Redlands Airport Advisory Board

[Daniel Quick]

Call to Action
On Thursday, February 16th, at 6pm
The Redlands Airport Advisory Board will be discussing and vote on restricting the use of hang glider and paraglider activity on public and private property within the city limits.

Please attend this board meeting at:
Redlands City Council chambers
35 Cajon, Redlands, CA 92373
https://goo.gl/maps/hb38PLuEGgW6yWhH7

[Albert Sharp]

I was out of the country and unable to attend.  Is there any update to what was discussed at the meeting?

While looking for an update on their website I found that the meeting could have been attended via Zoom.  I wish I had known that before.  The link to that meeting info is below in case it gets updated and the meetings for this Advisory Board happen every third Thursday at 6pm.

https://www.cityofredlands.org/current-agendas

[Jonathan Dietch]

Hi Albert,
Stan, Jai Pal and myself spoke to the counsel on Zoom along with a retired CFI who welcomed us at KREI. No action will be taken until after an ad hoc committee meets between the CSS, RAA and the City AP Mgr. It was agreed that we all need to meet and communicate together so we can see what will actually work. The chair of the counsel requested the RAA find other existing municipal codes that deal with issues like this. The two that I know of are for different reasons.
AFAIK, the barbed wire topped fence around the adjacent property was not addressed and may continue for act as a trap for unsuspecting pilots.

[David Webb]

I’m sure there are many other factors at play here that are causing tension, but a small idea/suggestion that might be part of a larger solution:

Perhaps some of the Redlands Airport crew would like to post in our Pilot Alerts & TFRs forum when they are having any operations that might have heavier air traffic around that area? Even if it’s not to the level of an official NOTAM, it would be a good heads up for freeflight pilots to steer well clear of that area.

[Albert Sharp]

Thanks John and great idea David.

I think pilots were previously a bit too loose with flying and landing near the airport and this seems to be fallout from that.  I would think that the barbed wire fence sent a clear enough message and hope we can fix this ourselves without prohibiting our sport from the entire city.

Thanks everyone.

[Jonathan Dietch]

I am guessing that the harshest thing the city could do is cite us for trespassing after we’ve landed. This would probably get thrown out in court too.

The looming issue is if the FAA modifies FAR103 in a way that reduces our freedom to fly at will in Class G and E airspace.

The delivery drone lobby is the greater issue and not the City of Redlands.

Separately, there can be frivolous but expensive lawsuits against pilots such as this.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JCM_Farming

[Daniel Quick]

FYI – I was sent an email:
The Redlands Airport Advisory Board (AAB) meeting scheduled for this Thursday evening, 3-16, at 6 pm has been canceled. We have not heard anything about a special meeting being scheduled prior to the next regular meeting scheduled for April 20.  We will share any updates we receive.

[David Webb]

Wow – just read the linked Wikipedia article above about JCM Farming. Their property sounds comically well-fortified. Perhaps the author wasn’t aware of the hidden sharks with frikkin laser beams:

Press reports indicate the Oasis Ranch facility was built in 1999 on 24 acres and is surrounded by a 24-foot wall 14-feet thick.[4] Other defenses include a partial moat, guard dogs, armed guards and video cameras. The compound includes two large buildings and a Moorish-style bell tower. The company describes the ranch as “an eighty-acre olive farm.”[1] Other documents indicate the farm is in fact a “Private Event and Meeting Center” — “a respite for and marketed to State Departments, foreign dignitaries, diplomats, Fortune 500 executives and their boards, ultra high net worth individuals and their families and celebrities.”[4]

[Author]

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