Newcastle Hang Gliding Club

Hi All,

I am very disappointed to inform you that as of today PERMISSION TO LAND AT THE HUNTER LOOKOUT LANDING ZONE HAS BEEN WITH WITHDRAWN PERMANENTLY.

This has come about for two reasons.
1. The first is that we were blamed for leaving the gate open to the paddock last Sunday 19th. The owner’s cattle got out onto the road which: exposed him to liability if someone had crashed into his cattle and hurt themselves; and wasted his neighbours time, as they found them first and rounded them back up and put them back in the paddock.
2. The second is that he’s decided to subdivide the paddock and is putting fences through the paddock which will make it unsuitable for landing in anyway.

Please communicate to all pilots that we now currently have no landing zone for this site. If pilots fly there and land below launch they risk exposing our club and all pilots to negative feedback and will do nothing to allow us to negotiate any other sort of landing zone in the area.

With regard to opening and closing gates, it’s irrelevant whether we left the gate open or not, as as soon as we start using gates it’s likely we’ll cop the blame at some stage. I’m asking all pilots to consider whether you need to use a gate in the first place. I suggest that the only reason you need to open a gate is to go through it on your way to a launch or landing site that is more than a reasonable walking distance. I strongly suggest that opening a gate because it’s is easier than passing gliders over or under, or because you don’t want to climb the fence is not a good enough reason.

The good news is that Jason McKenzie knows the owner of the paddock and has spoken with him and he doesn’t bear us any ill will and has saved us from turning another supporter against us. The owner is apologetic that he is withdrawing permission but will not change his mind.

To try and keep the site open, Jason and I will be visiting land users below Hunter Lookout on Sunday to see if anyone else is prepared to let us land there. If any pilots know the owners of any paddocks below Hunter that are a reasonable glide from launch, and feel they may be worth asking please do so or contact me, I’ll be more than happy to call them.

Kind regards
Stuart Coad