SAVE SKYDIVE THE POINT!!!!

[blacklabjumper 0]

The airport authority is evicting us from our hangar. Without the hangar we cannot operate. The latest on the facebook page is that Jim got an eviction letter yesterday and it states we have to be out by the end of the year.
The reason for the eviction is several fire code violations that were not corrected in a timely manner according to the airport authority. They have since been corrected to code. However, they stated that we could still skydive we just couldn't use the hangar. Which is utterly ridiculous.
Jim is expected to pack everything up and leave in less than 45 days after being there for almost 50 years. Most of us are just stunned right now. But we are starting to push back. There is a facebook page called stop the eviction of skydivers from west point.
We are starting to contact the town council and the local businesses we patronize nearly all year round.
West Point is a small town and our economic contribution to this small town is easily half a million dollars or more per year.
Check out the facebook page it pretty much explains everything about the eviction and the latest updates.

Rodriguez Brother #1626
Dudiest Skydiver #1962
DPH #-2

[kasch 0]

got a link for us lazy people?

Sex with sith is like sex with a stripper. A lot of flashing lights and waving of glowing sabers, but in the end you end up with something dark and wrinkely.

DPH# "-13"
TSK# "-13"

[LuckyMcSwervy 0]

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Stop-the-eviction-of-the-skydivers-from-West-Point/169715333049873

Always be kinder than you feel.

[blacklabjumper 0]

Thanks Lucky. I was just about to do it. But i was probably going to do it wrong.

Rodriguez Brother #1626
Dudiest Skydiver #1962
DPH #-2

[LuckyMcSwervy 0]

You're welcome. It was my pleasure.

Always be kinder than you feel.

[mutumbo 0]

Quote

The airport authority is evicting us from our hangar. Without the hangar we cannot operate. The latest on the facebook page is that Jim got an eviction letter yesterday and it states we have to be out by the end of the year.
The reason for the eviction is several fire code violations that were not corrected in a timely manner according to the airport authority. They have since been corrected to code. However, they stated that we could still skydive we just couldn't use the hangar. Which is utterly ridiculous.
Jim is expected to pack everything up and leave in less than 45 days after being there for almost 50 years. Most of us are just stunned right now. But we are starting to push back. There is a facebook page called stop the eviction of skydivers from west point.
We are starting to contact the town council and the local businesses we patronize nearly all year round.
West Point is a small town and our economic contribution to this small town is easily half a million dollars or more per year.
Check out the facebook page it pretty much explains everything about the eviction and the latest updates.

not trying to be an ass, or nit pick, but genuinely curious. . . .


you said that the fire code violations were not correceted in a "timely manner" according to the airport authorty, what was the time limit and did you exceed it?

good luck either way, though!

Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.

[LuckyMcSwervy 0]

Quote

not trying to be an ass, or nit pick, but genuinely curious. . . .


you said that the fire code violations were not correceted in a "timely manner" according to the airport authorty, what was the time limit and did you exceed it?

good luck either way, though!

The Discussion Tab on the Facebook page gets into more detail that relates to your question. If you can, please pop over there and get the low down.

We gotta stick together. It could be any one of our DZs next. You just never know.

Always be kinder than you feel.

[SStewart 13]

That just sucks. When I lived on the East coast the point was one of my favorite places to jump.

I hope Jim and the rest of the crew can work this out. It would be a tragedy to see one of the oldest DZ's in the country close it's doors.

Vibes!

Onward and Upward!

[mutumbo 0]

Quote

Quote

not trying to be an ass, or nit pick, but genuinely curious. . . .


you said that the fire code violations were not correceted in a "timely manner" according to the airport authorty, what was the time limit and did you exceed it?

good luck either way, though!

The Discussion Tab on the Facebook page gets into more detail that relates to your question. If you can, please pop over there and get the low down.

We gotta stick together. It could be any one of our DZs next. You just never know.

ouch.

well that paints a much better picture. may wanna put tha tin the OP. either way, that SUCKS good luck!

Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.

[blacklabjumper 0]

Sorry, i should have been more specific with the details. I didn't want the original post be too long and I was trying to give a the cliff notes version.
On another note we have started to email town and county officials in hopes of enlisting their help.

Rodriguez Brother #1626
Dudiest Skydiver #1962
DPH #-2

[futuredivot 0]

What kind of help are you getting from USPA?


stir stir stir stir

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[blacklabjumper 0]

None that I am aware of at this time but since the DZO Jim Crouch is safety director for USPA I would imagine if they can help they will. My understanding is that USPA will only assist with airport access issues. I am not 100% sure about this. if someone knows different then please by all means chime in. This is not an access issue. They say we can still jump there but just not have a hangar.

Rodriguez Brother #1626
Dudiest Skydiver #1962
DPH #-2

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

Sorry, i should have been more specific with the details. I didn't want the original post be too long and I was trying to give a the cliff notes version.
On another note we have started to email town and county officials in hopes of enlisting their help.

Just an added idea, since Jim seems to have this well in hand. If you're not already doing it, you should also try to enlist the support of the local merchants whose businesses would feel the economic effect (either directly or via ripple effect) if the DZ closed or moved. They, in turn, representing a good part of the local tax base, would speak to the local politicians, etc....

[blacklabjumper 0]

Thanks Andy. We are alresdy doing this. We are notifying the one local hotel we put people in every weekend along with the resturants and local merchants we use on a weekly basis. We are estimating the local economic impact to be anywhere from $500K - 1 million per year. This inlcudes our fuel costs along with the people we bring in from out of state for our boogies which hold 4 times a year. West Point is a small town and there is not alot of places generating the kind of income and taxes we provide to the town and the county.

Rodriguez Brother #1626
Dudiest Skydiver #1962
DPH #-2

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

Thanks Andy. We are alresdy doing this. We are notifying the one local hotel we put people in every weekend along with the resturants and local merchants we use on a weekly basis. We are estimating the local economic impact to be anywhere from $500K - 1 million per year. This inlcudes our fuel costs along with the people we bring in from out of state for our boogies which hold 4 times a year. West Point is a small town and there is not alot of places generating the kind of income and taxes we provide to the town and the county.

That's good to hear. Local politicians tend to listen when people in the business community start calling them: "Are you guys out of your minds? You're killing us!" Plus, most non-urban local politicians tend to be part-timers; not only do they listen to the business community, they usually ARE the business community. So, talking to them about fairness is all well and good, but it sounds like . ("bullshit walks") Talk to them about their wallets, and they will stop and listen. ("Money talks")

[matthewcline 0]

Well in reading the fb page info and here, it is not an access issue.

They are still going to be allowed access to load and jump. They are not going to be allowed the use of the hanger though.

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[blacklabjumper 0]

I agree matt. It is not an access issue so not sure what USPA can do if anything. I will say one thing in talking to Jim this past weekend. When they told him he could stay but not have use of the hangar, Jim stated to the AA that he would have to move because he needs the hangar to operate the business. Jim said the AA was taken back abit and was not expecting that response. Right at this moment things do not look good but given the amount of interest this generating within West Point I am hopeful that this will all be resolved before the end of the year.

Rodriguez Brother #1626
Dudiest Skydiver #1962
DPH #-2

[SARLDO 0]

FB is nice but what about the local media? Perhaps much more publicity will sway the airport manager to reconsider.

Only been to WP once and had a blast. WPSD has quite a history. Be a shame to see it close.

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest" ~Samuel Clemens

MB#4300
Dudeist Skydiver #68

[futuredivot 0]

Quote

Well in reading the fb page info and here, it is not an access issue.

If it were an access issue I'd go to AOPA-they support their members.

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[Southern_Man 0]

Quote

I agree matt. It is not an access issue so not sure what USPA can do if anything. I will say one thing in talking to Jim this past weekend. When they told him he could stay but not have use of the hangar, Jim stated to the AA that he would have to move because he needs the hangar to operate the business. Jim said the AA was taken back abit and was not expecting that response. Right at this moment things do not look good but given the amount of interest this generating within West Point I am hopeful that this will all be resolved before the end of the year.

I would think that would pretty much kill that airport. Only been once myself but have to think that WPSD is buying a pretty good percentage of the fuel and making quite a large percentage of the flights.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[VTmotoMike08 0]

Yup, and that nice shiny FBO they built a couple years ago is a direct result of all the money we spent on fuel there. Now that they have the nice building, and new airport managers/ authority is in charge... screw us!!! Jim's message on the facebook discussion post is right- until the attititude of the airport authority changes, its looking pretty bad for us

[matthewcline 0]

Quote

I agree matt. It is not an access issue so not sure what USPA can do if anything. I will say one thing in talking to Jim this past weekend. When they told him he could stay but not have use of the hangar, Jim stated to the AA that he would have to move because he needs the hangar to operate the business. Jim said the AA was taken back abit and was not expecting that response. Right at this moment things do not look good but given the amount of interest this generating within West Point I am hopeful that this will all be resolved before the end of the year.

I think that is a good sign. Maybe they thought they could lease out the hanger to another entity and Jim would stay, two sources of income so to speak. But by Jim saying I gotta go if there is no hanger, they may have to re-think the plan.

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[hallux 0]

1. get a lawyer
2. look at the skydive monroe vs city of monroe, GA part 16 case on the FAA site.

call it what you will but it is a access issue. by denying a facility they are making it impossible and unreasonable to operate. YOu are tax payers now fight for your rights as american citizens to use these PUBLIC facilities as they were meant to be used.
If being evicted from the hangar so that it can be better utilized then another solution must be offered. Do they have good justification that the hangar can be better utilized to profit the airport? Is there a outstanding safety issue?
LAWYER LAWYER LAWYER

[Ron 7]

Quote

The Discussion Tab on the Facebook page gets into more detail that relates to your question. If you can, please pop over there and get the low down.

I have read the FB thing.... And it does not really answer his question.

And from the FB page, "I had told the authority that all of thr repairs had been made and I was just waiting for the door to arrive. The fire marshal showed up to inspect the premises again, and he found that some of the original issues had not been addressed properly, or at all in the cases of two items".

and

"I told the authority that everything was done except the fire door, so they felt I lied to them and I should be thrown out because some of the items still needed to be resolved after the inspection was done. So, shame on me for not following the repairs more closely."

So based on the data available..... It seems that the DZO said almost everything was done and some things were not complete and some were not even started.

I don't have a dog in this, and think that a DZ should have equal access to any federally funded airport.... But this seems to be more of an issue of a DZO saying he had done things he didn't do and got caught.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[idrankwhat 0]

The airport authority has been working to to get us off the property for months. We approached them about expanding and they shut us down at each opportunity. They have even demanded that we buy types of insurance that do not even exist. The local community wants us to stay, as do the local pilots. The only ones who want us out are a few people on a newly elected Airport Authority board comprised of non-pilots. The previous manager retired, the new board was elected, the current manager is an accountant for the county and he has pissed off the previous employees to the point that most, if not all of them have left. All activities such as the very successful Bluegrass Fly in and cancer awareness fundraiser have been cancelled. They even recently posted an advertisement for a new manager however it's been reduced to a part time position. The Airport Authority is on track to destroy our club as well as the airport. Please read my response to an article that was posted in a local rag. It gives a decent summary. And please help if you can. We need to make as much noise as possible.

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=169715333049873&topic=259