constant wingman.
I got to enjoy the glory of a hike with Dave Metzgar and hear his gravelly version of what’s right and wrong in the world of paragliding, which is one of those experiences that just makes you want to hear more.
On a few car rides to club meetings or out to Horse with Josh Gelb I got an exceptional and interesting view into club history, including many lines that are rarely flown now and the genesis of the Palomar launch.
Blossom Update
| Speaking of launches and sites, the big news right now (end of October) is the fight to keep Blossom free of the massive El Monte Valley Sand Mine project. If you’d like to help (and you bloody well should pitch in on this one), cruise over to the Google doc Will you pitch in to help maintain this beauty? This view may be forever changed if the proposed sand mine goes in, with impacts ranging from lowered visibility, Valley Fever exposure (no joke, I have several friends who got this NON-CURABLE disease), environmental damage, and up to 170 trucks per day on that tiny little road snaking through the middle of the valley. Here's what you can do to help. Yes, it involves reading & writing. You can do this! Hit the link above and send in a written statement to the listed contacts prior to the Oct 25th meeting and submit it to the county planning commission. |  Sunset Gliding at Blossom may change forever  Rough project outline that will be part of the proposed sand mining operation in relation to Flying Blossom. Essentially the entire wash area will be the sand mine.  Proposed Project Map from the last EIR presentation |
Why SDHGPA & Why it Maters
Finally, an exhortation to those of you who either haven’t renewed your membership yet OR who are new and wondering what a membership actually gets you.
One of the reasons San Diego is such an excellent and reliable place to fly is that we lean heavily on just a few people to do all the paperwork and admin “stuff” to keep our sites open.
Access to Horse, the permission to fly Palomar, the ability to put up weather stations, keeping sites maintained, the website itself, and keeping us an insured & recognized club in good standing with USPHA is frankly a huge PITA.
There are two ways to contribute, one is easy, one is hard.
The easy way is to take the money you’d spend on your sweetie for a cheap dinner once a year and pay your membership dues. That’s a one-time action that allows the 4 or 5 people who do 98% of the volunteer work that keeps San Diego such a great flying area to keep on slaving away on our behalf.
Oh, and if you find anything other than a cheap dinner in San Diego for under $40, let me know!
The hard way is to volunteer to actually do all that paperwork, and there is a TON!
While I’d encourage you to volunteer, it’s far easier and also pretty effective to just pay your dues. We’ve got about 100 pilots who haven’t renewed yet, which represents a good chunk of our yearly income as a club. If you fly any more than 3 times a year it’s basically a no-brainer to continue supporting.
Finally, if you’re new and thinking about joining SDHGPA, please do!
Finally, if you’re new and thinking about joining SDHGPA, please do!
Most club members are happy to chat with you and share as much as we know, along with introducing you to potential flying buddies and mentors. You can eat $40 worth of tacos at any one of our fly-ins, so if you’re a hungry pilot, think of coming to multiple fly-ins as basically being paid to fly and eat.
At $40 per year for a full annual membership, this is about the most valuable spend you’ll make this year. Ping us with any questions, and see ya in the sky!
At $40 per year for a full annual membership, this is about the most valuable spend you’ll make this year. Ping us with any questions, and see ya in the sky!
Cheers,
Nik Hawks
Nik Hawks
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