The Crestline Soaring Society is considering an important change regarding the lawn by switching to an alternate coverage at the Andy Jackson Airpark and discontinuing its relationship with the 15 acre Cross Country Ranch. Decisions have consequences and I feel I am in a unique position to provide the history of the lawn at the LZ and of our relationship with the Ranch.

In the 1990s we had received the LZ following a hard won battle that had lasted from 1989 until 1993. The LZ was an unimproved dirt plateau of current shape. We had no water and the idea of a lawn was not realistic. The pilots had a far greater sense of ownership of this scrub covered 4 acre LZ than what we see today. The joy the pilots felt reflected not what the LZ looked like but rather having the recent memory of the challenge and victory to actually get an official LZ they could call their own.

I was an officer of the CSS for most of its history from 1979 until my eventual retirement from direct CSS officer duties in 2008. The 1990s saw us build a shade structure, stairs from the parking area to the LZ and a series of small carpeted areas that continually blew around each fall/winter which we gladly repositioned following each wind event.

By the late 90s a local homeless pilot named “Timmy” had taken up residence at the LZ. Timmy was a hard worker and did far more than his share of improvements and general maintenance at the site. He carved out a pathway to the 750 called the “750X” (750 express). One day in Oct 1999 he mentioned to me that he found a small running water
source just off the 750X. I flew over it the next day and after landing I hiked up to evaluate it. Within weeks we had a series of collection buckets installed that fed into several 550 gallon plastic tanks that we rolled up to the 150′ above LZ height to create
some 65 psi pressure and we began digging in a sprinkler system at the LZ.

The initial sprinkler system was controlled by a single 9 volt battery and we had roughly 4 gallons per minute in winter being collected and 2 gallons a minute in summer. An apron of grass around the shade structure took shape in spring of 2000. Being limited to 2 gpm
meant that we were limited to about 20,000 square feet of lawn which was in the shape of a 100′ wide by 200′ long rectangle running along the west side of the LZ.

By summer 2001 it was obvious that the lawn was a huge hit with the pilots, and the idea to expand it became a possibility as we considered tapping into a far more reliable source near the old nudist camp roughly 1 mile east of the LZ. We bought 4000′ of 1.5″ flex hose and soon had our tanks collecting at a rate of over 10 gallons a minute. We extended the length and width of the rectangular lawn until we had 80% of the LZ covered. The system employed over 100 residential type sprinkler heads in 8 runs.

Disaster struck in late October 2003 when the “Old Fire” burned the entire water collection system along with several gliders in and around containers at the LZ. We retreated back to our original water collection and turned off some of the expanded sprinkler areas.

In 2005 we had a new challenge. Developers of the property to our east were seeking a reissuance of a plan to build 160 acres of condos adjacent to the LZ on the east side and were eyeballing the 15 acre property to the north of the LZ. We began a political fight to limit the proximity of these condos on our east side approach airspace, and to help keep our airspace clear a couple of pilots got together to bid on purchasing the 15 acre property on our north side. We did lose the fight to limit condos on the east side but the two local pilots Len Szafaryn and Owen Morse did manage to get the north side acreage.

As I recall they had to provide $55K each and arrange an additional $420K bank loan to finalize the purchase. Their intention was and always has been to provide a temporary protection of losing this property to developers with the hopes that additional members or perhaps the entire CSS or maybe the USHPA would step in the become the permanent owners.

It was obvious that being able to remove the fencing and trees that obstructed the north side approach would mean a far larger effective LZ. The removal of the fence surrounding the Ranch property meant the opportunity for clearing and opening the HG 80’ training hill. And there was the potential for Ranch camping spots. And the new water supply would be sufficient to cover perhaps the entire LZ. This new addition to our landing facility was incorporated as the Cross County Ranch (aka the Ranch).

I was convinced that the best future would be for the CSS to purchase the Ranch so that the pilots had full control of all of it so we would never see an “US vs THEM” situation. Throughout 2007 as CSS President I lobbied to get pledges of donations and proudly presented to the CSS the fact that we had $180K in donations pledged if the CSS would enter into a purchase agreement for the Ranch. I knew that if the CSS was willing to raise dues to something like $150 a year and save $20K or more a year that initial $180K would grow to approach the full purchase price within 10 years which Len and Owen were willing to sell at their cost. Would 2017 be the year we the
CSS fully controlled the entire 29 acre LZ and Ranch combination?

Imagine the CSS owning its own water source for the grass at the LZ, and a rental income on the property of nearing $20K a year, meaning that pretty much all expenses at the LZ would be covered and dues could be perhaps zero cost to the pilots. Or perhaps continue to collect $100 a year and have $30K or more a year to help save other socal flying sites. But I was to be disappointed that the CSS voted to NOT enter a purchase agreement with the Ranch.

They did however agree to test their ability to run the facility by taking on developing the camping at the Ranch and collect camping fees keeping 50% of the fees. It also agreed to pay the Ranch $500 a month for access to resources (including water) to maintain the lawn at the LZ. I really hoped that after a couple of years the CSS would see they could handle the responsibility and then go for the full purchase.

In 2009 we had enough time to see what was happening regarding profit loss at the Ranch. Since early 2006 it turned out, the Ranch had been bleeding at a rate of a bit over $1200 a month with no change in sight. Since the intent of the Ranch owners was to neither profit nor lose, the CSS chose to increase the monthly payment from the CSS from $500 to $1800 and to keep an eye on the Ranch fiscal health. It seemed quite reasonable considering that the amount of water if purchased from the city would likely be well over $2000 a month.

Then in late spring of 2011 a situation arose regarding one of the pilots camping at the Ranch. What started as a generator noise issue elevated to include personal threats with other campers and CSS officers. Since I had been involved with the CSS for many years prior, I too received a call from this disgruntled camper whereby he declared intent to shoot me and my wife Dianne. I gave him directions to our cabin in Big Bear and invited him to go ahead with his threat, that we are unarmed, so he would have little trouble making good on his threat. Understandably, other CSS officers were not as tolerant of the threats.

I received a call one afternoon on a May day in 2011 from the CSS president. She informed me that the decision at the CSS had been made to sever all ties with the Ranch and the running of the camping facility. It would continue monthly payments but not get involved with camping on the property. I knew that all hope for the CSS to actually OWN the Ranch and run a zero cost LZ was now lost. I realized that in time it could grow to become an “US vs THEM” situation. What a shame, the best intentions of Len and Owen to step up to prevent the developers from getting the Ranch might ultimately mean they would be seen as the bad guys. No good deed goes unpunished is the saying. In my entire life I will never know a more classic example of this axiom of misdirected misfortune.

The years 2012 to present show a gradual increase in the beauty of the Ranch. It was mostly hard work led by Owen and assisted with a dedicated parade of pilots we saw the creation of the pond and the double-decker lounging area as well as the pondside beach. The hope was to continue making the LZ a more beautiful flying site.

The summers of 2020 to 2022 were challenging in keeping the LZ lawn lush. A blowout of a pipe leading to the need to refill the pond caused water shortages which were
impossible to compensate for with hard work. Speaking of hard work, I must also mention that a huge asset of the last decade in keeping the lawn green is Tim Ward. Few examples can match his efforts at the CSS. But one man does not a lawn save during
periods of drought.

So here we are, a couple of tough summers behind us, a lawn looking a bit frazzled, payments to keep the Ranch solvent are sitting at roughly $80 a year per pilot based on
membership numbers. As a pilot and user of the LZ ask yourself, Is it worth $80 a year for a lawn and approach airspace and a HG training hill?

I was informed that the current CSS Officers had recently planned on making a final severance of the Ranch decision without consulting the members as a whole. Given that
it is a guarantee that such a choice means the current owners of the Ranch will sell to the highest bidder which is likely someone not associated with flying, it means a property fence will surely be erected along with a high likelihood of trees on the south lawn of the Ranch. And it is a one way decision with no chance to reverse the decision. It would likely mean that the current 80′ HG training hill will be far less useful because only the lowest 20′ height will be able to not include a high risk of the student flying into the new Ranch fencline. So HG students will start perhaps up to the 20′ height at the bottom of the current 80′ hill then progress to the front SW corner of the LZ for the 55′ height it provides. Gracie the tractor will have to be parked at the LZ parking lot as would the SandyVans all with the risk of vandalism.

The history of the CSS is that it is a club that is run by the members for the members. A decision back in the early 80s was that general functioning decisions were handed to a group of officers elected to do so each year to save the majority of members from being bothered by decisions like what color the T shirts should be that year. But major decisions were always the realm of the entire membership. Our negotiations for the new LZ back in 1989 through 1993 is a classic example of ongoing full membership involvement. CSS By-Laws state that financial decisions involving > 20% of CSS funds must be made with input from members. The CSS has spent >50% of its income each year on the relationship with the Ranch, deciding to permanently terminate this relationship easily meets the threshold and intent to include all members in the decision.  Plus, educating members on the pros and cons of this choice should also be the goal of our current officers.

Therefore I propose that a membership referendum be scheduled with pros and cons explained by those folks who know the details.