What, you may ask, do the Sox have to do with paragliding? I could spin a nice yarn about how they share the qualities of determination, patience, and finesse, but I'll be honest: nothing. The Sox have nothing to do with paragliding, but damn-it I haven't had a reason to celebrate a baseball victory since many years before I was born 2 miles from Fenway Park-so I'm running this picture darn it!!

Alright, back to paragliding:

In this issue we have an article from Ann explaining the election process for 2005 BAPA officers including how you to can run for office! We also have an announcement of the holiday party, hosted by Tom Moock this year, minutes, a guide to winter flying around the country and the world, and an important article from Juan Laos on appropriate attitude for a long and safe flying career.

Go Sox!

Upcoming BAPA Elections

Ann Sasaki

The BAPA officer elections for 2005 will not be as hotly contested as the Kerry/Bush race. However, being an officer in one of the country's largest and most active paragliding clubs isn't a bad thing. Our club has more members (currently about 160 from all parts of the Bay Area and beyond) and sponsors more events and clinics than most regional organizations. We have received the USHGA Newsletter of the Year award twice and individual members have received Special Commendation awards for their contributions to the sport of paragliding.

As an officer in BAPA, you contribute to the vitality and growth of the club. Your leadership makes a difference and your hard work is appreciated by the members. Starting in 2005, all officers and appointees (Site Administrators, Newsletter Editors, Membership Coordinator and Technical Support) will have their annual dues paid by the club. Officers also get nifty BAPA business cards - surely a reason to run for office. :)

The most important benefit of being an officer is that you can bring your great ideas to fruition. If you like to gather people together for flying and activities, if you think education and safety are important, you can initiate club activities to promote these things. You also get to meet a lot of people and develop friendships and find flying buddies for trips.

The schedule for elections this year is:

1. Prior to the November 3 meeting, if you would like to run for a position for 2005, email Julie Spiegler at Julie@helium.com to let her know which position you would like to run for. At the November 3 meeting, Julie will announce who is running for which position. Members can also volunteer to run for an office at the November 3 meeting if they did not have a chance to contact Julie in advance.

2. Please note that in order to be an officer, you should plan to come to most of the meetings. The face-to-face discussions that we have at meetings are critical to working out issues and determining the course of the club.

3. There will be an electronic ballot put up for members to vote before the December 1 meeting. The four folks who don't have email will receive a paper ballot.

4. At the December 1 meeting, the officers for 2005 will be announced. The officers will start in their new positions at the January 2005 meeting.

So what are the various officer positions and what responsibilities do they entail? The following list provides a description of each elected officer position.

A. President: Provides leadership and direction for BAPA. The president presides at all Membership and Executive Committee meetings. The President has the authority to authorize and execute binding obligations on behalf of BAPA, with prior authorization via motion at Membership Meetings.

B. Vice President: Will assume the office of president if the position of president is vacant. The Vice President will preside over Membership and Executive Committee meetings if the President or his delegate are not in attendance.

C. Secretary: Keeps the minutes of Membership meetings and submits those minutes to the newsletter, prepares any necessary club documents, and maintains archives of BAPA records and correspondence.

D. Treasurer: Manages the receipt, disbursement, and accounting of BAPA finances. The treasurer will create a BAPA financial report, in accordance with the BAPA Financial Policy and Procedure document, annually, and as directed by the Executive Committee or by motion at a Membership Meeting.

E. Safety and Education Director: Provides and collects accident report forms from pilots having, or observers of, paragliding related accidents.and submits USHGA Accident Reports as required. The Safety and Education Director disseminates information which is related to or contributes to the safe practice of paragliding.

F. Site Director: Manages and coordinates the acquisition of new, and the administration of existing, BAPA paragliding sites. The Site Director appoints Site Administrators for each Site administered by BAPA (pending ratification by motion at a Membership Meeting) and serves on all Paragliding Site related Special Committees as a representative of the Executive Committee.

G. Activities Director: Organizes fly-ins, social activities, safety clinics and other

flying-related events. The Activities Director updates the BAPA event calendar and writes a column for the newsletter on upcoming events.

So there you have it. If you are interested in running for an officer position, please email Julie Spiegler at Julie@helium.com before the November 3 meeting. Let Julie know which position you would like to run for. If you have any questions on the election process or the officer positions, please contact me at annsasaki@sbcglobal.net

Thanks for your contribution to a strong and active club!

This year, the BAPA Holiday party will be at Tom Moock's house in San Leandro on December 11 from 6:30 til ??. BAPA will provide some basic food like ham or turkey and we would like members bring hors d'oeuvres, side dishes, salads, desserts and drinks. Since we won't be at Page Mill Winery (where wine was generously provided), beverage contributions will be more important this year.

Directions to 1586 Daniels St, San Leandro are as follows:

From the Peninsula:

Take the San Mateo Bridge, then take 880 N. See below

From the south Bay:

· Take 880 N

· Go East on 238

· Go Northwest on 580, toward Oakland

· Take the Estudillo Exit, Turn right on Grand

· Turn right on Estudillo, go under Freeway

· Go two blocks, then turn left to stay on Estudillo Ave

· Turn left on Brookvale

· Turn left on Daniels

· Fourth house on right, 1586 Daniels

From San Francisco:

· Take the (80) Bay Bridge

· Take highway 580 Southeast, toward Hayward

· Take the Estudillo Exit

· Second light: Left on Estudillo Ave

· Go two blocks, then turn left to stay on Estudillo Ave

· Turn left on Brookvale

· Turn left on Daniels

· Fourth house on right, 1586 Daniels

There are no particular parking restrictions (Tom says people on his block have parties regularly) so park wherever you can.

If convenient, carpooling would probably be a good idea. Please let me know (hsheppar@dhs.ca.gov) before Dec 5 if you are planning to attend, the number of guests you will bring, and what food or drink you can provide. I will do some organizing of the menu if necessary.

The prizes for the XC League competition and the prizes for the calendar photos will be awarded at the party. Although time is short, Jug is also hoping to have the 2005 paragliding calendars available at the party. If you have any other suggestions for activities and/or entertainment (e.g. flying videos) let me know. Please join your fellow BAPA pilots and friends in celebrating the holiday season, another year of enjoying our passion for flying, and the friendships that grow out of our relentless pursuit of air time.

Winter Flying Beyond the Bay

Winter flying in the Bay Area is, well, rare. Winds turn east and offshore, thermals get weak. And the rains come…

So what's a self-respecting sky-addict to do? Travel! Below are brief descriptions from local pilots of their favorite winter flying destinations.

• Brazil, Chip Sheppard
• Chamonix and St. Moritz, James R. Trudell
• La Salina, Baja California Mexico, Ann Sasaki
• Mount Bachelor, Oregon, Penguin
• New Zealand, David Salmon
• South Africa, Pam Brenner
• Spain, Tim Crandle
• Valle de Bravo, Mexico, Tom Moock
• Hong Kong and other Asian destinations, Chris Northcutt
• Chile, Andrew Mutz
• Sun Valley, Idaho, Penguin

For more information on the destinations listed, contact the authors or write to editor@sfbapa.org and we will get you in touch with the author.

Thank you to all who submitted their stories.

Brazil, Chip Sheppard

Below the equator destinations are always a good bet in the winter and
some of the most beautiful are in Brazil.

I have had a couple of opportunities to go to Rio de Janeiro in the winter and had a wonderful time.

Although there are some great inland thermal sites in Brazil, most of my airtime has been at the one coastal site just outside of Rio. Going from north to south, the famous tourist beaches of Rio include Ipanema, Copacabana, and then Pepino where you will find the Pepino beach hang/para-gliding site. This is a combination ridge-lift and thermal site that doesn't always provide long flights but it's incredibly scenic and the 1,700 ft elevation provides a nice flight, even when it's only a sled ride. However, when it's working, all-day flights are possible and on rare big days, you can fly to the famous Christo and back, providing the grand view of all of Rio.

The launch for paragliders is below and in front of the hang glider launch-ramp and can be a bit intimidating at first. It's a very short "three-step-forward-launch-only" but there is usually a launch attendant to help you with a perfect lay-out so it's easier than it looks, assuming your forward-launch skills are in good shape.

The hangies land right on the beach and us baggers land on a nice open grassy area right next to the beach-boardwalk and snack bar. I routinely used the public bus to get from my Copacabana beach-hotel to Pepino and was usually able to bum a ride to launch but it's more convenient and faster to have a
car.

If you want some local assistance, I would recommend contacting Paulo Pinto (ppinto@gaveasky.com.br, www.gaveasky.com.br 21-9193-3193) who is a long-time Pepino beach instructor and a really great guy who speaks English.

There's at least one inland thermal site about an hour outside of Rio called Petropolis (another reason to have a car). I flew there once and had a great flight. Undoubtedly, Paulo could help you find your way there.

Chamonix and St. Moritz, James R. Trudell

Chamonix allows paragliders to use the ski lifts. There are separate
launch sites with nicely compacted snow. Several years ago I stayed at the
paragliding hotel of Dennis Trott in Chamonix . They had great food and
guided us to a new site for flying each day. That expert knowledge of
weather conditions in the valley is really essential for a safe and happy
trip. I had an incredible flight from the Aguille-de-Midi that went past
Mt. Blanc and then over the famous glacier of the Mere de Glas (sea of ice).

St. Moritz allows you to take off on skis (special site all set up for ski
takeoffs), fly over the town all the way down to a huge lake, and land very
safely on your skis. A short walk to a tram and you are back on top. The
Club Med there has super food.

More information on Dennis Trott's Alpine Flyer's Lodge near Chamonix, France: www.flyers-lodge.com

La Salina, Baja California Mexico, Ann Sasaki

La Salina is a well-known thermal site in Baja California. It is about a one-hour drive from the Mexico border, and 20 minutes south of the town of Ensenada. The ridge is 4.5 miles long and 700 feet high. The launches are quite open and located right on the cliff edge. The landing zone is a fairly easy glide out from the ridge. The ridge is lava rock that heats up in the sun during the day. The rest of the terrain is desert with small bushes and dry conditions. The sea breeze often comes in and provides ridge soaring mixed with the thermals.

On a good day at La Salina, pilots can get several thousand feet over the ridge and fly for hours enjoying the expansive view out to the ocean. La Salina is known to be quite consistent even in the winter months. Several paragliding schools take annual trips to La Salina in the winter because the conditions are soarable and the weather is mild.

Pilots often stay at the Baja Seasons Resort which is a nice resort right on the beach. On the good day when you get way over launch, you can fly back to the hotel! A margarita at the end of a long flight sounds pretty nice.

To see photos and for more information, including information on trips to La Salina, please visit the following websites -

http://www.paraflypg.com/Baja.htm (photos and clinic info)
http://www.flyaboveall.com/pasila.htm (photo of the beach and site safety guidelines)
http://www.flytorrey.com/web/main/default.asp (general Torrey Pines website)
http://www.flytorrey.com/web/main/NewsBajathermal.asp (glowing write up of 2001 clinic)

Mount Bachelor, Oregon, Penguin

http://www.desertairriders.org/bachelor.html has all the details - minimum P-2 - bring your logbook and USHGA membership. Club membership required.

18 miles from Bend, flying off Bachelor from the 9100 foot level is a west launch a short walk from the top lift.

You then hook a left to fly around the corner-large LZ next to mid parking lot.

"Point Passes" make the lift ticket affordable. First place I ever thermalled over snow-caught a nice one over the 7500 foot lift building...

Contact Raven (George Young) 541.317.8300-raven(at)coinet.com)-and check out the Desert Air Riders site: http://www.desertairriders.org/

New Zealand, David Salmon

Flying in New Zealand is an attractive opportunity for Americans in the winter.

It has an abundance of spectacular coastal and inland sites, but it is not a flying paradise because the weather is variable and hard to predict. The weather is most likely to be good in the months of January & February.

Flying sites are scattered throughout the 1000 miles that the country stretches from north to south.

New Zealanders are friendly towards Americans and the country follows the rule of law -- rather too well for those in a hurry on the roads.

Centers of paragliding are found in Auckland, Napier, Christchurch, and Queenstown.

Auckland is the most populated city and probably has the most pilots but it has inconsistent winds.

Christchurch has many sites scattered around the city.

Nelson is my favorite place to fly in New Zealand. It has nice coastal and inland sites with reasonably consistent weather.

Queenstown and nearby Lake Wanaka are good inland locations.

Get a recent copy of the New Zealand hang gliding & paragliding magazine, "Airborne". It has a list of local flying contacts for each region.

South Africa, Pam Brenner

South Africa is a great winter destination for folks wanting to get away from the Northern Hemisphere winter. Visit anytime from October to March, but you can also find good weather in September and April months. If you are looking for warm weather, great hospitality, a varied landscape, and good times, you won't be disappointed.

If you have the time, take in a visit to one of the game parks to experience the bush and Africa's Big 5.

There are many sites available in each of the 9 provincial areas - the
following link will give you an idea of the variety.
http://www.paragliding.co.za/sites/rsa.htm
http://www.sahpa.co.za/sites/
http://www.paragliding.co.za/sites/ALL2003BYREGION.html

To save time getting your "foreign" license requirements squared away before you arrive, go to the following link and take care of the administrative details.
http://www.paragliding.co.za/sahpa/Foreign.htm

A former Bay Area pilot, Darron Guberman, lives in the Cape Town area, and might be a good contact if you are visiting that region - Cape Town is a wonderful coastal city, and if the wind cooperates, you might be able to take a flight off Table Mountain.

Give it a try, you will not be disappointed!

Spain, Tim Crandle

A few years back I had the pleasure of spending a fantastic week in November flying with friends who had moved to the south of Spain, near Alicante. My friends had left Belgium (and their paramotor!) for the cliffs of Santa Pola for the climate but also for the excellent flying environment.

The area around Alicante is a very popular summer resort destination drawing tourists from all over Europe to the warm climate and beautiful coastline. Beware during the tourist season when dorm-like high rises along the coast cause a huge influx of sun-seekers. But when the summer ends, the tourists disappear and the area reveals its charms.

The excellent flying terrain and beautiful soaring along the Mediterranean Sea draw pilots from all over Europe. There is a very active local flying community and the sites and conditions make for year-round flying. They claim to have 30 sites within a 45 minute drive and this makes for consistent flying opportunities for beginners or those seeking to go cross country. There wasn't a single day that wasn't flyable during my one week visit.

Visiting some of the small villages, you can really feel the closeness of north Africa. Many villages have a Moroccan feel and the nexus of cultures makes for an intriguing blend from the high rise resorts to the timeless marketplaces of small towns that are close by.

I strongly recommend this area as a flying destination. You can find info and local contacts at: http://doyouwanna.net/ or http://www.alicante-spain.com/

Valle de Bravo, Mexico, Tom Moock

Valle de Bravo is one of the world's most popular winter flying destinations. It is also one of the most convenient and accessible. There is something for everyone: for new P2s there is both morning thermal flying and afternoon ridge soaring; for cross-country pilots there are strong thermals in the afternoon, a long ridge to fly and a challenging trip to town or toward the volcano; and for competition pilots there is the annual Monarcha event in late January.

Valle is about three hours outside of Mexico city. You can take the bus or have a local driver meet you at the airport and take you directly to your hotel. Accommodations run the gamut from quite inexpensive ($20 per night) to extravagant ($150 per night). You can also arrange with tour operators, such as flymexico.com, who will handle every aspect of your trip and provide retrieves after your flight.

Valle provides good flying from mid December to early March. You can expect some unsettled weather in December, and monsoon conditions will begin in late March, otherwise Valle has quite consistent weather patterns. I have visited there for several years and have not missed more than a day or so of flying. I recommend it.

Hong Kong and other Asian destinations, Chris Northcutt

Hong Kong, of all places, has a really great flying site, Shek-O (http://www.hkpa.net/sites/Site_6_0.htm), which works best during the winter monsoon season, when winds are from the east. I've flown there on several occasions, all of them memorable.

The locals (Hong Kong expats) always know the best places in Asia to go for their pleasures and holidays. They recommend the following guide/service/tour operators: Exofly in Bali, Nirvana Adventures in Mumbai, and Les Sharp in Taiwan. Their links can be found on http://www.hkpa.net/hkpalink.htm.

One recommendation from an old Asian expat (me), using a guide/service is highly recommended, especially for a first landing in non-English-speaking countries. It makes things a lot easier and safer, and you get an entirely different perspective seeing things through the eyes of someone who lives there. In my humble opinion, well worth the extra cost. You won't need to do this in Hong Kong (though do get an intro/sponsor through the HKPA) but elsewhere it makes for a more enjoyable trip with far fewer hassles.

As far as Asian high adventure flying, my fantasy is Mt Kinabalu in the Malaysian state of Sabah on the Northeast coat of Borneo Island. There are guided hikes to the top. It has been done, but I don't know current legalities (it's a national park), but be sure to have your papers in order. A short stay in a Malaysian jail there would be a form of high adventure, especially considering some Borneo tribes used to practice headhunting..

http://www.high-adventure.com/photo_gallery/KK04/
http://www.summitparagliding.com/tours.html

Chile, Andrew Mutz

Excerpted and paraphrased from Andrew's 1998 story "Beyond Windy Corner".

First the Chilean Rulebook:

• Flights change
• Hotels change
• Translators quit
• Vans break or fail to arrive
• It's all part of the adventure

Time of year - In November the wind is between west and southwest at about 15mph, with smooth air on the beaches but progressively larger midday thermal air up the 3000' mountains range. Lift is rarely over 1200fpm, but is reliably over 600fpm below just about every cloud-bottom.

First stop - Antofagasta, a mining city in northern Chile, perched between the beach and the coastal mountains girding the Atacama desert. Close to Santiago. The Astore hotel in lovely downtown Antofagasta is a 'luxury hotel' in Chile, complete with breakfast, soap, towels, and toilet paper. Antofagasta is a good sized city, with busy markets and streets, plenty of restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores, and feels like a city rather than a town. Streets are clean and stores are busy; business looks good here.

Second stop - Tocapilla, a village rather than a city, and the main street is busy with little hole-in-the-wall shops and telephone parlors. The town plaza is immaculate and little kids ride their bicycles around it. One garbage wagon is pulled by mules, and the town dogs wander together in front of the closed Coco Bongo club. The single 'nice' restaurant in town is rarely busy, and features barbecued steaks and other meats.

A sampling of the sites around Antofagasta and Tocapilla:

• La Portada, a beach with a natural arch in the water just in front of it, complete with a small tourist bar/restaurant. La Portada is a fine beach site with about 150 feet of cliff above a decent size beach. The cliff top is soft sand with an occasional massive coil of steel-radial tire wire from a no-doubt fragrant beach bonfire.
• Huascar, a 600' ridge-site just south of town. This old copper-mine site has a nice friendly southwest facing bowl and fairly gentle and steady lift.
• La Mina, an abandoned mine site north of town at 1000' MSL.
• Cactus, 1800' above the sea. It is a long, rocky drive around town to the bailout so make it to the beach!
• Lucky's, in memory of a little misnamed dog hit by a car years earlier. Lucky's launch is accessed by driving east into the Atacama desert before turning back towards the coast. A few miles north of La Portada and a 62 mile XC to Tocapilla
• Hornitas is a small beach resort north of La Portada not far from Lucky's launch. Several mile long ridge soaring site.
• Paquica ridge, 10 km out of Tocapilla. North of Tocapilla is a free-flight Mecca for those seeking great air and lots of airtime. The coastal mountains range for 100 miles to the north, with challenging gaps and terrain, but it's very rare to be out of range of a smooth beach within easy glide and few structures, wires, or roads beside the coast highway interfere with flight.

Sun Valley, Idaho, Penguin

Sun Valley is one of the oldest destination ski resorts in the U.S., and has one of the more civilized approaches to paragliding.

FlySunValley.com has all the info on the "Click Here for Information for Visiting Pilots".

Stop by the retail shop at 160 W. 4th Street any flyable day-usually there are
tandems getting together and you sign up and go along.

Basically, you need a P-3 or better USHGA license, $25 to join the local club that provides additional insurance to keep the Forest Service and Sun Valley Inc. happy, and a site intro.

You get cheap(er) lift tickets (walk on and/or paraglider pass), up to 100 wuffo skiers watching you launch, and about 12 minute sled rides in the winter with views to die for.

Tis nice to call ahead at 208.726.3332

There are also glider rides from the Hailey airport that can be fun (more so in the summer), and you can always snowboard or ski if the flying weather is bad. There are many days in January and February that are blue-hole calm and flyable.

http://www.flysunvalley.com/
http://www.visitsunvalley.com/
http:/ho/www.sunvalleycentral.com/index.php

It has been a bad few months in terms of accidents and incidents and it pains my heart that our sport which brings so much joy to our lives also brings so much unnecessary pain - not only to the pilot who suffers from an accident but to their family and friends as well. One of my graduates recently had a serious accident. He is alive and will mostly recover but he will certainly be scarred in more ways than one. He was an excellent student and seemed to "get it" regarding judgment during training. However, once graduated, he chose to push the limits constantly. In spite of my numerous attempts at reining him in-talking to him and explicitly letting him know that he was exceeding his limitations relative to his experience level-he continued to push. He flew a lot with some more experienced pilots during the week or when I was on the training hill with other students. His luck ran out and he ended up falling out of the sky.

Most of the incidents and accidents that we, as a group, experience are due to poor judgment and inexperience. It is difficult to separate the two, as much of our judgment comes from experience. Most of us want to push the envelope and progress as pilots as we learn to soar more efficiently and keep ourselves in the air longer. As we grow and develop, we tend to forget how we looked up to more experienced pilots and how we wanted to emulate them when we were fledglings. It is very heady to have "newbies" looking to you as a "sky god" and it is a difficult task to keep the newer pilots within a relatively safe envelope when they long to soar like the "big dogs," so to speak.

One of the most difficult tasks as an instructor is to impart an understanding of how important it is for students to progress at a slow and easy pace, well within an envelope that is reasonable for their skill level at any given time. However, that is the responsibility that we take on as instructors and we must deal with it as best as we can. By reiterating the concept of slow progress within a reasonable envelope-in other words a conservative approach to progressing in the sport-we can, for the most part, instill patience in our students. I use phrases like "gravity works 100% of the time, fly the wing 100% of the time and be a pilot 100% of the time" and "what are the stated limitations of your current rating?" to help new pilots develop an understanding of various concepts and hopefully develop good judgment through a slow and conservative approach. I do very intensive weather and conditions analysis on the hill and I very explicitly point out the dangers of certain conditions, regardless of skill level. I share incidents and accidents relative to particular situations to help illustrate the potential dangers. I warn my students that they will observe some very experienced and skilled pilots and maybe some not so experienced or not so skilled pilots flying in conditions or in a manner that is certainly not at all appropriate for a beginner or intermediate pilot, or perhaps any pilot! I remind them they should never decide to try something just because they see someone else doing it; they absolutely must stay within their own envelope appropriate for their experience level.

They will at times be encouraged by more experienced pilots to fly, even though it may not be appropriate for their experience level. Those of us who are more experienced and are "mentoring" newer pilots must always be aware of the great responsibility that we carry as we help other pilots become better, even if it means being a spoil sport or being labeled as "too conservative" by others. I don't believe there is such a thing as too conservative when it comes to newer pilots, there is plenty of time to learn and gain experience.

One of my students forwarded me an article by a South African Pilot, Richard Grant, which I thought had a lot to offer; following is an excerpt:

"Every time I hear of paragliding accidents that involve strong winds or rough air, I think of paragliders and rowing boats.

It seems to me that paragliders and rowing boats have a great deal in common. Like a paraglider, a rowing boat is something small and light enough to be handled and transported by one person. It goes on the roof of a car or even in the boot. It is possible to launch a rowing boat almost anywhere and once at the waters edge, a rowing boat provides the freedom to leave the shoreline and all the picnickers behind and float free and easy around the lake or pond.

Such freedom and convenience comes at a price. You can't go floating on just any old water, it has to be fairly calm and there must be no prospect of sudden changes in the weather. The wakes of bigger boats pose a real danger and a current of more than a couple of knots would sweep the intrepid and startled oarsperson away.

All of these limitations and many more are happily accepted by most of those who go about in such craft and rowing is regarded as a safe activity. Nevertheless there are a few who have pushed the accomplishments of rowing boats way beyond the commonly accepted. People have crossed oceans in rowing boats and performed great feats of navigation with only the most rudimentary equipment. We admire and remember these people as courageous and daring, but few would consider trying to emulate them.

Danger and Stupidity

There is a vast difference between doing something dangerous and doing something stupid. Any dangerous activity can be made arbitrarily safe by taking suitable precautions and making adequate preparation. Crossing oceans in rowing boats is certainly dangerous but setting out without all the extensive preparation required for such a trip would be plain stupid.

Now it seems to me that paragliders are the rowing boats of the skies and I would ask those who regard paragliding as unsafe to reflect on this idea. I think it is time we looked seriously at just what a paraglider provides in relation to what it consists of and then realize that there are bound to be limitations to paragliding which we must accept in the same way that rowing boat owners accept the limitations of their small craft.

I expect most people can row a boat although a few just never seem to get the hang of it. Nevertheless the first experiences are likely to have been on some very calm and still water somewhere. Who would consider anything else? As experience and confidence increases we might be tempted onto larger expanses of water with small waves and a bit of wind about, but always within our proven capabilities.

There are plenty of stupid things that I could do with a rowing boat. One of then would be to pop down to the coast and try to launch my rowing boat into the Southern Ocean off an open beach. If I drowned in the attempt, you would call that very stupid. You would add even more adjectives if I waited until the middle of the day when the surf was at its highest and then attempted to launch blindfold, yet this is analogous to taking our paragliders into strong thermals. We find paraglider pilots who wait around at launch for the thermals to really start booming before taking off into an invisible maelstrom of breaking waves, surges and rip currents. When their canopies collapse and spin them to the ground, we hear complaints of unstable, unsafe gliders, seldom a judgment about the sanity of the pilot. Sure there are rowing boats that go out through the surf, lifeguards use them. With knowledge, skill, experience and the right equipment, it can be done safely, but should we try such a feat until we know exactly what we are doing and the real extent of our capabilities?"

Kind of illustrates the experience thing doesn't it? The student that sent this to me, I feel, has "gotten it." He understands why I would respond to him with questions, when asked if it was OK to launch when it may have been inappropriate for his skill and experience level. Those of us who are more experienced understand what's going on but the newbie may not, no matter how skilled he or she may be.

A very good friend of mine who is also an excellent instructor is no longer flying, stating that "There have been too many accidents recently." It saddens me that I will no longer share the air with him but he is right: there have been too many accidents, and I don't blame him for not wanting to experience more sadness and pain. Accidents are bad for everyone and are certainly not good for the sport or our flying sites. Those of us who are more experienced have a responsibility to give back to the sport that has given us so much: a responsible mentality relative to how we interact and "mentor" our newer pilots. We instructors can only do so much and we are with our students a relatively short amount of time. Let's help our new pilots get their experience safely, so they too can someday be "big dogs". And let's all row our boats safely and with good judgment not just for ourselves but for everyone.

Executive Meeting

The quarterly executive meeting of club officers was held prior to the general members meeting. The topic was officer elections for the upcoming year. A description of the duties of each office will be published in the ridge dancer. Members are encouraged contribute to the success of BAPA by becoming involved in the operation of the club and to run for office. In the past officer candidates were nominated by other people. This meant that if a person wanted to run, they had to ask someone to nominate them at the meeting.

This year we are using a simpler procedure. Anyone who wants to run for an office should contact Julie Spiegler at julie@helium.com, or by telephone, before the November 3 BAPA meeting and say what office they want to run for. At the November meeting, Julie will read the list of candidates who have volunteered to run and which positions they are running for. Additional volunteers can be added at the meeting if necessary.

An electronic ballot will be created and members will vote before the December 1 meeting. The four people without email will receive a hardcopy ballot

General Members Meeting

The July meeting was conducted by Ann Sasaki; President. Officers present were Rolf Bienert; Vice-President, Tom Moock; Co-Site Director, Stefan Schulz; Treasurer Pete Norlander; Secretary, Jeff Wishnie; Co-Site Director, and Wally Anderson; Safety Director. A total of 14 members were present.

New Members/Visitors

No visitors or new members were present at the October meeting.

Officers' Report

President - Meeting called to order by Ann Sasaki.

Treasurer Stefan Schulz reported $4,275.60 in the club account. Eleven new members joined during the month of September. Total membership is now 157. Accounting for the increase in new members, Pacific Skyways School of Paragliding includes a one year membership in BAPA when a student earns their P2 rating.

Safety Director Wally Anderson reported on the recently added accident reporting page on the BAPA website. Eleven accidents/incidents have been reported to date. The tally is 4 blowbacks, 3 hitting hill, 2 reserve deployments, 2 knee injuries, 3 pelvis injuries, and 1 back injury. Wally thanked all who took the time to report. By sharing their experiences, we all learn. The paragliding community as a whole becomes safer.

Activity Director Chip Sheppard reported on upcoming events. A fly-in is scheduled for Elk Mountain on the weekend of October 22-24. The annual Holiday party will be held at Tom Moock's house in San Leandro on Saturday, December 11. A reserve clinic and first aid class are planned. Time and date are to be announced. The club has sponsored these classes in the past. If you weren't able to attend in the past or you want to take a refresher class, keep an eye on the event calendar.

Co-Site Director Jeff Wishnie reported that both Tollhouse and Dunlap remain closed to paragliding. It is unknown when or if the current situation will change.

Old Business

Minutes From Past Meeting

A motion was made to approve the September minutes as printed in the Ridge Dancer newsletter. The motion was carried and approved by the members present.

New Business

Ann Sasaki reported on the request by Rick Cavallaro for $300.00 to help with expenses related to the Fort Funston web cam. The website requires 2 phone lines and an Internet Service Provider at a cost of $60.00 per month. Costs are shared with the hang gliding community at Fort Funston and individual contributions. Wally Anderson motioned to approve the expenditure. The motion was carried by the members present.

A motion was made by Gever Tulley to waive the annual dues requirement for club officers and appointed individuals. The motion was approved. This will take effect in 2005.

Jeff Wishnie is planning an upcoming article for the Ridge Dancer newsletter on winter flying destinations. Talpapa, Turkey, Rio de Janeiro, Marshall; do you have a favorite winter flying destination you would be willing to share about? Write it up and send it to the editor at editor@sfbapa.org.

Entertainment

The entertainment for night was a video titled, X-Force = The Science of Free Flight. The subject was XC paragliding by a group of European pilots that made a first time flight across a particularly remote and mountainous area of New Zealand.

We're not sure but we either lost the October report or there wasn't one. Regardless, the November edition has Sept-Oct combined reporting.