2018 Election Results
| Election Ballots were sent out to the 2017 and 2018 Members as of Jan SDHGPA Full Member Voting Body Roster on Jan 2nd following the Nov meeting & Dec open nominations period. 32 Ballots were received by the Jan 15th response deadline. All non submitted ballots are determined to be abstentions. |  |
The Following 2018 Voting (Board) positions were ratified by each receiving 100% of votes cast:
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Appointed Non-voting positions for 2018:
- TPSC rep: Kim Mccoy
- Black Mountain CAC: Dave Metzgar, Antonella Zampolli (Incumbents)
- Website: Steve Rohrbaugh, Nik Hawks, Philip Wessinger, Christopher Smith
- Social Committee: Angela Albota, Bill Davis, Christopher Smith, Heather DeCourcy, Josh Gelb
- XC Competition: Bill Helliwell / Jeff Brown / Eric Kolberg
Survey Results
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.
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
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| Willing to Help with:
| Comments:
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SDHGPA General Meeting Notes 1/18/18
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.
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:
Activities & Calendar was discussed and set for the Next 3 months:
SDHGPA New Year Fly-in & Awards @ Palomar - Saturday, February 3:
SDHGPA XC Clinic - The old Triple XC - Will be back in action this year
| 4-part Clinic Series with the final part being a Laguna intro Flying Day:
|  Laguna Upper Launch |
April 19: SDHGPA Club Meeting & BBQ Mixer - Topic: TBD
Spring Fly-in : Tentative Dates: May 5th or June 2nd
Other items in planning to be added soon:
Spring Fly-in : Tentative Dates: May 5th or June 2nd
Other items in planning to be added soon:
- HG – PG 1st Responder class in the planning stages (no date set)
- LB Trail Work Party will be scheduled in the next few months.
- Palomar Launch Work Party will be scheduled in the next few months.
- 4th WX station is slated to be installed at LB post proper approvals.
*** SDHGPA XC Clinic Fly Day @ Laguna - WX dependent Date.
- The Laguna flying day will be a good intro to Laguna for P3+ pilots.
- All P3 pilots wanting to fly must be signed up and pre-cleared to fly. Also, All Pilots wanting to fly must attend the prerequisite SDHGPA XC Clinic talks at the Feb and March Meetings.
- P2 & new P3 pilots or others not feeling up to Laguna may Join the Clinic however will not be Flying on the Laguna Fly-day, but rather observing at the site and driving to learn the routes and logistics required. (Will still be a great and impressive learning experience.)
Other SDHGPA News & General Board Business Minutes:
Motions and Club Business discussions:
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:
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
| 3. One additional WX station this year after Proper Approvals at Little Black. (Motion Passed) Discussion Notes: Weather stations - 3 up and running. Blossom proposed as next target but iffy because we have no permission on appropriate sites. So, Little Black was selected as next target. Dave and Anto will ask Ed and CAC at next meeting if we can put one somewhere well off-trail and out of sight from the parking lot, etc. Maybe on the ridge below and slightly south of launch. Station for Little Black would be another Ultrasonic wind sensor like Palomar & Laguna. Initial cost would be about 1.3K including installation costs. |  Ultrasonic WX Station at Palomar |
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.
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
| 6. Approved Schools for SDHGPA sites will be given a certificate/ Vehicle ID / Parking Pass to indicate the sites they are allowed to launch or land at commercially as outlined in the SDHGPA School Requirement protocols. Includes any form of instruction for money or consideration. Observation of uncertified / non verified instruction (ie, instruction of groups of students, tandems for hire, and traveling guided groups) in the absence of displayed certificates should be communicated to SDHGPA and in turn USHPA RDs. This includes visiting instructor travel guide/ XC Clinic tours/ Comp & League events. Those tours and events need to provide event insurance to cover our Landowners for those activities. If They do not, they are not following site protocols and putting our sites at risk. |  |
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.
2017 SDHGPA Annual Income & Expense Report:
In 2017 largest reoccurring expense increase and expense overall was adding in the 2nd Portable and maintaining the 2 at Palomar. This year we also invested in 3 weather stations that are non reoccurring cost. There are about $500-$600 outstanding expenses incurred in 2017 that not hit the books and will be rolled into 2018. As a result the Chapter ended out the year with a net negative cash flow of -$138.62. Reserves remain at ~ 12k approximately 12 months of annual operating budget and appropriate for a 501 (c) (7) non profit organization of our size.
 |   SDHGPA Memberships Past 3 Years |
2018 Budget: Expect 2018 to be similar with larger improvement projects slated (less being allocated to weather station expenses, and more for Palomar launch upgrade). Although, may need to do a fundraiser or apply for a Foundation for Free Flight grant to cover part of the Palomar project depending on project scope defined in the discovery process/ proposal.
Note that expenses and improvement projects at Palomar, Horse, Little Black, Laguna, and Big Black are scaled to balance the budget each year. Annual and Temporary Memberships overall have been declining over the past 3 years.
Note that expenses and improvement projects at Palomar, Horse, Little Black, Laguna, and Big Black are scaled to balance the budget each year. Annual and Temporary Memberships overall have been declining over the past 3 years.
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