WE FINALLY DID IT!!
The GRSMS is up and running after months and months of meetings, decisions,
research, constitution drafting and so on. One thing I have discovered is
that all male pilots are definitely in touch with their female side - they
seem to also have the right to change their minds at a drop of a hat! I
always thought that this was a privilege only we girls were allowed?
The four local clubs have all finally and unanimously joined hands, ideas
and most importantly, work parties. SO much manual labour has gone into our
local sites in preparation of a bumper summer season which is well on its
way already. Alien vegetation has been removed, fire breaks are put in,
windsocks replaced, roads repaired, take off and landings are mowed and made
larger or more accessible if needed, land rentals paid and sign boards to
replaced and maintained. Contractors are often hired to do the more
specialised work but often the clubs get together and work like Trojans -
only before it is flyable - and of course, work parties also provide the
perfect excuse for a braai afterwards!! The people doing all this clean up
work have been thanked so often but what-the-hell, I am doing it again.
Thanks to everyone involved (that includes the wives for their support and
packed lunches!!) - your hard work and dedication has paid off - the sites
are all looking fantastic and the forthcoming maintenance and upgrading
plans are going to ensure that we have the best sites in the country!!!!
Thanks to all the clubs for their unending patience while the committee were
ploughing through all the ground work, pouring over endless reams of paper
and emailing back and forth on how things should be structured. We have
finally got there!
Okay, enough back patting...down to business.
Site fees for this coming season and the year ahead are as follows:
R50.00 per week
R100.00 per month
R130.00 per annum.
The payment points are The Hydro at the Beach Hotel, Mr Cheeseman at
Gericke's, Coastal Paragliding at Brenton-on-Sea.
These fees cover all the sites in the Garden Route, Mossel Bay, Kysna,
Oudtshoorn and surrounds. For flying at the Map of Africa please contact Jan
on 082 7778474
If you make a direct bank deposit please make sure that you still get your
receipt and sticker!
Our bank account details are as follows:
Garden Route Site Management System OR GRSMS
Nedbank - George
Branch Code: 150605
Account number: 2506028099
Please give proof of your deposit to the place/person that you obtain your
sticker from.
For any other enquiries please email me or call me on 082 8811198.
Fly safe
Ria
Secretary
Garden Route Site Management Committee
SKYWINGS PARAGLIDING CLUB
GENERAL NOTICE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WILDERNESS SITE MAINTENANCE FEE SYSTEM
As a result of the increasing demands being placed on the local club
controlling these sites to meet the requirements of safety, maintenance,
sign boards, bush clearing, windsocks & masts, removal of alien
vegetation/trees/, rubbish removals, etc, it has become necessary to
implement a 'Site Maintenance Fee' system. There are agreements with
the
property owners, Parks board and the Local councils, who demand that
their
properties be kept tidy and properly run or they will close down these
sites
,with the resultant loss to the whole paragliding community of SA and
the
world for that matter. The spiralling costs of maintaining these sites,
27
of them, have reached a point where it now exceeds the local club's
budget
and additional funds are desperately needed.
The funds generated will be used to upgrade all the sites under the
club's
control and will benefit all the pilots flying these beautiful sites.
The
system will work by placing the onus on the pilots using these sites
to
purchase the necessary permits from the local agents - currently the
Wilderness Beach Hotel (Old Holiday Inns) Wilderness, 044 - 877 1104.
The
hotel will assist us in the issuing of these permits. The hotel is
also
conveniently and centrally located on the N2 highway. The permits may
be
purchased at the reception desk. A sticker will be issued which must
be
attached to the pilots helmet.
The fee will consist of 2 options e.g.
R 100 - Valid for 2 Weeks or
R 200 - Valid for 1 Year.
The fee will cover all the sites and equates to a nominal fee of +
- R4 or
R8 per site per annum, depending on which option exercised.
We urge all pilots to purchase these permits and support us in our efforts
to ensure that some of the most beautiful sites in our country are
retained
and maintained for the use of the general paragliding community, both
in
South Africa and overseas.
This permit system will be operational as from today.
Issued on behalf of the Skywings Paragliding Club
From: "Roy Williams Woodfinish Managment" Subject: MORE GOOD NEWS FROM SEDGEFIELD > Gentlemen, > > Mr. Mario Ferreira of Chas Everitt has asked me to convey to the
paragliding community his wish to continue to make the Gerickes Point
flying site available for our flying activities. > He is insistent that the site be controlled jointly by the four clubs in
the region. > > He has some points of concern which will be addressed in a proposed joint
agreement between Mario Ferreira on behalf of the owner of the property and
the four clubs. > > Mr. Ferreira will advise us in due course what he would like to be included
in the agreement. > > In the meantime all pilots are asked to respect the owner's property. > > Once an agreement is finalized the contents thereof will be published. > > May I suggest that the four clubs get together to discuss the management of this site so that we can ensure that we meet the owner's
requirements. > > Kind regards, > > ROY WILLIAMS. Firstly and most importantly the Sedgeview site is run by a committee made up
of the four clubs in the region: (i.e.) Skywings Skybound Wild to Fly Head for Heights A joint legal agreement with the owner of the site was entered into by all
four clubs. The owner has given us his wholehearted support and its his wish
that the whole paragliding community enjoys the facility that he has kindly made
available to us. We are indeed privileged to have the use of such a beautiful
site. Secondly: A great deal of work has already been done on the site and more is
planned. All of this work has been done by pilots in the area. In addition we have
been privileged to have received sponsorships for certain elements of our site
development with others promised. The bottom line is that we now have a site which is very user friendly and
safe and this has all been done at no cost to the flying community, other than
their labour. At a Sedgeview Site committee meeting on 27 July attended by 3 of the clubs
(the fourth club missed consecutive meetings without apology) a unanimous
decision was made that it was morally indefensible to charge visiting pilots to
fly at the Sedgeview site in view of the fact that all development work was done
by the flying community themselves without incurring costs from outside
contractors. It was therefore decided that all pilots from around the country and abroad
would be welcome to fly at the Sedgeview site for free. THAT'S RIGHT -NO SITE FEES ON SEDGEVIEW. This decision was communicated to all four clubs in the area as well as our
intention to publicise this fact nationally. This we have done (see Pg.. 7 of
the Go-Fly magazine). Johnnie's e-mail has omitted these facts. We are sure that this was just an
oversight on his part. See you all for some great flying at Sedgeview this season. Dear SAHPA members and Club Safety Officers SAFETY NOTICE: WILDERNESS BEACH HOTEL Just a reminder to all - please refer to the attachment
with regards to the safety notice posted on the 20th December 2008 (see the word
doc attached). The arrangements still stand and remain relevant to the site.
The onus falls on the individual pilot to operate within the set parameters. In short, top-landings are discouraged at this particular site, a minimum of
100 flights are required from basic pilots, no students are allowed to fly the
site and at least 5 sign-offs are required. Let us hope that the parties involved with the negotiations with the Hotels
management are successful and we do get the safer options of an obstacle free
west side landing area. Until then if your landing options are limited don’t
push your limits. Rather take the safe option and heed the advice of highly
experienced pilots who have warned of the inherent dangers and use the beach.
(highly recommended option). Those with local knowledge and in a position to mentor less experienced or
visiting pilots are reminded to do so, especially with regards the Beach Hotel
site. Visiting pilots are requested to please seek advice and assistance from
local club safety officers when flying the site. The above arrangements are important to reduce the risk of injury and
potentially the loss of the site should accidents start happening. Happy flying to all. From: the SAHPA Committee
Wilderness
15 December 2003
September 2009
Cango Caves, Oudtshoorn ostrich farms. Knysna The Heads.. Up to Tsitsikama. Mossel Bay scenic route. Swim, Snorkel, beach....