Tehachapi Gliderport Under Assault

Lest you think it can't happen to you and your gliderport:

On the brink of the last tow from Sailplane Enterprises (on the 20th)
and the forcible eviction of gliders from Hemet-Ryan Airport, comes a
new assault.

Kern County (CA) has in hand a proposed EIR to allow the erection of
320 wind generators in the hills around Tehachapi. The windmills
themselves are not the problem, there are thousands already in the
area. The problem is that the proposed windmills in one area, Sub
Area 3, will infringe upon the Federally mandated glideslope
requirements for Mountain Valley Airport, a privately owned airport
where the Skylark North Gliderport is located.

If this project is successful, it will be the 2nd Southern California
gliderport forced to close THIS YEAR! We only have 5 left now as it
is, losing another will adversely effect the sport here!

One thing we can do is to join and be active in local and State pilot
groups. We can run or wrangle for seats on airport commissions. We
have to make soaring a higher profile sport or we will be forced to
grind our gliders into flox.

Soaring and soaring sites are under attack. We as glider pilots and
the SSA as our organization need to get active NOW, across the
country, and maybe we can prevent government from restricting soaring
and/or closing YOUR gliderport, as well as mine (Tehachapi). We
cannot wait and simply react. We have to be active and vigilant,
starting now.