At 17:13 29 September 2015, GB wrote:
Real bathrooms/showers and a plan to keep them clean. Kitchen, so pilots
a=
ren't beholden to eating out. Laundry machines, coin op is fine. And of
c=
ourse a bar/restaurant/clubhouse with a view of operations/sky. Of course
a=
n underground parking lot for ugly trailers(kidding.) Keeping bathrooms
an=
d a kitchen clean and functional is a challenge but do that and people
will=
put up with most anything else. Don't know what the demand will be for
RV=
hook ups, and cabins/bunk rooms. Hobby widows are entertained by semi
per=
manent RV/camping spots, playing house for grown ups. Dunno how many
pilots=
go for casino rooms. Providing maintenance/repair space/tools/power
might=
be nice but could be a downside. =20
On Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 12:31:17 PM UTC-4,
wro=
te:
Soaring pilots have a rare opportunity in the coming years to create an
i=
nternational soaring facility in a place with great soaring conditions.
If=
you were doing this, what would you include, what would you design into
it=
, what considerations would be important as the facility comes together?
=20
Let me explain.
=20
The county commissioners and airport management at the Minden-Tahoe
Airpo=
rt committed two years ago to creating a general aviation opportunity
with
=
strong support for soaring on the east side of our airport. This came
afte=
r many years of lobbying by soaring pilots for recognition of the unique
so=
aring resources available he superb wave and thermal conditions and
occa=
sional ridge flying from an airport that is friendly to us and our
activiti=
es. A look at US flights registered on the OLC in any given year
demonstra=
tes just how good we have it here, and we'd like to create an
international=
soaring center so pilots from all over can take part in our great
soaring.
=20
Who are we? Three years ago several like-minded pilots created the
Sport=
s Aviation Foundation with the idea of f=
inding funds and building an aviation facility that would be on the
opposit=
e side of the airport from heavier traffic and would prominently feature
an=
international soaring facility. We recognized that regular crossing of
the=
main runway with golf carts towing gliders can become a safety issue.
We
=
will not exclude general aviation, but the jets that visit Minden fairly
re=
gularly will be separated on the west side of the airport while we
operate
=
from the east side. There are nay-sayers who believe jets will take over
th=
is airport, but in the ten years I've lived here we have seen no
appreciabl=
e uptick in jet operations -- the economic demand is just not there. =20
=20
So we have a foundation that can guide the development of an
internationa=
l soaring center, we have land dedicated to creation of a general
aviation
=
facility that will be glider-friendly, and we have received 501(c)(3)
stat=
us from federal (IRS) and state authorities. Airport management has
brough=
t in utilities and is now planning tarmac upgrades, some of which will be
v=
ery helpful to glider pilots in strong cross-wind conditions. =20
=20
And we - the Sports Aviation Foundation - are looking for suggestions
and=
ideas. How many times have you said to yourself "I wish they had
thought
=
of gliders when they designed this airport?" Well this is your
opportunity=
.. We have a clean slate, and we want to make sure to include all the
good
=
ideas we can for designing a facility that will be used heavily by
gliders.=
=20
=20
Some of the ideas you will suggest are already on our "must-do" list,
but=
what we'd like to avoid is getting to a certain point in the design and
th=
inking "oh darn, why didn't we think of that?"
=20
So this is an invitation to glider pilots everywhere to say "hey, don't
f=
orget to include a family-friendly campground," or "where are the water
poi=
nts for ballasting during international competitions?" or "how about
drive-=
through parking for glider trailers?"
=20
I recognize that this might be an invitation for some snarky replies,
but=
it's also an invitation for getting in on the ground floor of a design
and=
building process. And even coming to be a part of this exciting process
i=
f you have a mind to relocate to Minden eventually and share our
outstandin=
g soaring. How would YOU design an international soaring center?