The Two Pilot CHGPA Stress Test: What have we learned?

[Ward Odenwald]

For better or worse, our membership demographics have changed/evolved in recent years. As a result, so too have its special interest groups and their support of members within their group. While intra-group support is admirable, when it deemphasizes or trumps the importance of preserving flying sites that we all depend on, it becomes a dangerous trend. It’s a concern that others and I have repeatedly raised on different forum threads. Currently, a significant number of PG members have supported a small group of PG pilots by objecting to repeated requests by our organization’s leadership (both PG and HG pilots) for misbehavior accountability. Many of us believe there is a fundamental difference between: an individual being held accountable for their actions by our flying community; and the consequences of getting caught by Park Rangers, with the former providing input to our members that one’s misbehavior (resulting in citations and fines) won’t happen again. This crazy, unfortunate event that occurred along Skyline Drive could have (should have) been put behind us last August by a simple statement from those involved (as simple as: “Hey, we let everyone down and we won’t do it again.”). Instead, it has morphed into an organizational “stress test” that has revealed significant issues within our community - problems that impinge on membership unity, self-regulation and BOD commitments to their directives. I believe many will agree that when judged by these criteria - our organization is metaphorically “on the ropes and headed for the ten-count”. As much as we want our special interests to work for the common good of all, the current reality is that the division among those that have voiced their opinion(s) about what happened last August is, with few exceptions, split between current HG and PG pilots. It shouldn’t be, but that distinction "sits above" other explanations that have been proposed to describe the division. One could make a rather convincing argument that this “accountability issue” represents the wedge that will ultimately destroy HG/PG membership unity and, as a result, the CHGPA as we know it. I’m ok with the PG community supporting their own concerns and goals, however, I worry that the rest of us are being pushed aside when we ask for pilot accountability. Most, but not all, current CHGPA members have never heard of two training hills in our region, Jefferson and Lilly Ponds. They were lost due in part to landowner interactions with misbehaving pilots. While its true that our current dilemma is not the same as the Jefferson and Lilly Ponds tragedies, one could argue that the common thread (misbehaving pilots not being held accountable) is a troubling foreshadow. Without community accountability, it’s difficult (if not impossible) to support an organization that, by its inaction, has become a facilitator of this behavior.

Ward

[mingram]

I'm not sure if the CHGPA has a history of holding pilots accountable. It's a new concept to me and it seems like a large number of members vocally oppose it. I think most members consider the BoD a caretaker board with no real authority so I can understand why these members are opposed to the approach we took in this incident. I think we need to discuss what we want the club to represent. Perhaps now or at the next meeting.

[markc]

I've been involved with the club since 1995 (sheesh, I'm getting *old*!). Since that time, the most serious situations that I can remember, and which have potentially threatened flying sites, have involved pilot injury (or far worse), EMS response, worried landowners, helicopters, the whole-nine-yards.

And in all of those bad-case situations, guess what? HG pilots were involved.

Does this mean that PG incidents of similar severity should be ignored? Or that the protocols for Shenandoah NP shouldn't be observed to-the-letter?

No, of course not!

But it might be worth reminding people that there's a loooonnnngggg history of HG incidents over the decades that CHGA/CHGPA has been around.

In spite of the potential impacts of the various HG incidents that I can recall, I can't say that there was ever any "official"' formula of accountability, imposed by either the BOD or by the club membership. Ie, some defined protocol for sanctioning a given pilot's behavior. There are some site-specific guidelines regarding High Rock in the CHGPA procedures manual, but that's about it.

(I could be wrong here, I've only been in the game for 19 years. If so, please correct me.)

However. .. I also know that we were meeting FAR more frequently years ago, once a month. Everyone pretty much knew what everyone else was doing. And so it was fairly commonplace for pilots to (apologies for the gender-centric phrasing) "man-up", and admit "Yes, I F**cked up, big time. Here's what happened, and I'm really sorry about it!", when they screwed up in some major way.

(Not talking about just a blown-launch, or flying solo, or what-have-you. More serious stuff than that.....)

And let me be the first to raise my hand : I've been one of those who has required an EMS response. I've also been one of those who has made questionable decisions which could have turned out very badly. If you haven't been to club meetings over the years, or if you weren't around in the email-only days, then you probably don't know of my early escapades. I'll be happy to share them at the next meeting if they are of any interest. I even have a cautionary tale involving Skyline Drive (coulda been me facing irate park rangers; luckily, I wasn't in that situation, but it was more due to luck than to good sense).

My bottom line: I don't see this 'crazy unfortunate event' as being an existential threat to the CHGPA.

Rather: We'll learn from it.

And if we *truly* need to change club policy/protocol... Then that will happen.

Finally, I'll second Matt's suggestion : Come to the spring meeting.

MarkC

PS: And demonstrating the limits of my club/site knowledge: Wow, I know nothing of the 'Jefferson and Lilly Ponds tragedies', they must go back to 20+ years? Sounds like something we could learn from, perhaps another topic for the spring meeting?

[Danny Brotto]

With all of this site closing concern, I've been thinking about Lilly Pons recently. It was a great NW training hill site. Flew there before feeling confident enough to fly the Oregon Ridge obstacle course. Take I-70 to Frederick, hang a left (on Opossum something Pike) and drive a little ways. It was closer to DC/B'more than Smithsburg (which didn't exist back then.)

Lilly Pons was a primary training hill for Sport Flight. Sport Flight was a full-time HG business in Gaithersburg right off of I-270 on Shady Grove Road. It operated out of a unit in a commercial warehouse area. The CHGA used to have their meetings at the shop. Les King was the original proprietor who later sold the business to Bob Deffenbaugh (and someone else who's name escapes me.) Bob took the HG business in a different direction with powered ultra lights. Some HG notables were involved with working and teaching at Sport Flight, including Rich Hiegle.

My understanding is that Lilly Pons closed when the proprietors found some illegal, leafy substance on the hill. The scuttlebutt was that the proprietors kinda wanted out of the HG pilots flying the hill anyway and the substance was a good vector to justify.

These are my recollections of the early 80's. Please correct me if I'm incorrect.

Danny Brotto

[Ward Odenwald]

Matt, the CHGPA and earlier versions of the club have a long history of holding pilots accountable with most issues resolved via peer pressure. In my memory, the past events that I'm aware of don’t even come close to what happened in August. When you care about your community and your flying partners help you realize your mistake(s), good things happen. I’ve not seen any evidence that the current two care enough about our community to respect us or our BOD’s directives. What is most puzzling are the PG pilots that believe they should be commendated for their actions.

Mark, you’re right, of course HG pilots are equally capable of misbehaving. The difference being: that when one of us screws up (in most cases) peer pressure is enough to keep us in line. When peer pressure isn’t enough, then many in the HG community would be complaining Out-Loud and certainly not suggesting that other non-HG pilot complaints about our misbehavior are, in JohnE’s words, juvenile.

Danny, Jefferson was my first training hill, back in 75. Les King, Woody Jones and Jim Gildea were my instructors. One of the incidents that triggered the closing of Jefferson (arguably, the Very Best W to NNW 300 to 400 ft training hill in region 9; shown in the Google Earth photo) was a pilot “back talking” the owner after he landed in a - Don’t even think about it field. There were other issues but that one was perhaps the most significant. Lilly Pons was discovered as a result of losing Jefferson. After Deffenbaugh (Sport Flight) started focusing on ultra-lights, Rick Gillium and I (Silent Wings) started teaching at Lilly Pons and at Taylor. When we stopped teaching (Rick moved to Denver and I went back to school) we sold/gave our equipment to John Middleton which, I believe were the first trainers in the now famous Silverwings squadron. In addition to the weed issue, Ron Higgs’ death resulting from a lockout during an unorthodox bungee cord launch at Lilly Pons didn’t help. Les and Ron were some of the first USHGA certified instructors in the area.

Ward

[Danny Brotto]

Ward

Thanks for jogging my memory on the incident at Lilly Pons. I now recall that it happened around the Labor Day weekend in 1980. I was at KHH and remember getting word of it there; really sad. Happened during a "people launch", essentially a tow with people pulling the pilot along with a rope/bungee rig. It was a blow to the community.

You see, Ron Higgs was one of the 3 owners of the launch at McConnelsburg (which is what we called "The Pulpit" in the day.) His brother, Glen, and another person were the other owners. The site ownership was called "The Other Brothers". A few years after Ron's death, the property came up for sale. Richard Hays heard about this and rallied the two clubs to see about purchasing the lot. The CHGA and MHGA each collected $5,000 from it's membership to co-purchase the launch site. (The Presidents of the clubs during this purchase was Skip Rifkin and Bill Chambers, respectively.) The collaboration between the CHGA and MHGA with this purchase and some other events earned us a co-share USHGA "Chapter of the Year Award (back when that meant something.)

It is interesting to note that some of the more "senior" member of the community have been the more vocal/outspoken on their concerns regarding this Hogback incident; and I applaud Ward, RichH, and Jim Rowan for doing so. These guys have lived through the growing days of the HG movement when things were a bit more, casual, and saw the shit that happen to the community as a result. They (we) are concerned with the unintended consequences of such casual actions because we lived it... and in some cases, lost.

It would be shame to not learn from past mistakes. We can say that we didn't know any better as a defense for some of the stupid stuff we did way back when. This sport and it's participant supposedly have evolved beyond that. Let's act that way?

Danny Brotto