!!!!!!Pulpit main LZ warning!!!!

[wmelo]

After landing at Pulpit main LZ, the house owner told us to NOT move our cars on the mud and then drive through his drive away!!!!
Therefore, I would STRONGLY recommend that we do not use his driveway unless absolutely necessary. And if you do, do not drive up to the field !!!!
Park along the road as we used to do.

Please pass this note along.

[dbodner]

Here are some question probably no one can answer.

So, does that mean we will no longer be able to drive up to the upper field? Any indication that this the rule only during muddy season, or is it all year long? Was it damage to his driveway he was concerned about, or damage to something else?

Driving across the middle of the field, like I've seen some people do, seems to me to be a pretty poor practice.

Perhaps we could change his mind if we agree to buy him a truck full of gravel for his driveway every few years.

[wmelo]

According to the house owner, he had already kindly requested a pilot last fall to not drive up to the upper field. I do not know how mud was the field last fall.
He looked concerned about both: damaging the field and having the mud on his driveway.

I think that someone with authority from the club should talk with him to clarify protocol and maybe propose to buy him a truck full of gravel for his driveway every few years.

[bowen.tim]

He did not say the we are restricted from using his driveway to access the LZ. He just asked that when the ground is wet and muddy, that we not drive up the field and track the mud on his asphalt driveway. No gravel is needed. If in doubt, ask him before you drive up the trail.

The homeowner at the LZ does not own the LZ. He was asked by the owner of the LZ to report any suspicious activities.

[Dan T]

Let's make sure we get his expectations right before we make another gaff and lose it completely. It wouldn't hurt to have an officer get in touch with him and make sure that he was only concerned about mud not driving to the top in general.

If we lose the Pulpit LZ we've almost lost the use of one of the very few club owned launch sites in the country. As I've said before I believe that obtaining long term landing rights there should be among our club's highest priorities.

Perhaps the field across the road should be considered. Most of the time the HGs can reach it easily and the PGs still have a couple alternatives if they can't reach it. We don't need to own the property. We need to own the rights to land there. The Foundation for Free Flight can be a big help. They know how to do this stuff.

Dan T

[bowen.tim]

Let's make it clear, no damage was done yesterday. No mud was tracked on his driveway. He was very friendly, and we were very apologetic. There was no ill will when we left.

As long as everyone knows the ground rules, we should be okay. I am not sure we want to open a can of worms by contacting the LZ owner. If you were going to contact someone, it would be the owner of the home and driveway that we use to access the LZ.

[dbodner]

So, Tim, Mr. Homeowner doesn't want mud on his asphalt, but we can still use the driveway? If the field then happens to be muddy, should we stop on our way out before we reach the house and attempt to knock the mud off our tires? Maybe bring a broom and sweep the asphalt after we drive across it?

I'm really not trying to beat this into the ground, but I feel like I don't have clear direction. Just do whatever we need to do to leave the asphalt as clean as we found it?

[XCanytime]

Plain and simple. Don't use the driveway. The only time we land in the most upper part of the field is when it is due north on the ground. And do we fly the Pulpit when it is due north on the ground? Very very infrequently. You can land in due north conditions in the middle of the field too. So there really is no excuse for driving up the guy's driveway. Get off your lazy ass and carry the damn glider down to the pull in by the NW corner of the LZ. Bacil

[mcgowantk]

I hate to pile on or seem to make a bigger deal than this was. However, a brief mention of our past history with the Pulpit LZ may be in order. We almost lost the Pulpit LZ a number of years ago because pilots didn't want to carry gliders down to the main breakdown area and drove onto the field. The landowner almost threw us out. Please do not drive up the field, carry your glider down to the breakdown area. Two cardinal rules of respecting field are (1) never climb a fence (you can slide under the lowest wire) and (2) never drive on a field. I appreciate that everything was handled well with the landowner next door but we are down to two flying sites in our region, both of which may not be here much longer.

Thanks

Tom McGowan

[wmelo]

concluding:

• "Let's make it clear, no damage was done yesterday. No mud was tracked on his driveway. He was very friendly, and we were very apologetic. There was no ill will when we left."
  
  Moving forward, "Plain and simple. Don't use the driveway."
  
  "Do not open a can of worms by contacting the LZ owner."

[pvanoevelen]

Good to know. Added some comments to the online google site guide.