Aug 17, 2012, 4:41 PM
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Minnesoota: Westside Skydivers problems with city...
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Winsted terminates contract with Westside Skydivers
Due to violations of contract in regards to hours of operation, the Westside Skydivers business contract with the city of Winsted was terminated at Tuesday’s Winsted City Council meeting.
The contract violation was brought to light through a written complaint from Winsted Airport Commission Member Glenn Weibel, which documented instances of skydiving activities taking place after approved hours.
The agreement between the city and Johnson stated “no skydiving activities shall take place until 30 minutes after sunrise or 30 minutes before sunset.”
The agreement between the city and Johnson stated “no skydiving activities shall take place until 30 minutes after sunrise or 30 minutes before sunset.”
Well, I hate to ask, but did they bust the time limit? Did they sign the agreement and then not stick to it? If that's the case, I think the title of the thread should be reversed to read that the city is the one having a problem with the DZ, that being that they violated their contract.
That said, I don't agree with that type of clause in the contract, I think it puts and undue limitation on the business, but if the DZO signed, then he signed.
Does anyone know the nature of the violation? Was it loads taking off within 30 min of sunset, or was it jumpers/aircraft landing 28 min before sunset, and the airport is just out to get them?
Furthermore, does anyone know the motivation for that clause? Is it a safety thing? Surely they don't ban all aviation activites during those times, so they can't call it a noise abatement issue, so all I can guess is that they don't want canopies in the air near dark, no?
Sounds like just another pissing contest, GA pilots that don't like the fact that someone else is really using "their" airport. Then make up a bunch of restrictive rules. What do you suppose would happen if the airport board decided that no aircraft could operate outside of those same restrictions? I would guess that Skydive op's are 90+ percent of the airports total traffic, maybe 95+% of TO and landings. When they get an airport board smart enough to realize what those additional numbers mean for federal funding for improvements, things will probably improve. Pretty common.
... The agreement between the city and Johnson stated “no skydiving activities shall take place until 30 minutes after sunrise or 30 minutes before sunset.” ...
First, the only place I have seen hung-over skydivers drag their @$$$$$$ out of bed for pre-dawn jumps was California City. Hah! Hah!
Secondly, those hours differ from FARs regarding day VFR, which state that legal daylight ends 30 minutes after sunset. Sunset is defined as when the center of the sun is at the horizon. That might give skydivers' lawyers a chance to claim discrimination between different groups of aviators.
Thirdly, dropping skydivers AT sunset vastly increase the risk of students wandering off into the forest or cutaway canopies disapearring. Read: negligent or expensive.
Fourthly, skydivers knew the limts in the contract and exceeded those limits. No sympathy!
Fourthly, skydivers knew the limts in the contract and exceeded those limits. No sympathy!
Should have said unless you have other information...Fourthly, skydivers knew the limts in the contract and IF THEY exceeded those limits. No sympathy!
