It was a pleasure meeting many of you last week at the club meeting. For those who were there, the electronic version of the site guide is now available on the member's page of this website... (In order to protect our sites, please do not circulate the guide to anyone who is not a member!!)....
Now, it's time to UPDATE the GUIDE.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1) Select a few pages of the guide and take responsibility for making sure the information is accurate. (There are about 8 introductory pages and then another 40 or so individual site pages.)
2) Shoot me an email telling me which pages/sites you will take responsibility for... jeffabra at rocketmail dot com.
3) When you are done, send me the corrections.... it will be easiest if you make the edits in Word and just send me the appropriate pages.
4) Let's aim for a complete draft revision by MAY 18.... that's two weeks.
OTHER SUGGESTIONS:
1) It was suggested that we include GPS coordinates for launches and preferred LZ's... That could be interesting... anybody want to take this on?
2) Missing sites... are there some sites that aren't in the guide that should be... if so, write it up. Some sort of review process will be created to determine whether to put it in.
3) A photo contest for the cover page.... could be fun.
4) Anybody want to make a new map for the guide showing where the sites are?... The old one cannot be edited very easily.
5) Other ideas?
WHO IS INVOLVED THUS FAR:
A few folks offered to take some pages at the club meeting.
Matthew Graham: Bill's Hill, Fisher Road, the Pulpit
Pete Schumann: Dickey Ridge
Ben Herrick: Pinnacles, Spruce Know
thanks,
Jeff
jeffabra at rocketmail dot com
Updating the Site Guide - Your Help Would be Great
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
Site Guide update and Ediths gap.
Updating the site guide and members list seems like a good idea. I know my version is approximately 9 years old. However, it is still functional and the directions to the nearly all of the various locations are as accurate now as they ever were.
Many clubs are choosing to post their site guides on their club webpages. To my knowledge the reasons that our club has chosen not to do so are 1) the site guide has traditionally been a source of revenue for the club, and 2) the club has felt that controlling the site guide is a way to encourage club membership and discourage less-than-qualified visitors to our flying sites.
In this era of worldwide internet access, perhaps we are being short sited (pun intended). Last time I checked our club had well over $10,000 in its account and not much to spend it on, so it seems so it seems unlikely that we really need the few dollars that selling the site guide would generate. The other reasons are tougher to rebut. My opinion is that we should make the locations available with a point of contact for the site protocol. We might increase our participation that way and in the end good safe flying is what it's all about.
May I also suggest that we post the updates right here. That way we can all see what they are, we can collectively work on corrections, ala wikepedia, and we won't be duplicating each other's efforts.
Finally here is my take on a little know site that is posted in the site guide but not recently visited, Ediths Gap. The site guide directions are accurate. The contacts are out of date and should be removed. The site was completely grown over last time I saw it. I don't think it's been flown in 5 years. Traditionally it has been a very difficult site to fly because of the distance to the nearest appropriate LZ. With the advent of our new higher performing gliders this may no longer be the problem that it once was. Even with a cleared and clean slot I would not recommend it for anyone with with a single surface glider or less than solid H3 skills unless several pilots are consistently climbing out. I'd love to see us clean it up and make it usable again. We don't have any nearby sites that face that direction.
Dan T
Many clubs are choosing to post their site guides on their club webpages. To my knowledge the reasons that our club has chosen not to do so are 1) the site guide has traditionally been a source of revenue for the club, and 2) the club has felt that controlling the site guide is a way to encourage club membership and discourage less-than-qualified visitors to our flying sites.
In this era of worldwide internet access, perhaps we are being short sited (pun intended). Last time I checked our club had well over $10,000 in its account and not much to spend it on, so it seems so it seems unlikely that we really need the few dollars that selling the site guide would generate. The other reasons are tougher to rebut. My opinion is that we should make the locations available with a point of contact for the site protocol. We might increase our participation that way and in the end good safe flying is what it's all about.
May I also suggest that we post the updates right here. That way we can all see what they are, we can collectively work on corrections, ala wikepedia, and we won't be duplicating each other's efforts.
Finally here is my take on a little know site that is posted in the site guide but not recently visited, Ediths Gap. The site guide directions are accurate. The contacts are out of date and should be removed. The site was completely grown over last time I saw it. I don't think it's been flown in 5 years. Traditionally it has been a very difficult site to fly because of the distance to the nearest appropriate LZ. With the advent of our new higher performing gliders this may no longer be the problem that it once was. Even with a cleared and clean slot I would not recommend it for anyone with with a single surface glider or less than solid H3 skills unless several pilots are consistently climbing out. I'd love to see us clean it up and make it usable again. We don't have any nearby sites that face that direction.
Dan T
Dan, thanks for your input, thoughtful as always. Yeah, revenue from the site guide is negligible. As the current stuckee for paper SG distribution, I'm charging $7.50 while spending $3.50 for copying and $2.30 for postage. I don't charge for my time, but copying, mailing and check cashing are all a pain in the tukhus. Current plan is to keep the guide in the members-only area. Qualified non-locals who wish to gain access will pay the "Pulpit sticker" fee. I, too, have proposed the Wikipedia model for updating entries. Mark Cavanaugh, among others, has a perspective on this which I will let him express in his own inimitable style. Whatever the details of the process, it's really good news that we are moving forward on the site guide. I notice that other clubs (say on the left coast) have pictures of their principal sites on their websites with site protocol/site monitor contact info (not necessarily how to get there). Is this a direction we would like to go? (Mark Cavanaugh please note: I am not/not volunteering you for a bunch of work - somebody else needs to volunteer if this is to happen.) - Hugh
Updates to Long Hill page as follows:
Owners: Richard and Donna Hostelley
Site Protocol: Add Hostelley's home phone 540-778-4036. Add to end "Checking in at house upon arrival, after calling in advance, is appreciated by the owners."
Directions to site: Change "Rt. 63" to "Rt. 631 (Hawksbill Avenue)". Rest of sentence should read "; right at STOP sign, go ~100 yards and turn left into long driveway just beyond church. Park next to white house at end of driveway part way up the hill.
Other Comments: Access to hill is through gate on side of house opposite parking. Leave gates behind you as you find them.
Important Information to know before flying site: A new fence has made this site difficult, if not unadvisable, for hang gliders to fly. However, it is still aptly suited for paragliders.
Charlie
Owners: Richard and Donna Hostelley
Site Protocol: Add Hostelley's home phone 540-778-4036. Add to end "Checking in at house upon arrival, after calling in advance, is appreciated by the owners."
Directions to site: Change "Rt. 63" to "Rt. 631 (Hawksbill Avenue)". Rest of sentence should read "; right at STOP sign, go ~100 yards and turn left into long driveway just beyond church. Park next to white house at end of driveway part way up the hill.
Other Comments: Access to hill is through gate on side of house opposite parking. Leave gates behind you as you find them.
Important Information to know before flying site: A new fence has made this site difficult, if not unadvisable, for hang gliders to fly. However, it is still aptly suited for paragliders.
Charlie
Posting Directions
Please don't post directions to Daniel's or any other site. There are already rogue pilots flying skyline drive without permits. Daniels require's a P3 or a P2 with an Observer who has already flown there at least ten times. Pilots must also belong to or be sponsered by a pilot who is a member of CHGPA or CVHGA. These are rules set forth by the landowner at launch. Daniel's is on privately owned land. We don't want any un-qualified pilots showing up there and flying and then jeopordizing the site. Even theough the site is mostly fown by PG pilots, PG pilots are on thin ice if they break any protocols set forth by the landowner.
Matthew
Matthew
-
Flying Lobster
- Posts: 1042
- Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:17 pm
I've updated my version of the site guide with the comments about Long Hill. (Edith's Gap is gone... I removed it before doing the electronic version. Daniel's still does not have directions, but other sites that have them in the paper version still have directions in the electronic version.) I also stole some photos from the gallery to add to the front page.
If anyone else has corrections, please let me know. I'm ready to send the corrected version to be put on the password protected portion of the website....
I'll refrain from the conversation about how to circulate this guide, but I always have my decoder ring in with my emergency supplies for tree landings...
If anyone else has corrections, please let me know. I'm ready to send the corrected version to be put on the password protected portion of the website....
I'll refrain from the conversation about how to circulate this guide, but I always have my decoder ring in with my emergency supplies for tree landings...