Dear Pilots,

Welcome to 2023 flying in Utah! We want you to have an enjoyable year.

Things to know and observe while here:

 

1. This year we’d like to ask pilots along the South Side ridge and North Side front ridge to fly a 20/20 rule to help ease traffic congestion. If 20 pilots are flying in the traffic pattern along the front ridge, wait for one to land or fly away before taking off into the pattern. If you have been flying 20 minutes and are in the pattern with pilots waiting to fly, land or fly away to give these pilots a turn to fly too.

Suggestions to improve this (experimental) 20/20 rule to help ease traffic congestion are welcome.

 

2. Fill out forms and pay fees. This helps maintain flying sites and liability insurance. This also helps you be become aware of important information the flying club wants you to have while flying here in Utah.

 

3. Familiarize yourself with our sites. The club has site guides posted online for most major sites within the club jurisdiction. Reading up before traveling to and flying a site will help a lot toward understanding what you need to do to fly a site safely.

 

4. Follow rules and traffic patterns. The Point here in Draper/Lehi has a lot of pilots flying and learning to fly. Special rules have been established to help the sites stay safe with more pilots usually flying at any given time than at other sites. Pilots visiting from out of state who have not read the site guides are easily identified because they are typically the ones not flying the local traffic patterns, not kiting, launching, or landing in correct areas. Keep risk lower for everyone by following local rules!

 

5. Fly inspected airworthy equipment. Always use checklists to inspect equipment and prepare for flight. Consider using printed checklists to help ensure everything gets checked every time.

 

6. Fly faster over mountains than seas. The ground moves faster underneath us in the mountains than down at sea level. Too often pilots visiting from lower elevations see this faster moving ground flying low or landing, slow their airspeed, and stall. Always fly indicated airspeed, not ground speed!

 

7. Fly safely today and tomorrow too. When in doubt about conditions, either don’t fly or land when you can as safely as possible. There are pilots who fly for decades without serious incidents because they know their limits and work to stay within them.

 

Be safe and enjoy flying!

UHGPGA Safety Committee:

Hang gliders – Kevin Berry<kevin@ebits.click>
Mini wings – Jordan Porter<jjpskier@yahoo.com> Paragliders – Mark Malouin<malouin.mark@yahoo.com>