This afternoon, I reached out to Randy Moore, Regional Forester, who oversees the USFS land in SoCal where we fly. I received a call from Zach Behrens, Public Affairs Officer, San Bernardino National Forest. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will very likely regain access to our roads, trails, launches and landing sites sometime during the afternoon of Friday, October, 9, 2020. A new order is expected to be issued during the coming week which will specify what all is to be reopened and should mention the time of day this coming Friday that will have access.
This will affect:
Cleveland NF
San Bernardino NF
Angeles NF
Los Padres NF

The prohibition is extended through September 21, 2020.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd804574.pdf

To keep current with USFS Region 5 Alerts & Notices:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r5/alert-notices#orders

https://twitter.com/usfs_r5 ( this link is less useful)

Speaking of sprinklers – my recent videos have been getting remarks from around the world about the condition of our LZ grass. I do not recall whether it was this dry and brown during the months of August in the past. Is it any different than past years and if so, what can I tell people about it?

Thanks, JD

I was there and watched the pilot approach high on a pizza run. Falcon 3 195 and H2 after his first flight from Crestline late in the day. The air in the LZ was calm with no thermic activity. The pilot told me he feared he was going to fly into the two PG pilots who were standing near the W/SW corner of the LZ. I missed his high flare that resulted in the injury to his arm. The glider was fine. I broke it down and stored it. Only a wheel was damaged.
My opinion is that the pilot panicked and became fixated on the PG pilots rather than training his eyes on where he wanted his glider to go. In this case that should have been off the LZ and into an overshoot area. In other words–his glider followed his eyes. This is an extremely common cause of bicycle crashes as well as aviation crashes. Bicycles and gliders tend to go where we are looking , especially if we are fixated on an object. That’s a guarantee that we will hit the object. Train your eyes where you want to go and NOT where you want to avoid or you will hit the very object your are trying to avoid. This is well-established dogma in numerous sports and includes hitting a good drive with a golf club.

Nice!

What time did this take place and where exactly was it?

I ask because – I was around the LZ part of the day but neither saw nor heard about any fight breaking out. None of the other people I saw during the few hours I was there said anything about any fight either.