Crestline Soaring Society

The Flypaper

Newsletter for the Crestline Soaring Society
USHPA Chapter 16

P.O. Box 9052, San Bernardino, CA 92427-9052 · www.crestlinesoaring.org

April, 2006

CSS General Meeting

Saturday, April 29, 2006, 7:00 PM - Andy Jackson Airpark

President's Report

We are at a very important place in our history of flying at Marshall and Crestline. The area surrounding the Andy Jackson Airpark is coming under housing development and we have some options to consider. What we decide now could affect the future existence of the landing area and at the very least affect the quality of the landing facility in coming years. Please read through this newsletter and respond by mailing back the enclosed questionnaire. There is also a vote on changes to the dues structure for the upcoming year. They are changes that your officers are recommending. The Treasurer’s report covers some of the dues changes and why they are needed. If you don’t have time to read it right now, then put it in a place you can come back to and spend the minutes necessary to understand our situation.

We have a good relationship with the California Department of Water Resources and as long as the USHPA is able to sell us site insurance, we are in good position to keep the field. There is more to a landing area than just the actual area that we land on. The approach is very important. The flatter the glide, the more we need the surrounding low-level airspace to be clear of obstacles. If you take the attitude, for example, that losing a good approach only affects hang gliders then remember that losing options for the approach will cause hangs and paras to be doing approaches closer together in the same airspace.

This winter the CSS officers have been working with the housing developers who are planning to build homes adjacent to the airpark on its east side. An agreement is in the final stages that would be a compromise of losses, with the developer losing about 10 homes in an area best described as a quarter circle centered around the little hang training hill (Mt. McKenzie), on its northeast side. What we are losing is the nice wide left-aircraft approach currently used by the hangs. The result to all of us is that we will be changing the hang approach to a combination of right-hand pattern (mixing with the paras’) and a figure-8 approach swinging around the east end of the eucalyptus trees NE of the airpark. Expect homes to be built during the calendar year 2007.

On the south side of the airpark, the zoning is currently flood control area with no allowance for development of homes. It will be important to keep an eye on this property and to oppose any proposed changes to the zoning should they ever come up.

On the west side we have a good 300’ wide margin (approximately to the power lines) that is DWR property and as such will have this area continuing to be undeveloped and thus clear for approaches.

Homes East of Airpark - Illustration: Altered Google Earth view of the Andy Jackson Airpark LZ depicting how the homes of the 'Paradise Hills' development will abut the LZ. The homes shown to the east (rear)are scheduled to begin construction sometime in late 2006.

Most of the north side of the airpark is a combination of some DWR margin (like the west side) and a private single-structure residence. If we use the buried pipeline (the candy cane pipe) as a starting point, the first approx. 100’ north is DWR, but everything north of that is the private residence's.

While we were in the middle of negotiating the future of the hang approach and the development east of the airpark, the north side property, which comprises about 15 acres, came up for sale. The developers actually put in a bid on this property. The property eventually sold at $530,000. The good news, temporarily, is that 2 local pilots (Len Szafaryn and Owen Morse) pooled resources to get the property.

We need to figure a way to permanently keep this property from being built up. If the structure were relocated towards the southern edge of the property, or vertical obstacles were placed on the property, it could restrict our approach.

The new owners (Len and Owen) wish to see the property become effectively part of our landing site (I will refer to this property as “the Ranch”). This means the removal of the fence and clearing of the entire area so that our actual landing area will in effect double in size. Obtaining the Ranch would allow 2 additional training hills, both about 80’ high, with one facing SW and the other facing S.

But the Ranch currently has a $400,000 mortgage that is requiring about $2200 a month in interest charges. Also there is property tax of about $6500 a year. The math indicates expenses of about $33,000 a year. The Ranch's house will bring rental income of probably $1200 a month, depending on your optimism. This means a loss of $1550 per month before any maintenance and repairs on the structure. The Ranch will probably be going up in value, so if the future is that Owen and Len have to sell to a third party, they will in all likelihood recoup their expenses. But that’s bad for us. The question is… What can we, the CSS, do to keep the Ranch from being sold to a third party?

The CSS officers have been thinking about this for a few months and have come up with 3 options. They are: ignore the Ranch and let the owners do what they want with it, pay a set fee, like a lease, on a month-to-month or annual basis to keep the current owners from selling the Ranch, or finally, the option of the CSS buying the Ranch.

LZ and Ranch - Illustration: Altered Google Earth view of the LZ and Ranch area depicting how they might appear from the south if they were merged. Note training hills at left and right rear and grass over the entire area.

Details of Options:

1. Ignore the Ranch. This has zero added financial expense for the CSS. The site remains status quo. But there is a possibility that in the decades to come, as property values increase, the Ranch will have changed from being a secluded rural lot to a prime piece of residential real estate and as such be developed to fully increase the value of the property. It should be assumed that the eventual owners will exercise the FAA described rights to keep us from flying low across their property.
   
   
2. Pay a use fee. The figure we have been leaning toward in talking with the current owners is to pay the property tax ($6300 a year) plus a $200 a month fee that would enable the CSS to access the water. Please understand that our current access to water is somewhat tenuous, as it belongs to the developers east of the LZ. It is unknown whether the developers will ask us to stop getting water from their property, and if they do, whether prescriptive rights based on our having been there more than the 5 years as required by California law would allow us to stay. The $200 per month matches our current labor costs to maintain our water system and also match an approximate water fee if we managed to obtain water through the new development and paid standard water rates. The average annual dues to CSS members will probably be about $25 greater with this option over option 1, given that much of the income to the CSS is day use fees.
   
   
3. Buy the Ranch. The CSS doesn’t have anywhere near the $530,000 to buy the property. We have been contemplating a strategy where we encourage our members to offer zero interest loans to the CSS amounting to an immediate purchase. If the Ranch were completely paid off, the combination of the income at $1200 a month minus property tax, insurance and maintenance leaves the property with a net gain of about $6,000 a year. Add in that we would then have the ability to remove the $200 monthly water expense and we can see the ownership of the Ranch as not only absolutely securing the property to keep the approach area clear, but we would ultimately have enough water to grow grass on the entire field, and the security to fully develop the training hills. Dues in the long run would probably be lower than they currently are (after inflation is taken into account).

How Do We Repay $530,000?

Let’s compare the income difference between option 2 and option 3. In going from 2 to 3, we would drop the annual expense of $8,700 and in addition change to a profit of $6,000 a year, a $14,700 difference. So if we kept the same dues structure as needed for option 2, we would be paying the loans back in full in 36 years. If the dues increased by an additional $30 per member and we maintained at least 90% the membership numbers we’ve averaged over the last 10 years, then with a proportional change to the day-use fee the loan would be fully paid back in 20 to 25 years. Enclosed you will see the survey sheet where you can personally indicate what you would be willing to loan to the CSS. The CSS will only choose this option if we have a general desire among our members both to see option 3 as the preferred choice AND that we would actually have the ability to obtain the funds in full. Only indicate your ability to loan to the CSS if you are truly able to follow through.

The CSS is a now a 501(c)(3) Federal Charity

I hope all this talk of our options regarding the north-side property doesn't overwhelm the announcement of this milestone. In fact it is one of the biggest accomplishments we've ever had (thanks Alan Crouse). It has been completed just in the last couple of weeks, and is mentioned here because it may directly enhance our ability to obtain funds to repay the $530,000 in loans to the CSS. Due to our new status we are in a position to solicit and accept larger donations, perhaps from corporate or other benevolent interests. There is also the possibility for individual pilots to give to the CSS above and beyond what is asked of them in dues and work parties. As each of us turns onto final approach in life, we look to make final use of our assets. We encourage all CSS members and their families to consider bequeathing money to the CSS when that distant but inevitable landing comes. It would be both a tax writeoff and a great way to say 'thank you' for all the years of flying the CSS has facilitated for so many of us. This is a wild card and could be anything from having a negligible effect on repayment of the loans to allowing the repayment in just a few short years.

If you’ve made it this far, then it shows a general interest in what the future of the CSS and the Andy Jackson Airpark will be. I wish I were rich and could just buy the ranch for the CSS. Instead, I am limited to offering a pledge of $20,000 and recommending the “Buy” option as my first choice and annual payments as second choice. I’m letting you know my intentions to challenge you to also help out. But PLEASE, only pledge if you really plan to do it. There’s no crime in not being able or willing to help out. Please return the enclosed survey form marked with your preference of the CSS's relationship with the Ranch and also what your ability to loan to the CSS would be IF the preferred choice of the CSS members was to try to collect funds to purchase the property.

If there is anything you wish to contact me about, remember that the best way is to drop an email to president@crestlinesoaring.org

- Rob McKenzie, CSS President

Notes From The Vault

I’ll start with the bad news; we’re looking at a dues increase. Probably not a surprise to many of you. The CSS dues have not increased since 1991, when we went from $35 to $100 (might have been only $90), to address the need to save for a potentialy expensive LZ that we would be getting a lease on at some point. After the LZ lease was negotiated and we knew the price, and saw that membership was increasing, we lowered it to $65 in 1994. We took a pretty major hit to the reserves in 2004 fencing the LZ, 2N40 (Marshall Road) and replacing the water tanks after the Old fire. Total loss on the year of just over $17,500. We did a lot better in 2005, but the combination of storm clean-up from the record rainfall (for those of you who weren’t around, more than 1500 cubic yards of silt came down the mountain and had to be removed from the LZ, plus road and other repairs were required due to erosion), paying two years of lease cost (the lease re-negotiation pushed the 2004 payment into our 2005 year), and rebuilding the Crestline launch ramp, combined for another $6,186.15 loss.

So Mr. Treasurer, what’s the good news???

Well, we actually have some good news as well. We finished our last fiscal year with a reserve of about $20,000; just about the minimum recommended level for an organization like ours. We have also just been approved as a federal 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

On the reserves, the recommended level of reserves for a membership dependent organization like ours is one-year’s operating cost (pretty much exactly what we’ve got). The theory is that the organization could survive a year in which we could not operate for some reason, or make it through a major fiscal crisis (like the Old fire caused). We’ve been dipping into the reserves each of the past two years and this is not sustainable. Should we encounter a legal problem (like Elsinore, San Diego, etc.) or be hit by another natural event, the reserve could be quickly exhausted. We’ve got to stop the bleeding and build up some cash on hand.

The federal 501(c)(3) charitable organization came with a bonus. Of the amount paid by members for their annual membership fee, $86.00 qualifies as a charitable contribution. Whether this charitable contribution goes on to become tax deductible is governed by the individual's income level, gross aggregate amount of charitable contributions, the proportion of income that aggregate contributions represents, etc. This means the effect of a dues increase may be offset by a federal tax deduction for most members.

Finally, the Board wants to share the pain equally. Day use fees are also proposed to increase and will be required for casual users of the LZ (kiters, students, and tandem passengers). Camping fees will be tracked more closely. All in an effort to bring the books into a positive cashflow position.

We’ve got a great, world-class site. Time to dig a little deeper to ensure it is there for the rest of our flying careers, and those of the pilots to follow.

- Alan Crouse, CSS Treasurer

2006 CSS XC Contest

We have set up a season-long on-line XC contest open to all CSS members with GPS capabilities. Modest cash prizes will be awarded, but the emphasis is on fun and accomplishment in various categories. For details, current standings, etc., see: http://www.fracas.us/css/?file=3&i=1 .

Contest Rules

• All flights must originate from Crestline or Marshall. Participants must be CSS members or day paying guests.

• Distance is calculated by the measurement of the total distance made good between a maximum of any four turnpoints, launch and landing inclusive, along the course line. A turnpoint will be defined as any change in course greater than 90 degrees. That means straight line distance, out and returns, triangles or partial triangles all work. Doglegs won't be added to total distance. In the distance portion of the contest there will be prizes for the paragliding division in DHV2/3 class and higher, and for DHV2 class and lower. There will be prizes for hang gliding division in topless and kingpost classes. Pilots can enter only one category in each division. That means PG pilots can only enter flights in either DHV2/3 and higher or DHV2 and lower, HG pilots can enter only in Topless or Kingpost.

• Duration is longest continuous period between launch and landing.

• Final distance category will be for the team of two pilots (1 in each discipline) who have the maximum combined distance between them on the same day. Pilots must launch with 30 minutes of one another to qualify. There are no class restrictions in the team portion. Meaning pilots aren't restricted to flying the same class of wing as they are using for the individual portion of the competition.

• Team flights cannot be used in the individual award category.

• Seven awards total, $ 100 each award. Contest ends October 31, 2006.

• All entries need to be accompanied by a gps track, sent to me (Len Szafaryn, flymrpuffy@aol.com ). I also encourage sending along flight descriptions and pictures if you got 'em.

Those are the only rules, but we’ll make some more if we need them.

- Len Szafaryn, CSS Vice-President

Newsletter/Website

The Simba weather station infrastructure has suffered a bit in the recent harsh weather, but the core components are working fine. Many thanks to David and Lauren Ball of Gypsy Flights Hot Air Balloon Adventures (www.gypsyflights.com) for continuing to host our weather station and webcam in Crestline. I've got a new way of visualizing the wind reports (in addition to the graph and table) in the works that I hope you'll find useful. The CSS website itself will change radically in the near future. We'll be going to a Content Mangement System called Drupal shortly after version 4.7 is released (they've just published release candidate 2). This modern, modular framework will feature a new, richer Pilot's Forum with more content flexibility, Board member's blogs for getting news out faster and fielding comments, plus we'll have the ablilty to easily allow interested CSS members to contribute and/or manage other content on the site while keeping a coordinated overall look and feel.

- Ken Howells, CSS Webmaster/Editor

CSS Spring 2006 Ballot/Survey

Fill out your ballot and survey and mail to:

Or bring to the Spring General Membership Meeting Saturday April 29^th, 7 PM at the Andy Jackson Airpark. You may also email your votes to robandi@flytandem.com

BALLOT (circle your votes)

CSS MEMBER SURVEY

Name:_________________________________________ CSS#________ USHPA#________

In consideration of the future of the CSS and the Andy Jackson Airpark, I have read the details of the options and am marking what I think the CSS should consider as their order of preference. I am circling a 1, a 2, and a 3 with 1 meaning first choice and 3 meaning least favorite choice.

• 1 2 3 (circle one) Do Nothing with the north side property. Leave it status quo and take the risks that development will not affect our approach to the airpark.

• 1 2 3 (circle one) Pay the property taxes plus $200 a month for water rights. Assume the risks that the current owners will be willing to continue losing about $850 a month and not sell the property to recoup their losses.

• 1 2 3 (circle one) Buy the property. This means if we have a good chance that members actually are willing to loan the amount necessary to buy the property, we should actually do it.

Now let’s pretend for a moment that the CSS is actually going to try to buy the property. Even if you chose a different option as your preferred first choice, what amount of loan would you be willing and able to offer the CSS. Circle the choice that best describes you…

$0.00       $5000       $10,000       >$10K (enter amount)_________________