A Few Words From Our President

By Joe Brauch

Hello All,

Well, I have been installed as your new president and hope to do a good job for you all. I wish to acknowledge that we are now CHGPA. We will work with and for our paragliding interests this year. Our safety meeting is coming up. I will try to have some knowledgeable folk come and speak on a life saving topics. If the newsletter gets to you in time please think of a topic you would like discussed for this meeting. Upcoming event is the parachute repack. Please support this endeavor and clear your mind that your parachute has been repacked.

In the forefront of this years issues is, of course, the re-opening of High Rock. Many members have already contributed time by writing letter to congress. Others have contacts in varying branches of the FAA and Secret Service. Now we may even have a personal friend to George himself. I will try to disseminate any and all relevant information to the club through the newsletter. I also will be available for contact for ideas anyone would wish to bring up at the meetings. I would emphasize that the list server is not the only forum to throw out ideas, get answers, and take action. Please run your club related (i.e. High Rock and Sport Pilot) ideas to the board and we will act accordingly as a club. I will endorse that every member send a letter to his or her appropriate Congressperson concerning the extended P-40 around High Rock.

Of year long concern will be the Sport Pilot NPRM. I believe that we have a fantastic contact in Joe Gregor and we will rely on his recommendations if there is anything we can and should do as a club. I wish to thank him now for his time and effort already expended on this issue.

I am looking forward to a flyable new year with many boo-wah thermals and much less rotor surfing. As a leader of the club I will always promote safe flying. Always ask yourself "will I be having fun" before you get ready to fly, especially in the strong spring conditions which are not far away. (yeah) There is no harm backing off launch.

I will also be trying to find ways to coordinate flying days. I would like a way to gather and post, when and where people are flying. I know the listserver is invaluable and maybe we can tweak it a little. I would like a way to incorporate new pilots and new 2's to the mountains to help them along for those good flying days. Also, a way to ensure that people off-line and away from home may be able to get flying information. Repeater contacts weekend mornings and maybe a designated site repeater might be a good possibility.

Finally, I would like to thank the outgoing Board for all of their work last year, This year's board is: myself as President, Cragin Shelton as VP-Treasurer, Nigel Dewdney as Secretary, Chris McKee as Flight Director, and Matthew Graham as Director-at-Large. Again, please forward any information of concern or topic you would like discussed to me and I will do my best to have it worked on and out. And do not forget to submit stories to our new Skyline Editor, Ralph Sickinger.

Thanks,

Joe